How bio-hacking is changing your future – TechRadar

Biohacking is, by way of a definition, a systems-based approach to managing your body. The basic tenet is that by improving your inputs whether nutritional, physical or medical you can improve your bodys output.

Sounds simple enough, and in many ways it is a new fitness regime, a fad diet, or a new Fitbit can all be considered basic biohacking strategies. However, there are an impressive range of more extreme versions out there right now, and we dont mean hot yoga or personal trainers.

Perhaps most promisingly and often controversially genetic engineering is the most extreme example of biohacking: tweaking and manipulating the very building blocks of life. That may sound like overblown science fiction hyperbole, but the reality is very much upon us.

This year should have been a milestone year for genomic services, with the deadline for the completion of the a UK Department for Health's 100,000 Genomes project, an ambitious plan launched in 2012 to sequence 100,000 genomes from National Health Service (NHS) patients within five years. The 70,000 participants are patients with a rare disease, plus their families, and patients with cancer, in what is the largest national sequencing project of its kind in the world.

Manipulating human DNA is the most extreme example of biohacking

The deadline may have slipped a year, but the reality of DNA screening for rare diseases is here today, and the good news is that costs are dropping rapidly. Luckily, so are storage costs the raw data from one single genome alone tots up to around 200GB, with every genome offering millions of variants from a reference model. The data generated by the 100,000 Genomes project is likely to surpass 20 petabytes alone, which is quite some backup requirement.

Although existing UK data protection laws cover the general principles around medical and personal data, the volume and unique nature of genetic information raises specific challenges. Greg McEwen, a healthcare partner at law firm BLM Law told us: There are serious questions here around ownership of this data, and the challenges of securing and managing these volumes of highly personal information are considerable.

If you are on the cutting edge of research of this type, you could for example end up with data that will predict an individuals risk of developing cancer; if you were susceptible to a serious disease who would you want to know? Your doctor, your work, your insurance company? Would you even want to know yourself? It raises questions that require wider debate there are no easy answers.

Fancy having a go at genetic engineering in the comfort of your own kitchen? You can do that

Of course, while central government may not have the best data protection record the UK NHSs recent collapse under the WannaCry ransomware attack doesnt inspire confidence there are at least solid regulations to build on. And the technology for genetic engineering is rapidly becoming available to all.

Just like some kind of reality-based Dexters Lab, you can now causally mess around with the very fabric of life itself in the comfort of your own home. Human genome sequencing might be a little too ambitious for aspiring beginners, but products such as this DIY genetic engineering lab starter kit enable you to can precisely cut and replace DNA sections in a living organism, on your kitchen table. This is down to the marvels of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which currently runs to manipulating yeast or bacteria DNA.

Manipulating bacteria is a strong theme in biohacking. Researchers at the London-based BioHackSpace have created the JuicyPrint, a 3D printer that uses light-sensitive substrate to print in cellulose made by a genetically modified bacteria, Gluconacetobacter hansenii (it uses fruit juice as the initial medium for the bacteria, thus the name).

BioHackSpace's JuicyPrint 3D printer uses light-sensitive substrate to print in cellulose. Image credit: Alasdair Allan

(Image: Alasdair Allan)

While the project might look somewhat DIY, the applications for human health are widespread. As the bacterial cellulose is biocompatible and very strong it can be used to create human tissue scaffolds (used in human organ harvesting), the fabrication of artificial blood vessels, and for a host of similar medical applications.

Fitness-improving wearables or, in a bio-hacking context, cybernetic devices that record biometric data have been around for some years now, and offer the potential to enhance your overall well-being by enabling you to make small improvements to your lifestyle.

Early versions may have been no more than a basic accelerometer in a band, but the latest crop of devices offer far more impressive technologies, lacing together multiple sensors and adding professional-level coaching to provide the essential context to what can otherwise be a confusing muddle of spreadsheet data.

Arion uses artificial intelligence to provide live analysis of your running style

One example is Arion, a combination of ultra-thin smart insoles and GPS-enabled training pods that offers continuous gait analysis and live feedback on the way you run through artificial intelligence (our Running Man of Tech, Gareth Beavis, has already put Arion through its paces).

Meanwhile, competitors Altra have put out the Altra Torin IQ, powered by iFit, a trainer with inbuilt dual footbed sensors and real-time run coaching that offers running intelligence in four critical areas: landing zone, impact rate, contact time and cadence.

Interestingly, wearables and improved fitness are inspiring new ways of thinking about our everyday environment, and pushing grassroots groups to collaborate and attempt to change those environments for the better.

RunHack London is a group of keen bio-hackers who are aiming to remove as many barriers to running in London as possible, whether that's run-commuting or weekend leisure. The group is the brainchild of Future Cities Catapult, an organization that seeks to improve UK cities.

Scott Cain, Chief Business Officer at Future Cities Catapult, says: We started out with the question of how we could make our cities more run-friendly, and took the format of a hack-type event. Its about bringing together tech and wearables and data outputs to get new insights we had some guys come along who scraped Strava running data and mined that data to show times, volumes and durations we found out from this that London is the run-commuting capital of the world!

RunHack London is using data collected from wearables to improve environments for runners. Image credit: Anthony Kelly

Were now working with connecting some of the output from the hack day with public transport representatives and other official bodies. Formalizing these ideas and packaging them up should give politicians the resolve to make decisions that will change the way our cities work for the better.

The RunHack format is set to reach other cities as well as London, with dates being set for events in Shanghai, New York, Amsterdam and Sheffield.

Overall, biohacking is a broad church indeed, but one that technology is facilitating in a wide variety of ways. From building better, healthier cities around us to printing organs, diagnosing disease earlier to getting our marathon times down, biohacking is alive, well and growing apace what are you waiting for?

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How bio-hacking is changing your future - TechRadar

SpaceX’s Weekend Doubleheader Off to Great Start With Successful Opening – Futurism

In Brief Today, SpaceX sent Bulgaria's first telecommunications satellite into space using a Falcon 9 that's already been launched before. This is the first of two launches scheduled for the SpaceX weekend doubleheader. Ready for Launch

After being postponed from its originally scheduled Monday launch, Bulgarias first-ever telecommunications satellite is now in orbit. The launch was a success thanks to SpaceXs Falcon 9 reusable rocket, which blasted off to space on Fridayfrom the Launch Complex of NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This marks the first part of SpaceXs first-ever weekend doubleheader, as Elon Musks venture space company has scheduled two launches just about 48 hours apart. The launch appeared to go off without a hitch,as this photo taken by a Twitter user John Kraus shows.

Image credit: John Kraus/Twitter

For his part, SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk seemed satisfied with todays launch, if his tweets wereany indication. What may have been even more exciting thanwatching the Falcon 9 lift off was following its descent backtoEarth as it attempted to landon one of SpaceXs barge platforms. The rocket made a solid thud as it hit the surface of the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which is stationed somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Musk expected the landing wouldnt be too gentle, adding that the Falcon 9 was going to experience its highest ever reentry force and heat in todays launch, he posted on a tweet before the launch. Good chance rocket booster doesnt make it back.

Fortunately, it was able to make it in one piece although it may havehit the surface of the platform a little to hard.

The good news was thatthe crush core, asMusk explained in a reply on the same thread as his initial tweet, would take only a couple of hours to replace:

So, despite a little bumpy landing, overall Fridays launch was deemed a success. But the excitement is far fromover:Sunday will usher in part two of this weekends doubleheader, whena payload of 10 satellites for telecommunication company Iridium is expected to launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

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SpaceX's Weekend Doubleheader Off to Great Start With Successful Opening - Futurism

More Study Is Needed on Reproduction in Space If We Want to Colonize Mars – Futurism

In Brief Many experts assert that humanity must branch out to other parts of the solar system to ensure our survival. However, the effects of reproduction and human development outside of Earth have only just begun to be studied. Human Martians

Humans are gearing up to make the next journey into the relative unknown with the first manned missions to Mars, which could come as early as 2022. The long-term goal of these missions will be to colonize the Red Planet. Experts believe that space colonization and becoming a multi-planetary species is the only way to ensure humanitys survival.

There are plenty of obstacles beyond traveling to Marsthat we will need to overcome before long-term colonization becomes a possibility, such as terraforming the planet to make it more livable for us Earthlings. Further, once a colony is established, the goal would then be to flourish, ensuring the colonys survival in perpetuity. At this point, we are stepping into an interestingnew branch of human biology, reproduction, and human development outside of Earth.

According to Kris Lehnhardt, an assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, This is something that we, frankly, have never studied dramatically, because its not been relevant to date. But if we want to become a spacefaring species and we want to live in space permanently, this is a crucial issue that we have to address that just has not been fully studied yet. Lehnhardts full remarks can be viewed in the video above.

One study brought freeze-dried mouse sperm into space for nine months to see if space travel would affect the health of any offspring created by it. The mouse pups were born healthy, but they were born on Earth. This experiment showed that the radiation and other physical differences of space did not hinder normal reproduction. Even so, this does not mean that these findings would translate to embryos developing in space or on another planet, nor does it mean that the results would have been the same with human sperm.

The effects of lower gravity on fetal development have yet to be studied. A lack of Earth strength gravity could hamper normal human development. And even if the child was healthy for the environment in which it developed, the question then becomes: would that child ever be able to come to Earth?

The future of space colonization is unclear. Even if all of the technology comes together to allow for colonies to be established, biological factors may play a part in hindering the full potential of sustained colonies. At the very least, this would usher in a new era of human evolution.

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More Study Is Needed on Reproduction in Space If We Want to Colonize Mars - Futurism

China Becomes First Country in the World to Test a National Cryptocurrency – Futurism

In Brief China's central bank has developed its own cryptocurrency, which is now being tested. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to not only benefit China, but the rest of the world, due to their basis in blockchain. Benefits of Digital Currency

Chinas central bank thePeoples Bank of China has developed a prototype of a cryptocurrencythat it could end up in circulation in the nearfuture.It would beintroduced alongside the Chinas primary currency the renminbi (also called the yuan).Chinawill besimulating possible scenarios and running mock transactions using the cryptocurrency with some commercial Chinese banks. Click to View Full Infographic

The potential benefits of developing a digital currency are significant, particularly in China. First, it would decrease the cost of transactions, and therefore make financial services more accessible, which would be a big help tothe millions of people in the country who are unconnected to conventional banks. Second, as it would be supported by blockchain, it has the potential to decrease the rates of fraud and counterfeiting, which would be of service to thegovernments attempts to reduce corruption a key concern. Third, it would make the currency easier to obtain, which would increase the rate of international transactions, allowing for more trades and faster economic growth.

Since Bitcoins humble beginnings back in 2009 (when it was only valued at around 0.0007 USD) the digital currency, and the very idea of cryptocurrencies in fact,has grown monumentally. The total market cap of cryptocurrencies on April 1st of this year was over $25 Billion. A singleBitcoin is now worth more than $2,500. Now many national economies, as Chinas plan shows,areconsidering the idea of developing their own variant.

Although Chinas experimental approach to simulate a self-developed cryptocurrencys usage is the first of its kind, other countries and institutions have made strides in that direction as well. The Deputy of Russias central bank has emphatically statedthatregulators of all countries agree that its time to develop national cryptocurrencies. Over 260,000 stores in Japan will begin accepting Bitcoin as legal tender this summer, and big banks like Santander have announced plans to develop their ownversion.

Cryptocurrencies have the potential of revolutionizing not only the business world, but manymethods of transaction.There has already been talk of using cryptocurrencies to administer Universal Basic Incomesdue to their traceability, as well as for thedelivery of human aid; the potential for which was demonstrated bya recent experiment to help refugees in Jordan by the UN.

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China Becomes First Country in the World to Test a National Cryptocurrency - Futurism

A Tesla Just Drove a Record Breaking 900+ Kilometers on a Single Charge – Futurism

In BriefA Tesla Model S was just used to set a new record for distanceon a single charge: 901.2 km. The drivers were able to achieve thismilestone by hypermiling (operating the vehicle with the specificgoal of increasing efficiency), taking nearly an entire 24 hours tocomplete the run. The Model S Record

ATeslaModel S P100D has just been used to set a new record for distance driven on a singlecharge: 901.2 km (~560 miles). Steven Peeters and Joeri Coolsmanaged to breakthe record for the lowest energy consumption for the vehicle as well, achieving 88 Wh/km (54.7 Wh/mile).

They did so by hypermiling (driving the vehicle with the specific goal of increasing efficiency). For example, because cars are not asefficient at high speeds, the drivers averaged only 40 km/h (24 mph) a speed that wouldnt be ideal for actual travel, but thats great for breaking records.

Most previous approaches to hypermiling have focused on driving cars in a straight line, but Peeters and Cools opted for a different approach, following a 26 km (~16 mile) closed loop in Belgium in order to learn to optimize the cars energy usage.

By the time we finished the attempt, we knew perfectly how to take every turn and roundabout to make sure we drove with the least possible consumption, Peeters explained in a blog post. They also learned how to drive under different temperature conditions as theattempt took them almost an entire day: 23 hours and 45 minutes.

In 2015, Elon Muskpredicted thata Tesla with a 950 km+ (~600 mile) maximumrange would be ready by 2017. This attempt was just shy of the prediction, butthe drivers think they did the best they could under their circumstances and explained what would be necessary to break the 1,000 km (~621 miles) record:Thatwould have to be a perfect run in perfect circumstances, which I believe are not possible in our country.

Hypermiling is not the way the vast majority of people drive, but it is a good test to show just how efficient a car can be. We must also consider that this test was undertaken in the error-strewn landscape of human judgement.If the Model Ss Autopilotwereadjusted to maximize efficiency, it could potentiallylearn more quickly than the drivers and make the appropriate adjustments.

The previous Tesla record holder, Casey Spencer,achievedan 885 km (550 mile) run last year, so this record-breaking run marks an impressive new milestone for the Model Ss efficiency.

While these scores are not particularly close to beating the records set by non-electric vehicles, we must remember that this is only the second Tesla car ever built (with the Model 3 coming soon), updates are arriving quickly, and a lower maximum milage is a happy sacrifice for a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

If Teslas cars continue progressing at this rate, it wont be long before their environmentally unfriendly counterparts are matched in performance the only category theyre really ahead in anymore. Electric cars are now closing in fast on their fossil fuel-poweredcounterparts, with other recent feats including a Nio EP9 achieving a staggering time of 6:45:9 around Germanys Nrburgring track. Soon, theyll be ready for full industry domination.

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A Tesla Just Drove a Record Breaking 900+ Kilometers on a Single Charge - Futurism

Richlands readying for Freedom Fest – Southwest Virginia Today

Freedom will ring and boom in Richlands July 1.

The towns annual Freedom Festival ends a two day run with a fireworks display at dark. Prior to the big show there will be lots of entertainment starting June 28 when the midway rides open a four day run on the police department parking lot.

The midway will open at five p.m. June 28-29 with unlimited rides for one price. They will open at one p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. Entertainment starts June 30 with the Fallen Warriors Tribute and the Jubalaires at six p.m.

The Fallen Warriors Motorcycle Honor Guard will present flags to families of veterans and pay tribute to those who died in combat. The Jubalaires will be performing patriotic music during the program.

Marcus Boyd takes to the stage at eight and Victor Lawson and Boogie Chillen will close the night at nine. The day starts with a 10k5k run and walk July 1 at eight a.m. Vendors will open at 10 and there will be face painting, history characters, window decorating contest and the Fallen warriors Wall.

There will be a cruise in to the Advance Auto parking lot for cars and bikes. Star 95 radio will have a live remote at 6:15 p.m. with a hula hoop contest and a wear your red, white and blue contest. The winners will be named Mr. and Mrs. Freedom Festival and the childrens winners will be Little Miss and Little Mr. Freedom Festival.

The Giles Artillery Battery will fire its cannon during the opening ceremonies at 8 p.m. and the National Anthem will be performed. The Benny Wilson Band takes the stage at 8:15 and will perform until the fireworks at 10 p.m. Wilson will play through the fireworks show which will last about 30 minutes.

This years theme is God Bless America and Our Veterans. Businesses and home owners are encouraged to decorate in red, white and blue. There will be a window decorating contest for businesses with prizes for the six best as well as most patriotic and Mayors Choice.

The class of 1997 will be having a reunion during the festival and will have a tent set up both days.

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Richlands readying for Freedom Fest - Southwest Virginia Today

WWII Wings of Freedom Tour flies into Seattle – KING5.com

KING 5 photojournalist Andy Wallace

KING Staff , KING 7:10 PM. PDT June 23, 2017

The Wings of Freedom Tour shows off World War II-era planes to pay tribute to the crews that flew and maintained them. (Photo: KING)

The Wings of Freedom Tour flew into Seattle Friday. The tour shows off World War II-era planes to pay tribute to the crews that flew and maintained them.

"You know, we've got four WWII aircraft that come out here. We travel the whole country, but what's really awesome is that they're all flying, they're all authentic, and you can actually walk through them, touch them, and go for a flight on them if you'd like to," said a Wings of Freedom Tour spokesperson. "It's really epic. We've been throughout the country, seen a lot of different reactions, but it's particularly the kids that are the biggest interest to me right now, because without them this is gone."

There are four planes the public can check out at the Museum of Flight this weekend, including a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. You can even take a flight on board one of them.

WHERE: The Wings of Freedom Tour will be on display at Boeing Field in Seattle located at the Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South.

WHEN: The Wings of Freedom Tour will be on display at the Museum of Flight until the aircraft departs Sunday, June 25 after 5:00 p.m. Hours of ground tours and display are 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 24th and Sunday, June 25th. The 30-minute flight experiences are normally scheduled before and after the ground tour times above.

2017 KING-TV

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WWII Wings of Freedom Tour flies into Seattle - KING5.com

OAS chief offers to resign in exchange for Venezuela’s ‘freedom’ – Miami Herald


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OAS chief offers to resign in exchange for Venezuela's 'freedom'
Miami Herald
The head of the Organization of American States on Saturday said he would step down from his post in exchange for a laundry list of reforms in Venezuela that he said would bring freedom to the embattled South American nation. In a video posted on ...
OAS chief Almagro offers to resign 'for freedom in Venezuela'Reuters

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OAS chief offers to resign in exchange for Venezuela's 'freedom' - Miami Herald

How Secularism Threatens Freedom and Righteousness in America – CBN News

Over the last century, secularism in America has triumphed so spectacularly that secularists now dominate the cultural mountains of influence: business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion.

Raised upon the Christian cultural foundation laid by the American Founders in the 17th and 18th centuries, secularists have produced a structure that is the antithesis to the Founders intention.

Unless confronted by the men and women of Issachar, people who know the times and know what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32), secularism spells doom for freedom and liberty in America. Why? Because virtue is a key component of freedom. The glory of a nation lies in its righteousness, not in its military or economic prowess.

Nevertheless, give the Left credit on the grounds that they surely dont lack hubris. I mean, who possibly would have the chutzpah to toy with the four-thousand-year-old definition of marriage?

In the 5-4Obergefell v. Hodgesdecision in 2015, Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan unearthed (in the bowels of Constitution!) the right to homosexual marriage. This gem of legal maneuvering found a Constitutional right to same-sex intercourse and marriage 230 years after the Articles of Confederation was signed in 1787. Apparently, the right to homosexual marriage was concealed from the legal giants of yesteryear like Joseph Story, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Marshall, Earl Warren, etc.

Of course, this discovery commands a price from freedom in Gods everlasting order. The refusal to live within the God-given boundaries, intended by the Founders, brings consequences on the nation.

There are six things the Lord hates no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family (Proverbs 6:16-19).

The first in Solomons catalog of abominations is haughty eyes. Dr. Bruce K. Waltke observed, No vice stands in sharper opposition to wisdom and fear of God than pride.* Re-defining the four-thousand-year-old definition of marriage has to reach the pinnacle of arrogance!

Would you care to guess the antidote for those who rebel against Gods unending order? Solomon wrote: The rebellious man seeks only evil; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him (Proverbs 17:11).

Jewish Biblical scholar Michael V. Fox interprets, If a man rebels against the king, a human messenger is sent to punish him. If he rebels against Gods word, punitive angels are dispatched. It is possible that the punishment is executed by angels, because God himself, as this socially conservative book sees it, defends the political order, if it is just.

If you can, make application to the five U.S. Supreme Court Justices who ruled two years ago to codify same-sex intercourse and marriage. Solomon indicates that there is a certainty of punishment, not its proximity. Overconfidence in ones power breeds arrogance, which leads to disaster. If I were one of the five Justices, Id repent and ask for forgiveness. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10).

Now to the larger point. Secularism has imposed its godlessness on Americas youth for the last three-quarters century, devastating public education and higher learning. American education has collapsed under the weight of Secularism. Moral and academic anarchy now reign. Something curious has happened to those who define themselves as anti-fascist, who in reality are the fascists.

As Mark Steyn wrote: The Left, the Western Left, is on the same continuum as the Charlie Hebdo killers. Theyre both in the shut-up business, who want to END the debate rather than win the debate.

Calling themselves anti-fascists, the secular Left is demonstrating its fascist inclinations by torching university buildings and shutting down speakers on college campuses.

If America is to survive, virtue and fidelity must be reestablished in public schools and universities. Loyalty and fidelity to God, is what guards the nation. Spiritual men must move to the front and lead their families. As goes the family, so goes the nation. Bill Bennett observed:

Someone once characterized the two essential questions Plato posed as: Who teaches the children, and what do we teach them?

We need to respond to this culture that sends confusing signals to young men, a culture that is agnostic about what it wants men to be, with a clear and achievable notion of manhood.

The Founding Fathers believed, and the evidence still shows, that industriousness, marriage and religion are a very important basis for male empowerment and achievement. We may need to say to a number of our 20-something men, Get off the video games five hours a day, get yourself together, get a challenging job and get married. Its time for men to man up.

Evangelical and Pro-Life Catholic Christians in the last century have deserted the responsibilities prescribed by Americas Founders for living free. We have assigned the making, enforcement, and adjudication of laws to those lacking Divine faith. Those antagonistic to Biblical values now control public education, higher learning, City Hall, Big Business, the Courts, Hollywood, media and politics.

Liberals welcome believers insofar as religion can be deployed in service of liberal causes, to be sure. But any expression of theological or moral judgment is met with hostility.

As long as there is no application, offering a moral standard to secularists raises no opposition.

If America is to be saved from the onslaught of Secularism, Gideons and Rahabs are going to have to lead.

David Lane is Founder of theAmerican Renewal Project

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Freedom Caucus member calls for Robert Mueller to recuse himself from Russia probe – Washington Examiner

A freshman member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus is calling for special counsel Robert Mueller to recuse himself from the Russia investigation because he has brought on "highly partisan" lawyers to help with the probe.

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller should recuse himself because the integrity of his appointment is in question due to former FBI Director James Comey's manipulative leaks and the relationship between Mr. Comey and Mr. Mueller," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in a statement Friday. "His ability to be impartial is doubtful because he has surrounded himself with highly partisan lawyers who make a special practice to line the coffers of Democrats."

News outlets have reported at least three lawyers Mueller has hired to help conduct his investigation have donated almost exclusively to Democrats. Also, Mueller and Comey are friends and former colleagues.

Biggs is at least the second House Republican to call for Mueller's recusal.

Earlier this month, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told the Blaze that Mueller should step aside from the probe because of his "cozy relationship" with Comey.

As part of his investigation into Russia's election interference, Mueller will probe for possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Washington Post reported Mueller will also investigate whether Trump obstructed justice by allegedly telling Comey that he hoped the bureau would end its probe of Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser. Another report Sunday said Mueller hasn't decided yet whether to investigate Trump.

Most Democrats and Republicans in Congress have defended Mueller, the former FBI director whose leadership of the bureau lasted longer than anyone after J. Edgar Hoover.

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What is the meaning of eugenics? Definition and history of the … – The Sun

The 'science' is now associated with the horrors of Nazi Germany but was once popular throughout the world

EUGENICS is a movement now associated with the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis during Hitlers rule over Germany.

Heres what you need to know about the now-discredited science which actually began in Britain and was once popular throughout the world.

Public Library/News Dog Media

The Oxford English Dictionary describes Eugenics as: The science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.

The term was first coined by British explorer and natural scientist Sir Francis Galton in 1883.

The debunked science was once practiced the world over before it was widely discredited, following its use by the Nazis to justify their atrocities in trying to create a master race.

Public Library/News Dog Media

Proponents of eugenics claimed undesirable genetic traits like dwarfism, deafness and even minor defects like a cleft palate could and should be eliminated from the gene pool through selective breeding.

Scientists would measure the skulls of criminals as they sought to identify a genetic trait that caused people to offend so they would wipe that group out.

Others suggested simply eradicating entire groups of people because of the colour of their skin.

The first sterilisation law which stopped certain categories of disabled people from having children was passed in Indiana, USA, in 1907.

This was 26 years before a similar law was introduced by the Nazis in Germany in 1933.

In fact, Nazi propaganda pointed to the precedent set by America as Hitler sought to justify his own sterilisation programme.

Public Library/News Dog Media

In the decades following Charles Darwins 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species, the craze like wildfire spread through Britain, the United States and Europe.

Galton Darwins cousin who coined the name eugenics became obsessed with his relatives theory of evolution.

He believed breeding humans with superior mental and physical traits could help the human race evolve in a better way and was essential to the well-being of society.

He wrote: Eugenics is the science which deals with all influences which improve the inborn qualities of a race; also with those which develop them to the utmost advantage.

Galton was knighted for his scientific contributions and his writings played a key role in launching the eugenics movement in the UK and US.

Public Library/News Dog Media

Shocking photos from the time show the harrowing lengths scientists went to in the heyday of the eugenics movement to selectively breed humans.

In 1907, the Eugenics Education Society was founded in Britain to campaign for sterilisation and marriage restrictions for the weak to prevent the degeneration of Britains population.

A year later, Sir James Crichton-Brown, giving evidence before the 1908 Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-Minded, recommended the compulsory sterilisation of those with learning disabilities and mental illness.

And in 1931, Labour MP Archibald Church proposed a bill for the compulsory sterilisation of certain categories of mental patient in Parliament.

Although such a law was never actually passed in Britain, this did not prevent many sterilisations being carried out under various forms of coercion.

Meanwhile from 1907 in the US, men, women and children who were deemed insane, idiotic, imbecile, feebleminded or epileptic were forcibly sterilised often without being informed of what was being done to them.

By 1938, 33 American states permitted the forced sterilisation of women with learning disabilities.

And 29 American states had passed compulsory sterilisation laws covering people who were thought to have genetic conditions.

Laws in America also restricted the right of certain disabled people to marry.

But sometimes it went even further, with one mental institution in Illinois, USA, euthanising patients by deliberately infecting them with tuberculosis an act they justified as a mercy killing that cut the weak link in the human race.

Other countries which passed similar sterilisation laws in the 1920s and 1930s included Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

After these kinds of ideas took root in Nazi Germany and sparked the horrors of the Holocaust, eugenics became a dirty word.

With the dark conclusion of its philosophy exposed before the world, it became difficult to justify forced sterilisation as a tool for the greater good.

All eugenics-based laws were eventually repealed in the 1940s.

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Providing an Ecosystem for Ideation – Entrepreneur

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In his role to develop disruptive start-ups culture in Karnataka, Priyank Kharge, Minister of State, IT, BT and Tourism, Government of Karnataka, has been much more than an ordinary minister. Apart from announcing start-up friendly policies, he is directly in contact with all the ventures the government had supported over the years. A peoples person is what Kharge can be called, as he approaches the start-ups by asking for updates just like a regular venture capitalist or fund. Heres the new-age minister with the attitude of an investor and mindset of a leader.

Last year when we had you at our Entrepreneur India event, several initiatives were announced by you, how far is the government on all those fronts?

Last year when I was here I spoke a lot on policy. This year, it was more about how we are implementing those policies. We have come a long way and there are a lot of learnings as well. Now we are figuring out how we can accelerate the start-up growth. Last year when I was here, only 27 start-ups had registered with the government. But, today the count is more than 2,500. Moreover, we are looking for opportunities to provide much more - whether it is idea validation or mentorship, grants, subsidies, networking opportunities. This is something we have managed to build over the last year.

The way you interact with entrepreneurs, its very much involved. How do you get to the right connect?

Its a part of my job to be involved in their business. I have to know whats happening and the best way to structure policies or programs is by spending a lot of time with people and the stakeholders. Everyday is a new learning for us especially when I spend time with startups, SMEs and corporates.

When these policies are structured, how much the people in the ecosystem have a say in it?

Every scheme or policy that has been announced by the government always involves people from the ecosystem. We have a bio-tech vision group with Kiran Mazumdar and another group where Kris Gopalakrishnan is directly involved. On the other hand, there is a start-up council vision group, an IT vision group and an AVGC vision group. The entire process is driven by the ecosystem.

The easy way to get support is to register with the start-up cell and askfor an open house,showcasing your product to a committee of experts, If it passes their verdict, then you can get a grant of up to Rs 50 lakh, saysPriyank Kharge,Minister of State, IT, Bio-Technologyand Tourism, Government of Karnataka.

Karnataka is the first state to introduce a start-up policy and other states came with such policies much later. What competitive advantage does Karnataka have?

We are the only state in the country that gives you a complete 360 degree ecosystem. Right from ideation, innovation, investment and everything that you can think of is done here. We have a skillset and that is something that cannot be easily taken away. So any state which comes with a policy, have a lot of catching up to be done.

The focus has always been on the tech space. Is it now moving towards manufacturing?

I think we have matured as an IT services industry. And we have thought leaders in the emerging technologies whether it is manufacturing, electronics, artificial intelligence, big data, space, aerospace, cyber security. We have leaders in it all. Defense and electronics manufacturing is huge. So we have hardware accelerators. Grants have already been announced. A big validation was when Apple chose us for their phase I as partner state.

A lot of support is given at a start-up stage, they start well with this cushioning but only one out of 10 succeed. How would you make sure that they go to the next level of growth?

Start-ups are not looking at GoK only for money, we give ideas, tell them if their ideas are valid. Does it have the potential to grow in the long run? We try to reduce the number of start-ups, 95 per cent of them fail. We give them networking opportunities to meet people, get mentoring and they get validation whether their idea will be successful or not.

The main start-ups have come up only from biotech, tourism and IT, whats the mix right now?

We have a bio-venture fund so they got funded heavily. Our policy allows us to look at companies right from aerospace to agriculture, AI, manufacturing, healthcare, urban planning. We are funding as long as they are playing a role of disrupter in the ecosystem. We are helping them everyway.

Is there a benchmark to support any number of start-ups?

Policy envisages is to have a target of 20,000 start-ups in next five years out of which there would be 6,000 product start-ups. And for 20,000 we need to look at two lakh start-ups.

(This article was first published in the Juneissue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, clickhere)

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Providing an Ecosystem for Ideation - Entrepreneur

JUSTICE LEAGUE: Check Out Cyborg’s Mother Box In Mattel’s New Cyborg Origins Collector’s Item – Comic Book Movie (satire) (press release)…

A few weeks ago, Mattel revealed their line of Justice League action figures, featuring Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg, all of which you can check out HERE.With San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner, Mattel has decided to unveil their Cyborg Origins collectable figure, which will be sold at this year's Comic-Con.

The collectible features a few new details regarding the Mother Boxes that will be seen in Zack Snyder's upcoming Justice League. One of the key details is that the Mother Box that will be fused with Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) is known as the "Man's World" Mother Box. Another detail is that the Man's World Mother Box is encased in another box, which can be seen being buried in the Comic-Con footage from last year.

When opened, the inside of the collector's box also features a character description for Cyborg.

Justice Leaguehits theatersNovember 17th, 2017.

Justice Leaguestars Herny Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Jason Momoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen, Ray Fisher as Cyborg/Victor Stone, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor,Ciarn Hinds as Steppenwolf, Amber Heard as Mera, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke, Billy Crudup as Dr. Henry Allen, Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone,Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta,Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent,and Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko. The film is directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE: Check Out Cyborg's Mother Box In Mattel's New Cyborg Origins Collector's Item - Comic Book Movie (satire) (press release)...

As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout their ‘family friendly’ alternative – News & Observer


News & Observer
As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout their 'family friendly' alternative
News & Observer
The day after last week's shootings in Myrtle Beach, a family showed up in Debbie Smith's office on Ocean Isle Beach looking for a room. The family, Smith said, had stayed in an Ocean Boulevard hotel in Myrtle Beach next to where a teenager fired seven ...

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As Myrtle Beach reels from violence, NC beaches tout their 'family friendly' alternative - News & Observer

Nassau warns against swimming at 18 beaches due to bacteria levels – Newsday

Nassau County health officials have closed a Glenwood Landing beach and are advising the public against swimming Saturday at 18 other beaches across the county.

County officials said the Saturday advisory was issued as a precautionary measure for beaches that have been previously identified as being impacted by storm water runoff.

Tappan Beach in Glenwood Landing was closed effective Saturday as a result of elevated bacteria levels until further notice, Nassau Health Department spokeswoman Mary Ellen Laurain said.

Thirteen North Shore beaches fall under the advisory, including: Centre Island Sound, Ransom, Stehli and Soundside beaches in Bayville; Creek Club and Lattingtown Beach in Lattingtown; Laurel Hollow Beach in Laurel Hollow; Morgan Sound and Pryibil Beach in Glen Cove; North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington; Piping Rock Beach Club in Locust Valley; Theodore Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay; and Sea Cliff Village Beach in Sea Cliff.

Five South Shore beaches are also under the advisory: Biltmore Beach Club and Philip Healey Beach in Massapequa; Hewlett Point Beach in East Rockaway; Island Park Beach in Island Park; and Merrick Estates Civic Association in Merrick.

The advisory is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. Sunday, Laurain said.

For updated, recorded information on beach openings and closings, call the health department at 516-227-9700.

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Nassau warns against swimming at 18 beaches due to bacteria levels - Newsday

No ‘Beach Bummers’ in Malibu for Fourth Straight Year – Malibu Times

You can feel good about taking a dip here in the bu.

Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Monica, released its 27th annual Beach Report Card on June 9 for 2016-17, and results came back with Malibu in pretty good shape. The group tests 416 beaches on the California coast, including 21 beaches in Malibu. Bacteria levels that could be harmful to human health are measured on a weekly basis, and a letter grade of A to F is assigned to each beach. The better the grade, the lower the chance of getting sick from going in the water.

Every year, Heal the Bay designates the Top Ten Beach Bummers, which are the 10 beaches with the worst dry weather water quality in the state. The Malibu area, embarrassingly, has made the list a number of times in the past. In 2009, Surfrider Beach made the list. In 2011, it was Topanga State Beach. The year 2012 gave the city the distinction of having half the beaches on the list: Marie Canyon, Surfrider Beach, Solstice Canyon, Escondido State Beach and Topanga State Beach. In 2013, Malibu Pier was on the list. However, over the past four years, the city has apparently cleaned up its act.

In the most recent 2016-17 report, two beaches in Malibu have actually made Heal the Bays Honor Roll, by getting A+ grades during all seasons and weather conditions year-round El Matador State Beach and Malibu Point (Surfrider Beach near The Colony fence).

Craig George, director of the citys Environmental Sustainability Department, said in a phone interview that several factors came together to improve water quality off Malibus coast. He said the citys water/wastewater system is being properly managed, and that stormwater management improved with Legacy Park, which diverts storm water runoff to a pond and then a treatment facility. Were capturing a lot more of the trash and debris, he said.

George said the Malibu Lagoon restoration, which was completed in 2013, also played a role in making water safer at Surfrider. In addition, he cited a number of new state regulations that the city and the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility have had to comply with, as well as more stringent permitting requirements as helping to improve water quality.

As for the state-wide picture, Heal the Bay noted that since the six-year drought finally broke with heavy rains, poor beach water quality was often the result because of increased amounts of urban runoff.

Bacterial pollution at some of Californias most popular beaches spiked dramatically in 2016-17, the report noted, with nearly half of the 85 beaches monitored in LA County earning F grades during wet weather. Thats in marked contrast to the summer reporting period April to October 2016, when no beaches earned Fs.

Those failing grades indicate a significant health risk to the tens of thousands of year-round ocean users in Southern California, who can contract a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness from one morning swim or surf session in polluted waters, the report noted.

The infamous Beach Bummers List was split between Northern and Southern California this year. San Clemente Pier and La Jolla Cove both made their first-ever appearance on the list. The closest bummer to Malibu was Santa Monica Pier for the fourth year in a row.

We want people catching waves, not bugs, when they head to the beach, said Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bays vice president, in a statement provided by Heal the Bay. The reassuring news is that if you swim at an open-ocean beach in the summer [at least 100 yards away] from storm drains and creek mouths, you statistically have very little risk of getting ill.

The 20-plus beaches monitored in Malibu include the following: Big Rock, Broad, Carbon, Encinal Canyon, Escondido Creek, Las Flores, Latigo Canyon Creek, Leo Carrillo, Little Dume, Malibu Pier, Marie Canyon, Nicholas, Paradise Cove Pier, Malibu Road, Puerco, Solstice Canyon Creek, Surfrider, Topanga, Tuna Canyon and Zuma. Grades on individual beaches are online at

beachreportcard.org.

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No 'Beach Bummers' in Malibu for Fourth Straight Year - Malibu Times

Would You Go to an Astronomy-Themed Resort? – The Atlantic

These days, vacation resorts can offer some pretty unusual experiences to guests, beyond the typical white sands, blue waters, and tiny cocktail umbrella. At one Japanese spa resort, visitors can take baths in red wine, green tea, or ramen broth. In Sweden, theres ice hotels, with rooms made out of exactly what the name suggests. In Bolivia, theres a luxury hotel made entirely of salt from nearby salt flats, including the furniture, where guests are asked not to lick the walls to prevent them from deteriorating.

And in India, theres an all-inclusive astronomy resort in the middle of the wilderness, where guests can stargaze without the glare of light and air pollution.

Astroport Sariska bills itself as the first astronomy-themed resort in the country, according to its Facebook page. Its located in the countrys northwest in Rajasthan and sits a few miles south of the Sariska National Park, a wildlife reserve. There are no major cities nearby to clog up the night sky, with New Delhi about a five-hour drive away. During the day, guests can participate in typical nature activities, like hiking and going on safaris. At night, when its pitch black, they stare at the Milky Way as it stretches out above them.

Its beyond imagination, the whole experience takes u away from ur hectic life, that is full of pollution, noise, stress n so on, wrote one user on the resorts reviews page, which is full of five-star ratings. Just go, enjoy the nature, lie down under the blanket of stars and forget everything.

The resort provides telescopes to guests and offers workshops on how to identify stars and constellations, according to a recent post on Connect Jaipur, a lifestyle blog based in the city of the same name. Visitors stay in tents with beds, which cost between 13,000 to 22,000 rupees, or $200 to $340.

Astroport Sariska may be one of the first places of its kind in India, but the concept isnt new. Astrotourism, as a Conde Nast Traveler headline recently put it, is now a thing. The article points out resorts in Mexico and Italy that offer guests telescopes in every room or access to observatories. Iceland has long been a popular astrotourism attraction thanks to clear views of the northern lights over mountaintops and glaciers. In the United States, people raced to book hotels months in advance for this summers total solar eclipse, which is best viewed in a handful of states.

The existence of Astroport Sariska and other astronomy-related getaways serves as a reminder that many people, crammed together in bustling cities underneath streetlights and car exhaust, have never seen the night sky as it is. Judging by the reviews for the resort, some of them are willing to pay for it.

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Would You Go to an Astronomy-Themed Resort? - The Atlantic

‘Ready Jet Go’ Brings Science, Astronomy Activities to Port Canaveral’s Exploration Tower Sunday – SpaceCoastDaily.com

$4 each for adults; $2.50 for children 3-10

WUCF TV is bringing science and astronomy activities to Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral for Ready Jet Go day on Sunday, June 25. (Image for Space Coast Daily)

BREVARD COUNTY PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA WUCF TV is bringing science and astronomy activities to Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral for Ready Jet Go day on Sunday, June 25.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Port Canaveral for family-friendly activities in this new seven-story attraction featuring exhibits and interactive play.

Children will be surrounded with activities themed around science and astronomy based on the new PBS Kids program, Ready Jet Go!

Theyll also have a chance to meet Jet Propulsion, star of the program.

Tickets are $4 each for adults; $2.50 for children 3-10 at the door.

Be sure to mention Ready Jet Go! at the door. (Not valid with any other offers or discounts)

Click here to contribute your news or announcements Free

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'Ready Jet Go' Brings Science, Astronomy Activities to Port Canaveral's Exploration Tower Sunday - SpaceCoastDaily.com

Seeing double in the summer sky – Astronomy Now Online

Around this time, soon after the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice, keen stargazers in high temperate latitudes must resign themselves to astronomical twilight all night. While planetary enthusiasts have much to see in the evening sky with Saturn at prime time and mighty Jupiter bowing-out in the southwest at civil dusk, what can the UK-based deep-sky enthusiast see when the sky never truly gets dark? Thankfully, there is no shortage of attractive double stars in the summer sky.In the dark of the Moon during the summer months, seek out the prominent trio of naked-eye stars that comprise the so-called Summer Triangle Deneb, Vega and Altair. If you can escape the light pollution of towns and cities and give your eyes time to get dark adapted in the darkest part of the UK night (1amBST), you may also see the diffuse glow of the MilkyWay. This river of stars ensures that the Summer Triangle contains rich pickings of double and multiple stars for binocular and telescope users. See the accompanying text for detailed information. The five-degree marks on the scale bar equate to the field of view of a 1050 binocular, while 20degrees is the span of an outstretched hand at arms length. AN illustration by AdeAshford.The Summer Triangle is the promiment asterism of the season bounded by conspicuous stars Vega in the constellation of Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus and lower vertex Altair in the constellation of Aquila currently riding high in the southeast in the darkest part of the UK night, 1amBST.

Vega is the easiest to locate as its the magnitude zero steely-white star almost overhead at this time. Magnitude +1.25 Deneb lies a span of an outstretched hand at arms length to the left of Vega, while Altair (magnitude +0.76) lies nearest the southeast horizon, one-and-a-half hand spans below Vega. The region roughly bounded by this stellar trio is where we will find a wealth of double and multiple stars against a rich Milky Way backdrop, but I suggest that you start with the following.

Beta () Cygni aka Albireo =19h 30.7m, =+27 58 (J2000.0)Magnitudes: 3.1 & 5.1Separation: 34.3arcseconds Few observers would disagree that this object should be on everyones must-see list. Albireo lies at the heart of the Summer Triangle, a third-magnitude star to the naked eye that sits just to the left of the mid-point of a line drawn between Vega and Altair. I can comfortably resolve Albireo with my 35-year-old Russian military 1245 binocular, but even the smallest telescope at 25 magnification or more reveals its glorious amber and sapphire components set against the diamonds on velvet richness of the Milky Way in Cygnus. Albireo lies about 430 light-years from Earth.Albireo (al-beer-ee-oh) is an unmissable double star for small telescopes and powerful binoculars that has glorious amber and sapphire components. It lies at the heart of the Summer Triangle. Image credit: Palomar Observatory/STScI/WikiSky.org CC-BY-SA.

Epsilon (1, 2) Lyrae =18h 44.3m, =+39 40 (J2000.0)Mags: 5.4, 6.5 & 5.1, 5.3Separation: 208.7 & 2.2, 2.4arcseconds If Albireo whets your appetite for double stars and you fancy something more challenging, look no further than epsilon () Lyrae the celebrated double-double just three lunar diameters to the upper left of Vega. Even a low-power binocular is sufficient to resolve the two pairs, but each component is double again at 200 magnification or more in a quality 4-inch (10-cm) aperture telescope, or larger.The celebrated double-double star epsilon () Lyrae (=18h44.3m, =+3940 J2000.0) lies just 1⅔degrees northeast (upper-left) of dazzling bluish-white star Vega, itself nearly overhead in the deepest astronomical twilight of UK summer nights. This means that Lyrae and Vega fit comfortably in the same field of view of a typical binocular. With such minimal optical aid the 1 and 2 components are easily resolved, but it takes a 4-inch (10-cm) telescope at 200 magnification to see that each component is double again. AN graphic by Ade Ashford/Stellarium.This is a pair of pairs best seen on a night of good seeing. Unlike colourful Albireo, the four component stars of 1,2Lyrae appear yellowish-white. At a distance of 162 light-years from Earth, the 1 pair are slightly farther away than the 2 pair at 156 light-years.

Gamma () Delphini =20h 46.7m, =+16 07 (J2000.0)Magnitudes: 4.3 & 5.1Separation: 8.9arcseconds While techically outside the bounds of the Summer Triangle, one shouldnt miss this little gem of a stellar pairing in the small constellation of Delphinus, the dolphin. Gamma () Delphini represents the snout of the celestial aquatic mammal, the upper-left vertex of a four-star asterism sometimes known as Jobs Coffin. This glorious pair look good at 50 magnification where you may discern the contrasting yellow primary and greenish companion. Gamma Delphini lies slightly more than 100 light-years distant.

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Seeing double in the summer sky - Astronomy Now Online

Jerry Nelson dies; astronomer who built advanced telescopes was 73 – Los Angeles Times

Jerry Nelson, an astronomer who designed advanced telescopes that help scientists glimpse far reaches of the universe, has died. He was 73.

UC Santa Cruz, where Nelson was a professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics, said he died June 10 at his home. No cause was given.

Nelsons design using dozens of segmented mirrors rather than a single large one was the basis for the Keck Observatory's twin 10-meter telescopes on Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii. Those telescopes, among the largest in use, have allowed scientists to measure the black hole at the center of the Milky Way and to spot planetary bodies outside our solar system.

Jerrys impacts on the field of astronomy and astrophysics are legendary, and we will all benefit from his legacy for many years to come, said Claire Max, director of UC Observatories.

Nelsons concept has since been used for other large ground-based telescopes around the world. The space-based James Webb telescope, which is under construction, also has a segmented primary mirror design.

Nelson also played an important role in the development of adaptive optics technology, which sharpens the images from ground-based telescopes by correcting for the blurring effect of Earths atmosphere, the university said.

Even after a stroke in 2011 that left him partly disabled, Nelson continued work for the Thirty Meter Telescope, a project to build the largest telescope in the Northern Hemisphere.

His endless curiosity always pushed the scientists around him to think more deeply, and his persistence and continued excellence after his stroke were inspirational to everyone, said Michael Bolte, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.

Born near Los Angeles, Nelson earned an undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology and a PhD in physics at UC Berkeley, where he taught for years before moving to Santa Cruz. He also worked for more than a decade at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Nelson is survived by his wife, sister, two children from his first marriage and three grandchildren.

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Jerry Nelson dies; astronomer who built advanced telescopes was 73 - Los Angeles Times