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Review: Botticelli in the Fire, at Hampstead Theatre – Islington Tribune newspaper website

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Dickie Beau in Botticelli in the Fire. Photo: Manuel Harlan

MANY historians would say that this play is not an entirely accurate retelling of Botticellis life, but it is intriguing and impassioned nonetheless.

The play commences with Sandro Botticelli (Dickie Beau) breaking the fourth wall, drunkenly talking directly to the audience about what to expect from the play this is not just a play, its an extravaganza, he says.

From the opening scene, it is apparent that Botticelli in the Fire is an intimate play (and in more ways than one).

Written by Jordan Tannahill in 2016, his intentions to make history accessible to a modern audience is clear. However, the parallels created in the Renaissance period and the contemporary society is a marriage that is difficult to comprehend, fluctuating between Botticelli sporting Stan Smiths and texting on an iPhone, to people dying from the plague and burning at the stake.

There are many movement and musical sequences that, at times, seamlessly propel the narrative forward. Movement director Polly Bennetts work is something to be admired, particularly during a mimed game of squash.

This is a play that deals with politics and pleasure, and how the treatment and policing of hedonism has failed to develop throughout history; however, in an attempt to merge history with contemporary culture, the audience is left with an awkward and perplexing fusion of two societies.

Until November 30 020 7722 9301

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Review: Botticelli in the Fire, at Hampstead Theatre - Islington Tribune newspaper website

From Russia with love and salmon (From Russia with love and salmon) High Country News Know the West – High Country News

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

The observation that Russia and the United States share a borderland sounds at first like the setup to a threadbare Sarah Palin joke. Yet for salmon stateless migrants that flow from their natal rivers around the Pacific Rim to mingle in the storm-tossed Bering Sea the 20th centurys two great rivals comprise a single habitat. The entire North Pacific, in fact, functions as one big, fluid system best understood as Salmon Nation, writes Tucker Malarkey in Stronghold: One Mans Quest to Save the Worlds Wild Salmon. When Japanese hatcheries pumped their rivers full of chum salmon, for instance, thousands of these factory-produced fish crossed the ocean and flowed into Alaskas Norton Sound. Fisheries may be managed by nations, but salmon themselves are blissfully ignorant of borders.

That we are all citizens of Salmon Nation is the singular insight of the conservationist Guido Rahr, Strongholds subtitular protagonist. Malarkey and Rahr are first cousins who passed their formative years together on Oregons Deschutes River, a relationship that gives the author rare insight into her subjects character. Rahr, in Malarkeys telling, was a taciturn angling savant who empathized more deeply with fish than with his family. He connected most intimately with the Deschutes famed steelhead, rainbow trout that spend their adulthood feeding at sea and return home transformed into massive silver torpedoes. Rahr was instructed by (steelheads) majesty, strength, and singularity of purpose, Malarkey recalls, and by their ability to adapt, to change in their very cells.

Guido Rahr fishes the Wilson River in Tillamook State Forest, Oregon.

Kamchatkas untouched appearance, however, turns out to be largely illusory and not only because the Indigenous Nanai people have plied the regions rivers since long before Russia existed. Law enforcement in eastern Russia, which was left destitute after the fall of the Soviet Union, is nonexistent, permitting caviar poachers to run wild. Officials feed their families with bribes; unsupervised fossil fuel companies plot new pipelines. Few locals are inclined to cooperate with the daft American toting the flimsy fly rod. People assume hes a CIA operative: When he places a call from his hotel room, Rahr is spooked by the telltale click of electronic eavesdropping equipment. At its best, Stronghold possesses the tangled geopolitical intrigue of a John le Carr novel, its setting a place and era that have been little explored by environmental journalists.

Although Strongholds subtitle suggests a great man theory of conservation, Rahr is shrewd about empowering his Russian collaborators. We meet Vladimir Burkanov, an incorruptible official besieged by death threats; Misha Skopets, a swashbuckling ichthyologist dubbed the Indiana Jones of the Russian Far East; and Maxim Ageev, a schoolteacher who stumbles upon an armed gang of illegal fishermen, cuts their nets and nonchalantly hands them anti-poaching pamphlets. Malarkey, who speaks Russian herself, deftly captures their devil-may-care bravery, a courageous fatalism born of life in a kleptocracy; Western conservationists driven to despair by the Trump administration can at least take solace in the fact that our rivers arent patrolled by the private militias of oligarchs.

The action is less scintillating on the American side of Salmon Nation, where Rahr becomes a prolific fundraiser whose Rolodex brims with millionaires. Stronghold, like some environmental groups, occasionally suffers from its proximity to famous philanthropists. We hear about Gordon Moores prodigious intellect, Tom Brokaws inexhaustible energy, and Yvon Chouinards hardcore and determined nature. Schmoozing with the wealthy is, for better or worse, integral to conservation, but the mechanics of fundraising make for a less than enthralling narrative.

Like Rahrs spirits, the tale revives when it returns to Kamchatka. In Strongholds finale, Malarkey joins Rahr in pursuit of Siberian taimen, monstrous trout that feast on adult salmon. She vividly conjures the Tugur River, a watercourse so powerful that lifejackets are considered useless. The line between life and death here was thin; one could easily slip away all it would take was a misstep, a momentary loss of balance, Malarkey warns. The book inevitably culminates in a riverside tte--tte between an American angler and a Russian fish, their negotiation mediated by a strand of monofilament. Strongholds achievement, and Rahrs, is the unification of Salmon Nation, a state whose borderlands encompass an ocean.

Ben Goldfarbis a frequent High Country News contributor and the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.EmailHCNat[emailprotected]or submit aletter to the editor.

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From Russia with love and salmon (From Russia with love and salmon) High Country News Know the West - High Country News

Why Medicine Needs a New Hippocratic Oathand What It Should Be – Singularity Hub

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Somewhere along the road from sickness to health, the American medical system took a wrong turna big one.

The cost of care in our country is sky-high, yet our population health outcomes tend to be worse than those of other developed countries (many of which have universal health care). Major surgeries, treatments for long-term illnesses like cancer, and medical attention for catastrophic injuries are so expensive that people can lose their homes or be forced to declare bankruptcy. Even a routine visit to a general practitioner can cost hundreds of dollars. Yet Americans have some of the highest rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in the world.

How did we get here?

In a talk at Singularity Universitys Exponential Medicine summit this week in San Diego, Dr. Jordan Shlain shared his thoughts on that question, as well as a framework for moving American healthcare forward. The first step, he believes, is a new Hippocratic oath, one thats been updated for our high-tech age.

It was the fifth century BC when Hippocrates put forth the idea that physicians should try to help people and do no harm (a pretty intuitive concept, one would think), among other ethical standards. The Hippocratic oath was born, and over time its been modified to reflect shifts in medicine and society. But the field of medicine has changed even more than the oath has, and Shlain believes its time for another overhaul.

He pointed to the beginning of early modern medicine as pivotal to the field. As new technologies came along that had potential to treat people more effectively, everyone wanted access to those technologies, so someone had to start manufacturing themand the incentive to do so was a profit.

When X-rays and penicillin were invented, we could see things wed never seen before and treat things wed never been able to treat before, Shlain said. Someone had to make X-ray machines and someone had to form a pharmaceutical company. But the convergence of medicine and business fed mounting costs, conflicts of interest, bureaucracy, and a focus on profits over patients.

Medical technology companies and pharmaceutical companies are now massive and complex, as are the medical and regulatory systems. Theres a lot standing between physicians and patients, Shlain said. It leads us to reactive medicine, and theres physician burnout.

The root of this problem, he believes, is that a corporate oath has superseded the Hippocratic oath in healthcare. The corporate oath says to increase shareholder value, generate profits, and constantly grow margins. But they dont know the outcomes on the other side, Shlain said. Exhibit A? The opioid crisis.

Since 1970, the costs of medications and medical devices have only gone upand so have corporate revenues. went up, cost of devices went up. But despite spending all this money and having all this expensive technology and medications, were not doing too well, Shlain said, pointing to a graph that shows life expectancy in the US falling since 2014. We need to differentiate between consumers and patients.

Shlains new oath consists of nine different statements.

1. I shall endeavor to understand what matters to the patient and actively engage them in shared decision making. I do not own the patient, nor their data. I am a trusted custodian.

Shlain pointed out that rather than asking patients What matters to you? physicians ask, Whats the matter with you? But to get the right answer, it should be a combination, and not just between doctors and patients, but in every interaction in the healthcare system.

2. I shall focus on good patient care and experience to make my profits. If I cant do well by doing good and prove it, I dont belong in the field of the healing arts.

We need to have some version of transparency for our outcomes, Shlain said.

3. I shall be transparent and interoperable. I shall allow my outcomes to be peer-reviewed.

Silicon Valley has gotten better at embracing a culture of learning from failure and even encouraging failure as a path to eventual advancement, but the medical field hasnt done the sameand perhaps rightfully so, since failure can mean a life lost. However, Shlain added, a byproduct of failure is almost always some sort of lesson.

4. I shall enable my patients the opportunity to opt in and opt out of all data sharing with non-essential medical providers at every instance.

Data privacy should be respected both as a path to trust and as a basic patient right.

5. I shall endeavor to change the language I use to make healthcare more understandable; less Latin, less paternal language; I shall cease using acronyms.

I would rename type two diabetes the over-consumption of processed food disease, because thats what it is, Shlain said. You dont get it, you participate in its process. But you didnt know it, because the language obfuscates that. So we really need to dig into language here, because language does tie to the metaphors we live by.

6. I shall make all decisions as though the patient was in the room with me and I had to justify my decision to them.

7. I shall make technology, including artificial intelligence algorithms that assist clinicians in medical decision making, peer-reviewable.

Everyone has proprietary technology and were supposed to use it despite not knowing how it works, Shlain said. Its in the interest of both practitioners and patients for this to change.

8. I believe that health is affected by social determinants. I shall incorporate them into my strategy.

Someones zip code can tell you more about their health than their genetic code, Shlain said. We need to focus on community.

9. I shall deputize everyone in my organization to surface any violations of this oath without penalty. I shall use open-source artificial intelligence as the transparency tool to monitor this oath.

Shlain pointed out that feedback loops in big corporations often arent productive, because people worry about losing their jobs. We need to create some mechanism of a feedback loop to ensure that this happens, he said.

This new oath isnt just for clinicians, Shlain emphasized. Its for everyone who touches the healthcare system in any way. That includes pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, medical suppliers, hospitals, and so on.

Given how fast new technologies are changing the healthcare landscape, we may need a totally new oath in ten years; what happens when robots are performing surgery, AI systems have taken over diagnosis, and gene editing can cure almost any congenital disease? Well need to continuously stay aware of how doctors roles are evolving, and update the ethical codes they practice by accordingly.

What we need is a culture of care, at every level, Shlain said. In order to change our paradigm, we need to have a set of principles that get us there.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Why Medicine Needs a New Hippocratic Oathand What It Should Be - Singularity Hub

‘Rick and Morty’ Season 4 Akira anime reference: What it means for the show – Inverse

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

We all knew that some kind of Akira-type situation was coming to Rick and Morty after a clip from the Season 4 trailer revealed a scene behind the mall where Morty beats up some bullies with advanced gadgets, but it wasnt until the Season 4 premiere aired Sunday night that any of us came to appreciate the real scope of how much Episode 1, Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat, pays homage to the beloved 1988 anime film Akira.

If youve come looking for answers to all your Akira-related Rick and Morty questions, youre in the right place.

Years after a singularity destroys Tokyo in the world of Akira, the society of Neo-Tokyo is plagued by gang warfare and terrorism, and its on the verge of collapse when a young gang member by the name of Tetsuo experiences visions of the future and develops supernatural psychic powers. He becomes an unstable egomaniac, eventually going on a rampage through the city fighting gang members, the military, and anyone who stands in his way. As his powers grow outside of his control, he mutates into a horrifying blob that consumes all matter and threatens the entire world.

If youve already seen the Rick and Morty Season 4 premiere, you can see just how many similarities there are, to the extent that the story resembles Akira more than it does Edge of Tomorrow.

Under the influence of the Death Crystal, Morty uses knowledge of his impending death to move towards what he thinks is a fate with his long-time crush Jessica as the love of his life. (In the vision, Morty sees her saying she loves him on his deathbed.) Because Rick is technically dead at this point and traversing various alternate realities in the bodies of various clones, Morty is able to steal enough of Ricks gadgets to essentially transform him into a super-powered villain.

To recap: Plagued by visions, a troubled teenager with feelings of inadequacy goes mad, and after developing superpowers, mutates into a huge blob and nearly destroys the world. That generalized plot is the same in Akira and this Rick and Morty episode. The disturbing scene where some kind of sci-fi ferrofluid envelops Mortys body is a direct homage to Akiras final sequence where something similar happens.

Edge of Tomorty even directly references Akira several times.

Some police see Morty fighting other kids, and they radio the incident in as the aforementioned Akira-type situation. Later, when Mortys actions make international headlines on news stations around the world, various news tickers refer to him as Akira boy. To cap it all off, in the episodes final scene, Jerry accuses Rick of turning [Morty] into an Akira.

I dont want to see any more anime stuff happening to my son! Jerry also says to Rick, mispronouncing words like anime and Akira in a way that makes him sound like some kind of foolish Boomer shamelessly trying really hard to sound cultured.

Next time this classic anime series comes up, hopefully youll have something clever to say about it (thanks to Rick and Morty). Just dont mess up the pronunciation like Jerry would.

Rick and Morty Season 4 airs Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. Eastern.

Watch Akira on Hulu right now.

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'Rick and Morty' Season 4 Akira anime reference: What it means for the show - Inverse

‘Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation’ Hunter / Prey DLC Coming Soon – Screens – WorthPlaying.com

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Humanity long ago shed its mortal skin and developed into beings of pure consciousness. But the Singularity is a thing of the past and the very future of human existence is being threatened. Though the post-humans wield godlike power, they find themselves at war for domination of not just the Milky Way but all galaxies with Haalee, the sentient AI, who is bent on saving the universe from post-human predation.

Pouring your human consciousness into thousands of deadly constructs, the time has come for you to join epic confrontations where countless robotic manifestations of war smash each other into scrap only to be replaced as factories convert all available matter into a steady stream of fresh war machines. In this war for ever-more intelligence, where control of matter to fuel the expansion of computing power is the only goal, the struggle will inevitably consume the galaxy...one planet at a time.

Stardock announced the new Hunter / Prey DLC for its massive-scale RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. New Substrate units and PHC base defenses add depth to players' strategic options in skirmish, multiplayer, campaign, and scenarios.

"This dlc further differentiates the two factions," said Callum McCole, lead designer for Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. "The PHC are now much better at locking down territory, while the Substrate's new units provide versatile tools for assaulting enemy strongholds."

In Hunter / Prey, Substrate players can take advantage of the devastating capabilities of the new Heart of the Phoenix juggernaut, unleash swarms of mechanical Hatchlings using the Clutch of Eggs, and disable enemy defenses with the Falling Star. PHC players can defend their territory with the powerful and heavy-hitting Minos Cannon, wipe out enemy shields using the Nova Tower, or freeze units dead in their tracks using the Stasis Hammer. There are more units and structures to try out and explore, which means greater battles and deeper strategy.

To introduce players to the new units and defenses, a brand new scenario focusing on the Substrate's expansion onto a PHC-occupied world is included. Multiple paths lead to the main enemy base, each with different defenses, so players will have to deploy their armies carefully. Each Nexus they destroy unlocks more of the new units, further building up their reinforcements.

The v2.9 update to the base game will release concurrently with the DLC. It includes a highly requested "Hold Ground" unit command, audio and visual improvements, a significant balance overhaul, and more.

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation - Hunter / Prey DLC and the v2.9 update are coming soon.

A real-time strategy game on a scale never before seen, where even the smallest units have diverse, independent weapons systems on them and every shot fired has its own targeting solution and ballistics model, Ashes of the Singularity explores entirely new and engaging gameplay fundamentals coupled with jaw-dropping visuals. With literally thousands of units acting independently on screen at the same time, players are introduced to a familiar infrastructure of real-time strategy gameplay while focusing their attention not on small engagements between a handful of units, but instead waging large-scale wars across multiple simultaneous battlefronts.

Ashes of the Singularity offers innovative multiplayer alongside its epic single-player campaign that tells the tale of the Singularity and complications arising from humanity's evolution away from physical form. League structures, leaderboards, stats and other features will be announced as development continues, powered by Stardock's cloud-based Project Tachyon metagaming services (led by lead architect Adrian Luff, who helped build Blizzard's Battle.net).

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Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation retails on Steam or through Stardock for $39.99.

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'Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation' Hunter / Prey DLC Coming Soon - Screens - WorthPlaying.com

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Gets Hunter / Prey DLC – GameSpace.com

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, the epic galactic opera come RTS game is about to get a whole new adventure for fans of the series. The Hunter / Prey DLC is coming soon.

Stardock just announced that alongside the version 2.9 update to the Escalation game, the Hunter / Prey DLC will bring a whole new variation to each of the games central factions. The new DLC will bring Substrate units and PHC base defenses into the mix. It promises to add significant depth to a players strategic options during campaigns, multiplayer, and skirmish scenarios.

In particular, Substrate players will find the paid addition provides a new Heart of the Phoenix juggernaut. The devastating new option allows players to unleash swarms of hatchlings on their enemies using the Clutch of Eggs and takedown an opponents defenses with the Falling Star. PHC commanders will be able to defend against these attacks using an awsome sounding Minos Cannon or stop troops dead in their tracks with a Stasis Hammer. It all sounds very awe and thunder of the PHC. These are not the only new weapons in play and with a ton of variety to choose from, players will get a new scenario focusing on the Substrates expansion onto a PHC-occupied world to introduce then to the new arsenal they have to hand.

For those of you that havent ventured out into PHC territory, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation is a stand-alone follow up to the original Ashes of the Singularity game. Coming from the same team that brought out. Coming from Stardock, the same team that brought gamers the Sins of a Solar Empire, this RTS title brings an unprecedented scale to fights handling thousands of units in one map and pushing the hardware of most desktop computers to the very edge. Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation gets its Hunter / Prey DLC in the near future. To be the first to get the drop date head over to the official website for more information.

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Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Gets Hunter / Prey DLC - GameSpace.com

Future-proofing the new Stanford Hospital: A podcast – Scope

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

When you consider the fast pace of technological advances today, you wonder how do you go about building a new hospital and keep the technology relevant for 10, 20 or even 50 years? I put that question to Stanford Health Care's technology wiz Gary Fritz in this 1:2:1 podcast. He told me:

"We try to do something we call future-proof the hospital. We tried to make design decisions and technology decisions that allow us to move to the current or the next generation technology as easily as possible."

So what does that actually mean when you think about infrastructure? He explained:

A simple example would be copper and fiber wires. When you're putting wires in a new facility, it's easier to put in many more than you need that moment because putting them in 5 years from now or 10 years from now is quite hard. Something like 85 percent of our copper wires and fiber optic cables are dark right now because we know we're going to need them in the future.

Since the new Stanford Hospital is a setting to treat, cure and educate, I also wanted to know how technology will impact the patients.How, for example, will technology enhance the patient experience at the new Stanford Hospital? The MyHealth app, Fritz told me, plays an important role.

We have a Stanford developed MyHealth app that allows our clinicians currently in the outpatient setting to connect with the patient, communicate with them about their issues, their concerns, and their health status. As they come into the hospital, they continue to use MyHealth, our tool.

"They can see," Fritz told me, "their electronic health record and what is happening now and what will happen next."

Patients often complain about the onslaught of noises in the room from technology -- buzzers, bells, alerts and alarms -- that interrupt sleep and can alter recovery and healing.I asked Fritz how the new Stanford Hospital addresses those intrusions.

One important one is reducing the amount of noise from alerts and alarms. Things like infusion pumps and vital sign monitors often go off. When you look at the published data, something north of 80% of those alarms are not clinically important. They are advisory only. It disrupts the patient healing process.

What we've done with some of our technology is connected that alarm and alert management to... an iPhone that has a specialized application on it.

The alarm that in the new Stanford Hospital that goes off in the patient's room can be dismissed or escalated from the phone directly, which eliminates the need for the nurse, or aide, or someone else to walk into the room, press the button and then address the issue.

We can address it very quickly.

So a few days before what hospital is open for patient care, I asked Fritz, what is he most excited about?

This is a team sport on a grand scale... The singularity of focus to get through every challenge, whether it's design, or it's construction, or it's licensing, or it's discovering new systems that need to be put in, configuring them properly. There was this wonderful can-do attitude. It's amazing to sustain that over years.

Photo by Steve Fisch

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Future-proofing the new Stanford Hospital: A podcast - Scope

‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ Vignette Shows Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers – Collider.com

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Sony just unleashed a singularity of wholesomeness by releasing a new behind-the-scenes vignette for the upcoming Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers.

The two-and-a-half minute video features a series of interviews with the cast and crew, describing the process of how they all came together to recreate Fred Rogers as best they could with Hanks. Considering Hanks is a two-time Oscar winner and five-time nominee and shares a similar cultural Dad-space as Fred Rogers, hes obviously the right man for the job.

Image via TriStar Pictures

We see a recreation of the opening of Mister Rogers Neighborhood with Hanks as Rogers, presented in the same format as it wouldve appeared on TV, and whoo boy it is feels-inducing. Hanks doesnt really look like Mister Rogers, but hes captured his facial expressions and his movements and mannerisms in such a way that it approaches a weirdly heartwarming version of the uncanny valley. Joanne Byrde,Rogers widow, says Hanks looks adorable as Fred. He looks wonderful.

Director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) stresses that having Hanks be a 1:1 match for Fred Rogers was never the goal. They gave him some false eyebrows and a very simple wig, and the rest is just Hanks using his Hanksian abilities to channel Mister Rogers.

Hanks echoes this, mentioning that he watched countless hours of the 30 minute TV program to study and master Rogers cadence and slow, precise movements, rather than attempt to do a microscopic mole-for-mole imitation of Fred Rogers. Co-star Matthew Rhys (The Americans) says, Tom playing Fred couldnt have been written in a book, because its perfect.

The movie looks like its surgically engineered to make you cry forever. You can check out the vignette below, and see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood when it releases in theaters on November 22nd. Just make sure you bring some tissues.

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'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' Vignette Shows Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers - Collider.com

Puerto Vallarta Gathered Talents of the Technological World at the SingularityU Mexico Summit – Vallarta Lifestyles

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

During November 6th and 7th 2019, the Puerto Vallartas International Conventions Center held the third edition of the SingularityU Mexico Summit, of Latinamericas most important events of technology and innovation.

This third edition featured more than 30 speakers, who through different panels and workshops shared their viewpoints and technological advances in topics such as robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, design thinking, leadership, and negotiation for the XXI Century. Furthermore, they shared what they consider will be the future of food and cities, as well as other subjects.

Among the personalities that participated in this recognized annual event stand out:

Vivian Lan Agami, director of SingularityU Mexico Summit in Jalisco.

Xchitl Cruz Lpez, who at her 10 years old, was awarded as Scientific Women 2018by the Nuclear Science Institute of UNAM and talked about science and entrepreneurship.

Leticia Juregui, named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 100 Powerful Women, who offered the conference Ante la Incertidumbre: Tecnologa e Innovacin.

Michel Rojkind, who shared his vision about the future of cities.

Anita Schjll Brede, who offered a conference about artificial intelligence.

Roberto Saint Martin, who was in charge of the conference Robtica Educativa: Transformacin del Modelo de Aprendizaje.

This event is launched by Singularity University, an institution based in Silicon Valley which main purpose is to create a networking space to promote the knowledge in innovation and technological solutions for the challenges of humanity and the planet.

To learn more about future events, visit SingularityU Mexico official website.

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Puerto Vallarta Gathered Talents of the Technological World at the SingularityU Mexico Summit - Vallarta Lifestyles

Russian internet censorship could come the U.S. – Inverse

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Russia strictly censors content on the internet and Russian President Vladimir Putin is actually trying to take control of Russias internet completely. As with any authoritarian regime, Russia especially loves to censor criticism of its leaders, which is often labeled as extremism. That might sound like a problem that only affects Russians, but a new study claims it could be a blueprint for censorship in the U.S.

The study, from the University of Michigan, claims that the U.S. repealing net neutrality rules could allow internet service providers (ISPs) to censor parts of the internet much as Russia does. To understand this issue, the researchers analyzed over 1,000 privately owned ISPs that are regulated by the Russian government.

Russias internet isnt technically state-controlled, as you see in a country like China, so it would seem itd be more difficult to censor content on this kind of decentralized network. However, Russia has been quite successful at censoring content despite ISPs being privately controlled. Something similar could take place in other countries where the internet is decentralized, like the United States.

Roya Ensafi, a U-M computer science and engineering assistant professor who helped conduct this study, said in a statement that Russia has essentially forced private companies to do the censoring for them.

Russia has broken the mold of what we traditionally consider censorship, she said. Theyve essentially outsourced censorship to the thousands of privately owned ISPs operate in the country, requiring them to ban certain content without specifying exactly how. This creates a patchwork of blocking strategies that is quite effective and very difficult for users to circumvent.

One could imagine a president like Donald Trump, who is known for strong-arming private companies to get what he wants and doesnt care for the First Amendment, pressuring ISPs to get rid of certain kinds of content he finds objectionable. Any future president could do this since we dont have net neutrality protections anymore. You can thank Trump and douchebag FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for that.

Russia passed a sovereign internet bill earlier this year that was signed by President Putin. This new law gives the Russian government the ability to take control of its internet completely by forcing ISPs in the country to install devices on their servers that are controlled by the Russian government for the purpose of censoring content.

The pieces of equipment being installed at hundreds [of] Russian ISPs cost a few thousand dollars eacha negligible amount of money for almost any government, Ensafi said. Theyve created a very effective system using inexpensive commodity equipment. And it could be easily exported to any country with a similar internet structurecountries like the United States or Portugal or Brazil or England.

See also: What Is the Save the Internet Act? The New Plan to Restore Net Neutrality

The study claims nearly 200,000 domains have been blocked under Russian censorship, and many more will be blocked in the not-too-distant future. The researchers warn that journalists, activists and citizens need to be vigilant so a similar situation doesnt arise in the United States and other more democratic countries. Once you lose a right, you dont tend to get it back.

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Russian internet censorship could come the U.S. - Inverse

Campus censorship: a tyranny of the minority – Spiked

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Most students are weary of the excesses of the social-justice movement.

A new study by the Policy Exchange think-tank has revealed that fewer than half of university students in the UK consistently support freedom of speech. According to the findings, 41 per cent agreed with Cambridge Universitys decision to rescind Jordan Petersons fellowship, as opposed to 31 per cent who disagreed. A similar result emerged when they were asked whether Cardiff University was right to overrule the activists who sought to have Germaine Greer disinvited for her supposedly transphobic views. Forty-four per cent opposed the universitys intervention whereas 35 per cent supported it. The study is being taken as evidence that intolerance of diverse opinions is a growing concern in our higher-education institutions.

The study also focuses on the political discrimination faced by those with unfashionable opinions. Students who support Brexit, the study finds, are unlikely to express their views openly. Both students and academics seem to be prone to what the economist Timur Kuran has called preference falsification, whereby ones true opinion is withheld in favour of a more socially acceptable declaration. This is why the authors of the Policy Exchange report emphasise the dangers of a culture of conformity.

Although this would seem to corroborate the general perception that free speech is under threat on university campuses, the authors emphasise that there remains a noteworthy constituency of students who support free speech. This has certainly been my own experience of speaking on campuses. Recently, a student-run politics society invited me to give a talk on the relationship between contemporary politics and satire and, in the subsequent Q&A, the issue of No Platforming was raised. Some had reservations about the idea of unfettered free speech, and one or two argued that there was a sound case for this kind of censorship. But on the whole I found the students to be open-minded and eager for debate.

The same cannot be said for the academic staff of the politics department, not one of whom turned up. I later discovered that they had refused even to publicise the event on the grounds that a talk which was likely to be antagonistic to woke culture would be a violation of their departmental ethos of promoting diversity. Quite how a discussion about satire would in any way represent a threat to diversity is difficult to fathom. But it was clear enough that they were unwilling to have their ideological worldview challenged.

My experiences have persuaded me that in order to combat the culture of conformity in universities, we need to take a top-down approach. With faculty members so blind to the need for alternative voices, is it any wonder that some students are beginning to follow suit? Free speech is increasingly perceived as the domain of the right, so it is hardly surprising that academics are failing to defend what should be a non-partisan principle. A recent study by the Adam Smith Institute found that fewer than 12 per cent of UK academics consider themselves to be conservative. This lack of diversity should trouble all of us, irrespective of our political leanings.

As for the students, it is now undeniable that on most campuses there exists a small body of activists most notably those who seek positions in students unions who are hostile to alternative ways of thinking and who like to conflate speech with violence. However, there is every reason to believe that most young people are weary of the excesses of the social-justice movement. And as I have argued previously, it is unwise to dismiss an entire generation as snowflakes on the basis of the illiberal antics of the minority.

The problem lies with the rise of a new kind of identity politics, one in which ones sense of self-worth is inextricably bound up with a particular worldview. In such circumstances, a political disagreement can represent an acute threat to ones emotional wellbeing. To be disabused of a long-held conviction can prompt what is known as an identity quake, by which ones core beliefs are suddenly destabilised. Some students, in other words, perceive the very process of education as carrying with it the possibility of a traumatic disruption of the certainties that are key to their identity. This explains the hysterical response of one Yale undergraduate who berated her professor in a now famous viral video. It is not about creating an intellectual space!, she is heard to scream. It is not! Do you understand that? Its about creating a home here.

It should go without saying that the university experience is not about reinforcing existing beliefs, but subjecting them to scrutiny. In spite of the more alarmist headlines that this recent Policy Exchange report has generated, most students are still keen to be challenged. At the same time, they are living through a time in which they are repeatedly assured that their emotional needs must take precedence over all other considerations. It is important that faculty and students alike feel able to discuss unpopular ideas and to question the status quo. In order to achieve this we need to break down this culture of conformity and initiate practical policies to defend academic freedom, and that means reaffirming the purpose of higher education itself.

Andrew Doyle is a stand-up comedian and spiked columnist. His book Woke: A Guide to Social Justice (written by his alter-ego Titania McGrath) is available on Amazon.

To enquire about republishing spikeds content, a right to reply or to request a correction, please contact the managing editor, Viv Regan.

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Campus censorship: a tyranny of the minority - Spiked

TOTO: Disney, Netflix Wave White Flag On International Censorship – The Daily Wire

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

LeBron James got caught cozying up to China in the most embarrassing of ways a few weeks back. Turns out hes got some competition on the cozying up front from two of the biggest companies in Hollywood.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar scolded Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey for supporting Hong Kong protesters, dubbing Morey misinformed and not educated. A massive public backlash ensued.

The derisive chant Shut Up and Dribble made a sudden comeback.

Much less has been made of two similar comments tied to authoritarian regimes.

Netflix, the worlds biggest streaming company (for now), got in trouble with one of its politically charged originals. The companys far-left talker Patriot Act starring Hasan Minhaj aired a segment critical of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his ties to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi earlier this year.

The streaming giant yanked the episode in question from its Saudi feed at the countrys urging. Recently, CEO Reed Hastings defended the decision.

Were not in the news business, he said during an event sponsored by The New York Times. Were not trying to do truth to power. Were trying to entertain.

We can accomplish a lot more by being entertainment and influence the conversation about the way people live, rather than being another news channel, he added.

Netflix seemed less interested in entertaining when it got into bed with the Obamas on a multi-million dollar production deal. Or when Hastings added former Obama official Susan Rice to the companys Board of Directors.

And what about Netflix threatening to pull productions out of Georgia after the state passed strict new legislation targeting abortion procedures?

That doesnt mention the streamers hard-left content catalog, featuring uber-woke talent like Chelsea Handler, the aforementioned Minaj, David Letterman and, briefly, Michelle Wolf.

Standing up to authoritarian regimes isnt of particular interest to Team Disney, either. The House that Mickey Built gains plenty from showing its product in Chinese movie theaters. That allows gargantuan hits like Avengers: Endgame to be gargantuan-er.

So its not shocking to hear Disney echo similar talking points.

The Hollywood Reporter recently invited seven major studio chiefs to weigh in on a number of critical issues, from the changing digital landscape to our current superhero fixation.

Alan Horn, chief creative officer and co-chairman of Disney, joined in the conversation which eventually steered toward China. THR brought up the imbroglio revolving around the studios live-action version of Mulan. That films star, Yifei Liu, shared her support for the Hong Kong protests, causing a LeBron-sized outcry.

How did Horn react?

My feeling is free speech is an important component of our society, and folks ought to be able to say what they want to say.

So far, so good.

We try to be nonpolitical. There is always an issue somewhere in the world, and China happens to be a very, very big market, but its not the only market where there have been issues. The only thing I have said to the folks that work with me is to keep in mind that when you speak, [the media will quote you]. And that carries with it a certain responsibility. Be sensible and think before you speak. Especially on social media.

The conversation then shifted to the Fast & Furious franchise, one of Hollywoods hottest properties. The roundtable moderator asks if the series could have a Chinese villain at some point. Universals Donna Langley offers this answer:

We run a business. We have to be sensitive to important markets.

That would be a no.

These revelations dont address the other ways studios appease Chinese censors, from adding positive Asian characters to win over foreign censors to ensuring no plot points interfere with the nations flawless image.

The international markets certainly complicate business decisions in the 21st century. Movie studios know a stateside flop can turn into a profit leader if select foreign markets rally to their side.

There are few easy answers in our increasingly global age. Still, its hard to process the non-stop lectures and finger-wagging from Hollywood Inc. and the aforementioned comments.

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TOTO: Disney, Netflix Wave White Flag On International Censorship - The Daily Wire

Delhi HC’s order for social media censorship is an end to the internet as we know it – The News Minute

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

If widely adopted, this may result in a situation where the only content that remains online is that which complies with all the laws of every country in the world.

By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson

In recent weeks, Indias High Court of Delhi put another nail in the coffin of the internet as we currently know it. The courtgranted an orderrequiring Facebook, Twitter and Google to remove certain content globally, based on that content being defamatory under local law in India.

This decision underlines a worrying trend of a race to the bottom for internet freedom, where thescope of jurisdictionclaimed by the courts is global.

If widely adopted, this may result in a situation where the only content that remains online is that which complies with all the laws of every country in the world.

Another brick in the wall

In reaching its decision, the Indian court relied on a string of recent decisions from around the world. For example, it drew from theCanadian approach in Equustek, where the Supreme Court of Canada ordered Google to remove content globally.

It also referred to a 2017Australian casein which the Supreme Court of New South Wales ruled Twitter must globally block any future posting by a specific user.

The most recent decision referred to was arulingby the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in which the CJEU concluded the EUse-commerce directivedoesnt prevent courts in EU countries from ordering social media sites to block or remove information worldwide.

Following the CJEUs decision, severalleadingcommentatorsargued that, while much has been made of the CJEUs apparent green light to global takedown orders, in reality this was just a decision about the dividing line between EU law and national law.

Even if this is true,headlinesaround the world didnt communicate such a nuanced outcome. And with the current decision from India, we can see with complete clarity how that case is now being used by foreign courts. This shows how careful courts must be as to the messaging of their judgements.

Its of course possible to suggest this type of application of an EU law case is a mistake by the Indian court, rather than the CJEU - and there is certainly merit in such an argument. However, the CJEUs decision was a missed opportunity to clearly communicate a general stance against global orders as being standard.

A missed opportunity to explain geo-location technologies

Geo-location technology may be used to block online content within a specified geographical area. This practice caters to a global internet while still respecting differences in laws, and in Indias case could provide an alternative to a global blocking order.

However, more than once, courts have failed to understand how this technology operates. And at least on this occasion, errors could have been avoided since the court had specifically directed the defendants to throw some light on how geo-blocking is done and to keep a technical person present in court to seek clarification on geo-blocking.

The court said none of the internet platforms had given a detailed explanation as to how geo-blocking is done.

As a result, the court clearly misunderstood the impact of geo-blocking:

If geo-blocking alone is permitted in respect of the entire content, [] the offending information would still [] be accessible from India, [] by accessing the international websites of these platforms.

Where geo-blocking is doneby reference to domain names, internet users can indeed use another countrys version of the site in question and access the content. This seems to be the situation the court had in mind.

In contrast, with blocking by geo-location technology, the content is tailored to the users location, regardless of which countrys version of the site is accessed. Its highly unfortunate the court wasnt made to understand this important distinction.

Silver linings, and the way onward

Although the above probably makes clear that I see the Indian courts decision as a setback, there are also some positive aspects that ought to be highlighted.

In its decision, the court clearly acknowledged the importance of the scope of jurisdiction issue and the implications of global orders.

The court also devoted considerable effort to discussing case law from around the world. This is an important step if we are to see a global harmonisation in approach. That said, Id like to add that currently harmonisation seems to be taking us in an undesirable direction, with global blocking/removal orders as standard.

Given the court had taken account of the international environment, its disappointing, not to say odd, that it didnt properly engage with the international law issues raised by the defendants. For instance, defendants mentioned the doctrine of comity, which demands courts take the international impact of their decisions into consideration.

While the Indian court decision is currently underappeal, theres no point denying the future of the internet looks bleak when it comes to scope of jurisdiction.

The case discussed here sets an important precedent, not just for India but also the rest of the world. And much is at stake.

This article was written byDan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor at Bond University, Australia. The article first appeared on The Conversation.

Delhi HC's order for social media censorship is an end to the internet as we know it - The News Minute

Dazzling Film Fantastic Fungi Shows The Magic Of Mushrooms With An Expanding Theatrical Release – Forbes

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Documentary "Fantastic Fungi" delves into the fascinating world of the mushroom.

The mushroom is blooming.

Thats the message from director Louie Schwartzbergs poignant documentary Fantastic Fungi, currently enjoying a significant groundswell of interest in the U.S. and internationally. Showing this fall in over 90 theaters from Seattle to Jacksonville to Tel Aviv, the film is proving to be immensely watchable for a wide-ranging audience interested in the wonders of the mushroom.

Meandering its way through a remarkable visual storytelling of the fabled forest mutant, the film narrated by actress Brie Larson breaks down the benefits of mushrooms, as well as the astonishing fungal web present beneath the soil. Called mycelium, the synapse-like strands traveling under the fruiting body of mushrooms can run for miles creating subterranean circuit boards that help to restore ailing trees and transmit vital nutrients across vast stretches of forest floor.

Including interviews with experts ranging from Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind), science and food writer Eugenia Bone, and renown mushroom specialist Paul Stamets, Fantastic Fungi describes a world where mushrooms are responsible for remediating contaminated soils, feeding local communities and rebuilding decimated forests.

It makes perfect sense that a film starring mushrooms is currently captivating audiences. Deployed in everything from the creation of durable alternative leather products to therapies that aid people with terminal diagnoses, the humble fungus is certainly ready for its closeup.

A whole array of mushrooms is now steadily showing up nationally in the diets of health-conscious consumers and being farmed in greater numbers across America. Increasingly recognized as a sustainable food source, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) notes mushrooms are produced in over 33 U.S. states, are a regional food resource, and points out that a majority of mushroom farms are actually family owned. Their tendrils reach far beyond food, too, as mushroom farms are helping humans reduce waste. They act as natural recyclers, says the NCBI, of byproducts from other agricultural sectors including crushed corn cobs, cottonseed hulls, soybean hulls, peanut hulls, and cocoa shells providing a useful solution for byproducts that previously posed waste management challenges for other agricultural operations.

It turns out that mushrooms truly are magical.

Of course, a film about mushrooms wouldnt be complete without also delving into varietals of psychedelic fungi, the most popular of which includes psilocybin. One of the more riveting interviews in Fantastic Fungi is with mycologist Stamets, who has dedicated his life to studying mushrooms. He tells a heart-rending story about his challenges with stuttering as a young man and one mind-blowing afternoon taking a whopping amount of psilocybin that completely changed his life.

The film comes in the wake of three major cities in the U.S. this year Denver, Oakland and Chicago each decriminalizing the use of entheogens, of which psilocybin is one. Not since Richard Nixons Controlled Substances Act of 1970 has the use of fungi for therapeutic usage been legal for average Americans. Such use in clinical settings has proven to reduce anxiety and depression, and has aided patients with terminal diagnoses to better accept the harsh reality of their fates.

Fantastic Fungi shows that the utility of the mushroom goes far beyond a $95 sliver of black truffle over your pasta it might just play a key role in salvaging humanitys future acts. Currently ranked at a firm 100% audience approval rating on RottenTomatoes.com, Fantastic Fungi is a must see for anyone interested in life, death and the pursuit of the planets well-being.

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Dazzling Film Fantastic Fungi Shows The Magic Of Mushrooms With An Expanding Theatrical Release - Forbes

Key takeaways from the 40th World Travel Market – ITIJ

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Bringing together more than 50,000 travel and tourism representatives, the World Travel Market helps industry figures adapt to match the top trends in the travel and tourism sectors. And on that train of thought, the London-based event underlined India as being one of the top destinations on peoples bucket lists thanks to the countrys wide array of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes that lend themselves excellently to adventure travel as is Tokyo, with next years Olympic Games encouraging a surge of sports enthusiasts.

Elsewhere, the conference shone a spotlight on climate change and the importance of sustainable travel and, as such, luxury tourism development The Red Sea project in Saudi Arabia was celebrated for its use of smart green technologies, as well as its commitment to 100-per-cent renewable energy, zero waste and carbon neutral operations. Morocco was also hailed as being a leader in the luxury travel sphere, having welcomed over 12 million tourists in 2018 and being able to offer relatively low price and niche luxury experiences, such as a luxury tent in the desert, or a tour in a hot air balloon.

In Greece, despite its iconic historic landscape, adventure travel is beginning to take centre stage, while, in Valencia, having a unique experience is important to travellers, including cultural activities such as food, festivals and interacting with the locals.

A tourist is a person, were all tourists. We want to experience something new, something pleasant, that also has contact with people, with the local population," said Ximo Puig, President, Valencia Regional Government.

The event also emphasised the growing popularity of health and wellbeing travel, estimated to be worth around 575 billion a year, which is synonymous with Bulgarias tourism market. Last year, more than nine million people visited the country for this purpose. We have everything, starting from beauty procedures and massage, and continuing to everything pre- and post-treatment regarding rehabilitation and all needs with the different parts of the body, said Nikolina Angelkova, Minister ofTourism for Bulgaria. We have more than 1,600 hot water natural springs, but we only use 600 of them. So we really have a really huge opportunity to expand this part of our sector and to attract investments in that."

The World Travel Market will return at the same time next year.

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Key takeaways from the 40th World Travel Market - ITIJ

The Best Travel Agent In The World Is…Free? – Forbes

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Royal families, CEOs, celebrities and hedge fund moguls all rely on Black Edge Concierge to perfect their travels. Founder Nacer Tazi has been planning trips for family and friends since his days studying hospitality management at Switzerland's Glion Institute of Higher Education.

Black Edge Concierge Founder Nacer Tazi & COO Ghita Tazi pictured at Faena Hotel Miami Beach

Nacer Tazi grew up in Morocco, helping his hotelier parents at work since he was six years old. I would welcome VIP guests at the door, dressed in traditional Moroccan clothes and help the waiters carry small salad plates, he recalls with a smile. By nine, he was giving full property tours of the riad and imperial palace.

Travel and hospitality are in Tazi's blood and he's been planning trips for family and friends since his days studying hospitality management at Switzerland's Glion Institute of Higher Education. After management training with brands like Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and Viceroy, Tazi founded Black Edge Concierge in 2016 and a year ago, his sister Ghita Tazi left her corporate job to join her brother.

Nacer Tazi with VistaJet

It took me a full year of non-stop traveling to establish all of the connections for Black Edge, Tazi explains. He's personally tried every place he recommends. Each time he's in a new city, he'll visit all of the top hotels in town for a meal, spa service or an overnight stay to understand each property's strengths and weaknesses. Over the past decade, he's lived in five different countries and speaks English, Arabic, French and Spanish fluently.

Four Seasons George V Paris

The luxury travel management business is all about the smallest details, Tazi says. We exceed the client's expectations and create unforgettable memories that will last forever. Since we've started, we haven't had a single client stop booking with us.

Other exclusive travel agents, likeFischer Travel, charge rates of up to $100,000 just to get your foot in the door as a new client. Tazi upends this business model by giving away the same attentive, 24/7 luxury lifestyle concierge services these travel agents pride themselves on for free.

Giraffe Manor Hotel Kenya

There is no Virtuoso agency offering a complete full concierge service while you're traveling like us without charging, he says. Others charge per year or per task. Typically, agents will tack on fees for their time and depending on how challenging client requests are to execute.

Our clients don't pay anything extra, Tazi says But they get so many extra amenities, including VIP perks from Virtuoso. Everything is manageable. Tazi organizes bookings and clients make payments directly to the hotel, restaurant or supplier.

Orient Express Venice-Simplon Luxury Train

Recently, on my first visit to Dubai, Tazi gave me a taste of what it's like to be one of his VIP clients for a few days. I had booked a superior king room a theJumeirah Zabeel Saray, an opulent Ottoman palace on Palm Island. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a bouquet of flowers from the Black Edge Concierge team and upgraded six room categories to an imperial suite with a lavish platter of Turkish sweets and champagne as a welcome amenity. I can only imagine what kind of perks clients get when they book the imperial suite to begin with.

Founder Nacer Tazi

Throughout my stay, Tazi was always available via WhatsApp to answer any questions, from where to buy the best dates for gift-giving (Bateel) to a last-minute request to find atraditional henna artistto visit me for an appointment at my hotel. He was even able to get me a great deal on front row seats toLa Perle by Dragone, which Tazi recommended as Dubai's most spectacular show.

Royal Mansour

Unfortunately for most travelers, if you are booking standard rooms or junior suites, Tazi simply doesn't have time for you. The commissions he would make from hotels on lower-priced rooms wouldn't be worth the effort. We make the most of our money in villa rentals, private jet charters, yacht charters and hotels, he explains. Usually it's around 7-10% commission and it's not much when you have people who take just standard rooms. We do not focus on small travelers. We focus on high net worth travelers who travel at least once a month, usually staying 10-12 days a month in suites.

La Mamounia

For these high spending frequent travelers though, Tazi can move mountains. He can even get clients into the Oscars, Grammys, any fashion show and events that aren't open to the public. This kind of access is something that money can't buy. We'll get you a ticket and deliver it to you anywhere in the world, he says. People appreciate these kind of gestures and continue booking more and more. This kind of repeat, high volume business, plus word-of-mouth has helped Tazi grow Black Edge Concierge to 200 members globally.

Around 60% of our members are American and the rest are a mix between European and Middle Eastern travelers, he says. We have royal families, government delegations, entertainers, fashion models, CEOs and private equity people in New York. We work a lot with delegations from Africa when they go to the Middle East. We have contacts in every single luxury hotel in the world.

Black Edge Concierge arranges luxury yacht charters

Nothing is out of reach when money is no object, whether you're looking to plan a million-dollar honeymoon in the Maldives, want a tailor-made multi-generational African safari or need to book a last-minute yacht on New Year's Eve in St. Barts.

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The Best Travel Agent In The World Is...Free? - Forbes

Richmond-area teachers get grants to travel the world to improve their instruction – Richmond.com

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Theyll travel the country in an RV visiting technical centers, to Europe to understand the work of Leonardo da Vinci, and to the Galapagos Islands to study animals.

Nineteen Richmond-area teachers are receiving grants from the Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation to discover the world and bring what they learn back to the classroom.

The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation announced Monday that they have given $210,000 to 28 teachers in the Richmond region 19 winners and nine finalists from a pool of 102 nominees. The annual R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence, which started in 1988, are given to top teachers in the area.

The 19 winners each won grants between $8,300 and $12,000. The finalists each received $750 that can be used how they see fit.

This years winners are:

John Barclay, Franklin Military Academy in Richmond, $12,000 to chase Global Solar Phenomena including the Aurora Borealis in Iceland and Solar Eclipses in Africa, Southern Asia and the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Caroline Bare, Hanover High School, $11,900 to study the Transatlantic Slavery Triangle through the prisms of history, memory and reconciliation in relation to Richmond, England and Ghana.

Caitlyn Carpenter, Glen Allen High School in Henrico County, $9,000 to travel the U.S. to visit mentorship models for youth and gain insights into the collective understanding of historically marginalized communities.

Mandelia Fisher, Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond, $10,300 to attend the National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools in Atlanta and explore the architecture, culture and cuisines of New York, Egypt and Singapore.

Nicole Fleming, Miles Jones Elementary School in Richmond, $11,200 to make text-to-self connections through childrens literature by traveling to New York, Alabama and California.

Amy Gregory, Chickahominy Middle School in Hanover County, $12,000 to discover and explore geographical features and biomes across the U.S. and Canada.

Amanda Hach, Glen Allen High School in Henrico, $9,000 to cultivate empathy and community by visiting historically significant and culturally relevant sites relating to the African American experience in the U.S.

Adam Hawkins, Chesterfield Technical Center, $12,000 to travel the country in an RV visiting technical centers that offer work-based learning, with a focus on the culinary industry.

John Holland, John B. Cary Elementary School in Richmond, $11,500 to understand the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci as an example of STEAM in action by visiting Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.

Kimberly Jackson, Echo Lake Elementary School in Henrico, $9,000 to study the animals of the Galapagos, the islands intricate ecosystem, and the importance of reducing the environmental footprint on the islands.

Heather Leise, Atlee High School in Hanover, $11,900 to compare and contrast benevolent dictators of the past and present by traveling to Singapore and the former states of Yugoslavia.

Christopher Morris, Swift Creek Middle School in Chesterfield County, $10,000 to explore the music and sounds of Spain.

Elizabeth OShea, L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, $9,000 to explore the western front of World War II Europe.

Rachael Pifer, Robious Middle School in Chesterfield, $11,700 to obtain the Childrens Yoga Teacher Certification with an emphasis on making yoga and mindfulness inclusive and accessible to children of diverse abilities.

Kathryn Regan, J.A. Chalkley Elementary School in Chesterfield, $11,500 to engage in immersive and authentic experiences in Mexico and southern Europe.

Beth Sawyer, Evergreen Elementary in Chesterfield, $11,500 to expand knowledge of learning through play by observing innovative play and outdoor-based instructional programs in China and Switzerland.

Natasha Thomas, Southampton Elementary School in Richmond, $11,300 to embark on the African American experience through the lens of black artistry in Los Angeles, and to make heritage connections in South Africa.

Timothy Towslee, Glen Allen High School in Henrico, $10,800 to obtain certification as an outdoor ethics master educator and to apply these skills by backpacking through the Alaskan wilderness.

Denise Yancey, William Fox Elementary School in Richmond, $8,300 to experience Spanish immersion in Panama and to observe the ecosystems and biodiversity of Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Teacher Mandelia Fisher helps A'meera Dock-Moore with an arithmetic lesson at Chimborazo Elementary School Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Nadya Bright, left, and Davondre Martin, right, work on the problem. Fisher won $10,300 from the Community Foundation on Monday to attend the National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools in Atlanta and explore the architecture, culture and cuisines of New York, Egypt and Singapore.

Mandelia Fisher teaches an arithmetic lesson at Chimborazo Elementary School Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Fisher won $10,300 from the Community Foundation on Monday to attend the National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools in Atlanta and explore the architecture, culture and cuisines of New York, Egypt and Singapore.

Mandelia Fisher taught an arithmetic lesson to students (from left) Alijah Pace, Mekhi Carter and Ameera Dock-Moore on Tuesday at Chimborazo Elementary School.

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Richmond-area teachers get grants to travel the world to improve their instruction - Richmond.com

UK man runs marathon in every country in the world – CNN

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

(CNN) If you've ever wondered who runs the world, it turns out it's a man called Nick Butter.

Butter, a former banker who hails from Dorset in the south of England, ran his first marathon at the age of 11.

Later, he competed at a high level while keeping up an office job, but eventually decided to become a full-time runner.

The idea for his 196-country challenge came when Butter met a man at a race in the Sahara desert who had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.

Kevin Webber imparted a powerful message that inspired Butter to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK and, when he realized that nobody had ever run a marathon in every country in the world, he set off to become the first person to do so.

"You've got to value your time, you cannot just assume that you're going to get to retirement and live this life, you've got to go and do what you want now," Butter told CNN.

Butter filled 10 passports over the course of the trip, sometimes returning home to the UK for just 24 hours to pick up a new visa.

"I was bitten by a dog, I was mugged, I was robbed at knifepoint, I was put in a cell," he said, but there were plenty of good memories.

"I ran with a thousand people in El Salvador, I ran around erupting volcanoes," Butter said, adding that he had completed marathons along beaches on unspoiled Pacific islands and even ran an entire marathon up and down an airport runway.

Webber joined Butter for the final marathon in Greece, with the pair crossing the finish line together.

Having now run a total 592 marathons, you might think that running would be the last thing on Butter's mind, but he's not planning on taking much rest.

"I'll have a couple of days off but I actually am kind of itching to get running again," he said. "It's my thing."

UK man runs marathon in every country in the world - CNN

Irish city named one of the best hipster travel destinations in the world – Irish Post

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

ONE OF Ireland's best cities has been recognised for something a little unusual.

Ireland is often recognised for being super-friendly, having incredible scenery, amazing beaches or just being the best place to visit in general-- but now a travel company has highlighted us for having one of the best destinations for hipsters.

Cork city has been named by travel magazine Days to Come in it's list of '6 Off-Piste Hipster Travel Destinations' alongside iconic cities such as Naples and Osaka-- and if you've ever visited this southern city you'll already know why.

The magazine, which is part of umbrella travel company TourRadar, praises Cork's "flourishing food and brewery scene and a roster of festivals", and says Cork's massive appeal for hipsters comes from its "neighbourhoods, small pockets of culture, history and Irish traditions that fuse to bring home an authentic and off-beat city adventure".

The city's Huguenot Quarter, Opera House, Crawford Art Gallery, French Church Street and Coal Quay Plaza's farmers market all get a special mention in the travel magazine's review, and they recommend Summer, autumn and Christmas as the best time to visit-- so basically year-round.

While we always appreciate Ireland being recognised for being the great place it is, we knew Cork was cool before this list-- which I guess makes us the hipsters.

For full reviews of the 6 'Off-Piste Hipster Travel Destinations' you can visit the website here.

'Days to Come': 6 Off-Piste Hipster Travel Destinations:

1 Victoria, Canada

2 Naples, Italy

3 Nakazakicho, Osaka, Japan

4 Cork, Ireland

5 Glasgow, Scotland

6 Arequipa, Peru

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Irish city named one of the best hipster travel destinations in the world - Irish Post

Trains at night: Amazing pictures of railways across the world – CNN

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

(CNN) A train speeds across the checkerboard tracks of Chicago's bustling Tower 18 junction, sparks flying from wheels that you can almost hear screeching.

The limited light conditions make nighttime photography both a challenge and a reward.

"We never use flash and rarely use a tripod, so we have to work with whatever light is available," says Coombes.

Rail as a window to the world

The photographers took this shot of a Class SY No. 1771 on a local passenger train at the Tiefa Mine Railway in China.