Artificial intelligence in here and now – Livemint

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If I got a dollar every time artificial intelligence (AI) came up in a conversation around jobs, I would be very rich by now.

I want to spend a few minutes on the potential of AIthe way I see it. And let me tell you, its not in the future, its here and now. There is no point being an ostrich and burying our heads in the sand.

Automation has been part of our fabric since 1771, with the advent of the first fully automated spinning mill, and continues to be an integral part of every manufacturing process. Today, even as automation is prevalent across industries, we have quickly moved to the age of robotics and AI. Interestingly, the paradox of automation says the more efficient the automated systems, the more critical is the human contribution.

Human contribution is the crux of the conversation. When AI is spoken in the same breath as humans, it implies the evolution of thinking rather than just doing. In a world where information is needed for decisions, a third of all decisions are optimal, a third are acceptable and the rest are just not right. When AI is infused with cognitive systemsnext-generation systems that work side by side with humans, accelerating our ability to create, learn, make decisions and thinkit then transcends barriers of scale, speed, scope and standards, providing a broad set of capabilities that can help make optimal decisions. Cognitive will help make sense of the structured and unstructured data availableincluding video and images, providing us much better insights and helping us make well-informed decisions faster.

Todays economy, of which nearly 70% is service-oriented, stands to gain from the benefits of disruptive technology.

This is a man, woman, child and machine story.

Take, for instance, a bank that has multiple products and services. By leveraging cognitive solutions, a call centre rep with average skills can now handle a complex portfolio of products and services, delivering a far better and more effective customer experience and perform a role which may have been above their skill level.

This is just one example. To explore other areas where the power of cognitive can move the needle in a big way, lets look at healthcare and education. In both these areas, the demand far outstrips supply, and experts are scarce. The shortage of expertise and the issue of accessibility is what we need to urgently focus on.

To ensure that we can live in a world where there is rich exchange of talent, ideas, technology and capability, there is also an urgent need to look at securityboth physical and digital. In this digital world where we are subject to cyber-attacks, cognitive allows us to address and anticipate this. There is no security analyst today who can keep up with the billions of security events occurring in a day. Cognitive can help shorten cyber security investigations from weeks and days, to minutes.

This, to me, is the promise and potential of a cognitive era, causing a huge shift in how organizations engage and transform, bringing a whole generation of young Indians into the middle class. I believe it will result in a fairer, better, more secure, healthier world and more.

In the digital era, as AI becomes pervasive across industriessuch as healthcare, financial services, agriculture, retail and educationthe attention moves to personalized experiences. Doctors can change how they interact with patients. With medical knowledge at their fingertips, they can dedicate more of their energy to understanding the patient as a person, and not just to diagnosing it medically. AI is helping doctors, farmers, teachers, bankers, students and security experts take better informed, relevant and faster decisions.

The thoughtful use of AI allows us as humans to be more human. It shows us a world that is less task-oriented and more relationship-oriented. In a world racing towards automation and technology, the maturity of AI and the discernment of a cognitive world allow us to retain our compassion, curiosity and conscience.

As machine learning gives us access to the collective knowledge of the world in an instant, its time to redesign our thinking, our processes and our educational systems so we can leverage these technologies.

Its time we got to be more humane.

Vanitha Narayanan is chairman of IBM India Pvt. Ltd.

First Published: Mon, Jul 10 2017. 01 16 AM IST

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Artificial intelligence in here and now - Livemint

Axios Future of Work – Axios

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Hi and welcome back to Future of Work. Please invite your friends and colleagues to join the conversation and let me know what you think, and what we're missing. Just reply to this email, or email steve@axios.com.

Let's dive right in with a question:

Sam Jayne / Axios

Over the last decade or so, we've seen ordinarily apolitical topics polarize us into angry opposing mobs, among them vaccines, atmospheric gases and Russia. When there has been a super-strong view one way or another, it's been sucked into the hothouse and associated with an ideology. Charges of fake news and a general deterioration of debate have followed.

Checking my emails since the last newsletter, I've noticed politics seeping into the subject of the future of work. One technically expert reader, for instance, explained why he sides with the singularity, the theory predicting super-human intelligence, and the Universal Basic Income, the call for a basic stipend for all Americans as an antidote to robotization. Then he wrote: "Trump will do eight years. The Democratic Party is totally obsolete. Something will replace it." A non-sequitur? An identification of issue with party?

Or perhaps we are headed for political cleavage over robots and artificial intelligence.

Read here for the discussion.

Lazaro Gamio / Axios

It's the great economic conundrum of our day: if the unemployment rate is so low, why aren't wages growing faster? The law of supply and demand tells us that as labor gets scarce, wages should rise. Yet, as we saw in the latest jobs figures on Friday, average U.S. hourly earnings have barely exceeded inflation for three years running.

What's going on? My colleague Chris Matthews writes that the answer may lie in the Wage Growth Tracker (see above), an alternative gauge produced by the Federal Reserve's Atlanta bank. It substantiates what a lot of people have suspected: that older, higher-paid workers are leaving the workforce and being replaced with cheaper, younger workers who hold little bargaining strength when they can be quickly replaced by automation.

A level deeper: Automation technology has held down the wages of lower skilled workers for more than four decades, by giving employers a fallback option when labor gets too expensive. Recent employment growth has been bringing these workers back to the labor market, but their power to negotiate higher wages remains weak.

Read the rest here.

MIT

Imposing in size and resembling a retired linebacker more than the MIT economist he is, Daron Acemoglu has built the reputation of an iconoclast. Over the last five years, he has taken on the grasping leaders of the world's failed nations, and, most recently, automation.

In March, Acemoglu, along with Boston University's Pascual Restrepo, made waves with a paper that described industrial robots punching a hole in employment and wage growth, and potentially costing millions more jobs by 2025. While challenging the orthdoxy, the paper immediately became central to the early scholarship on the new wave of robotization. Policymakers, fellow economists and journalists rely on his core conclusion that each robot will cost three to six jobs.

Read the rest here.

DLA Piper's 3,600 attorneys work in 40 countries, making it one of the world's largest law firms. One of those countries is Ukraine, which on June 27 placed the firm on the front lines of one of the most penetrating commercial cyberattacks ever: Petya. When it hit, it took down DLA Piper's global computer systems, which appear to still not be fully back up. But DLA Piper was only one of hundreds of thousands of victims of the malware in more than 60 countries.

Can't artificial intelligence protect us? Intelligent programs can ferret out breaches in the troves of data accumulated by most big companies, ReliaQuest's Joe Partlow tells Axios. But when it comes to malware like Petya, that will be too late your data and your entire hard drive will already be encrypted. Petya victims lost much of their stuff to eternity.

BUT there is other protection: On the day of the attack, Microsoft published a blog post and a video describing software to protect against such malware. Called Windows Defender Application Guard, it should prevent Internet terrorists, at least for now, from taking down the world's infrastructure and economy, according to Simon Crosby, CTO of Bromium, an Internet security firm, who worked with Microsoft on the technology.

Read the rest here.

Tweeted this morning: the first Model 3

Tesla

Carnegie-Mellon University

Not only do we not always say what we mean, often we don't say anything at all. Which can be a terrific problem if you're thinking of hanging around service robots, or self-driving vehicles.

But at Carnegie-Mellon, a team led by Yaser Sheikh, a professor of robotics, has classified gestures across the human body. Using a dome containing 500 video cameras, they took account of every movement, down to the possibly tell-tale wiggle of your fingers.

The objective: Sheikh's effort gets at a couple of realities going forward:

Read the rest here.

Another fun thing: Check out these AI-produced (and apparently not entirely appetizing) recipes, created by Janelle Shane.

Link:

Axios Future of Work - Axios

Bates Technical College: Aerospace Programs

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Contact Us

Aerospace Program Navigator,253.680.7203

Learn. Build. Soar.

Aircraft fascinate you. You want to learn how they work, how they function, and how they fly. Let our comprehensive, experience-driven aerospace programs teach you the skills you need to reach beyond the horizon and enter the high-demand, high-wage aerospace industry.

Manufacturing

Apprenticeship

Construction

Engineering

Information Technology

All facts are taken from the Washington Aerospace Partnership. http://www.washington-aerospace.com/pdf/Fact-sheet.pdf

Bates Technical College has long-offered comprehensive programs that supply the aerospace industry with qualified, well-skilled employees.

In 1940, the Tacoma School District opened the Tacoma Vocational School. In an effort to support the defense effort for World War II, a cluster of programs named industrial education were offered. This included auto body repair, auto mechanic, diesel and heavy equipment mechanic, electrical construction, machinist, sheet metal, and welding.

Within 18 months of opening, more than 3,000 people received training that led to jobs in the shipyards, mills and Boeing's airplane plant. Even after separating from the school district in 1991 and changing the name ultimately to Bates Technical College, these programs still remain strong and relevant, and they help fuel the region's important aerospace industry.

We invite you to be a part of our legacy.

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Bates Technical College: Aerospace Programs

Boeing ramping up Alabama aerospace employment, investment – Alabama NewsCenter

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With a legacy in Alabama that spans more than half a century, Boeing Co. is looking toward the future with plans for new jobs, investment and breakthrough developments at its operations in the state.

The aerospace manufacturer, which has about 2,700 Alabama employees, expects to add 400 more by 2020, along with an additional capital investment of $70 million.

As the leading aerospace manufacturer in Alabama, Boeing supports a diverse portfolio of programs from missile defense programs such as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system which recently successfully intercepteda mock Intercontinental ballistic missile during a test to space exploration programs such as the Space Launch System family of rockets that will take us to Mars, said Ken Tucker, director of State and Local Government Operations for Boeing in Alabama.

Boeing is investing in the future of Alabama as a center of innovation, continuing to bring highly skilled jobs and growth to the region.

The company is one of the key success stories touted by business recruiters as they seek to expand the states aviation and aerospace industry.Last week, the team was working at the Paris Air Show,where leaders of the worlds top aerospace firms convened.

Boeings continued growth in Alabama is a testament to the companys strategic vision, as well as the skillful execution by its workforce in the state, said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

Boeing innovation in Alabama is key to our nations defense and space programs, and we cant wait to see what they do next.

Alabama operations

Boeings Alabama operations are centered at two main facilities in Huntsville, in the Jetplex Industrial Park and at Redstone Gateway.

The company first established a presence in Huntsville in 1962 to support the new U.S. space programs, and today the local operations provide a wide variety of innovations and capabilities for both the commercial and defense sectors.

In addition to the successful performance of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, which happened at the end of May, another recent development for Boeing in Alabama is the expansion of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Seeker facility in Huntsville.

The 28,000-square-foot facility will include machinery and other capabilities to support the missile defense program for the U.S. Army.

The expansion is progressing well and is on track to provide enhanced production capabilities by the end of the year, said Jennifer Wollman, a Boeing spokeswoman.

Other Boeing operations in Alabama include the Huntsville Design Center, which supports 20 major programs such as the new 777X, 737 Max and 787, and Boeing Research & Technology, a research center that develops future aerospace solutions for defense and commercial businesses.

Huntsville also is home to NASAs Space Launch System program, where Boeing is responsible for the design, development, testing and manufacture of the core and upper stages, as well as the avionics for the nations next-generation rocket to transport people and cargo to deep space.

Moving forward

A recent economic impact study showed the company contributes more than $2 billion annually to the states economy and sustains nearly 8,400 direct and indirect jobs.

The study also showed that Boeing:

When the study was released, Boeing also announced an additional 400 jobs and $70 million in capital investment by 2020.

While our employment in the state currently remains steady with approximately 2,700 employees, we expect to see that increase in the coming years, Wollman said. We also continue moving forward with our capital investment plans and expect to have more to share on that later this year.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerces Made in Alabama website.

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Boeing ramping up Alabama aerospace employment, investment - Alabama NewsCenter

Aerospace interest began at home in BV – Chaffee County Times

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Im writing to extend a big thank you to the town of Buena Vista, and to my dad, David Butler, a longtime resident of the area. My son, Nicholas, recently graduated with honors from Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, Pa. in May. He plans on studying Aerospace Engineering in college.

His love of all things aircraft, flying and space began in your town, 1,500 miles from where he lives. Sure, the incredible scenery and the friendly people of the area are what endeared Buena Vista to my son, but it was the time on the airstrip of the Flying Club with his grandfather, for as many hours as his grandfather could stand, that cemented his interested in aerospace. This time in Buena Vista has shaped his future.

Im extremely grateful to all who have supported the Flying Club, who have assisted with the upkeep and maintenance of it, and who have vocalized their joint interest and appreciation of this hobby.

My dad has been a long time club member and has spoken at your high school about it, and is the first to offer help to those on the field.

My hopes are that many other young people can be inspired by the opportunities made available and supported by the town of Buena Vista.

Again, thank you to the town for supporting this interest, and thanks to David Butler, the best grandfather my son could possibly have.

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Aerospace interest began at home in BV - Chaffee County Times

Proof of God’s existence is on the streets of Kamloops – CFJC Today Kamloops

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All my life, Ive been skeptical about the existence of a supreme being. I was raised an atheist, but drifted toward agnosticism quite some time ago.

I dabbled in studying a bit of religion while in university and it convinced me I just dont have the wherewithal, nor the blind faith, to get it. (Believe it or not, I still have the textbooks, two volumes of Christendom, A Short History of Christianity and its Impact on Western Civilization.)

But in the past couple of weeks, Ive become convinced there must be a God, or some higher level of intelligence or, at least, a higher level of control. A supreme CEO, perhaps.

The proof is on the streets of Kamloops. Every day, hundreds of drivers try to kill themselves on those streets and, every day, for the most part, they somehow escape.

They are so bad at what they do, these drivers, that they constantly put themselves and others in mortal danger. They are careless, unskilled and, in some cases, shockingly stupid.

The fact they do this day after day leads me to the conclusion that someone or something is protecting them, and it must be God. Nothing else makes sense.

Christian belief has it that God has given humans free will. Why he/she would do this, I dont know. Regardless, people have been given the blessing/curse of doing what they please without interference from above.

Theres a whole thing about whether free will is actually compatible with determinism, the latter suggesting theres only one possible outcome to an action. And then you get into side arguments about the actual meaning of free will and so on.

In my view, all you have to do is drive around town to find out what free will is, because people in cars exercise it moment by moment, and very often very poorly.

In just a couple of hours on Friday, while I was out and about doing some chores, I counted more than a dozen incidents that could have had disastrous consequences. They included a near collision resulting from someone ignoring I dont mean simply cutting it close, I mean absolutely ignoring a red intersection light.

In another case, a pedestrian nearly got clipped in a crosswalk. (The classically stupid move at crosswalks is for drivers to swing around another vehicle that is stopped when a pedestrian is crossing.)

Parking lots are notoriously dangerous places. I watched with fascination as somebody blithely sped across empty parking spaces, no doubt because it saved maybe two seconds getting from A to B.

And, of course, theres the pervasive phenomenon of texting and talking while driving, not to mention everyday speeding.

No doubt, you experience the same things on an average day. Multiply what you and I observe by the thousands of other drivers out there, and you can appreciate how amazing it is that people arent getting killed by the hundreds each and every day.

In China, they are 700 people a day die in road accidents there. India is only slightly less. In Canada, six.

Sure, those other countries have a lot more people, but still. Maybe God has a selective sense of humour. He/she lets all these drivers run amuck, and then saves them from themselves.

He (in the interests of brevity, at this point Ill dispense with gender-equity in referencing God but please accept that I have good intentions) plays a game of inches and milliseconds. Wed call it luck, but that seems too easy. We cant possibly be that lucky.

God created us to be in a hurry, to be careless and to ignore everything we learn in driving school. As Im writing this, Im having second thoughts about his sense of humour explaining whats going on.

Maybe he saves us from ourselves as atonement for messing up in the first place. He could have made us good drivers, but he clearly didnt foresee the age of the automobile, so now hes hit on a percentages scheme. For every 10,000 stupid driving tricks, he lets something bad happen. Otherwise, wed get suspicious.

Still, I find it reaffirming that, in my advanced years, God has at last revealed himself to me.

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Proof of God's existence is on the streets of Kamloops - CFJC Today Kamloops

Australia’s most religious and non-religious postcodes based on who answered the Census question regarding religion – NEWS.com.au

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The latest Census release show those ticking "no religion" rose to 29.6 per cent, and for the first time in Australia's history it has overtaken Catholics. So are we becoming a nation of non-believers?

New South Wales has our most religious suburb, according to Census 2016 data.

AUSTRALIAS most religious and non-religious postcodes have been revealed in the latest Census data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Ninety-three per cent of residents in the New South Wales postcode 2190, which encompasses the suburbs Greenacre and Chullora, in Sydneys south-west,stated they had a religious, secular or other spiritual belief, according to information consultants at the ABS.

The area has been identified as Australias most religious.

Nearly half (41.4 per cent) of the population claimed a religious affiliation to Islam and the same percentage spoke Arabic, while 23.1 per cent identified as Catholic.

Only 6.1 per cent stated they had no religion.

Also included were 11 people (0.04 per cent) who said they had a secular belief which the ABS said could include agnosticism, atheism, humanism, rationalism and others not classified.

According to Census stats, the most common ancestry of residents in the area was Lebanese (31.1 per cent), followed by Australian (10.1 per cent) and English (7.1 per cent).

While 53.3 per cent of residents were born in Australia, 68.6 per cent had both parents born overseas, with the highest percentage coming from Lebanon.

The figures were based on postal areas with at least 100 usual residents, and based on persons who answered the question regarding religion (which is not compulsory).

Census stats reveal an insight into Australias most religious postcode.Source:Supplied

A whopping 72.7 per cent of households spoke a language other than English, while the median age was 33 years old. Children aged 0-14 made up almost a quarter of the population. (24.1 per cent).

One of the suburbs, Greenacre, is home to Australias largest Islamic School, the Malek Fahd Islamic School, which is fighting to keep its federal government funding.

According to The Conversation, Muslims were almost entirely absent from many neighbourhoods and suburbs, and there were only a few (located in Melbourne and Sydney) where they made up more than 50 per cent of the population. This includes the neighbouring suburb of Lakemba.

Despite fears Australia is becoming a Muslim country, those ticking no religion in the Census has now overtaken the number of Catholics.

Its the first time in Australias history the number of people who claim no religion has overtaken Catholics, although the number of Christians in total still made up 51 per cent of the population.

The least religious suburb according to the ABS is found on the other side of the country, in a small, sleepy town in Western Australia with the postcode 6705, where 66.5 per cent of the population in Gascoyne Junction stated that they had no religion.

The area includes heritage-listed sites from early colonial Australian days and has a high proportion of indigenous people.

More than half (58.4 per cent) of the 278 people who live in the area, identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Other suburbs that have been identified as particularly unholy include Melbournes terrace-lined North Fitzroy, while Fairfax is reporting Erskineville in Sydneys inner-west was now officially Australias most ungodly suburb.

Nationally, the latest Census drop showed those ticking no religion rose from 22.6 per cent to 29.6 per cent nearly double the 16 per cent in 2001.

Meanwhile, those identifying as Catholic dropped from 25.3 per cent to 22.6 per cent.

The number of Christians in total still made up 51 per cent of the population, but this is much less than the 88 per cent in 1966 and 74 per cent in 1991.

Islam (2.6 per cent) and Buddhism (2.4 per cent) were the next most common religions reported.

Those who did not answer the religion question, which is a non-compulsory question in the Census, was 9.6 per cent, up slightly from 9.2 per cent in 2011.

We remain a predominantly English speaking country, with 72.7 per cent of people reporting they speak only English at home. Tasmania had the highest rate of people speaking only English at home with 88 per cent, while the Northern Territory had the lowest rate at 58 per cent.

An earlier release of Census data in April showed the typical Australian was now a 38-year-old married woman with two children.

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Australia's most religious and non-religious postcodes based on who answered the Census question regarding religion - NEWS.com.au

Should Tyler Cowen Believe in God? – New York Times (blog)

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A little while ago the prolific and intellectually-promiscuous Tyler Cowen solicited the strongest arguments for the existence of God, and then with some prodding followed up with a post outlining some of his reasons for not being a believer. I cant match Cowens distinctive mix of depth and pith, but I thought Id take the liberty of responding to some of his reasons in adialogic style, with my responses edited in between some of his thoughts. Nothing in here should be construed as an attempt to make the Best Argument for God, and the results are rather long and probably extremely self-indulgent, so consider yourself forewarned. But here goes.

*

Cowen:Not long ago I outlined what I considered to be the best argument for God, and how origin accounts inevitably seem strange to us; I also argued against some of the presumptive force behind scientific atheism. Yet still I do not believe, so why not?

I have a few reasons: We can distinguish between strange and remain truly strange possibilities for origins, and strange and then somewhat anthropomorphized origin stories. Most religions fall into the latter category, all the more so for Western religions. I see plenty of evidence that human beings anthropomorphize to an excessive degree, and also place too much weight on social information (just look at how worked up they get over social media), so I stick with the strange and remain truly strange options. I dont see those as ruling out theism, but at the end of the day it is more descriptively apt to say I do not believe, rather than asserting belief

The true nature of reality is so strange, Im not sure God or theism is well-defined, at least as can be discussed by human beings. That fact should not lead you to militant atheism (I also cant define subatomic particles), but still it pushes me toward an I dont believe attitude more than belief. I find it hard to say I believe in something that I feel in principle I cannot define, nor can anyone else.

Me:Perhaps, but since you raise the strangeness of subatomic particles you might consider a third possibility for thinking about origins: Alongside strange and remain truly strange and strange and then somewhat anthropomorphized, there might be a category that you could call anthropomorphic/accessible on the surface and then somewhat stranger the deeper down you go.

This often seems to be the nature of physical reality as we experience and explore it. When we work on the surface of things, the everyday mechanics of physical cause and effect, we find a lot of clear-seeming laws and comprehensible principles of order. When we go down a level, to where the physical ladders (seem to) start, or up a level, to our own hard-to-fathom experiences of consciousness, we seem to brush up against paradox and mystery. So up to a point the universe yields to our fleshbound consciousness, our evolved-from-apes reasoning abilities, in genuinely extraordinary ways, enabling us to understand, predict, invent and master and explore. But then there are also depths and heights where our scientific efforts seem to trail off, fall short, or end up describing things that seem to us contradictory or impossible.

And by way of analogy it might be that there is a similar pattern in religion and theology. The anthropomorphizing tendency that makes you suspicious, the ascription of human attributes to God and the tendency of the divine to manifest itself in humanoid (if ambiguously so) forms, the role of angels and demons and djinn and demi-godsand saints and so forth in many religious traditions all of this might just reflect a too-pat, too-anthopomorphic, and therefore made-up view of Who or What brought the world into being, Who or What sustains it. But alternatively and plausibly, I think it might represent the ways in which supernaturalrealities are made accessible to human perception,even as their ultimate nature remains beyond our capacities to fully grasp.

Which is, in fact, something that many religious traditions take for granted(the Catholic Church, for instance, does not teach that angels are really splendid androgynes with wings), something thats part ofthe architecture of ordinary belief (most people who habitually visualize God as an old man with a white beard would not so define him if pressed), and a big part of what the adepts of religion, mystics and theologians, tend to stress in their attempts to describe and define the nature of God.

Note, too, that this stress on surface accessibility and deep mysteryis not something invented by clever moderns trying to save the phenomenon of religion from its critics. It is present from ancient times in every major religious tradition, providing a substantial ground of overlap between them David Bentley Hart is good on this, in a book that offers a partial answer to the definitional issue you raise and in Western monotheism it shows up in such not-exactly-obscure places as the Ten Commandments (no graven images for a reason) and the doctrine of the Trinity. (You will not find something that better fits the bill of strange and remains truly strange than what the Fathers of the Church came up with to define the Godhead.) Or, for that matter, in the story of Jesus of Nazareth, who in the gospel narrativesis quite literally an anthropomorphic God, and then after his resurrection becomes, not a simple superman but something stranger sometimes recognizable and sometimes not, physical but transcending the physical, ghostly and yet flesh whose attributes the gospel writers report on in a somewhat amazed style without attempting to circumscribe or technically define.

Again, anthropomorphism is the initial layer, the first mechanism of revelation. The strangeness you understandably think is necessary for plausibility, given our limitations, lies above or down beneath.

Of course the analogy to Newtonian/Einsteinian physics breaks down in various ways, not least of which is that there is often a basic agreement among scientists about the first layer, the understandable and predictable and lawbound aspectsof the physical world, whereas the religious cannot agree upon (or conduct laboratory tests to prove) which anthropomorphic supernatural revelations are trustworthy and should control practice and theological commitment. Thus specific religious belief, as opposed to a general openness to the idea of God, tends to beeither intensely personal, culturally-mediated, probabilistic, or some combination thereof in a way that believing in the laws ofphysics is not. But that brings us to your next point

Cowen: Religious belief has a significant heritable aspect, as does atheism. That should make us all more skeptical about what we think we know about religious truth (the same is true for politics, by the way). I am not sure this perspective favors atheist over theist, but I do think it favors I dont believe over I believe. At the very least, it whittles down the specificity of what I might say I believe in.

I am struck by the frequency with which people believe in the dominant religions of their society or the religion of their family upbringing, perhaps with some modification. (If you meet a Wiccan, dont you jump to the conclusion that they are strange? Or how about a person who believes in an older religion that doesnt have any modern cult presence at all? How many such people are there?)

This narrows my confidence in the judgment of those who believe, since I see them as social conformists to a considerable extent. Again, I am not sure this helps atheism either (contemporary atheists also slot into some pretty standard categories, and are not generally free thinkers), but it is yet another net nudge away from I believe and toward I do not believe. Im just not that swayed by a phenomenon based on social conformity so strongly.

Me: Okay, butas you note the conformity problem exists with every human school of thought and inquiry, every moral and political theory of what is good and what should be condemned. We are always creatures of our time and place and parentage, and converts of any kind not only religious, but political and intellectual are by definition exceptional.

Yetthe cultural contingency of all beliefs does not prevent people from reasonably holdingfairly strong views about a lot of non-religious issues. So its not clear to me why it should requireagnosticism as opposed to humility in belief in religious matters either.

For instance: Does the fact that my heritage and cultural context inclines me to regard human life as sacred mean that I mustretreat to agnosticism about the moral status of the Shoah? (Nazis even more than Wiccans are strange these days, but that doesnt prove that anti-Nazism is just so much cultural prejudice.) Does the bias instilled by the fact they were mostly born and raised in a commercial republicmean that the faculty of George Mason should cease evangelizing on behalfof free-market economics? Yes, moral theory is unlike economics which is unlike theology, but in each case we have plenty of examples of people converted from one view to another by reasoned argument and so long as conversion is possible, the fact that most people dont convert is hardly a knock-out blow against the potential truth of one argument or another, and the value of holding at least provisional commitments.

Moreover just as arguments about moral theory and economics often work because they proceed from a basic conceptual common ground, so too do arguments in religion. Even if choosing a specific religion is a knotty problem, the various religions do have a lot of shared beliefs that supernatural realities exist, at least, and then beyond that commonalities in their ideas of God, and then beyond that in many cases a shared belief in certain revelations.

Your example of Wicca and my own Christianity are in some senses particularly far apart, but in other ways less so, since a Christian might reasonably regard Wiccan beliefs as not so much false as dangerous, touching on realities that might be real but are best left unexplored either because they might be demonic or because they are simply unseely, to borrow the language of the folklorists and poets. The Wiccan, meanwhile, might well have some sort of revisionist Jungian reading of the Christian gospels that incorporates them into her own cosmological picture. Overall, I do not find the Wiccan world-picture nearly as strange and implausible as I find eliminative materialism, and its perfectly possible to have a fruitful Christian-Wiccan argument even if we might have persecuted one another in the past just as its possible to have a fruitful argument between a constitutional monarchist and a republican even though the French Revolution wasa bloody affair.

So theidea that religious controversy is simply a clash of instilled habits, while certainly often true, need not be necessarily true, and (again as with other non-scientificquestions) isnt true when serious people debate the issues in good faith.

I would also add that in the present cultural context most of the believers that you, a professor and blogger, are likely to end up arguing with will be people whose religion is notat all simply an inheritance but rather something reasoned toward and held in defiance of intellectual convention, whereas your agnosticism is presently such an academic commonplace as to be its own form of conformism. It seems to me that by those premises you shouldnarrow your confidence in that agnosticism, and give religious commitment a slightly longer look.

Cowen: I do accept that religion has net practical benefits for both individuals and societies, albeit with some variance. That is partly where the pressures for social conformity come from. I am a strong Straussian when it comes to religion, and overall wish to stick up for the presence of religion in social debate, thus some of my affinities with say Ross Douthat and David Brooks on many issues.

Me: Ill take the affinities I can get though one possible religious response would be to reject this one, on the grounds that (to rip off Flannery OConnor) if its just socially usefulthen to hell with it. But thats not my take; instead, I think the fact that religion has net practical benefits (with some variance as you say!), and not only practical in some strict utilitarian sense but also aesthetic (that religiously-infusedsocieties produce better art and architecture is of course technically a de gustibus issue but come on, its true), is itself suggestive evidence for the claim thatreligious beliefs point to something real. One can come up with plenty of other explanations, but still, a harmony between religious ideas, human flourishing and great aesthetic achievement iscertainly consonant with the idea that we are restless until we rest in Him. And in a similar vein the claims from atheists that if we could pinpoint the evolutionary origins of religious belief we would somehow explain it all away always strike me as strange, because most evolved features of human nature evolved the way they did because they were adapted to some actual reality and why shouldnt the religious instinct be the same? But on to your next point

Cowen: I am frustrated by the lack of Bayesianism in most of the religious belief I observe. Ive never met a believer who asserted: Im really not sure here. But I think Lutheranism is true with p = .018, and the next strongest contender comes in only at .014, so call me Lutheran. The religious people Ive known rebel against that manner of framing, even though during times of conversion they may act on such a basis.

I dont expect all or even most religious believers to present their views this way, but hardly any of them do. That in turn inclines me to think they are using belief for psychological, self-support, and social functions. Nothing wrong with that, says the strong Straussian! But again, it wont get me to belief.

Me:Well sometimes believers dont present things this way because their religion is, as you say above, an inheritance rather than a chosen thing,and so they arent inclined to be Bayesian about it for the same reason that the average patriotic American doesnt give you percentages when you ask what system of government is best. And sometimes they dont because the practice of religion encourages a quest for a personal relationship with God, and once youve embarked on that kind of quest after perhaps making a calculation before you leap, as your point about conversion concedes you cant always be worrying aboutthe percentage odds that youre making a mistake. (There are similar issues in romantic love!)

But theres also plenty of apologetic literature, some of it crude and some of it sophisticated, that makes what amount to implicitly odds-based arguments: Everything from Pascals wager to C.S. Lewiss lunatic/liar/Lord trilemma falls into that broad category, and authors of varying religious traditions, past and present, are constantly making arguments for why their ideas are a better intellectual bet than Muhammeds or Luthers or Joseph Smiths or the Buddhas or whomevers. Indeed its onlyin contemporary liberal circles that these sort of arguments are considered ill-mannered and impolite which, again, might narrow your confidence that the agnosticism assumed in those circles is held for genuinely good, well-thought-through and well-defended reasons.

Also, as it happens, because Im a weirdo I mentally play this kind of Bayesian game with all myself fairly often. For instance, when people ask me what effect Pope Franciss maneuvering around divorce and remarriage might have on my confidence in Catholicisms truth, the answer is thata big enough shift would lead me to downgrade my belief in Catholicisms exclusive truth claims relative to other Christian confessions, and raise the odds that there simply is no One True Church and all the various confessions have pieces of the garment Jesus and the apostles left for us. Whether thinking along those lines is wise or pious is an open question, but oddsmaking definitely forms part of my mental religious architecture. And ifwatching me play the game might help convertyou(I doubt it, but Ill risk the embarrassment), Ill play it at the very end of our dialogue but first lets take up your last two points.

Cowen: I do take the William James arguments about personal experience of God seriously, and I recommend hisThe Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Natureto everybody its one of the best books period. But these personal accounts contradict each other in many cases, we know at least some of them are wrong or delusional, and overall I think the capacity of human beings to believe things some would call it self-deception but that term assumes a neutral, objective base more than is warranted here is quite strong. Presumably a Christian believes that pagan accounts of the gods are incorrect, and vice versa; I say they are probably both right in their criticisms of the other.

Me: My sense of things is that mystical experience tracks the pattern I noted above: Theres a commonality at the level of the ineffable, where mystics Western and Eastern, Christian and Sufi tend to sound somewhat alike in their descriptions of what they cant describe, and then theres diversity and contradiction when it comes to the more anthropomorphized encounters, where angels or the Virgin Mary or the God Krishna show up to deliver a vision or a message.

This diversity and contradiction is a good reason to be wary of founding your religious beliefs on any single persons experience or message, and it might be a case against dogmatism in religion, period. But I think even if you dont find any particular revelation convincing enough to let it control how you interpret the entire cosmos, a more parsimonious explanation than mass delusion and self-deception could still lead you reasonably to the forms of religious syncretism that were common in the pre-Christian world, to the pagan traditions that treat the gods of polytheism as personalized and localized manifestations of the Godhead, or to pantheism or gnosticism in their various forms. We see through a glass darkly, but the fact that we are all catching different glimpses of divinity should make us suspect that while the differences counsel humility, there really is something there to see.

And I would add that as a Christian I dont regard the pagan accounts of the gods as precisely wrong so much as partial, mythologized (often consciously and deliberately), and incomplete. There is nothing in Christian cosmology that precludes the Christian God manifesting Himself partially in non-Christian societies through mystical encounters that are experienced and interpreted in line with pre-existing beliefs, and indeed Christians (especially in the Catholic tradition) have in many case appropriated pagan traditions by treating them, in part, as providentially-intended preparations for Christianity.

At the same time Christians also believe as a matter of faith that there are other spiritual powers in the universe besides the Triune God, which allows for the belief that pagan accounts might reflect angelic or demonic encounters. And finally there is also nothing in Christian cosmology that precludes the possibility of other forces besides angels and demons. In the early Old Testament its quite a while before the Israelites discover, as it were, that the God speaking to them is different in kind rather than degree from other gods; nobody knows who the Nephilim were; belief in ghosts is as common in Christian cultures as in others; medieval and early modern Europeans often treated the realm of faerie as a kind of third space, a nonaligned spiritual territory, and in some cases explicitly re-read and rewrote their ancestors pagan traditions as faerie stories.

These kind of attempted reconciliations are obviously unnecessary if you dont accept the Christian revelation. My point is just that even if you do, the possible validity of a range of diverse and contradictory-seeming religious encounters doesnt have to go out the window. Indeed even when encounters happen completely under the metaphysical canopy of Catholic belief, the church itself can still end up concluding as it seems to be with the mystics of Medjugorje that some of them are really heaven-sent and some are not, that the same person or group of people can have a real vision and then subsequently a false or made-up or misinterpreted one. Even where God seems to be breaking in or speaking unusually directly, the through-a-glass-darkly rule still applies.

Cowen: I see the entire matter of origins as so strange that the transcendental argument carries little weight with me if there is no God, then everything is permitted!We dont have enough understanding of God, or the absence of God, to deal with such claims.In any case, the existence of God is no guarantee that such problems are overcome, or if it were such a guarantee, you wouldnt be able to know that.

Me: This seems like an overstated response to an overstated claim. I agree, there are conceptions of the Absolute that would justify all sorts of (what we would consider) atrocities and conceptions of His non-existence that still persuade people to be moral realists rather than ax-wielding Raskolnikovs. But consider a more modest version of the argument: Namely, that the Judeo-Christian conception of the nature of God and the modern small-l liberal consensus on human rights and moral wrongs cohere together fairly well, as a picture of how the universe and moral universals interconnect, whereas that same liberal consensus is a much poorer fit with the de facto atheism and materialism of many of its present-day proponents.

I think this modest claim is simply, well, true: Schemes for a Darwinian ethics generally have a brazen artificiality to them when they arent leaping merrily toward tooth-and-claw, might-makes-right conclusions; in the genealogy of modern morals the Christian worldview is a progenitor of rights-based liberalism in a fairly straightforward and logically-consistent way; and the alternative syntheses are a bit more forced, a bit dodgier, and a bit prone to suddenly giving way, as the major 20th century attempts at genuinely post-Christian and post-liberal societies conspicuously did, to screaming hellscapes that everyone these days considers simply evil.

I concede that a worldviews coherence doesnt prove anything definitive about its truth. You can certainly preserve a preference for human rights or any other feature of the contemporary consensus on non-theological grounds. But in the quest for truth, coherence still seems like a useful signpost, and looking for its presence still seems like a decent-enough place to start.

Cowen: Add all that up and I just dont believe.Furthermore, I find it easy not to believe. It doesnt stress me, and I dont feel a resulting gap or absence in my life. That I strongly suspect is for genetic reasons, not because of some intellectual argument I or others have come up with. But there you go, the deconstruction of my own belief actually pushes me somewhat further into it.

Me: This is weak sauce, Tyler. Youve just complained about the ethno-cultural pattern in belief and why it makes you more skeptical of religious truth claims. If you think you have a genetic bias toward a happy agnosticism, shouldnt that sort of deconstruction make you more intellectually skeptical of your own irreligious conclusions, not less especially since, again, agnosticism in our own era comes with higher social status in the academic circles you inhabit than does actual religious commitment? The world is very strange, Im comfortable leaving it at that is not a conclusion you would accept in the debates to which you are personally-cum-genetically predisposed. Doesnt your willingness to accept it on this question, one whose great importance I hope you would be willing to concede, seems a touch what word should I reach for ah, perhaps complacent? Arent you manifesting the very vice you just spent a book critiquing, however gently, in your fellow Western Brahmins? Why not be the change you seek?

As I admitted above, the game that a man of your Bayesian temperament would need to play to get to some limited form of religious commitment might seem a little ridiculous or embarrassing or flippant. But as I promised, Ill play it now myself.

What Im looking for when I gamble on a world-picture is something that makes sense of the four major features of existence that give rise to religious questions the striking fact of cosmic order, our distinctive consciousness, our strong moral sense and thirst for justice and the persistent varieties of supernatural experience. The various forms of materialism strike me as very weak on all four counts, and the odds that what Thomas Nagel called the materialist neo-Darwinian conception of nature is true therefore seem quite low. All these numbers will be a little arbitrary, but for the sake of the game Ill set the probability that a hard materialism accurately describes reality at 2 percent (and I think Im being generous there).

So what does? Well, if you decide treat every religious revelation as essentially equally plausible or implausible and decline to choose between them, the best world-picture candidates are either a form of classical theism as it would have been understood by most pre-modern thinkers and continues to be understood by many theologians today (again, read David Bentley Hart for a recent and compelling case), or else a form of pantheism or panentheism or panpsychism in which God/consciousness/the universe are in some sense overlapping categories, and all spiritual/supernatural experiences are partial and personal and culturally mediated glimpses of a unity.

Both of these possibilities seem to have more explanatory power across my four categories than does, say, a hard deism (which makes the varieties of religious experience a lot harder to explain) or a dualism or a gnosticism (both of which seem a little unparsimonious, and also somewhat poor fits for the data of religious experience) or a literalist polytheism (which begs too many questions about cosmic order, which is why philosophically-serious polytheists often tend to be pantheists or classical theists at bottom). And the latter possibility, some sort of pantheism, seems to be where a lot of post-Christians who are too sensible or too experienced to accept a stringent atheism are drifting it shows up in different forms in writers like Barbara Ehrenreich, Sam Harris, Thomas Nagel, Anthony Kronman, even Philip Pullman, and it pervades a great deal of pop spirituality these days. Indeed it might be where I would end up if I radically changed my mind about the credibility of the Christian story; Im not entirely sure. (It would probably come down to questions of theodicy; Ill spare you the provisional thought process.)

For now, Ill give odds as follows (again, treating all revelations equally): Classical theism 45 percent, the pantheistic big tent 40 percent, gnosticism 6 percent, hard no supernatural deism 4 percent, dualism 3 percent. Which still leaves that 2 percent chance that Daniel Dennett has it right.

I told you this would seem a bit silly (and I know Im leaving out various combinations and permutations, sorry, maybe someday Ill tackle process theology but not today). But pressing on, I dont actually think you can treat all revelations equally, because theyre all so strikingly different and theres no good reason to treat them interchangeably. Instead, I think what youre looking for is a kind of black swan among revelations, a tradition that seems particularly plausible in the historical grounding of its claims and whose theological implications fit in well with the combination I proposed to you earlier, the mix of the comprehensible and the unfathomable that would do justice both to a divine Otherness and a divine desire to be known by us, the most godlike (and devil-like) beings in the created universe so far as we can tell.

And, no surprise here, I think the combination of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is the darkest swan in the sea of religious stories the compendium of stories, histories, poems and prophecies and parables and (yes) eyewitness accounts that most suggests an actual unfolding divine revelation, and whose unlikely but overwhelming role as a history-shaping force endures even in what is supposed to be our oh-so-disenchanted world. As a wise man once remarked (it was you), the Bible as a whole is one of the most beautiful, strange, and open-to-multiple-interpretation books that there is, and its emergence from a minor but oddly-resilient nation of Semites is both more strikingly unlikely and less contingent on a single religious personality than the genesis of any other holy book and thats even before you dig into what Christians consider its culminating revelation, a miraculous story that unfolds not in myth or prehistory but at an apex of earthly civilization, in the harsh light of recorded history, with multiple overlapping testimonies to its reality that two thousand years of criticism have not even begun to convincingly discredit.

Reasonable people can disagree with this take, but thats mine. Im betting on the Judeo-Christian story as an extended revelation unlike any other on the theology that the early Christians came up with to explain what happened in their midst, which balances the reasonable with the paradoxical in ways that fit the ordered strangeness of reality itself on Christianitys subsequent world-altering influence as a fulfillment of the brazenly implausible predictions that both Israels prophets and the gospel writers made about just how far Yahwehs rule could spread and finally on the mix of consistency and resilience, revival and reinvention in the central strand of Christianity across two millennia, which is why I make my home in the Roman Catholic Church.

You want those embarrassingly crude numbers on all this? Fine. Lets give Western monotheism a 60 percent chance of containing the most important and dispositive revelation. Then within Western monotheism, Judaism alone seems to me much less likely than does Christianity and Judaism together, so Id put Judaism-as-primary-revelation at 20 percent, Christianity as the fulfillment of Judaism at 65 percent, some Jewish-Christian-Islamic synthesis that weve failed to grasp at 10 percent, and Muhammed as the seal of the prophets at 5 percent. Then within Christianity itself, lets give it a 50 percent chance that Roman Catholicism is the truest church (pending Francis-era developments, as I said), a 20 percent chance that Catholicism and Orthodoxy have an equal claim, a 5 percent chance thats its Orthodoxy alone, a 10 percent chance for the Anabaptists, a 5 percent chance for the Calvinists, and 10 percent that the church is simply too broken for any specific body to have exclusive claims, in which case nondenominationals and big-tent Anglicans probably have the right approach.

There: Ive probably blasphemed, weakened my Catholic credentials, endangered my soul, insulted my religious brethren, picked pointless fights with Muslims and Calvinists, and betrayed a juvenile understanding of statistics.

So the least you can do, Tyler, after all of this, is to spend a few more Sundays in your local church.

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Should Tyler Cowen Believe in God? - New York Times (blog)

7 Critical Skills For the Jobs of the Future – Singularity Hub

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We live in a world of accelerating change. New industries are constantly being born and old ones are becoming obsolete. A report by the World Economic Forum reveals that almost 65 percent of the jobs elementary school students will be doing in the future do not even exist yet. Both the workforce and our knowledge base are rapidly evolving.

Combined with the effects of technological automation on the workforce, this leaves us with a crucial question: What are the skills future generations will need?

Education expert Tony Wagner has spent a lifetime trying to answer this very question. Through investigating the education sector, interviewing industry leaders and studying the global workforce at large, Wagner has identified seven survival skills of the future. These are skills and mindsets young people absolutely need in order to meet their full potential.

We spend so much time teaching students how to answer questions that we often neglect to teach them how to ask them. Asking questionsand asking good onesis a foundation of critical thinking. Before you can solve a problem, you must be able to critically analyze and question what is causing it. This is why critical thinking and problem solving are coupled together.

Wagner notes the workforce today is organized very differently than it was a few years ago. What we are seeing are diverse teams working on specific problems, as opposed to specific specialties. Your manager doesnt have all the answers and solutionsyou have to work to find them.

Above all, this skill set builds the very foundation of innovation. We have to have the ability to question the status quo and criticize it before we can innovate and prescribe an alternative.

One of the major trends today is the rise of the contingent workforce. In the next five years, non-permanent and remote workers are expected to make up 40 percent of the average companys total workforce. We are even seeing a greater percentage of full-time employees working on the cloud. Multinational corporations are having their teams of employees collaborate at different offices across the planet.

Technology has allowed work and collaboration to transcend geographical boundaries, and thats truly exciting. However, collaboration across digital networks and with individuals from radically different backgrounds is something our youth needs to be prepared for. According to a New Horizons report on education, we should see an increasing focus on global online collaboration, where digital tools are used to support interactions around curricular objectives and promote intercultural understanding.

Within these contexts, leadership among a team is no longer about commanding with top-down authority, but rather about leading by influence. Ultimately, as Wagner points out, Its about how citizens make change today in their local communitiesby trying to influence diverse groups and then creating alliances of groups who work together toward a common goal.

We live in a VUCA (Volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. Hence, Its important to be able to adapt and re-define ones strategy.

In their book, Critical Thinking: How to Prepare Students for a Rapidly Changing World, Richard Paul & Dillion Beach note how traditionally our education and work mindset has been designed for routine and fixed procedure. We learned how to do something once, and then we did it over and over. Learning meant becoming habituated, they write. But what is it to learn to continually re-learn? To be comfortable with perpetual re-learning?

In the post-industrial era, the impact of technology has meant we have to be agile and adaptive to unpredictable consequences of disruption. We may have to learn skills and mindsets on demand and set aside ones that are no longer required.

Traditionally, initiative has been something students show in spite of or in addition to their schoolwork. For most students, developing a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial skills has often been part of their extracurricular activities. With an emphasis on short-term tests and knowledge, most curricula have not been designed to inspire doers and innovators.

Are we teaching our youth to lead? Are we encouraging them to take initiative? Are we empowering them to solve global challenges? Throughout his research, Wagner has found that even in corporate settings, business leaders are struggling to find employees who consistently seek out new opportunities, ideas and strategies for improvement.

A study by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills showed that about 89 percent of employer respondents report high school graduate entrants as deficient in communication.

Clear communication isnt just a matter of proper use of language and grammar. In many ways, communicating clearly is an extension of thinking clearly. Can you present your argument persuasively? Can you inspire others with passion? Can you concisely capture the highlights of what you are trying to say? Can you promote yourself or a product?

Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has famously said Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess. Like many, he has noted it is a skill that can be learned and consequently used to open many opportunities.

We now live in the information age. Every day we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data. As this infographic shows, this would fill 10 million Blu-ray disks.

While our access to information has dramatically increased, so has our access to misinformation. While navigating the digital world, very few students have been taught how to assess the source and evaluate the content of the information they access. Moreover, this information is continuously evolving as we update our knowledge base faster than ever before.

Furthermore, in the age of fake news, an active and informed citizen will have to be able to assess information from many different sources through a critical lens.

Curiosity is a powerful driver of new knowledge and innovation. It is by channeling a child-like sense of awe and wonder about the world that we can truly imagine something even better. It takes powerful imagination to envision breakthroughs and then go about executing them. It is the reason Albert Einstein famously said, Imagination is more important than knowledge.

We consistently spoon-feed students with information instead of empowering them to ask questions and seek answers. Inquisitiveness and thinking outside the box need to be treated with the same level of importance the school system gives to physics or math.

There is a stark contrast between these seven survival skills of the future and the focus of education today. Instead of teaching students to answer questions, we should teach them to ask them. Instead of preparing them for college, we should prepare them for life.

Beyond creating better employees, we must aim to create better leaders and innovators. Doing so will not only radically transform the future of education and the workforce, it will also transform the world we live in.

Stock Media provided by ra2studio / Pond5 Deep Dream Generator

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7 Critical Skills For the Jobs of the Future - Singularity Hub

Ascension Parish officials notified big federal check on its way for flood debris removal costs – The Advocate

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Ascension Parish is about to receive a big batch of federal reimbursement dollars for money it shelled out for debris removal from the August flood.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., informed Parish President Kenny Matassa Thursday that the parish was about to receive $5.9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Ken Dawson, parish chief administrative officer, told the Parish Council Thursday night about Matassas telephone conversation with Kennedy earlier in the day regarding the coming reimbursement dollars.

Were all very happy about that, that at least were getting some moneys back for all the moneys that were expended to assist the residents of Ascension," Dawson said. "It doesnt mean that is everything, but that at least has been released and we can put it back into the general fund."

In all, $9.02 million has been spent on debris removal for which the parish is seeking 90 percent reimbursement from FEMA, according to a tally by the parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

We should be getting more, Dawson later told a council member who asked if more funds were expected from FEMA.

Council Chairman Bill Dawson said the first batch of FEMA dollars amount to a 92 percent reimbursement on $6.4 million in debris removal costs.

Parish officials are currently making final debris removal pass that they expect will not be eligible for reimbursement. The cost to the parish of the final pickup is expected to be about $165,000.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Ascension Parish officials notified big federal check on its way for flood debris removal costs - The Advocate

Sixth DWI conviction for Hammond man in Ascension results in nearly two decades of prison time – The Advocate

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GONZALES A Hammond man whom Ascension Parish prosecutors called a "DWI veteran" was sentenced to 18 years in prison after his conviction for a sixth driving while intoxicated arrest that happened while he was on parole for his fifth DWI, according to court documents.

Dylan E. Hart, 55, 44090 Millie Road,was involved in a minor two-vehicle crash with no injuries July 31, 2015,near the intersection of La. 70 and La. 3120 in Ascension Parish.

A breath-test found Hart had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, prosecutors with the 23rd Judicial District said in a statement.A blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered presumptive evidence of drunken driving in Louisiana.

A state district judge sentenced Hart to a 12-year prison sentence that came as part of a plea deal with Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, prosecutors said.

But Hart's new prison sentence will be added to the remaining, unserved six years that he was sentenced to in 2011 for a fifth DWI conviction in Tangipahoa Parish, according to court documents.

Hart was given an eight-year prison sentence but six years were suspended, according to the court. He served the two-year sentence in an in-home incarceration and was ordered to participate in driver improvement and substance abuse programs.

In handing down the latest sentence for Hart last week, state Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District Court ordered that the six-year sentence from the 2011 conviction was to be served consecutively with the 12-year sentence.

Kliebert issued written reasons.

The judge noted Hart's history of crimes involving substance abuse and that he had been on parole at the time of his arrest in July 2015.

"The Court also notes that the defendant has been afforded the opportunity of rehabilitation and substance abuse assistance while on active probation on at least three occasions, failed to fully utilize the resources available to him, and continued to involve himself with substance abuse and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in total disregard of our laws," Kliebert wrote.

In addition to the prison time and other conditions, Kliebert also fined Hart $5,000.

Hart agreed to the plea deal March 13 after the judge planned to allow prosecutors to introduce at trial his five previous DWI convictions in Tangipahoa Parish going back to 2003, according to court documents.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Sixth DWI conviction for Hammond man in Ascension results in nearly two decades of prison time - The Advocate

Green Bay Packers: Joe Callahan continues ascension at QB – Chippewa Herald

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GREEN BAY As underdog training-camp narratives go, Joe Callahans improbable run for a spot on the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster last summer has to rank among the more compelling since the teams renaissance began 25 years ago.

While there have been plenty of other out-of-nowhere stories cornerback Tramon Williams 2007 ascension is up there, too and other longshots who earned their keep with unexpectedly impressive preseason performances, Callahan was supposed to be little more than a camp arm last year.

Coach Mike McCarthy had decided to limit two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers preseason snaps, and hed earmarked the extra exhibition playing time for young backup Brett Hundley not some 6-foot-nothin, Division III unknown.

But when an ankle injury limited Hundley to just seven preseason passes, Callahan shined so much so that McCarthy was telling everyone by camps end how Callahan had earned a spot on the team as the No. 3 quarterback. (How the hell does he not make the team? McCarthy asked rhetorically and forcefully after Callahan made it). And more than a few longtime observers couldnt help but see some Brett Favre-ian improv in the kids game.

A year later, Callahan is preparing for his second NFL training camp the Packers first practice is in three weeks, on July 27 with an eye on being more than just a heartwarming story going forward.

I still have to prove myself, Callahan said during organized team activity practices last month. I need to show how much Ive improved.

Callahan did just that during the spring quarterback school and OTA practices, and itll be interesting to see how good the Packers feel about Callahan if Hundley puts together an impressive enough preseason to attract trade suitors. It seems unlikely theyd turn the No. 2 job over to him if they moved Hundley when Hundley started drawing interest during the April NFL Draft, the Packers reportedly were planning to bring in a veteran to replace him but after what Callahan did last year, who can bet against him?

To know where he came from, trying just to get somebody to look at him, to see him go from there to where he finished and what he did, for me, knowing Joe personally, it was awesome, Hundley said. Knowing it was my playing time, its frustrating to a point. But its also intriguing to me when you can see somebody grow from where he started to where he finished. That was awesome.

As much as the Packers liked Callahan, they actually bid him adieu last Oct. 13 when injuries forced them to shuffle the roster. The team waived him with the intention of signing him to the practice squad when he went unclaimed, and McCarthy, who didnt want Callahan cut to begin with, was livid when the New Orleans Saints claimed his pet project.

Callahan spent just over a week with the Saints before being released, but then the Cleveland Browns claimed him and kept him on their 53-man roster for more than a month before cutting him on Nov. 29.

The Packers finally got him back on the practice squad on Dec. 2, then promoted him onto the 53-man roster again on Dec. 17, keeping him there through the end of the year.

As well as Callahan played last summer he completed 54 of 88 passes (61.4 percent) for 499 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (88.2 rating) he was playing mostly on the instinct and play-making knack he showed in college at Wesley College in Dover, Del. As a three-year starter for the Wolverines, Callahan went 33-7 and threw for 12,852 yards and 130 touchdowns, including 5,068 yards and 55 touchdowns in 2015, when he won the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Scrambling and making something out of nothing was a key part of Callahans college production, and the Packers coaches like that aspect of his game. But the next step is for him to make more plays while doing so within the framework of the offense.

Thats a big part of it. Second year, you can go through any read in the offense and hell spit the read right out to you. So hes picking it up, quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. He just has to continue to do what hes doing.

Hes growing. His footwork has gotten a lot better, his understanding of the offense has gotten better in his second year. Just continue to do that and then show it in the preseason when he gets to play.

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Green Bay Packers: Joe Callahan continues ascension at QB - Chippewa Herald

Politics in play? Road construction project in Ascension Parish vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards – The Advocate

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Ascension Parish has miles and miles of state and federal highways, but they are both a blessing and a curse.

Because for every Airline Highway and I-10, there are dozens of narrow, two-lane state highways. It's hard to get funding to make repairs or widen the roads, yet they continue to sprout with new homes in this fast-growing parish.

At the same time, some Ascension residents are unwilling to use local tax revenue to upgrade what they see as the states responsibility.

State Sen. Eddie Lambert, R-Prairieville, has pushed the past several years for funds to improve two-lane La. 42, a major commuter corridor through Prairieville, and La. 930. The latter is a narrow, winding off-shoot from La. 42 that serves bus traffic from Prairieville Middle School, but only barely.

Earlier this year, the state Bond Commission approved more than $21 million in construction funding from an earlier budget cycle to widen nearly four miles of La. 42 to four and five lanes.

The apparent low-bidder has been recommended for award, a DOTD spokesman said. After the award, work could start on the $27.5 million construction job in three to four months.

But, $7.56 million targeted to do the La. 930 project was one of 36 line-item vetoes from the governor.

The project, which would improve safety by widening existing lanes, adding shoulders and realigning a curve, was at the very top of Gov. John Bel Edwards recent veto message.

When asked Friday if the line-item veto was payback for Republican resistance to Edwards budget plans or simply finding a way to save money, Lambert responded, Probably a little bit of both.

Lambert supported Edwards budget, and he said the Governors Office thanked him for the vote. He noted that while La. 930 was chopped, another, smaller intersection project in his district survived the veto.

The failure of efforts to boost state aid for roads and bridges means key projects statewide

But his Ascension colleague, State Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, opposed the final budget bill and was among the toughest budget hawks in the House. La. 930 is in both mens districts. Bacala could not be reached for comment Friday on the veto.

Rodney Mallett, DOTD spokesman, said La. 930, which still needs utilities moved before construction can start, is on hold as the state addresses a growing list of statewide needs with diminishing funds.

Mallett said La. 42 was considered a higher priority for construction funding than La. 930. He also pointed out the state has recently awarded a $72 million contract to widen I-10 from Highland Road to La. 73 in Prairieville.

Lambert said DOTD is pushing to have the parish take responsibility for La. 930 through a state exchange program. It would lead to one-time state upgrades before the highway is handed over to the parish. Lambert said he would keep pursuing state funding anyway.

Ima just keep bugging them, he said.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Politics in play? Road construction project in Ascension Parish vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards - The Advocate

45th Space Wing cuts into a new era of space exploration – Pactrick Air Force Base

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45th Space Wing / Published July 07, 2017

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Col. Burton Catledge, 45th Operations Group commander and Lt. Col. Jason Havel, Detachment 3 commander, cut the ribbon to the recently renovated Human Spaceflight Support Operations Center (SOC), to symbolize Americas transition from a government operated space program to a blended mission with the addition of commercially-operated crewed spaceflight programs. The $485,000 yearlong project created a state-of-the-art communications hub used for the Department of Defenses human spaceflight support missions from the SOC, which is an extension of the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. It hosts a worldwide command and control capability for Department of Defense rescue forces through a combination of radio frequencies, specialized internet applications, texting, satellite and secure and unsecure voice through the SOC's 10 workstations, 20 DOD circuits and 20 NASA specific circuits. (U.S. Air Force photo by Phil Sunkel))

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Prior to the $485,000 renovation in 2017, this photo shows personnel operating the legacy analog consoles during a 2016 astronaut rescue exercise. The 45th Operations Group Detachment 3 tested their communication channels to Air Force airborne assets, pararescue forces at sea, NASA's Johnson Space Center and the Joint Space Operations Center. The SOC's mission is to provide a worldwide Department of Defense command and control node for NASA astronaut rescue and recovery and is currently used for operational Soyuz missions returning from the International Space Station, and various exercises in support of NASA's nascent Orion and Commercial Crew Programs. The renovations improved the SOC's technical capabilities to support additional commercially-operated crewed spaceflight programs. (U.S. Air Force file photo)

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Col. Burton Catledge, 45th Operations Group commander and Lt. Col. Jason Havel, Detachment 3 commander, cut the ribbon to the recently renovated Human Spaceflight Support Operations Center (SOC), to symbolize Americas transition from a government operated space program to a blended mission with the addition of commercially-operated crewed spaceflight programs. The $485,000 yearlong project created a state-of-the-art communications hub used for the Department of Defenses human spaceflight support missions from the SOC, which is an extension of the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. It hosts a worldwide command and control capability for Department of Defense rescue forces through a combination of radio frequencies, specialized internet applications, texting, satellite and secure and unsecure voice through the SOC's 10 workstations, 20 DOD circuits and 20 NASA specific circuits. (U.S. Air Force photo by Phil Sunkel))

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45th Space Wing cuts into a new era of space exploration - Pactrick Air Force Base

Setbacks are inevitable in space exploration – South China Morning Post

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Risk and failure are a normal part of any space programme. China has come to learn that, just as other space-faring nations have. The failed launch of a Long March 5 rocket, the second such incident in as many weeks, is without doubt a setback for engineers, scientists and the nations ambitions. But when it comes to extraterrestrial exploration, there can be no success without failure.

Scientists have always known that, so it is good that authorities now also understand. In a positive sign of transparency, they were quick to announce Sundays mishap with the rocket and the loss of the experimental satellite it was carrying, the largest that China has yet tried to launch. An investigation is under way, but the outcome is unlikely to alter the setbacks to human space flight and planet exploration plans, which will rely on the heavy-lifting capacity of the Long March rocket. A malfunction in a lesser version last month failed to lift a satellite to its anticipated orbit, but the more powerful rockets reliability had already been brought into question during its first test last November; although considered a success, it was similarly unable to put its satellite payload onto the right path.

Chinas moon programme takes a hit due to Long March rocket failure

There is good reason for transparency, though; China pins its hopes on the Long March 5, a rocket that puts its capabilities beside long-standing space powers the United States and Russia. The rockets next planned launch in November was to carry the Change-5 spacecraft, which is to be the crux of the nations second lunar lander with a mission to bring back the first samples from the moon in four decades. It will also be integral to helping assemble Chinas first permanently crewed space station, with the core module expected to be launched either next year or in 2019. It is too soon to say whether those programmes will be affected by the rocket failures.

Chinese have justifiably watched with pride the nations meteoric rise among space nations. In the 14 years since astronaut Yang Liwei made history by orbiting the Earth 21 times, there have been extraordinary achievements. An orbiter has navigated the moon and a rover has landed on it, a component for an orbital space station was launched and three astronauts, including Chinas first woman in space, docked with it. But scientists lost control and a successor, Tiangong-2, was embarked upon and two astronauts spent 30 days aboard it last November to learn how to live and work in space.

China aims to land on the moon in the mid-2030s; it hopes to become a leading space power by about 2030. In doing so, there are bound to be more failures. But learning from mistakes is the only way to move confidently forward. Accepting risk and failure is the price that has to be paid to expand knowledge and advance technology.

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Lenhoff: Whatever happened to exploring the final frontier? – Chicago Tribune

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Coming off the Independence Day holiday where night skies across the country exploded with fireworks, a thought occurred to me. Whatever happened to our exploration of those black velvet skies of outer space?

Dubbed the final frontier, kids growing up during my childhood years were thrilled with the exploits of amazingly brave astronauts who stepped into tiny capsules and sped off into the dark regions of the universe. We hoped technology wouldn't fail them in their quest for knowledge, nor in their attempt to return home.

Today, it seems that the only discussion about space happens in movies like "The Martian" with Matt Damon. That's sad.

Among the dream professions in my "Leave it to Beaver" era, being an astronaut was near the top. After the earth had pretty well been explored and documented, the natural human thirst for knowledge was directed toward the skies and beyond. After watching several unbelievable accomplishments, topped by the legendary walk on the moon in 1969, it seemed that the floodgates had opened. It appeared that before long we would be riding around in flying saucers like George Jetson, stopping at planets like we stop at strip shopping centers.

But it seems the moon landing was the zenith of space exploration. I know we've got manned space stations with rotating astronauts and satellites performing communication duties that once seemed impossible. And yet, the magic that happened on that July night in 1969 has yet to be repeated outside of the movies.

As the 50th anniversary of that feat approaches, I'm disappointed that space exploration hasn't expanded beyond the memories of that fateful walk on the moon.

And why hasn't it? Why hasn't technology built upon that accomplishment, making space travel more frequent. Not being a science maven, I don't have the answers. Those of us who saw that broadcast of Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts doing the first version of a moonwalk long before Michael Jackson's can remember the deeply moving feeling we experienced. To this day, looking at a full moon while imagining them walking on its surface gives me a chill. Yet the passion, and press coverage, seems to have made space exploration an afterthought.

We have some voices still discussing different forms of space travel, but most of them seem to be private citizens like Richard Branson. The billionaire is in active pursuit of sending other private citizens into space in one of his special air crafts. While I wouldn't be a volunteer for that, much less pay millions of dollars for the experience, I think it's time we rediscover our pioneer spirit and refocus on finding what else lies out there in the great beyond.

Stephen Hawking says we only have 100 years left, so we better get cracking.

Pat Lenhoff is a freelance columnist.

viewfromvh@yahoo.com

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Lenhoff: Whatever happened to exploring the final frontier? - Chicago Tribune

Cosmic Gate Announce New Album ‘Materia Chapter.Two’ – Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

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As with all good stories, as one chapter closes, another opens. Such is the way in the already singles-rich chronicle of Materia Cosmic Gates episodic seventh album project. Following the considerable success of Januarysimpressive roots return(DJ Mag)made for the clubs(MIXMAG) maiden Chapter, today sees Materia enter its second, entrancing phase.

Through winter and spring, its producers, singers and songwriters have burnt themidnightstudio oil bright to bring you nine incredible new Materia creations. One glance at Chapter.Twos production team-ups is certain to put a smile on the lips of every serious trance lover. Ever pictured what a Cosmic Gate x Markus Schulz outing would sound like? Or imagined what would happen if CG met Super8 & Tab in the studio? Well heres where your thoughts become things! After the WYM-born club smash Sometimes They Come For More, youre also in line for No Strings Attached their return match with Arnej. Song-based collaborations naturally abound too, with new music backed by many a respected voice. Through If Not Now and Materias title track, JES makes two appearances. After their Chapter.One turns, Eric Lumiere and Alastor both return and following 2014s Sparks After The Sunset, Sarah Lynn is back too, with Folded Wings.

Singles-wise, the album signs in this very day with the ether-soaked haunt of Tonight(available here). After Wake Your Minds Be Your Sound and Start To Feels Going Home, those wondering whether Materias odyssey would come to feature Emma Hewitts touch need wonder no more! Given its debut by Armin on ASOT821, the mood-infused beguiler comes packed with emotional reach throughout its verses, brilliantly balanced by elevation in its chorus. For those pre-ordering Chapter.Two (which youre able to do this very momenthereabouts, Tonight will pop as part of the three pre-release instant-grat tracks, carrying you through to itsSeptember 1strelease.

For fans wanting to get physical with Materia, theres equally fine news. 01.09.17 also sees the release of the double CD edition of the album, which contains all the tracks from both album chapters. You can find it available to pre-order now at the end of this link:now via this link. And if all of that isnt quite, quite enough to satisfy your most Cosmic cravings, Nic & Bossi have also built a beyond-deluxe, limited edition Collectors version of Materia. It includes the double CD, a 12 vinyl of am2pm and No Strings Attached, a Cosmic Gate flag and Materia poster, along with a set of white and black wristbands. Limited to just 500 numbered & signed units, you can pin yours down now through FineNight.comhere.

Cosmic Gate: Materia Chapter Two tracklist:

01. Cosmic Gate & JES Materia 02. Cosmic Gate & Emma Hewitt Tonight 03. Cosmic Gate & Super8 & Tab Noom 04. Cosmic Gate & Eric Lumiere Bigger Than We Are 05. Cosmic Gate & Markus Schulz AR 06. Cosmic Gate & Alastor Someday 07. Cosmic Gate & JES If Not Now 08. Cosmic Gate & Sarah Lynn Folded Wings

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.

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Heres the third phase of Dreamstate SoCal 2017 lineup, this festival is taking...

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Cosmic Gate Announce New Album 'Materia Chapter.Two' - Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Anjunabeats, Classic trance flavour added to Dreamstate SoCal 2017 – Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

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Heres the third phase of Dreamstate SoCal 2017 lineup, this festival is taking things to the next level progressive, uplifting, tech, commercial you name it and they have it. In this latest edition, Dreamstate has added some Anjunabeats flavour with artists like Andrew Bayer, ilan Bluestone and Jason Ross. Other big names added to the lineup are Menno De Jong, some classic trance heavy weights like Marco V, Mauro Picotto. This lineup is seriously becoming #FestivalGoals for trance fans around the world.

Tickets for the 3rdannualDreamstateSoCal are on saleTuesday, July 11 at noon PT. Ticketing information is available atDreamstateUSA.com.

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.

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Dreamstate has made just 2 out of its 5 announcements yet, this time they announce...

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Anjunabeats, Classic trance flavour added to Dreamstate SoCal 2017 - Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Cosmic Gate Premiere Monster Trance Track and Announce New … – EDM Sauce

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Earlier in the year, Cosmic Gate released their highly anticipated album Materia: Chapter.One (you can read my full review of that album here). The nine-track album had some major hits behind it including Fall Into You with JES and Spectrum with Ilan Bluestone. In a previous interview I had with the boys, they mentioned that they were planning on putting out the second chapter of their album later in the year.

Fast forward to today, Bossi and Nic have come through with their promise of a round two of Materia by dropping their latest track, Tonight with Emma Hewitt. The track premiered last night during Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance 821 radio show. The new single will be part of a nine-track collection which will see the trance duo team up with big names like Markus Schulz, Eric Lumiere and Super8 & Tab among others.

The single starts off strong by building into a heavy thumping beat and eventually introducing Hewitt's beautiful vocals. By the middle of the track, a dancefloor-ready drop envelops the lyrics Hewitt can be found crying, ton-i-i-i-ght only to have a steady dispense back into the thumping synth beats that carry it towards its end.

The track blends itself perfectly with the sounds of Materia- Chapter.One and continues Cosmic Gate's domination of progressive trance tracks they have been known to deliver.

Materia- Chapter.Two is due out on September first, but you can pre-order the album here. Take a listen to Cosmic Gate and Emma Hewitt's Tonight:

And for a sneak-peek of what other sounds Materia- Chapter.Two will contain, check out the album teaser:

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Cosmic Gate Premiere Monster Trance Track and Announce New ... - EDM Sauce

Danilo Ercole Prepares To Unleash Scan On OHM Music – EDM Identity (blog)

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Danilo Ercole Prepares To Unleash Scan On OHM Music
EDM Identity (blog)
Since joining the OHM Music family back in March of 2017, delivering tech trance dance floor dynamite in the form of Cosmic, AfterDark Sessions very own Danilo Ercole is on the fast track to becoming one of the leading talents in the scene, paving ...

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Danilo Ercole Prepares To Unleash Scan On OHM Music - EDM Identity (blog)