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Armin Van Buuren to headline Dreamstate SoCal 2017 – Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

When we thought that the Dreamstate SoCal lineup had everything, they had to have the last laugh didnt they. Yes the final announcement is here and Armin Van Buuren will be headlining this years Dreamstate South California 2017. Apart from his project GAIA, he will be playing a a Solo Set at the event.

This year Armin is taking some conscious efforts to maintain his trance profile he will be playing at FSOE 500 Egypt alongside Aly&Fila and now this, we hope he goes all out with this whole range of trance spectrum. We also hope Dreamstate is able to livestream this show! That would be wonderful.

For the latest news, be sure to followDreamstateonFacebook,Instagram, andTwitter.

To stay up to date with the latest Insomniac news, visitwww.insomniac.com

Co-Founder of Trance Hub, Curator of The Gathering events in India and ALT+TRANCE in Czech Republic. By day, a Digital Marketing Enthusiast with love for Food and Technology. By night, a dreamer who wants to grow the Trance scene in India.

As with all good stories, as one chapter closes, another opens. Such is the way in...

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Armin Van Buuren to headline Dreamstate SoCal 2017 - Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

FULL Dreamstate SoCal Lineup Revealed – EDM Sauce

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

It is no secret that Insomniac has been busy keeping the trance family happy with their wildly successful Dreamstate brand. Since its launch in 2015, Dreamstate has grown immensely in popularity and size, branching out of the festival crowds and into clubs in cities around the world.

This week, the flagship festival, Dreamstate Southern California will begin announcing their artist lineup for the fall event. Being revealed on social media, the all-trance rave is sure to include the biggest names in trance, psytrance, melodic and progressive.

After a cryptic online video was published, many fans believed to have seen the blurred out image of cloak-wearing duo, GAIA. On July 4, fans of the duo comprised of Armin van Buuren and Benno de Goeij had their doubts erased as Dreamstate affirmed that GAIA will be performing at the NOS Events Center come autumn.

On Wednesday, July 5, a slew of trance artists were exposed, ranging from classic trance to progressive and psytrance DJs. Andrew Rayel, Paul Oakenfold, Sunny Lax, a classics set by Judge Jules, Key 4050 Presented by John O'Callaghan and Bryan Kearney and Hyrda presented by The Thrillseekers are a few of the highlights of the mid-week announcement.

Thursday's announcement brings in SIXTEEN more names in the increasingly HUGE roster of trance artists. Highlights include: Paul van Dyk presents AEON, ALEX M.O.R.P.H., Arty's Alpha9, Kristina Sky, a live set by Rank1 and a tech energy set by MaRLo. Check out the other additions below.

To kick off the weekend, Dreamstate SoCal dropped even more big names to the already extremely impressive lineup (including some Anjunabeats favorites). Ilan Bluestone, Andrew Bayer, Ben Gold, Jason Ross, David Gravell, Menno de Jong, Jordan Suckley's 3FECT and Sam Jones b2b UCast are some of the high points of Friday's announcement.

This weekend brought two massive announcements for the autumn event- Saturday was the day for psytrance lovers as Astrix, Ace Ventura, Avalon, Barakuda, Captain Hook Liquid Soul, Neelix, Coming Soon!!! and Vini Vici (among others) were revealed to play.

Sunday, the final reveal came. Dreamstate SoCal will have a solo performance by Armin van Buuren to really put everyone in a state of trance'.

Dreamstate SoCal will take place November 24-25 at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, California. Tickets (including payment options) will go on sale next Tuesday, July 11th.

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FULL Dreamstate SoCal Lineup Revealed - EDM Sauce

‘Deus Ex’ Mods: GMDX 9.0 release brings the cyberpunk classic into … – Mic

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

The original Deus Ex is a classic, one that I spent several hours with as a younger gamer, but it hasnt aged that well. Enter GMDX (Give Me Deus Ex, of course) a mod for the original Deus Ex that aims to give the game a glorious HD update with a bushel of additional tweaks, such as changes to the UI, graphics, AI and other augments that would give even protagonist JC Denton a run for his money.

Though the mod itself has been around for about four years since its debut in 2013, its recently welcomed its latest iteration in the form of GMDX 9.0, which is available now for you to download.

The latest version of the GMDX mod, GMDX 9.0, includes advanced artificial intelligence, new effects, animations, graphics and more. The team behind the mod has also worked to improve the games physics engine, RPG systems, weapons and more. There are even changes to difficulty settings, if thats something youre interested in seeing altered.

GMDX states that the entire point of the mod as well as the teams mission statement is to enhance the player experience wherever possible and not to change the fundamental core of Deus Ex, but rather to dig deeper and more fully achieve and build upon the creative vision from the Deus Ex team. From the look of things, the people behind GMDX 9.0 are doing just that.

As you can see in the three-minute long release trailer, its almost as if Deus Ex were a game released in the past couple of years or so. And if youve only ever played games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution or the other, newer iterations, youre missing out. Whether youre a Deus Ex newbie or are looking to rediscover the classic game, youll want in on this free mod, which you can download here.

Check out the latest from Mic, like this essay about the sinister, subtle evils lurking in rural America that Far Cry 5 shouldnt ignore. Also, be sure to read our review of Tekken 7, an article about D.Vas influence on one Overwatch players ideas about femininity and an analysis of gamings racist habit of darkening villains skin tones.

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'Deus Ex' Mods: GMDX 9.0 release brings the cyberpunk classic into ... - Mic

HIRREM Neurotechnology Better Than Placebo for Insomnia – Sleep Review

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

A clinical trial has found that HIRREM [high-resolution, relational, resonance based, electroencephalic mirroring] closed-loop neurotechnology is more effective than placebo at reducing symptoms of insomnia and has additional benefits for heart rate and blood pressure regulation. Findings were presented in Boston at SLEEP 2017.

Developed by Brain State Technologies (BST), HIRREM is a noninvasive acoustic stimulation neurotechnology that applies software algorithms for real-time analysis of critical brain frequencies. The algorithms guide production of changing sequences of audible tones, which support brain oscillations to re-organize toward more optimal patterns of symmetry and frequency ratios.

The 3-year study enrolled 107 adults with insomnia and randomly assigned them to receive 10sessions of either HIRREM or a placebo intervention, which consisted of tones produced by a random generator. Subjects were blinded to their group assignment, and they received equal levels of social interaction during the 2-week treatment period. The trial was conducted at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Neurology (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), by Charles Tegeler, MD.

At the predetermined endpoint 2months after their sessions, those who received HIRREM reported significantly greater reduction in insomnia symptoms than those who received placebo. Moreover, the HIRREM group showed marked improvements in heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity, whereas the placebo group showed no physiological changes. Ninety-four percent of the enrolled subjects completed all sessions and follow-up visits as scheduled, and there were no adverse events in either group.

Lee Gerdes, founder and CEO of BST, says in a release, We are thrilled that our noninvasive strategy showed highly practical benefits, in an easily tolerable way without side effects, for a problem that affects up to half the US population. He further notes that Brain State Technologies is continuing innovations on HIRREM and other products for well-being, above and beyond the methodology evaluated in this study.

According to Sung Lee, MD, MSc, director of research at BST, The brain is the organ of central command. This study shows that HIRREM benefits sleep, and also helps the brain to fine tune its regulation of heart rate and blood pressure in response to changing stress levels. He says closed-loop neural interventions such as HIRREM have the advantage of precision-guidance based on real-time physiological dynamics, in contrast to reliance on symptom changes or clinical assessments.

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HIRREM Neurotechnology Better Than Placebo for Insomnia - Sleep Review

Is it time to lose political correctness in South Africa? – News24

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Not wanting to be politically correct or hiding my head in the sand, here are some facts.

The ANC was voted into power in 1994, and quite rightly so, by a hopeful black majority that had endured nearly 50 years of political and economic suppression.

They have failed miserably in their mandate from their electorate, who are leaving the part in droves.

This has left a political leadership vacuum in this country.

Neither the DA or the EFF, the next 2 strongest political parties, have the courage to confront what is happening, and lay a charge of treason against President Zuma, and his cohorts, the Gupta family. Instead, they are vying for a vote of no confidence in parliament, a vote they can clearly not win. They need to grow a pair.

But heres a thought, perhaps those in the ANC who have some vestige of moral character left, should lay those charges.

That would certainly put the proverbial cat among the pigeons and bring back moral leadership to the ANC, but I fear that too many of them have their hands dirty after a decade of looting the Treasury.

When is a political leader going to say, To hell with political correctness. The people of South Africa deserve to have leaders who act on their behalf, and not on behalf of a political system that is rampantly corrupt.

Who is that leader? Who is willing to step up to the plate, and has the moral and principled fortitude to oppose an evil system as Mandela and the ANC stalwarts did?

I suppose it might be too much to ask of the current band of so-called, political leaders, and so President Zuma will get off scot free and head off to his palace in Dubai.

Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.

2017 – Evolution Meetings

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Welcome Evolution 2017 is the joint conference of the American Society of Naturalists, theSociety for the Study of Evolution, and theSociety of Systematic Biologiststhat will be held inPortland, OR from June 23-27.

The meeting will be the premier opportunity for sharing research on evolutionary biology in 2017. Portland is an incredible destination with a terrific convention center, great restaurants, and several famous entertainment districts. We anticipate 1800-2000 attendees, 1,000+ talks, and 400+ posters. The annual iEvoBio satellite conference will also occur.

Social activities will include an opening reception andSSE Public outreachlecture, mixers during each of three evening poster sessions, and a Super Social with open bar at the newly expanded Oregon Zoo on the final night (no speeches). With the exception of only a small additional charge for the Super Social, all of this is included with your registration.

See talks and posters from the meeting. Links to our talk and poster archive for Evolution 2017 (and earlier meetings) can be found here.

Twitter Keep up to date with the latest news #evol2017

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2017 - Evolution Meetings

Small business success requires constant evolution – NRF News (press release) (registration) (blog)

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

NRF News (press release) (registration) (blog)

Small business success requires constant evolution
NRF News (press release) (registration) (blog)
Cary Kelly opened her food retail business when her insatiable passion for cooking collided with a trend in olive oil stores. Kelly's store enjoyed early success as one of the first specialty food stores in the Washington, D.C., area; as competitors ...

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Small business success requires constant evolution - NRF News (press release) (registration) (blog)

Watch the Evolution Of Spider-Man Over 50 Years Of TV and Film – Nerdist

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Its safe to say that were all a bit obsessed with a certain wall-crawling hero after the recent release of Spider-Man: Homecoming.The new film will add to the extensive and silly debates we love having about which actor was better in the role, which film got it right, andwith this being Spideys second MCU appearancehow weird it is that Peter Parker doesnt know what an AT-AT is in Civil War but is beyond excited to build the LEGO Death Star with Ned.

It may surprise some people to know that Spidey hasin some form or anotherbeen in our watchable entertainment lives for about 50 years now. And this super cut by Burger Fiction gives us a taste of every iteration whether friendly, spectacular, or amazing. To say that the various Spider-Men (Spider-Mans? Spiders-Men?) have changed over the decades would be the understatement of the year. His early appearances were surely a sign of the times, with an adult Spider-Man having a voice better suited for an episode ofMad Menthan a cartoon aimed at kids. Thankfully, his animated, live-action, and video game appearances have evolved along with his comic book counterparts. The days of a gruff authoritative voice fell by the wayside to make way for the younger wise-cracking web-swinger we all know and love.

Our only real criticism of Burger Fictions super cut is that they didnt give us more of that sweet, sweetElectric Company Spider-Man with Morgan Freeman. But dont worry, we can fix that.

Whats your favorite version of Spider-Man? Lets discuss in the comments below!

Image:Marvel Studios/Disney

Originally posted here:

Watch the Evolution Of Spider-Man Over 50 Years Of TV and Film - Nerdist

The evolution of a rivalry: Melee and Smash 4 – ESPN

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

The Evolution Championship Series will be featuring Smash 4 on Sunday finals day for the first time.

The annual schedule lineup announcement of the Evolution Championship Series elicited controversy and debate within the Smash community. For the first time in history, Super Smash Brothers for Wii U (Smash 4) would be featured on Sunday's finals day instead of Super Smash Brothers Melee.

People outside the community might be inclined to categorize Melee and Smash 4, the two most active games within the scene, as one collective entity: Smash. But people within the community will tell you that the games are loosely connected, with little crossover and few players playing both games competitively.

The Associated Press has settled one of esports' longest-lasting debates: no hyphen, no capital "s," just "esports." One of the editors who helped make the decision spoke with ESPN about how esports got its own entry in the stylebook.

Is it coaching, or is it cheating?

Six organizations have signed on to be part of the upcoming Overwatch League, including groups run by Robert Kraft and Fred Wilpon, and two endemic teams -- Immortals and NRG Esports -- will pay $20 million to join, sources told ESPN.

2 Related

To understand the rivalry, animosity and camaraderie between the two communities, one must first understand their history.

Melee was released in 2001 for the Gamecube and quickly grew a niche grassroots competitive community. Seven years later in 2008, Super Smash Bros Brawl was released for the Wii, set at a different pace than Melee.

Players looking for a highly technical, combo-rich game were disappointed in what the new game had to offer, and many of these players either quit Smash completely, or slowly drifted back into Melee. Project M, a modification of Brawl that changed the game mechanics so that it resembled Melee, featured a smaller community within the Smash infrastructure.

At the same time, Brawl attracted a whole new subset of players. Some notable players dabbled in both games at a high level, such as Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, but each game generally featured different pools of competitive players.

From an outsider's perspective, it's hard to recognize why there are distinct subcultures in a community that plays the "same" title game with similar characters. All the iterations feature iconic Nintendo characters such as Mario, Pikachu and Kirby. And yet, it wouldn't be surprising if you received a look of disdain if you asked a Melee player whether or not they played Brawl or vice versa.

Two-time Evo champion, Joseph "Mango" Marquez will tell you how important it is to win an Evo title as he aims for his third in 2017.

The Sunday finals of Evo is known for bringing together a massive audience, a passionate community known for chanting the letters "C-R-T" when a CRT TV appears on stage at the Mandalay Bay Event Center.

In 2016, Melee enjoyed a peak audience of over 200,000 viewers on Twitch, where Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma defeated Adam "Armada" Lindgren in the grand finals for his first Evo victory. Hungrybox's clutch moment to reset the first set of grand finals won Moment of the Year on ESPN.

The night before, Elliot "Ally" Carroza-Oyarce duked it out against Takuto "Kamemushi" Ono in an exhilarating Mario vs. Mega Man finals for Smash 4. The matches were exciting, but the viewership peaked at roughly 71,000 viewers.

Melee generally does better in viewership compared to Smash 4, but it's undeniable that there is a large difference in exposure between a finals being hosted on Saturday versus a finals hosted on Sunday.

Between Evo 2013 and the Smash Brothers Documentary, Melee grew exponentially. As a growing majority, the Melee community developed an "elitist" reputation, often heckling players who played other Smash games. Disrespectful chants of "Melee" plagued the end of Brawl events. These chants overshadowed Nairoby "Nairo" Quesada's Brawl victory at Apex 2014, and ZeRo's Smash 4 victory at Apex 2015.

Along with the smaller Saturday finals, Smash 4 players competed in poor tournament conditions. The top players ended their Day 1 matches as late as 4 a.m. ET and started again at 8 a.m. the following day. The poor timing exhausted the players, and many questioned whether or not they wanted to attend Evo next year.

It wasn't always this divisive. In 2013, Evo announced a donation drive to fight against breast cancer and decide the eighth and final game in the lineup. Both Melee and Brawl enjoyed early momentum in the donation drive, but Brawl quickly fell behind Melee in donations.

Eventually, the Brawl and Project M communities decided to band together to support Melee, believing that Melee's appearance into Evo would benefit all Smash communities. Together, they formed the #oneunit movement, and contributed $94,683 for Melee to win the Breast Cancer donation drive and a slot into Evo 2013.

In 2017, Evo flipped the switch by giving Smash 4 the Sunday time slot instead of Melee. Smash 4 fans were elated to hear the announcement on Red Bull's stream. Their decision to include Smash 4 instead of Melee may have been to make up for last year's poor conditions.

The Smash community's reaction to the announcement was varied. Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios, a top Smash 4 player, expressed the importance of supporting Evo 2017 with this opportunity. Meanwhile, Melee community leaders such as Arian "The Crimson Blur" Fathieh expressed disappointment, stating that both games deserved the Sunday stage. Other Melee players such as Hugo "HugS" Gonzalez were quick to express their disappointment, but also encouraged the community to let go of past wounds.

Over time, the Smash community has seen the benefits of working together. Leaders from all Smash games collaborate to host larger events at nicer venues. Viewership is synergistic, meaning that if Smash 4 continues to do well, then Melee also sees an increase in viewership. The communities are cordial and respectful to one another. While players carry their own preferences in which game is "better," there is a growing respect for the talent and skill required to be successful in each game. Smash 4 players can be seen rooting for their favorite Melee players during finals, while more Melee players are starting to pay more attention to the Smash 4 scene. If there are any proud takeaways, the general Melee sentiment was to encourage the Smash 4 scene for its opportunity, and to redirect discourse towards the Evo event itself for including only one Smash game on Sunday.

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The evolution of a rivalry: Melee and Smash 4 - ESPN

Kansas City Royals: An Evolution in Fandom, My Journey – Kings of Kauffman

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 25: A young Kansas City Royals' fan cheers for his team during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 25, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Miscues harm Kansas City Royals in Saturdays contest in LA by Colby Wilson

Kansas City Royals swept by Dodgers behind dominant Kershaw performance by Colby Wilson

Most people like to focus on the Kansas City Royals World Series runs in 2014 and 2015. Why not, they were incredible. The truth is though things began to change the second half of 2013.

I was at the last Friday night home game of the season. Ervin Santana was on the bump. The Royals were still mathematically in the playoffs. Kauffman Stadium was rocking like I had never seen it. Amidst all the screaming and ruckus I did my best to soak it all in. At that point my obsession with Kansas City baseball was well grounded.

Over the past four seasons I have struggled with bandwagon fans. I had rooted year in and year out for what was some terrible teams. These new fans just rubbed me the wrong way. You know who I am talking about. Brand new clean and crisp t-shirts that scream This is my team, but when you ask them who their favorite player of the Allard Baird era was you get a blank stare.

I have come to understand that these fans have a place in every fan base. The young people who have become excited about this franchise are a good thing. Many will support the team into the future and eventually replace my generation. After all witnessing championships is exciting.

The question that my wife tries to understand is how did I end up this way? She knows how rough most years had been (100 losses in a season can be that way) and yet I kept buying merchandise of a team that was often the laughing stock of baseball. The drive behind that is the same reason it is 5 am and I am typing away at a keyboard.

Without going into too much detail, this has been a very difficult week. My brother had extremely unexpected heart surgery. It was sprinkled with complications, but he seems to be on the right side of things. When I first went to the hospital to see him on Monday, before knowing that around 15 hours of surgery would be in the very near future, I sat next to him and we talked baseball.

That is what this game does. It takes away the hardships, if only for a moment. I have been on autopilot most of the week. You know what though? A Royals sweep in Seattle helped to distract from the very serious reality that was going on.

As I was having trouble sleeping I began to think about the question that my wife has asked many times. Why did I become a Kansas City Royals fan?

I believe that when you truly commit yourself to something such as a sports franchise it is often not a conscience choice. It just sort of happens. My parents and some very dear family friends who live in the KC area took my brother and me to games since we were young.

I dont really remember my first game. I couldnt tell you who the Royals opponent was. What I can remember is that it was a night game. We sat in the upper deck. At the end of the game I did not want to walk down the steps, followed by the corridors, and eventually to wherever our vehicle was parked. So instead I pretended to be asleep. My dad picked me up and carried me the whole way. As we turned to go through the tunnel I cant tell you want was going on down on the field, but I can remember the lights.

My story is made up of several moments like this. Some may have become a bit exaggerated over the years, but for me it will always be how theyhappened. Like when it was the top of the ninth and it was clear that the Royals would beat the Chicago White Sox. We walked to the top of the old General Admission section to watch the end of the game. We did so to try and get a head start on the crowd who would soon exit. As we stood there what would happen? Frank Thomas hit a foul ball that, in this version, landed right in the seats we had vacated. I threw my glove down in frustration, life went on.

There was the time that George Brett hit an in the park homerun. Some of the details may not be correct, but I know for a fact we could see him in the dugout, after chugging around the bases, sucking on oxygen.

It was a rainy weeknight with perhaps a few thousand people in attendance as Felix Hernandez took the mound for the Mariners. Somehow yet again by the top of the ninth the Royals seemed sure of victory. With two outs Mike Sweeney stood on deck to pinch hit for Seattle. I hoped with everything in me that whoever it was at the plate would get on base so that I could see one of my favorite all time players step into the batters box another time. As Mike dug in there were several boos that I just couldnt understand.

Countless memories led me to this point. Watching Jim Abbott warming up in the bullpen; Luke Hochevar striking out 13 Texas Rangers to set a career high; Meeting Brian McRae as a rookie and again long after he retired.

Being able to talk candidly with Zack Grienke during a Royals Caravan stop at a YMCA on a Thursday afternoon where barely anyone showed up. There was the time I asked Billy Butler for a loan at another caravan. This was after he had signed a contract extension and he simply replied yeah like I havent heard that already. Getting to hear why John Buck changed his number to honor his brother.

True fandom is the random players who endear themselves to you. Thinking Tony Pena Jr. just might be able to be the next Ozzie Smith. Convincing yourself that Mike Wood has the ability to be in the front of a rotation. Ken Harvey was an All Star player! (Even though you knew he was the teams one required representative.)

Fair weather fans may come and go. That is alright. The diehards should still embrace them. They are part of the journey. They become an important character in the greatest of theater. While it is important to remember that the players are human beings, it is also okay to make them larger than life. When people tell you that it is just a game, especially in the face of tragedy, there is no reason you are required to believe them.

Want your voice heard? Join the Kings of Kauffman team!

After all why else would we name fantasy teams after these players, scream that info to Mark Teahen as he stood in right field, and watch him smile and shake his head? Long live the T-bags!

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Kansas City Royals: An Evolution in Fandom, My Journey - Kings of Kauffman

Crunch Time for See Noevo on Evolution – Patheos (blog)

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

See Noevo is a ubiquitous commenter here. Some of you will be so very frustrated that I have not banned him or curtailed his nonsense. You will probably know that I am not one for often doing that. As offensive as some positions might be, I do believe in the freedom of expressing them for the benefit of others, because they either hoist themselves by their own petard, or force myself and other commenters to adapt and change ourpositions accordingly. We shouldnt deny ugly views on account of them being distasteful, but on account of the arguments or evidence not showing those arguments to be warranted in being held. For someone like See Noevo, it is always the former.

Let us see the typical response and demand of See Noevo:

Ill show you how flatly dumb you are. Show me your very favorite scientific paper on ear evolution (or any other particular body part/system). ONE paper on ONE specific topic. Please provide the url so everyone else can read along.

Make it your very best shot, because youll only get one, dummy.

Anri responded and correctly and stated that you cannot pick a single brick in a scientific discipline that is a result of hundreds of years of cumulative data and research. In other words, Sees question is just wrong.

Why only one?

Science is not developed by single papers written by single science teams, but by years-long, painstaking testing and re0testing and re-testing of theories by multiple research teams. People who think that by finding fault with a single scientific paper they somehow invalidate the entire discipline of study are deeply confused as to how science works.

Im assuming thats what youre planning on doing, yes? Finding fault with the SINGLE THE ONLY CHANCE THE SINGLE THREADS BY WHICH EVOLUTION HANGS PAPER and thus somehow demonstrate the whole field is incorrect? Thats silly. And I suspect you know that.

(checks something)

Hah, thats why this conversation sounded familiar. I just poked through my previous comments because I knew I had called out another theist on this same thing, and asked them to provide their best fisking of a scientific paper. I was half-right. Ihaddone it before. But not withanothertheist. Withyou.

So Ill ask you the same thing I asked you then, when you claimed to have asked some armor-piercing questions the scientists were just helpless to answer:

Please explain to me why DNA-based paternity testing doesnt work, then. Ill find some citations explaining that they do, if youd like.

The last time, you scurried out of the thread without being able to demonstrate scientists ignorance of DNA testing. Very much like the way you scurried out of an earlier thread when presented with the bacterial resistance-increasing experiments. I am predicting that the result will be the same here that you will bluster a bit, and then evaporate from yet another thread with your tail lodged firmly between your hind legs. Prove me wrong. If you can.

And the irony of all of this is that See has been banned from a number of othersimilar sites (on Patheos, too?) for his trollish behaviour. I have put up with him in the interests of freedom of expression, but will not put up with repeated behaviour that shows no reaction to previous experiences or any signs of learning from prior mistakes. The above exchange is an exampleof this. But the irony, as hinted, is that See has decried being banned before, and yet he bans anyone from speaking to him who corners him. The cognitive dissonance in him is so strong that he cannot deal with people who show he might be wrong, so he buries his head in the sand, or wears his no fly list headphones La la la, Im not listening! It is quite amusing to watch, but when he gets pwned in an argument, he devolves to the following, which he soon did here with Anri:

Fine. Then find your very favorite scientific paper on ear evolution (or any other particular body part/system) THAT RESULTED FROM years-long, painstaking testing and re0testing and re-testing of theories by multiple research teams. Provide the current capper of the consensus. (By definition, there is only ONE capper.)

Hit me with it. .

So Ill ask you the same thing I asked you then, when you claimed to have asked some armor-piercing questions the scientists were just helpless to answer: Please explain to me why DNA-based paternity testing doesnt work, then.

You mean why theyre not 100% conclusive? Maybe because scientists dont understand DNA as well as theyd like to.

More on this response later. Anri responded:

(By definition, there is only ONE capper.)

Here we go with this again. A brick wall isnt made up of one brick. I listed a topic youd have to utterly dismantle to get anywhere close to falsifying evolutionary theory: tracking familial relationships through DNA. To disprove this, youd have to either wipe out a very large number of scientific papers, all done at different times, by different labs and different scientists, or show that the fundamental concept is flawed. If you can show why the tracking of familial relationships through DNA is flawed, get on with it. If you cant, admit it.

Oh, and you never did get around to answering the basic question: what did you ask when you did this before? You claimed to have dismantled scientific papers before, and when pressed, suddenly couldnt remember what the paper was, or what you asked, or anything about the incident at all. Which makes you sound like not only a liar, but an incompetent one.

You mean why theyre not 100% conclusive?

If you cant show me where someone claims they should be, or should be expected to be 100% conclusive, then you know this is a straw man. Which means bringing it up it just dishonest. More Lying for Jesus. Please stop doing that.

In fact, the fact that they are not 100% conclusive is an important part of their understanding of the process, and the results which is why the folks giving the results can not only tell you that they are not 100% conclusive, but how conclusive they are, and why.

And, again from Anri:

The problem was that when I went to the evolution wall and investigated any one brick, brick after brick, I found they werent solid things at all.

Sorry, I just dont believe you. I think youre lying. Again. I simply dont believe you cant produce a single example of all of these super-duper ways youve wiped the floor with the work of these various career scientists. If you had managed something anything vaguely like that, youd just simply show us. You cant show us anything of the sort, so I have to assume youre just still Lying for Jesus. Just like you did when you quote-mined me. Just like you did when you straw-manned relational DNA testing. Its a pattern with you, and its not hard to follow.

But, ok, you want an article to debunk, heres one example:

https://www.nature.com/natu

Give it a shot. Should be easy for you.

And the irony meter explodes in Sees banning of Anri:

Holy shi ite, what a one trick pony you are! The Lenski crap! AGAIN!?

Well, youre not going to try it again with me.

You tried to shoot that ONE silver bullet before, months ago. (As I recall, you may have even tried it twice.)

And it was a dud.

Youre done. Or at least WE are done.

Why do I bother writing this post? Well, to once and for all clear up fourthings, because he will no doubt repeat this errant behaviour as he has done time and time again:

Make it your very best shot, because youll only get one, dummy.

On the final point, he seems blissfully unaware of his rather precarious approach as it can just as easily be used against him

On the thirdpoint there, it is worth reminding you and him of this image:

And also some of the other posts I have done that were written partly in response to his lack of understanding about evolution:

Just for starters.

Crunch Time for See Noevo on Evolution - Patheos (blog)

On Functional Coherence Another Serving of Oracle Soup – Discovery Institute

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

This is the fourth installment of my ongoing conversation with theistic evolutionist Hans Vodder aboutmy book Undeniable (for Parts 1 through 3, seehere, here, andhererespectively). Hans begins this part with the following:

Id say we might agree I still have misgivings about the probability calculations (see below). But even if correct, since God is free to beat the odds any way He likes (even by means of chance and natural selection), it seems possible that He could have produced things like fireflies and horses and humans within the regularities described by science.

But lets talk about oracle soup. Frankly, I wonder if its really a good analogy for the evolutionary explanation of life (Undeniable, p. 17). While its suggestive, oracle soup seems disanalogous to evolution in two important ways.

First, there is the matter of background knowledge. Oracle soup strikes us as implausible because we know what it means to make soup and write instructions. Based on our experience with soup kitchens and patent offices, we rightly believe you cant ordinarily get soup without a chef or written instructions without a writer. You might say we know the necessary and sufficient conditions for writing instructions in soup under ordinary circumstances, and oracle soup violates these.

However, we know very little by comparison concerning the necessary and sufficient conditions for the invention of biological organisms and their features (although I suspect there are plausible evolutionary scenarios for particular cases). Given this disparity in our background knowledge, it seems odd to suggest that the near-certain impossibility of oracle soup working would imply similar certainty with respect to the impossibility of evolution working.

So, the success of the comparison between oracle soup and evolution depends on the strength of similarity between biological organisms and written messages. But how apt is the comparison? We can calculate the odds for written messages relatively easily (see Chapter 9 of Undeniable), but calculating the odds for biological organisms requires treating them as combinatorial objects, and this move is at least somewhat controversial (and is thus my second point of disanalogy).

Given that our ability to make accurate calculations about biological organisms is crucial for the mathematical case against evolution, perhaps we should explore this further?

Even the possibility of agreement is a good thing, Hansand of course we agreed on some very important things before the conversation began.

Yes, lets continue to talk soup until weve understood each other well.

Oracle soup is an example, not an analogy. That is, I use it in Undeniable as one example from a category of things, with the aim of showing why none of the things in this category can originate accidentally.

The category is defined by what I call functional coherence: the hierarchical arrangement of parts needed for anything to produce a high-level functioneach part contributing in a coordinated way to the whole (p. 144). Figure 9.3 in the book (reproduced here) illustrates the idea by showing the functional dependencies of a hypothetical whole thing that uses parts within parts to perform its top-level function.

Reproduced from Undeniable;prepared by Anca Sandu and Brian Gage.

Yes, instructions written in soup are very different from life, but my argument is framed around this one similarity: they both exhibit extensive functional coherence. I used wide-ranging examples in the bookdigital photographs, the emergency invention that saved the Apollo 13 astronauts, the photosynthetic system in bacteria, etc.to show why blind processes cant stumble upon anything at all that exhibits this distinctive trait.

As I said before, the accurate calculations of probability you call for are unnecessary, Hans. For example, you and I agree that instructions cant appear by accident on the surface of alphabet soup despite having nothing like an accurate probability for this. The easy calculations I walk readers through in Chapter 9 give ridiculously generous upper-bound probabilities, which means the actual probabilities are much, much lower. Because these way-too-generous probabilities are themselves so low as to be effectively impossible, we know the same must be true of the actual probabilities.

The point of Chapter 9 is to show not just that some things are too rare to be stumbled upon by accident but, more significantly, why this must be true for all things that depend heavily on functional coherence. In a nutshell: every aspect of a hierarchical scheme like the one shown must be specially arranged, which means each is likely botched if left to chance. Getting the whole thing right by accident is therefore always fantastically improbable.

I think the controversy you refer to is more ideological than intellectual. In other words, if people could set aside their personal reasons for denying the design of life, I suspect the controversy would evaporate. Indeed, Richard Dawkins, who would very much like to disagree with me on ideological grounds, nevertheless captured the gist of what Im saying long ago:

You may throw cells together at random, over and over again for a billion years, and not once will you get a conglomeration that flies or swims or burrows or runs, or does anything, even badly, that could remotely be construed as working to keep itself alive.

So, to help us zero in on any remaining points of disagreement, Hans, I have two questions for you:

Photo credit: hollydc stock.adobe.com.

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On Functional Coherence Another Serving of Oracle Soup - Discovery Institute

Second edition of Springer Handbook of Robotics – Robohub

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

The Second Edition of the award-winning Springer Handbook of Robotics edited by Bruno Siciliano and Oussama Khatib has recently been published. The contents of the first edition have been restructured to achieve four main objectives: the enlargement of foundational topics for robotics, the enlightenment of design of various types of robotic systems, the extension of the treatment on robots moving in the environment, and the enrichment of advanced robotics applications. Most previous chapters have been revised, fifteen new chapters have been introduced on emerging topics, and a new generation of authors have joined the handbooks team. Like for the first edition, a truly interdisciplinary approach has been pursued in line with the expansion of robotics across the boundaries with related disciplines. Again, the authors have been asked to step outside of their comfort zone, as the Editorial Board have teamed up authors who never worked together before.

No doubt one of the most innovative elements is the inclusion of multimedia content to leverage the valuable written content inside the book. Under the editorial leadership of Torsten Krger, a web portal has been created to host the Multimedia Extension of the book, which serves as a quick one-stop shop for more than 700 videos associated with the specific chapters. In addition, video tutorials have been created for each of the seven parts of the book, which benefit everyone from PhD students to seasoned robotics experts who have been in the field for years. A special video related to the contents of the first chapter shows the journey of robotics with the latest and coolest developments in the last 15 years. As publishing explores new interactive technologies, an App has been made available in the Google/IOS stores to introduce an additional multimedia layer to the readers experience. With the app, readers can use the camera on their smartphone or tablet, hold it to a page containing one or more special icons, and produce an augmented reality on the screen, watching videos as they read along the book.

For more information on the book, please visit the Springer Handbook website.

The Multimedia Portaloffers free access to more than 700 accompanying videos. In addition, a Multimedia App is now downloadable:AppStoreandGooglePlayfor smartphones and tablets, allowing you to easily access multimedia content while reading the book.

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Second edition of Springer Handbook of Robotics - Robohub

INGDAN.com Achieves Success with Intel on Cultivating Robotics Ecosystem – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Last July, INGDAN.com and Intel teamed up to create a robotics innovation ecosystem, aimed at promoting technological advancement of the industry, incubation, and professional operations. Founding the first ever "Robotics Innovation Center" in Shanghai, as well as INGDAN.com's new closed ecosystem for resource matching and sharing, strengthened the Company's leading position in the robotics industry -- namely product design, manufacturing, and financing. The ecosystem currently accommodates more than 1,000 robotics companies and 300 upstream suppliers, reached the Company's expectations.

Cogobuy's partnership with Intel was also formed to boost development in the industry. The Company hosted the Intel AI and Robotics Innovative Ecosystem Forum, and a robotics competition, on July 6. The event focused on the future of AI and robotics boom, and showcased Cogobuy's leading position in the robotics ecosystem alliance. Many AI and robotics industry experts, promising company founders, government officials, market leaders, and investors participated in the event. We also witnessed the rise of promising teams in the competition securing growth momentum for the industry.

Mr. Jeffrey Kang, CEO of Cogobuy Group, said: "After recent calls by Chinese government for a robotics revolution, China's robotics industry is booming. According to the latest forecast from the International Data Corporation(IDC), China will more than double its spending on robotics and related services, from $24.6 billion in 2016 to $59.4 billion in 2020.

Our partnership with Intel to promote robotics innovation will facilitate the industry's overall efficiency and help more companies manufacture their designs. We are proud to have achieved the establishment of the new robotics ecosystem, and together with Intel, we plan to make it the most cost-effective one in China."

About Cogobuy GroupCogobuy Group is the largest e-commerce service platform serving the electronics manufacturing industry in China. Through the e-commerce platform, which includes a direct sales platform, an online marketplace, and a dedicated team of technical consultants and professional sales representatives, the Company provides customers with comprehensive online and offline services across pre-sale, sale and post-sale stages. The Company serves mainly SME electronics manufacturers.

For further information, please refer to the Company's website at http://www.cogobuy.com/

About INGDAN.comINGDAN.com is a platform dedicated to connecting global intelligent hardware entrepreneurs and China-based supply chain resources. The platform provides information on hardware innovation, supply chain data and supply chain demand docking for global IoT innovators and entrepreneurs. It is a one-stop hardware innovation business platform with its core being the "supply chain."

For further information, please refer to the Company's website at http://www.ingdan.com/

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ingdancom-achieves-success-with-intel-on-cultivating-robotics-ecosystem-300485016.html

SOURCE Cogobuy Group

http://www.cogobuy.com/

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INGDAN.com Achieves Success with Intel on Cultivating Robotics Ecosystem - PR Newswire (press release)

For Afghan girls’ robotics team, US visa denial was last of many hurdles – The Denver Post

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

By Pamela Constable, The Washington Post

KABUL, Afghanistan When six Afghan teenage girls were denied U.S. visas to enter an international robotics contest in Washington set for later this month, the unexplained decision seemed to be punishing the very ambitions U.S. agencies have long advocated for girls in Afghanistan, where many are denied educational opportunities.

But the story is more complicated than that.

Afghanistan, beset by insurgent violence and economic uncertainty, is suffering from a massive brain drain, according to Afghan and U.S. officials. Scholarship students, academic fellows and teachers who receive temporary visas to visit the United States often vanish into immigrant communities instead of returning home.

The growing phenomenon has made U.S. officials especially wary of approving visa requests even for applicants like the robotics students who may otherwise deserve them if they decide there is a risk the person will fail to return home.

It is sad to say, but some of them do not come back, said Elham Shaheen, a senior official at the Ministry of Higher Education who manages foreign-study policies. He said 10 percent of all Afghans who are awarded temporary visas for academic purposes in the United States or Europe defy immigration rules to remain there permanently.

Female students and faculty members, facing extra frustrations at home, are no exception. Several years ago, Shaheen said, 12 female university lecturers won scholarships to obtain MA degrees in economics in Germany. Of the 12, he said, 11 of them escaped.

American officials here and in Washington have refused to discuss the case of the robotics team, but several pointed out that U.S. law presumes all temporary visa seekers intend to remain in the United States unless they are able to prove they have compellingly strong ties to their country.

Two members of the team, interviewed Thursday from their home city of Herat, said U.S. consular officers had asked about their ties to Afghanistan, whether they had relatives in the United States and whether they intended to return home after the competition.

Youth teams from about 150 countries will face off next week in the FIRST Global Challenge contest, created to promote international student interest in science, technology and math. Only one other team, from Gambia, was turned down.

Each of us gave them written guarantees from two government employees vouching for our return, said Rodaba Noori, 16, a member of the Afghan team that built a ball-sorting robot. This is our country. We have our life and family here, she said. How could we abandon them and not return after the competition?

Obtaining a visa, though, is just the last of many daunting hurdles the female students face in their efforts to advance academically long before they can even dream of traveling abroad.

Afghan families often oppose their daughters attending universities in Kabul or other cities, fearing for their safety and exposure to young men. Agencies that offer domestic scholarships, such as the nonprofit Asia Foundation, often have to negotiate with families or agree to support a male relative who can accompany the girl each semester.

Girls are also at a disadvantage in English and math, because Afghan families are more willing to pay for boys to take private classes. As a result, more girls fail college-entrance exams. To help even the balance, USAID sponsors exam-prep classes for girls, and education officials have established a 30 percent female quota for all in-country scholarships.

There is a chain of barriers for Afghan girls that requires a network of support to overcome, said Razia Stanikzai of the Asia Foundation in Kabul, whose job is to promote Afghan female students participation in science and technology.

Many Afghans, however, view these as male fields, and families may try to steer daughters into nursing or teaching instead. To overcome such stereotypes, Stanikzais program sponsors science fairs at provincial schools, where girls demonstrate projects to fathers and male community elders. We dont want girls sitting at home and being told that science and technology are for boys, she said.

Even students at such elite institutions as the American University in Afghanistan, where the U.S. Embassy has funded more than 400 scholarships for women, face prejudice. Two female information technology students said that in most of their classes, all of the other students were male and that some of their friends and relatives had no idea what they were studying or why.

Some of them tell us to change majors, to do something more acceptable like nursing or arts, said Shamim Ali, 26, whose dream is to start her own IT company. This is a traditional society, and even the concept of IT is strange. People think we are going to become mechanics or electricians and climb up on ladders.

When it comes to studying abroad, there are many opportunities, such as the Fulbright program, which has sent 535 Afghan students among them, 102 women to the United States since 2002. There are also closer international universities in countries such as India, Iran and Bangladesh, which Afghan officials are promoting as cheaper, more comfortable places to study at a time of growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the West.

Yet even accomplished female students can be thwarted by family resistance and competing cultural priorities. Education officials described cases in which applicants for foreign scholarships turned out to be married, pregnant and unable to accept by the time their tickets and visas came through.

One woman in Kabul named Raihana, 27, who obtained a scholarship to study economics in Bangladesh, said her older brother, the senior male in the family, at first refused to let her to go, but her younger and more liberal brother finally persuaded him.

Since my father was dead, he felt he had to take responsibility for me and my safety, the woman said, but the real reason was that he was married and he did not want his wife to study or travel. If I went, she would be jealous and complain.

The members of the robotics team said they, too, encountered initial resistance from their parents not only to travel to the United States for the robotics contest, but also to fly cross-country to Kabul, with its constant news of insurgent bombings, to apply for their visas.

We finally convinced them, and in the end they were very happy, but it was a difficult path, said Yasamin Yasinzada, 16, who said her dream is to be a pioneer in robotics and set an example for other girls. She said it was much easier for boys, because they are allowed to travel, but it helped that our coach was going with us.

Despite her disappointment at being turned down to visit the United States, where the robot will now appear at the competition without its creators, Yasinzada said she still hopes to study abroad.

The specific place doesnt matter, she said. I just want to learn, interact, see other ways of life, come back home and put it all into practice.

New Horizon 2020 robotics projects, 2016: CYBERLEGs++ – Robohub

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

In 2016, the European Union co-funded 17 new robotics projects from the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research and innovation. 16 of these resulted from the robotics work programme, and 1 project resulted from the Societal Challenges part of Horizon 2020. The robotics work programme implements the robotics strategy developed by SPARC, the Public-Private Partnership for Robotics in Europe (see the Strategic Research Agenda).

Every week, euRobotics will publish a video interview with a project, so that you can find out more about their activities. This week features CYBERLEGs++: The CYBERnetic LowEr-Limb CoGnitive Ortho-prosthesis Plus Plus.

Objectives

The goal of CYBERLEGs++ is to validate the technical and economic viability of the powered robotic ortho-prosthesis developed within the FP7-ICT-CYBERLEGs project. The aim is to enhance/restore the mobility of transfemoral amputees and to enable them to perform locomotion tasks such as ground-level walking, walking up and down slopes, climbing/descending stairs, standing up, sitting down and turning in scenarios of real life. Restored mobility will allow amputees to perform physical activity thus counteracting physical decline and improving the overall health status and quality of life.

By demonstrating in an operational environment (TRL=7) from both the technical and economic viability view point a modular robotics technology for healthcare, with the ultimate goal of fostering its market exploitation CYBERLEGs Plus Pus will have an impact on:

Society: CLs++ technology will contribute to increase the mobility of dysvascular amputees, and, more generally, of disabled persons with mild lower-limb impairments; Science and technology: CLs++ will further advance the hardware and software modules of the ortho-prosthesis developed within the FP7 CYBERLEGs project and validate its efficacy through a multi-centre clinical study; Market: CLs++ will foster the market exploitation of high-tech robotic systems and thus will promote the growth of both a robotics SME and a large healthcare company.

Partners SCUOLA SUPERIORE SANTANNA (SSSA) UNIVERSIT CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN (UCL) VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL (VUB) UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI (UL) FONDAZIONE DON CARLO GNOCCHI (FDG) SSUR (OSS) IUVO S.R.L. (IUVO)

Coordinator Prof. Nicola Vitiello, The BioRobotics Institute Scuola Superiore SantAnna, Pisa, Italy nicola.vitiello@santannapisa.it

Project website http://www.cyberlegs.org

Watch all EU-projects videos

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New virtual reality app lets you visit 16th century Edinburgh – The Indian Express

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

By: PTI | London | Published:July 10, 2017 12:39 pm The Virtual Time Binoculars project is ground breaking for digital reconstruction because it uses technology already in peoples pockets, said Iain Oliver, Head of Systems for Smart History. (Source: Bloomberg File photo)

Scientists have developed a new virtual reality app that enables users to see Scotlands capital city Edinburgh as it may have been in the 16th century. The smartphone app, developed by researchers from the University of St Andrews in the UK lets visitors explore the city, Edinburgh castle and its surrounding landscape.

It is striking how the cityscape is both familiar and different from the city today. Instead of the new town there stands a great loch yet the castle stands guard over the city much as it does now, said Sarah Kennedy, Digital Designer of the University of St Andrewss spinout company Smart History.

Virtual Time Binoculars: Edinburgh 1544 provides a unique window into the capital around the time of the birth of Mary, Queen of Scots. Visitors will experience the digital reconstruction through a virtual reality app that hosts a range of virtual reality headset usage, as well as a web resource.

We intend for it to be the first of many Virtual Time Binocular apps with depictions of St Andrews and Perth already in the pipeline, said Alan Miller, Director of Smart History. We have had interest from across Europe and Latin America, so we expect our Virtual Time travel platform to go global, said Miller.

Using their mobile phones and VR headsets, users will become virtual time-travellers as they are immersed in historic scenes, stereoscopic video and 360 degree images. Visitors will be able to explore present day St Giles Kirk and the Grassmarket as they learn more about their 16th century equivalents in parallel.

Guided virtual tours of the Royal Mile will allow virtual time travellers to compare Edinburghs past to its present. The app allows users to view the reconstructions either in full screen mode or through more immersive virtual reality mode. Hotspots highlight the scenes with more facts and historical images for users to learn about the location.

The digital reconstruction is inspired by a drawing created by the English military engineer Richard Lee, who accompanied the Earl of Hertfords May 1544 expedition.

Lees drawing, now held by the British Library, is one of the oldest surviving depictions of Edinburgh, and became the defining English impression of Scotlands capital.

St Andrews researchers supplemented the information from Lees plan with archaeological evidence, 16-century written sources, and information about the geography of the modern city, to create an updated reconstruction of Edinburgh.

The Virtual Time Binoculars project is ground breaking for digital reconstruction because it uses technology already in peoples pockets, said Iain Oliver, Head of Systems for Smart History.

We have developed a software framework which will enable us to continue to send people back in time, Oliver said.

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New virtual reality app lets you visit 16th century Edinburgh - The Indian Express

Royal Caribbean’s virtual reality experience hits the deck – Marketing Interactive

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Royal Caribbean International has launched a new virtual reality (VR) experience, the HoliDeck, as part of its new marketing campaign, Where Everyone Gets What They Need, to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The islandwide campaign, which will run for a year, was conceptualised and executed by iris Singapore and Mindshare. iris Singapore was also responsible for producing the HoliDeck.

The new VR experienceallows those on board to experience a selection of 11 activities such as skydiving, surfing and rock climbing without leaving the cruise ship. The HoliDeckwill be showcased at the upcoming NATAS Travel Fair in August, and the company is also distributing cardboard VR headsets to its key agents in Singapore, as well as international representatives in the region as the latest sales toolkit.

In addition to the HoliDeck, the campaign will also be executed via print, out-of-home (OOH), online and TV. Its latest TV commercial revolves around the idea that Royal Caribbean is an enjoyable and hassle-free holiday that appeals to multi-generational families, couples and singles. The line You cant always get what you want from the Rolling Stones classic hit is playfully quashed by the one-size-fits-all Royal Caribbean holiday showcased in the TVC.

A Royal Caribbean cruise is the holiday for guests all of ages. No matter what kind of adventures they seek, there are so many things to do onboard, be it sports, parties, shows and dining, so there is something for everyone,Nicole Lai, marketing manager, Royal Caribbean, said.

We are always ready to embrace innovative technology to connect with digital savvy consumers. We hope through utilising the VR technology and game design, consumers will change their mindset and to give cruise holiday a try, Lai added.

According to Dean Reinhard, creative technology director (APAC), iris Worldwide, the team created real-time interactive CGI scenes in order to bring the experience to life. Live action scenes were captured using a range of high-end 360 cameras, equipped with binaural audio microphones to further enhance to overall presentation of the HoliDeck. A HTC Vive headset and controllers are used to track users movements within the scene, allowing for interaction with scene elements.

This makes the branded content more immersive and interactive, and provide an exciting experience that continues to resonate with users long after they have returned to reality, Reinhard said.

Check out the HoliDeck here:

View the TVC here:

Campaign Credits:Client: Royal Caribbean Marketing Manager: Nicole LaiSenior. E-Commerce Marketing Executive: Jolene Khoo Agency: iris Singapore Account Director: Stanley Chan Fuse team: Brandon Bredda, Ridwan Zulkifli, Emre Switzer, Artem Paramonov, Hans Sabastian, Dean Reinhard Creative team: Grant Hunter, Jonathan Cockett Senior Planner: Alasdair Gray Project Executive: Peh Pei Yi

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Royal Caribbean's virtual reality experience hits the deck - Marketing Interactive

Maradona, the mafia and immortality: three decades on from Napoli’s Holy Grail – The42

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Image: Peter Robinson

THERES A NEAPOLITAN phrase A carta vicino o fuoco sappiccia which literally means that paper close to a fire will inevitably go up in flames.

Of course, Diego Maradonas seven-year stint with Napoli did end tumultuously butamidst the cocaine and the mafia and the bastard son, there was a multitude of success too.

The city of Naples gritty, tough, uncompromising was and very much remains his spiritual home. He fled, in disgrace, 26 years ago but earlier this week, at a glitzy ceremony where he was granted honorary citizenship of the city, it was like he had never left.

Its understandable.

Maradona, after all, gave Napoli immortality.

He arrived in 1984 having tired of the endless kickings he received on the pitches around Spain. Memorably, his last appearance for Barcelona came in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club the league champions which culminated in a post-game free-for-all at the Santiago Bernabeu after Maradona retaliated to some verbal abuse with physical retribution.

With relations already strained between him and the club on account of his injury problems and the teams on-field struggles, there was certainly no going back after such a high-profile humiliation for Barcelona footballs most expensive signing and marquee name instigating a mass brawl in front of the King of Spain and millions of TV viewers.

When Maradona touched down in Naples for another world record amount (5m is the oft-quoted figure but in his superb biography of Maradona, Hand of God, author Jimmy Burns says it was, in fact, double that amount), it was treated like the Second Coming of Christ.

But Maradona would not just resurrect himself but, instead, an entire community. His signing became a symbol. Treated with disrespect and contempt by those in the north of the country, Naples was seen as the runt of the litter. To many in Italy it was a seedy, grim, unforgiving place. While it was left in the shadows in terms of politics and economics, it had struggled to compete on the football pitch also. Prior to Maradonas arrival in 1984, nine of the previous 10 championships had been won by teams based in just two cities Milan and Turin.

So, even when there were whispers about a possible deal for Maradona, supporters couldnt contain their level of excitement and anticipation. It would send a message to the rest of Italy.

When Barcelona demanded an extra couple of hundred grand during negotiations, thousands of local fans turned up a Naples building city to hand over their contribution to the pot. Within a day, the money was raised and not long after Maradona was unveiled.

Still, his time with Napoli is largely associated with the Camorra the citys mafia organisation. They were intrigued by what Maradonas signing could do for them: an increase in ticket sales (60,000 season tickets were sold for Maradonas debut campaign) would see exponential growth in touting a staple of the Camorra diet while there was also the economic value of Maradona coming to Naples and how it affected the Camorras other interests. Finally, they also took control of Maradona-related merchandise in the city. According to Burns, they made Maradonas agent, Jorge Cyterszpiler an offer he couldnt refuse.

Source: Peter Robinson

In many ways, it was an atmosphere that Maradona revelled in. In many ways, he saw the local gangsters as mirror images of himself. They had come from humble beginnings and graduated to positions of influence and power. They were rich and enjoyed nice things. Maradona slotted in quite effortlessly.

And, relatively quickly, he found his feet on the pitch too. There was an eighth-place finish in 1985 but Maradona still managed 14 goals and Napoli were only 10 points fromunfashionable champions Hellas Verona.The following season they were better and finished third. Maradona hit double-figures again before heading to Mexico and captaining Argentina to World Cup success.

This was him in his pomp.

There is a neat geographical metaphor regarding Naples vicinity to Mount Vesuvius. Locals get a daily reminder of the threat however inexplicable of eruption and the possibility of destruction. Maradona is the personification of that. But, like the Camorra example, he seemed to take great comfort from the chaos, like it was reassuring. If things were quiet for too long, Maradona would get suspicious. The cyclical explosions became normal.

So, as he excelled with Napoli, his private life was in disarray. His marriage to childhood sweetheart Claudia was falling apart and for a four-month period between December 1985 and March 1986, hed had a fling with a 20-year-old local woman named Cristiana Sinagra.

Source: SVEN SIMON

But when she became pregnant with his child, everything changed. The relationship ended, Maradona ignored his responsibilities, concentrated on the World Cup preparations and gleefully repaired things with Claudia.

The child a son- was born in September 1986 and Cristiana called him Diego Armando after his father. Quickly, the media latched onto the story and Cristiana was open with the press. She had nothing to hide and had been shunned by Maradona. Publicly, he lied, believing ignorance would be bliss.

About this I know nothing absolutely nothing, he said.

It would take five long years and a legal case for Maradona to change his tune.

By that stage, he had been forced into exile and his time with Napoli had come to an end owing to a 14-month suspended sentence for cocaine possession. Simultaneously, he had been banned from football for 15 months and both his professional and personal lives were in free-fall.

Still, if the paper ultimately went up in flames, Maradona had exceeded expectations in Naples.

1987 was the beginning of an unprecedented period of dominance for the club. Maradona scored 10 times as Napoli lost just two games in the entire league season to be crowned Italian champions for the very first time. They had already claimed a Coppa Italia and the celebrations were like nothing the city had ever seen.

Source: Peter Robinson

Everything stopped for a week as people partied in the streets. Sleep was negotiable. Perhaps no one really wanted to wake up from the dream.

Least of all Maradona himself.

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Maradona, the mafia and immortality: three decades on from Napoli's Holy Grail - The42

A Memoir of Chronic Fatigue Illustrates the Failures of Medical Research – The New Yorker

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Danzig

Fifteen years ago, Julie Rehmeyer was a science journalist leading an active, outdoorsy life in New Mexico. She ran marathons, biked regularly, and taught mathematics and classics at St. Johns College. Just outside Santa Fe, on a parcel of streamside land, she had even built her own housea straw-bale construction shaded by ponderosas, meant for the family she hoped to have one day. Then, over a period of a few years, Rehmeyer lost most of her strength, endurance, and confidence, along with the ability to live a normal life. A bike ride left her bedridden. A trip to the grocery store found her using the shopping cart as a walker. At home, she could make it to her bedroom only by climbing the stairs backwards, scooting herself up a step at a time. By 2006, she was no longer able to exercise, and needed to rest whenever she wasnt working.

Through the Shadowlands , Rehmeyers new book, chronicles her struggles since then. She attempted years of conventional and alternative medicine, moved to a different state, broke up with her partner, and, finally, cobbled together a functional life. Her condition, which affects an estimated million other Americans, goes by various nameschronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and systemic exertion intolerance disease (S.E.I.D.), among others. (S.E.I.D. seems to me the most descriptive term, so Ill use it here.) The Mayo Clinic defines it as a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that cant be explained by any underlying medical condition.

Rehmeyers writing is full of verve and curiosity, and shes warmly attuned to how her plight is, in fact, familiar: all of us become weaker as we age, at times gradually and at times suddenly, and along the way we adapt ourselves to fit our diminished capabilities. Still, her story is a biting indictment of how we approach diseases that cant be reduced to tidy pathologies or a uniform set of symptoms. In a way, science failed Rehmeyer. Years of clinical studies supplied little insight into her affliction, and prescribed therapies had minimal effect. Part of the issue is that S.E.I.D. is a slippery condition with no known cure, but the deeper problem lies in the methodology of clinical trials, and in the premises of evidence-based medicine.

The most prominent study of S.E.I.D. is the PACE trial, an experiment conducted on six hundred and forty-one patients in the United Kingdom. The study was published in 2011, in the English medical journal The Lancet , and reported improvements in fatigue and physical function under two treatments: cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy. These findings were used to reinforce recommendations by Britains National Health Service. But, in the years since, the PACE trial has been sharply criticized by both scientists and patients. One of their chief objections is that the PACE research team, while collecting its data, changed the main metric of recovery from objective measures, such as fitness and employment status, to subjective ones, such as the patients self-evaluations over time. As Rehmeyer points out, this meant that the study could claim recovery even when a patients walking ability was considerably worse than that of a healthy elderly adult. (The PACE pool had an average age of forty.)

The studys conclusions were also easy to misinterpret. In a given trial, theres always variation: some people get better, some get worse, and others improve on some measures and decline on others. With S.E.I.D., where the treatments are speculative and the condition itself is not clearly defined, it makes sense that cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy would help at least some subset of people. But we should be careful when using averages to make inferences about causes and effects on individuals. S.E.I.D. is a diverse conditionindeed, it could very well be a set of conditions, amenable to various treatments but lumped under a common diagnosis. The success of some strategies for some percentage of people does not at all contradict the idea that many others need a lot more. As Simon Wessely, a contributor to the PACE study and a pillar of the English medical establishment, noted, there were a significant number of patients who did not improve with these treatments . . . PACE or no PACE , we need more research.

The controversy over the PACE study reflects a larger crisis in public health. Traditionally, the controlled trial has been considered the gold standard of medical evidence: you gather a bunch of patients and randomly assign some to a control group, which receives no treatment, and some to an experimental group, which does. You then compare the outcomes, and if the difference is large enough, exceeding the bounds of chance or natural variation, the result is said to be statistically significant. In designing the experiment, you want enough people in your study that you are likely to find a statistically significant difference; this is called high power.

There are two key problems with this approach. First, what happens when a treatment helps some patients and not others? Average improvements are, and should be, relevant to organizations such as the N.H.S., but only individual or subgroup analyses can reveal the full range of effective therapies. This, however, leads us to the second problem: if you limit your investigation to a smaller group, then it will have less statistical power. The conclusions drawn from studying subgroups are inherently noisier and likelier to misleada fact that doesnt pair well with researchers desire for snappy conclusions and clear-cut results. Though the controlled trial nicely demonstrates the efficacy of strong treatments on well-defined conditions, it falls apart, from a statistical perspective, when applied to a phenomenon that, in Rehmeyers words, science doesnt understand.

For conditions like S.E.I.D., then, the better approach may be to gather data from people suffering in the wild, combining the careful methodology of a study like PACE with the lived experience of thousands of people. Though most may be less eloquent than Rehmeyer, each may have his or her own potential path to recovery.

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A Memoir of Chronic Fatigue Illustrates the Failures of Medical Research - The New Yorker

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