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Environmentalists should embrace ‘green genetic engineering’ of crops using CRISPR, German organic researchers says – Genetic Literacy Project

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

[Editors note: The following is a Q&A with Urs Niggli, director of the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture in Germany. It has been translated from German by Google.]

New techniques are currently revolutionizing genetic research. They allow extremely precise changes to the genome. This so-called genetic surgery changes the debate about the risks and chances of interventions in the genome.

Urs Niggli

Mr. Niggli is currently discussing a new form of Green Genetic Engineering . The so-called CRISPR/Cas method is the focus of the debate.

What could be achieved with this procedure?

[T]here are already new varieties of wheat, maize, millet, rice and tomato. For farmers even for eco-farmers the new method opens up many opportunities: plants that are better suited to difficult environmental conditions such as drought, soil dampness or salinization can be bred. The fine root architecture could be improved so that the roots absorb more nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrogen from the soil. Tolerance or resistance to diseases and parasites, storage and quality of food and feed could also be improved. Critics like to dismiss these possibilities as empty promises. I think these are obviously ecological improvements that can reduce the big problems of conventional agriculture.

I strongly advocate a case-by-case approach and am opposed to a general demonization of the new genetic engineering.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Eco-researcher: I am against a general demonization of the new genetic engineering (IN GERMAN)

Breaking Bread: GMO labeling due on packaged foods by summer 2018 – Columbus Dispatch

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Last year, Congress passed a law requiringthat foods containing genetically modified ingredients reveal that on their labels.

By the summer of 2018, the marketing division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is charged with definingwhat that label will say.

Will it actually list the ingredients (as in: This product contains genetically modified corn and soy), or will it be a QR codeconnecting the consumer to the information on a website?

The debate over the labels wording could prove as contentious as the fight over genetically modified organisms themselves.

GMOs are plants whose DNA has been changed. The development is beyond the typical cross-breeding of plants because the changes are made in the laboratory at the cellular level.

Opponents of GMOs fought hard for the labeling. They consider GMOsless safe than non-GMO foods, have ethical concerns about tampering with nature,have issues with the corporations behind GMO seed (namely Monsanto), and fear environmental damage from widespread GMO crops.

GMOs were developed 20 years ago to help farmers by changing the structure of plants to make them more resistant to disease so that farms could produce higher yields while applying fewer pesticides.GMOs are produced mostly for commodity crops: corn, soy, canola and sugar beet.

Recently, I had the chance to sit in while a group of Ohio food manufacturers learned about the new labeling law from Steve Armstrong of EAS Consulting.

Armstrong is a lawyer who specializes in food labeling and food-regulation compliance;until recently, he served as the chief food-law counsel for Campbell's Soup Co. Armstrong traveled to Columbus to speak at the Ohio Food Industry Summit, sponsored by the Center for Innovative Food Technology in Toledo.

Armstrongs time at Campbells is significant because, under his counsel, the company adopted a corporate strategy not tooppose GMO labeling but to embrace the transparency.

He encouraged the Ohio food makers at the summit to do the same.

Some already are.

Orrville-based J.M. SmuckerCo. already has introduced its labeling: On the back of a jar of apricot preserves, for example, you might be surprised to read: Partially produced with genetic engineering.

Farmers, food manufacturers and the companies that produce genetically modified seed fought hard to avoid the labeling. Their fight made consumers trust GMOs even less, Armstrong emphasized, as consumers wondered what the industries were trying to cover up.

Armstrong pointed to recent research showing that 87 percent of global consumers think that GMOs are less safe andless healthy than non-GMO foods. This despite statements to the contrary from theUSDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, American Medical Association and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Armstrongs point is this: Consumers want to know everything about their food where it comes from, whats in it, who produced it. Such knowledge is theconsumer's right, Armstrong emphasized.

Soon, however, consumers might see their concerns about GMOs tested in a new way. The Arctic Apple, a fruit sold sliced that is genetically modified to not turn brown, is about to hit grocery stores nationwide. It represents the first GMO convenience product rather than a commodity ingredient such as corn syrup and producers want to see how Americans will react to it.

Scientific advancements in food production have helped to feed a hungry world, and thats a good thing. Iknow that the canola oil I often use probably comes from aGMO plant, and I don't think I'm suffering negative effects from it.

But I have concerns about corporate domination over the seed forAmerican commodity crops. And an apple that doesnt brown,although it might be perfectly safe, strikes me asdownright unnatural. Convenient, yes, but unnatural nonetheless.

Eventually, there might be enough research to convince everyone that GMOs are safe, or to prove that they're not.

Until then,providing as much information to consumers as possible is the right thing to do.

Lisa Abraham is the Dispatch food editor.

labraham@dispatch.com

@DispatchKItchen

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Breaking Bread: GMO labeling due on packaged foods by summer 2018 - Columbus Dispatch

Did Gene Therapy Cure Sickle Cell Disease? | American Council on … – American Council on Science and Health

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

A number of recent headlines imply a case study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine proves that gene therapy has cured sickle cell diseasea genetic disorder that incurs tremendous pain, suffering and diminished life expectancy. Here, we will unpack the significance of the researchers findings.

First, lets address why this news could be so groundbreaking to those afflicted and their loved ones.

Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited condition that causes a mutated hemoglobinthe protein within red blood cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen for delivery to vital tissues. Oxygen feeds our organs so they can stay healthy and perform their respective jobs. This Hemoglobin S (aka Sickle Hemoglobin) polymerizes on deoxygenation and rids the RBCs of their malleability. As a result, these malformed sickled cells are stiff and clump together thereby occluding vessels which in turn prompts organ damage.

Roughly 90,000 Americans have Sickle Cell Disease. (1) The natural course of the illness involves a complex cascade of events intermingled with crises often triggered by infections. Anemia is commonplace (and often profound) given these faulty cells get readily destroyed, over consumed and dont last as long as healthy RBCs. Vasoocclusive Crises result from infarction and ischemiain infants the hands and feet swell, in particular. Basically, adequate blood flow is halted wherever the obstruction takes place. Aggressive pain management and rehydration is essential.

Prophylactic antibiotics are a mainstay in an effort to stave off infection which can routinely catapult patients into a life-threatening crisis. By early childhood, they develop a functional asplenia or ineffective spleen. So, they become especially susceptible to overwhelming infection by encapsulatedbacteriahence, why vaccination for pneumococcus and the like is so important. Sepsis can result. Parvovirus can cause an aplastic crisis.

Strokes. Pulmonary infarcts with subsequent hypoxia. Acute Chest Syndrome. Gallstones. Blood transfusions are frequent. Though the blood supply is well-tested for safety, recurrent transfusion can lead to issues like iron overload, for instance. This too must be treated. The list goes on of the challenges, battles and treatment complexities these patients endure. Because fetal hemoglobin has a higher oxygen carrying capacity, a disease-modifying drug like Hydroxyurea that increases its presence is used.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation represents the only cure, but less than 18% of those with severe disease have sibling donors who are a match. (2) This is also not without great risk, though those need to be weighed against how advanced the disease. Due to such limited progress in management of this condition, this team of researchers sought to examine whether therapeutic ex vivo gene transfer into autologous hematopoietic stem cells referred to as gene therapy, may provide a long-term and potentially curative treatment for sickle cell disease. (3)

What does this mean? They took samples from the bone marrow of a patient with severe disease. The cells here provide the origins of our blood components which includes our red blood cells. This is where the problem begins in generating the sickling. A cancer drug, busulfan, was used to condition the body expected adverse effects from this occurred which resolved with standard care (e.g. anemia, low platelets, neutropenia and so on). Using a lentiviral vector, they transferred an anti-sickling gene into the patients stem cells (retrieved from the bone marrow) which get put back into the patient in the hope they will multiply and replace the cells made with the defective gene.

In a study funded in part by Bluebird Bio whose product is LentiGlobin BB305 (the antisickling gene therapy subject of this publication), the team concludes their patient had complete clinical remission with correction of hemolysis and biologic hallmarks of the disease. Furthermore, after fifteen months the antisickling protein remained high at approximately 50% and the patient had no crises or hospitalizations. Before, the patient required regular transfusions. After, all medications were stopped, no pain ones were needed, and the patient returned to full activities at school. (4)

Ongoing research is underway in a U.S. multi center, phase 1/2 clinical study. The intention is to use this gene therapy to treat those with severe sickle cell disease and another condition called beta-thalessemia. So far, in the few patients who have participated, their results seemingly support this work. Clearly, longer term follow-up and larger populations are crucial to understanding the significance of this report. Additionally, stem cell transplantation is no minor feat.

That said, for a disease that disables at such a young age, this option could be quite an extraordinary one if the success persists. ACSHs Senior Fellow in Molecular Biology, Dr. Julianna LeMieux, puts the promise of gene therapy into even greater context for this and other disease entities:"This is an incredibly promising result, even with the obvious caveat that it is only one person. Sickle Cell is a disease that is ripe for genetic advances for a few reasons. First,the gene that is affected is known andcan be replaced by the healthy variant. Also, the cells that are needed to be alteredare easily accessible inthe bone marrow. In many diseases, this is not the case. But, this one success story is incredibly encouraging for the sickle cell community and for moving the field of curing diseases using genetic editing forward."

The team proved their concept. To know if "cure" is in this gene therapy's future, much more data needs to be acquired and study be implemented. Promising with cautious optimism might be the most apt description.

Source(s):

(1) (2) (3) (4) Jean-Antoine Ribeil, M.D., Ph.D. et al. Gene Therapy in a Patient with Sickle Cell Disease. N Engl J Med. 376;848-855. March 2, 2017.

Note(s):

To learn more about "Orphan Diseases" or rare ones that afflict less than 200,000 (but in total impact 25 million Americans) and drug discovery challenges, review: Did Pompe Disease Geta New Champion in President Trump? and Pompe Disease, Newborn Screening and Inborn Errors of Metabolism.

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EPA: Fossil Fuel Companies No Longer Need to Report Emissions – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will no longer ask fossil fuel companies to reveal their emissions of certain greenhouse gases. The decision bears the mark of new EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who has fought the agency on behalf of oil and gas companies for years.

Last year, pursuant to the Clean Air Act, the EPA sent letters to more than 15,000 oil and gas companies. The letters requested information about methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) sources to inform future industry standards. This data wouldve helped the agency to fight climate change, protect air quality, and safeguard human health across the nation.

As if the need for emissions reporting was ever questionable, Pruitt has given companies free reign to pollute with plausible deniability. Several attorneys general from fossil fuel-producing states sent a letter to Pruitt yesterday, urging him to withdraw the EPAs request. Today he made the change.

Its absurd that one of Scott Pruitts first acts is to refuse information on a dangerous pollutant, said Melinda Pierce, legislative director at the Sierra Club.

The public process around the draft request was lengthy, and involved two commentperiods before a final request was made. Ironically, many from the oil and gas industry supported the need for more transparency in this space.

But now, it appears the EPA will be flying blind when it comes to fighting atmospheric pollution. Its unclear whether the agency has a contingency plan for monitoring the thousands of fossil fuel projects within the United States.

Its telling oil and gas companies to go ahead and withhold basic information about pollution from the public. It erodes the confidence of the American people that the EPA is prepared to fairly oversee the oil and gas industry, Mark Brownstein, vice president of the Environmental Defense Funds Climate and Energy Program, told me.

The EPA currently collects emissions stats under its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, but notes there is a reporting threshold, and the reporting requirements do not currently cover certain emission sources. This means its data isnt necessarily representative of the entire universe of emissions, and also doesnt include insights on equipment, facility design, or performance of operations.

I reached out to EPA representatives asking how it will acquire this data in the future, but did not receive an immediate response.

In a statement today, Pruitt said: By taking this step, EPA is signaling that we take these concerns seriously and are committed to strengthening our partnership with the states. Todays action will reduce burdens on businesses while we take a closer look at the need for additional information from this industry.

Methane, which has a more significant warming effect than other greenhouse gases, is especially concerning to climate scientists. Its been skyrocketing due to an increase in domestic natural gas production. Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered that methane emissions were 60 percent higher than previous estimates.

The EPA has been one of the Trump administrations most vulnerable targets when it comes to reform. So far, the agency has undergone a gag order, political vetting, and threats of major staffing cuts.

Just because he doesnt want to hear the truth on the dangers of methane from oil and gas operations, doesnt make it any less dangerous to the millions of Americans that are forced to breathe this pollutant in on a daily basis, Pierce added.

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EPA: Fossil Fuel Companies No Longer Need to Report Emissions - Futurism

Blue Origin Just Unveiled an Enormous Engine for Manned Missions – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

SpaceXs well-known competitor in the private space industry, Blue Origin, is making strides in its efforts forprivate citizens to breach the final frontier. While SpaceX pushes forward to its lunar missionin 2018, Blue Origins founder, Jeff Bezos, is confident in his companys plan to send two astronauts to space by the end of 2017. Now, Bezos has revealed the engine that will propel his company to its next stage the BE-4 rocket.

The rocket was finally unveiledafter six long years of development. The engine is expected to be ready for take off by 2019. Seven of these engines will powerthe upcoming New Glenn rocket. The New Glenn is similar to its predecessor, the New Shepard, in that it willbe a reusable space vehicle with a first stage that can return to the launch site standing upright upon each flight. There will be two New Glenn rockets a 2-stage and a 3-stage version. The New Glenn is expected to be 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter and range from 82 meters (270 feet) to 95 meters (313 feet).

So where do the BE-4 engines come in? The first and second stages will have boosters made up of the BE-4 engines, while the third stage will incorporate an older BE-3 engine. A distinction between the New Glenn and the New Shepard is that the former will be equipped with enough power to carry heavy cargo payloads and astronauts into orbit around the Earth.

While the New Glenn has yet to be made, its expected that the New Glenn sporting the BE-4 engine will be delivering goods and people by the end of the decade. In the meantime, the BE-4 engine will undergo certification at Blue Origins West Texas-based site.

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Blue Origin Just Unveiled an Enormous Engine for Manned Missions - Futurism

NASA is Going to Create The Coldest Spot in the Known Universe – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Creating Cold Atom Lab

This summer, a box the size of an ice chest will journey to the International Space Station (ISS). Once there, it will become the coldest spot in the universemore than 100 million times colder than deep space itself. The instruments inside the box an electromagnetic knife, lasers, and a vacuum chamber will slow down gas particles until they are almost motionless, bringing them just a billionth of a degree above absolute zero.

This box and its instruments are called the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL). CAL was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is funded byNASA. Right now at JPL, CAL is in the final assembly stages, and getting ready for its trip to space which is set for August 2017. CAL will be hitching a ride on SpaceX CRS-12.

Once in space on the ISS, five scientific teams plan will use CAL to conduct experiments. Among them is the team headed by Eric Cornell, one of the scientists who won the Nobel Prize for creating Bose-Einstein condensates in a lab setting in 1995.

Atoms that are cooled to extreme temperatures can form a unique state of matter: a Bose-Einstein condensate. This state is important scientifically because in it, the laws of quantum physics take over and we can observe matter behaving more like waves and less like particles. However, these rows of atoms, which move together like waves, can only be observed for fractions of a second on Earth because gravity causes atoms to move towards the ground. CAL achieves new low temperatures for longer observation of these mysterious waveforms.

Although NASA has never observed or created Bose-Einstein condensates in space, ultra-cold atoms can hold their wave-like forms longer while in freefall on the International Space Station. JPL Project Scientist Robert Thompson believes CAL will render Bose-Einstein condensates observable for up to five to 10 seconds. He also believes that improvements to CALs technologies could allow for hundreds of seconds of observation time.

Studying these hyper-cold atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity, said Thompson. The experiments well do with the Cold Atom Lab will give us insight into gravity and dark energysome of the most pervasive forces in the universe.

These experiments could potentially lead to improved technologies, including quantum computers, sensors, and atomic clocks for navigation on spacecraft. CAL deputy project manager Kamal Oudrhiri of JPL cites dark energy detection applications as especially exciting. Current physics models indicate that the universe is about 68 percent dark energy, 27 percent dark matter, and 5 percent ordinary matter.

This means that even with all of our current technologies, we are still blind to 95 percent of the universe, Oudrhiri said. Like a new lens in Galileos first telescope, the ultra-sensitive cold atoms in the Cold Atom Lab have the potential to unlock many mysteries beyond the frontiers of known physics.

New Research Could Turn Water Into the Fuel of Tomorrow – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Water for Fuel

Over the past decades, fossil fuelshave become the backbone of the worlds industries. They have also been the number one cause of man-made climate change. Fortunately, things are beginning to change, as fossil fuels are on the decline thanks to the rise of renewable energy sources.

An alternative energy source with great potential is solar power. One variant of solar energy is solar fuel, which is produced by using sunlight to convert water or carbon dioxide into combustible chemicals. Because of the relative abundance of solar fuel components, its considered a desirable goalfor clean-energy research. However, these reactions, such as producing hydrogen by splitting water, arentpossible by using just sunlight. Materials to efficiently facilitate the process arenecessary.

Scientists have been working on creating practical solar fuels by developing low-cost and efficient materials to serveas photoanodes. Photoanodes are similar to the anodes in a battery and activatethe production of solar fuel by aiding the flow ofElectronsduring the process. Scientists from the Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully doubled the number of potential photoanodes in just two years.

Now, researchers led by Caltechs John Gregoire and Berkeley Labs Jeffrey Neaton have developed a new, faster method to identify new materials to use as photoanodes, and theyve found 12 promising candidates. They published their research in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Neaton, director for the Molecular Foundry at Berkeley Lab, said that the study advanced this field of research by not only providing an improved method to look for photoanodes, but also by giving researchers insight into the new photoanodes.

What is particularly significant about this study, which combines experiment and theory, is that in addition to identifying several new compounds for solar fuel applications, we were also able to learn something new about the underlying electronic structure of the materials themselves, Neaton said in a Caltech press release.

To discover these new photoanodes, the team combined computational and experimental approaches. AMaterials Project database was mined for potentially useful compounds. Hundreds of theoretical calculations were performed using computational resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), together with software and expertise from the Molecular Foundry. Once the best candidates for photoanode activity were identified, it was time to test those materials in the laboratory.

The materialswere simultaneously tested for anode activity under different conditions using high-throughput experimentation. This was the first time these kinds of experiments had been run this way, according to Gregoire.

The key advance made by the team was to combine the best capabilities enabled by theory and supercomputers with novel high throughput experiments to generate scientific knowledge at an unprecedented rate, Gregoire said in the press release.

They found that compounds with vanadium, oxygen, and a third element had highly tunable electronic structure that made them uniquely favorable for water oxidation.

Importantly, we were able to explain the origin of their tunability, and identify several promising vanadate photoanode compounds, Neaton said in the press release.

This research has provided us with more ways to make use of water one of the worlds most abundant resource as an energy source.As advancements like this allow us to develop renewable energy cheaply and more efficiently, governments, investors, and individuals alike will have more reasons to leavefossil fuels in the past.

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Two Compounds Revealed to Slow Age-Induced Degeneration – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Anti-Aging Effects

Researchers from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and colleagues have discovered the anti-aging effects of two compounds. One is naturally occurring and found in red grapes and red wine, while the other is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. The former, known as resveratrol, has been previously regarded for its health benefitsand has even been called an elixir of youth. The latter, a drug called metformin, has also been researchedfor its anti-cancer effects.

The team found that resveratrol can preserve muscle fibers and protect synapses from agings crippling effects. To reach this conclusion, they conducted a study of two-year-old mice treated with resveratrol for a year (two years is generally considered old for mice). The team paid particular attention to how resveratrol affected synapses called neuromuscular junctions. These are crucial for voluntary movement, relaying motor commands from spinal cord neurons to muscles.The team published their study today in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Neuromuscular junctions are known to benefit from optimum diet and exercise, which protect these special synapses from agings wear and tear. Valdez and his team discovered that resveratrol can have similar effects, but the researcher clarified that these neuroprotective benefits wont be achieved by drinking red wine. In wine, resveratrol is in such small amounts you could not drink enough of it in your life to have the benefits we found in mice given resveratrol, Valdez explained. These studies are in mice and I would caution anyone from blasting their bodies with resveratrol in any form.

On the other hand, tests involving metformin revealed no significant effect on neuromuscular junctions. However, it slowed the rate of muscle fiber aging. Metformin is an FDA-approved drug to treat diabetes, but our study hints it may also serve the purpose of slowing the motor dysfunction that occurs with aging, Valdez said.

He added that the anti-diabetes drug may protect synapses depending on dosage amounts: There could be an opportunity for researchers and medical doctors to look at the patient population using this drug and ask whether metformin also has a positive effect on motor and cognitive function in humans.

The study expands the potential uses for the two compounds. Because metformin already has FDA approval, it may be easier to manufacture it as an anti-aging drug. As for resveratrol, the researchers plan to further study what exactly allows for these neuroprotective effects. The next step is to identify the mechanism that enables resveratrol to protect synapses, Valdez said. If we know the mechanism, we can modify resveratrol or look for other molecules that are more effective at protecting the synapses.

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Two Compounds Revealed to Slow Age-Induced Degeneration - Futurism

China Is Making Futuristic Space Rockets That Launch From Planes – Futurism

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

China wants to take a shortcut in sending their rockets into space. Instead of the usual take off from the ground, Chinese engineers are working on designing a space rocket that canbe launched from an aircraft, according to a senior official talking to state-run newspaper China Daily.

Li Tongyu, the head of carrier rocket development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, explained that the rockets are meant to send hundreds of low-orbit satellites into space for military and research purposes. The academys designers already have a ready-for-production model for a solid-fuel rocket thats capable of carrying a 100-kilogram (220-pound) payload into low Earth orbit. The designers, however, intend to develop a heavy-duty version of the rocket, capable of carrying a 200-kilogram (440-pound) payload.

The Y-20 strategic transport plane will be the carrier of these rockets. The jet will hold a rocket within its fuselage and release it at a certain altitude. The rocket will be ignited after it leaves the plane, Li explained. The country will only consider launching solid-fuel rockets from aircraft,as land-based rockets relying on liquid fuel require days of preparation,according to Chinese experts, and China will continue to rely on conventional rockets for heavier satellites, as well.

If successful, China may be pioneeringa new method for the country to fly space missions. Air-launched rockets can be deployed more quickly than their ground-launched counterparts, so the method couldsave valuable time when sending a crew to repair satellites or when launching observation satellites that could assist in relief efforts during disasters. They also arent beholden to launch range schedules and susceptible to weather-related delays.

Recently, China has been beefing up its space program. Just last year, the country sent its second space station into orbit, as the Tiangong-1 retired with a crash into the Earth. By April 2017, the Chinese plan to launch their first cargo spacecraft into space with a goal to maintain a permanently crewed space station by 2022. China has also expressed intentions to send a mission to Mars.

Any countrys dedication of funds and resources into space exploration is good for humanity as a whole, so having China making space a priority is great news for anyone interested in expanding our understanding of the cosmos.

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China Is Making Futuristic Space Rockets That Launch From Planes - Futurism

Dozens of students fall ill at Freedom Shores Elementary west of … – Palm Beach Post (blog)

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

File photo

Dozens of students at Freedom Shores Elementary School west of Lantana have been stricken with nausea and vomiting, prompting an investigation by state health investigators.

More than 100 students were absent Friday at the public elementary school on West Hypoluxo Road, far more than on a typical day, said Tim OConnor, spokesman for the county health department.

Fridays numbers were almost three times what they would normally see, OConnor said.

The high number of absences continued this week, with many students complaining of nausea and vomiting.

The health department is investigating the cause of the outbreak.

In a letter to school parents, health officials said that any of several viruses or bacteria could be to blame for the outbreak, but that the symptoms will most likely subside without medication.

Still, health officials recommended that parents of sick children seek medical attention and keep the children home from school for 48 hours after their symptoms subside.

The PBC teachers union tried to disqualify half of its presidentialcandidates

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Freedom Honor Flight announces 19th and 20th flights – WKBT – News8000.com – WKBT

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Freedom Honor Flight announces 19th...

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) - Local veterans wishing to visit memorials built in their honor could have their trips paid for this year.

La Crosse's Freedom Honor Flight released its flight schedule for the year, offering one flight this spring and another in the fall. The Freedom Honor Flight flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the veteran memorials built in the nation's capital.

Flight organizers say the trip is an experience every veteran should have the chance to take.

"In terms of personalizing it,the send off, the welcome home and everything that goes on in D.C., we have a great experience for our veterans and that's why we want to keep it going, said Freedom Honor Flight President Pat Stephens.

The first Freedom Honor Flight of the year will take veterans to the capital on May 6. Veterans will have another chance to visit the memorials on September 16.

Veterans can apply for a seat at FreedomHonorFlight.org. All veterans can apply for the trips, but World War Two veterans will be prioritized.

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Trump could learn a thing or two about freedom and democracy from Islam – Washington Post

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

By David Decosimo By David Decosimo March 8 at 6:00 AM

David Decosimo teaches religion, ethics and politics at Boston University and is currently writing a book on freedom and domination in Christianity and Islam.

From his hateful tweets and provocative rhetoric to his new executive order banning Muslims and refugees all over again, President Trump is driven by the idea that Islam is a threat to what makes us American.

Trump has declared that Islam hates us. There is, he says, an unbelievable hatred. Stephen K. Bannon, one of his chief advisers, claims that we are in an outright war against Islam and doubts whether Muslims that are shariah-adherent can actually be part of a society where you have the rule of law and are a democratic republic. He believes Islam is much darker than Nazism and seems to agree with HUD Secretary Ben Carson that Islam is a religion of domination.

But Trump and his administration could learn a thing or two about American values such as freedom and equality from the religion and people they so hate.

In Islams founding story, after Muhammads death, it was unclear who would lead the nascent Muslim community. Typically, succession disputes make for great drama. This one, however, was more C-SPAN than Game of Thrones. Rather than intrigue or bloodshed, the believers pursued democracy. Only by the peoples consent, they reckoned, could a ruler justly be named and a community freely governed. They chose Abu Bakr, one of Muhammads companions. His inauguration speech, according to one of Muhammads earliest biographers Ibn Ishaq, was brief (though were not sure how big the crowd was). It went something like this: Im no better than any of you. Only obey me if I do right. Otherwise, resist me. Loyalty means speaking truth. Flattery is treason. No human, but God alone is your lord.

Abu Bakr sought to guard the people against domination by making himself accountable to them. The people obliged, securing their liberty. They could call him out at any time, and he had to listen. He even had to ask their permission for new clothes. His successor Umar carried the legacy forward. Publicly rebuked by a woman for overstepping the law, Umar responded: That woman is right, and I am wrong! It seems that all people have deeper wisdom and insight than me.

This spirit of accountability and liberty would become enshrined as a religious duty in Islam, though as with any tradition, these values are not always upheld. Nonetheless, every Muslim has the obligation to command right and forbid wrong, correcting and resisting any who betray justice, rulers included. That Abu Bakr and Umar are paradigms of good Islamic rule for well over 1 billion Sunni Muslims tells us something about this traditions love for freedom, whether or not its followers always live up to their ideals.

So does the 12th-century theologian al-Ghazali, one of Islams most beloved figures. In his most famous political work, an open letter to a young sultan, Ghazali famously defends a golden rule of liberty: The fundamental principle is treat people in a way in which, if you were subject and another were Sultan, you would deem right that you yourself be treated. Nothing a ruler would not himself endure has any place in politics. While sin against God can be forgiven, violation of this rule cannot: Anything involving injustice to mankind will not in any circumstance be overlooked at the resurrection. Ghazali tells rulers that on judgment day, not God but the people will determine their fate: The harshest torment will be for those who rule arbitrarily. He sounds striking similar to James Madison writing in Federalist 57, for whom rulers will be compelled to anticipate the moment when their exercise of power is reviewed, and they must descend to the level from which they were raised. Only in Ghazalis vision, the tyrant descends to hell.

Of course, like their Western counterparts, many Muslim regimes fail to honor this vision of liberty. But it is women and men like Malala Yousafzai, Humayun Khan and the hopeful youths who filled Tahrir Square who are faithful to the best of Islam, not the likes of the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Saudi princes.

For Islam and the American founders alike, freedom is about protection from arbitrary power and rule by law, not the caprices of men. Theirs is a vision where citizens stand not in slavish deference to masters but on equal terms with all. This vision animates our whole system of governance. It was this vision Lincoln endorsed when he wrote, in words that echo Ghazali: As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. And it was this vision Sojourner Truth, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk invoked when they each demanded that equality before the law be still further expanded so that it would eventually include not just straight white men but everyone.

This vision is under threat in a way it rarely has been in our history. But it is not under threat by Islam, but by Trump and his administration.

Trumps first Muslim ban was an act of brazen, unconstrained power and barely concealed animus. The second ban is more of the same. The blessing of the first was just how blatantly it betrayed our deepest values. The danger of the second is its attempt to conceal its dominating and bigoted aims. No serious observer thinks these bans make us any safer. Instead, they seek to circumvent rule of law, roll back libertys benefit and wage Bannons war with Islam. They give Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and other agents discretionary power to decide on a whim whether to sever families, deport refugees and detain Muslims. And they make Trump and his cronies unaccountable arbiters of who really loves the very American values the administration is busy betraying.

Trump wants to return America to its former greatness. But when it comes to freedom, Ghazaliand Abu Bakr have far more in common with Madison and Lincoln than with terrorists and tyrants who claim Islams mantle. For that matter, they have far more in common with this countrys great lovers of liberty than does the current president. So, instead of banning Muslims, Trump should listen to them: He might learn something about liberty and equality, two values he seems not to have learned to love from our own nations history or the Constitution he swore to uphold.

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Trump could learn a thing or two about freedom and democracy from Islam - Washington Post

Freedom Rider: Trump and Russia, the Perfect Lie – Black Agenda Report

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

The latest New York Times article is proof that outgoing president Obama was looking not for intelligence he knew didnt exist, but anything that could be used against Trump and his team. When it comes to intrigue, Donald Trump is grossly outmatched by the Democrats, the spooks and the corporate media. Team Obama has the most adept spies in the world while Trump has his son-in-law and untested staff who are completely out of their league.

If there is evidence that the Russian Federation took some action that propelled Donald Trump to victory it has yet to be revealed. One wouldnt know that from the daily Russophobic hysteria presented in the corporate media and the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton tried to make Vladimir Putin an issue in the election but it didnt help her at all. She often compared Putin to Adolph Hitler and labeled Trump his puppet but the charges didnt prevent the political upset from taking place.

Having lost, the Democratic Party and their media cohorts continue the effort to make trouble for another nation whose only crime is the pursuit of its own interests. The anti-Russia strategy also distracts the Democratic rank and file. They ought to be angry that their standard bearer and their party leadership lost an election because of corruption, hubris and incompetence but instead they are taken in by propaganda.

What passes for proof are nonsensical terms like Russian digital finger prints and claims that any and every Russian is always acting on Putins orders.

Donald Trump is partly being hoisted on his own petard, as his nonsensical claim of having done deals in Russia has come back to haunt him. In 2013 Trump hosted his Miss Universe pageant in Moscow but he returned home empty handed after trying to consummate real estate deals there. This aspect of Trumps personality makes him the perfect target when his enemies want to tell lies about him.

We know that someone gave Wikileaks emails from the Democratic National Committee but it isnt clear if the information was hacked by a hostile actor or was leaked by an insider. What passes for proof are nonsensical terms like Russian digital finger prints and claims that any and every Russian is always acting on Putins orders.

Trump is the perfect fall guy because he is so hated and so incompetent. At least half of all Americans despise the new president and for very good reasons. Unlike other presidents who use euphemism and code words, he openly activated the racist elements who are never far from the surface in this country. His victory was also unexpected and defied so-called expert opinion. The combination of dislike and shock makes it easy for the worst charges made about him to be believed.

At least half of all Americans despise the new president and for very good reasons.

But the Democratic Party has been relentless in using any and all information to make it appear that he and his team are all under the sway of Moscow. Trump assembled a group as amateurish and unprepared as he is and they are no match for the concerted effort inveighed against them.

The Obama friendly New York Times said as much. Their article Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking is proof that the outgoing president was looking not for intelligence he knew didnt exist, but anything that could be used against Trump and his team. It isnt surprising that Attorney General Sessions was asked about campaign contacts with Moscow. The Senate already knew that he met with the Russian ambassador to the United States. They knew that the now ousted National Security Adviser spoke to the same ambassador. There is nothing illegal about these contacts and Trump is not the first president elect to have had contacts with foreign governments.

In 1968 Richard Nixon convinced the Vietnamese not to engage Hubert Humphrey in offers of peace talks. In 1980 Ronald Reagan delayed the release of hostages held by Iran in order to secure his victory against Jimmy Carter. If the corporate media were to point out this history they would jeopardize their role as partners of the Democratic Party sector of the ruling classes.

Trump is not the first president elect to have had contacts with foreign governments.

These facts dont matter of course. What does matter is that Trump said things that made the rest of the rulers nervous. If he made good on his promise to have some sort of dtente with Russia he would undo the imperialist agenda. If he stopped the trade deals that they used to help the capitalists move their capital he was upending very serious plans. Calling NATO obsolete was another danger when NATO is an active partner in interventions around the world.

But Trump isnt smart enough to counter the attacks. In between tweets about his old reality show and jibes at celebrities he unleashed ICE against undocumented immigrants and pursues his scheme to keep Muslims from seven countries out of the United States. Instead of acting like other presidents and getting undercover white supremacists on his staff, Trump puts avowed racists front and center and makes himself a target of progressives who probably wouldnt care what he did if he had an Obamaesque, smooth presentation of evil doing.

Presentation is everything and Trump presents such an ugly face that he makes life easy for his opponents. It is obvious that Flynn and Sessions were under surveillance but Trump has twitter outbursts and accuses Obama of tapping his phone. Team Obama has the most adept spies in the world while Trump has his son-in-law and untested staff who are completely out of their league.

Trump said things that made the rest of the rulers nervous.

Now Russia is hated by progressives. This antipathy is no small matter because it makes war more acceptable and therefore more likely. Once again progressives stand down and allow serious harm to be done to this country and the rest of the world.

The animosity directed at Trump the man should be directed at the system. We are watching the perfect crime take place. The neo-liberal corporatist Democrats are winning the fight against Trump but not because they want to do good. Their schemes were upended by his election and they will stop at nothing to get back into power. The end game isnt clear. For now they are succeeding in handcuffing Trump. Their intentions are never good for people in this country or in the rest of the world. Our lives are still very much at risk because of Democratic Party corruption and Trumps failings and incompetence.

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Freedom Rider: Trump and Russia, the Perfect Lie - Black Agenda Report

Academic Freedom Lawsuit To Proceed: Judge Affirms First Amendment Rights – Center for Research on Globalization

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

James Tracywas exposed on CNN in 2013 by Anderson Cooper, who branded him a conspiracy theorist for his investigation of anomalies surrounding the alleged Sandy Hook Newtown school shooting as portrayed in the media.

On February 21, 2017, a US federal judge ruled that former Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Professor James Tracys civil rights lawsuit can proceed to discovery.

As this author has observed the case stands to set a precedent in matters of free speech and academic freedom throughout the nation. Defendants include FAU, its Board of Trustees, President, Dean, Associate Provost, the Florida Education Association, and the faculty union United Faculty of Florida (UFF), along with the unions FAU Chapter President and Service Unit Director.

Tracy was terminated from his tenured professorship in January 2016, ostensibly for questioning university policy regarding the mandatory reporting of outside activities, and refusing to submit paperwork disclosing his personal blogging at his website, Memory Hole Blog.

Tracy argued that his blogging involved the exercise of his right to free speech as a private US citizen. The popular website was hacked or otherwise sabotaged by unnamed parties after the November 2016 election and, as of this writing, is no longer in operation.

FAU and UFF engaged in conspiracy

Tracy received a spate of unfavorable publicity by CNN and other news outlets in 2013, shortly after the alleged shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, CT. The university set out to discipline Tracy as a result, attempting to dissuade him from making any further statements about the Newtown incident. FAUs faculty union, UFF, filed a grievance for Tracy on free speech grounds. In late 2015, however, union officials refused to defend the professor.

Tracys suit cites UFF as co-defendants, arguing that union officers conspired with university administrators to place an informal gag order on Tracy while allowing the universitys termination proceedings to go forward uncontested. At the same time, Tracy contends, union representatives discouraged him from filing a grievance or lawsuit, instead trying to intimidate him into resigning in lieu of termination. When Tracy refused to resign, the university fired him outright.

FAUs Conflict of Interest policy and its chilling effect on free speech

Part of the case involves a challenge to FAUs Conflict of Interest policy, which extends to all university faculty. FAU and many of Floridas other public universities now compel faculty members to present all their outside activities for administrative approval, whether compensated or not. Tracy objected to the policy, which would have required him to submit an account of his personal blogging. His suit argues that this is a form of prior restraint forbidden by the First Amendment.

Tracys concerns were shared by other members of FAUs faculty as well, including senior political science professor Timothy Lenz, who described a climate of fear and uncertainty, speaking at a faculty senate meeting on September 4, 2015. Lenz enjoined administrators to please call off your dogs, continuing at length:

The Administration has been sending faculty members who are engaged in outside activity nasty letters, letters of discipline or letters that threaten faculty members who are engaged in outside activity with discipline theres a great deal of suspicion that you can say, or write, or do something, but if you say, write, or do something that the Administration disagrees with youre going to get one of these nasty letters put in your personnel file and thats untenable.

Tracys suit names as defendants individual FAU administrators present at the September 4 faculty senate meeting, including FAU President John Kelly. Kelly and his co-defendants moved to dismiss the first complaint, which was granted in part, necessitating a Second Amended Complaint, filed on December 28, 2016. This second complaint has been upheld, with the defendants motion to dismiss denied in a February 21, 2017, decision by Judge Robin Rosenberg. The judge refers to John Kellys involvement in her analysis:

The inference from the allegations in the Second Amended Complaint is that Defendant Kelly was personally (and not vicariously) involved in a retaliatory violation of Plaintiffs First Amendment rights. As a result, Defendant Kelly is sufficiently on notice of the claim against him such that he is able to answer that claim.

Verified Second Amended Complaint

The individual counts in the Second Amended Complaint are as follows:

Count I Retaliation in Violation of Right to Free Speech, against Defendant FAU and Defendants President John Kelly, Associate Provost Diane Alperin, and College of Arts and Letters Dean Heather Coltman.

Count II Conspiracy to Interfere with Plaintiffs Civil Rights, against Defendants Alperin, Coltman, Kelly, UFF President Robert Zoeller, Jr., UFF Service Unit Director Michael Moats, UFF, Florida Education Association, and FAU.

Count III Facial Challenge to FAUs Conflict of Interest Policy, against Defendant FAU.

Count IV As-Applied Challenge to Plaintiffs Right to Free Speech, against Defendant FAU.

Count V Declaratory Judgment and Injunction, against Defendant FAU.

Count VI State Law Breach of Contract, against Defendant FAU.

Case proceeds to discovery

After Tracy initiated his lawsuit in April 2016, FAUs attorneys began filing repeated court motions, arguing that Tracys suit was frivolous, that no conspiracy existed, and that Tracys termination was due to his alleged misconduct and failure to disclose his blogging activities in a timely fashion. By this means, the defendants succeeded in precluding discovery for over six months.

These delaying tactics have been brought to an end with Rosenbergs February 21 decision, in which the court concludes that Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint satisfies federal pleading standards and does not amount to mere labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action, as FAU and UFF attorneys have argued.

Tracys legal team has now forced FAU to release thousands of internal emails between administrators, trustees, and non-university parties under Floridas Sunshine Law. Many of the documents tend to confirm the suits conspiracy allegations, including notes from a meeting between FAU counsel and administrators strategizing on how to discipline Tracy, and emails between Kelly and FAUs chief trustee on Tracys pending termination.

Fake News and media blackout on the status of Tracys lawsuit

After Rosenberg dismissed part of the First Amended Complaint, the Florida Sun Sentinelwhich has published a multitude of defamatory articles targeting Tracyfalsely reported that the entire lawsuit had been thrown out. This erroneous report was then picked up by the Associated Press and broadcast nationally (e.g. here, here and here). Only after Tracys attorney contacted the management of the Sun Sentinel to complain was the story revised. The Sun Sentinel has neglected to report on the court order allowing the suit to proceed. Nor has the mainstream media taken notice, with only a few exceptions.

In contrast to the media frenzy over Tracys research on the Newtown incident, in which he was viciously attacked in op-eds, letters to the editor, and news stories in print and on television, there is a conspicuous silence now that the case will proceed to trial. A legal victory for Professor Tracy would set a major precedent for free speech and academic freedom jurisprudence, and would decisively bolster safeguards for university employeesand indeed all employeesto comment freely on matters of public importance without fear of losing their jobs.

As an alternative to the mainstream press, Memory Hole Blog was used by Tracy and other contributors to draw attention to anomalous news coverage and analyze media reporting on controversial events. Many of these observations were deemed controversial or conspiracy theories by the very news outlets that came under scrutinyincluding CNN and the New York Timesorganizations now in the hot seat for disseminating Fake News themselves. This battle is currently raging over unsubstantiated allegations in the mainstream media against President Trump, who is called a conspiracy theorist himself by the press.

Should Tracy lose his case, the outcome would be disastrous for free speech rights. A decision favoring FAUs defense could be used by almost any employer, academic or otherwise, to further unconstitutionally monitor and restrict employee expression. This would likely intensify in the current US academic environment, rife with campaigns targeting politically incorrect speech and behavior. The way it stands, [FAU] could start firing people for not disclosing their Facebook pages, Tracys attorney Louis Leo IV said following a December court appearance.

The case moves forward

On February 28th the faculty union and FAU submitted separate responses to Tracys Second Amended Complaint, maintaining there was no conspiracy to fire Tracy and reasserting that the cause was his failure to follow FAUs outside activities policy. In its response, FAU characterized Tracys repeated attempts to obtain clarification on the unconstitutional policy as belligerent and rebellious. While Plaintiff appeared to embrace his nonconformist behavior thinking it would publicize his interests in the light he deemed helpful, FAUs attorneys wrote, the Defendant Universitys policy and intent were unrelated to such interests and were intended to provide Defendant University with necessary information for various legitimate and proper reasons.

With the discovery process now proceeding, FAUs defense looks increasingly weak. A flood of internal documents obtained under Floridas open records law indicates that university officials met repeatedly to strategize on how they would discipline Tracy without appearing to violate his First Amendment right to free speech. As these meeting notes and emails reveal, there was as much obsession in quelling the controversy surrounding Tracys blog as there was in the publicity his firing generated.

Based on the Rosenberg denial to dismiss, the case will now proceed to trial. Tracy is seeking declaratory relief upholding his right to free speech, injunctive relief with reinstatement to tenured employment and full restoration of benefits and lost wages, relief from the requirement to report outside activities for Tracy and his colleagues, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees as permitted by law.

Vivian Lee is the nom de plume of a tenured professor at an east coast university.

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Academic Freedom Lawsuit To Proceed: Judge Affirms First Amendment Rights - Center for Research on Globalization

Eugenics was a progressive cause | The Island Packet – Island Packet

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Island Packet

Eugenics was a progressive cause | The Island Packet
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The progressive mob that disrupted Charles Murray's appearance last week at Middlebury College was protesting a 1994 book read by few if any of the ...

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Eugenics was a progressive cause | The Island Packet - Island Packet

The 10 Best Cyborg Reveal Scenes in Movies – ComingSoon.net

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

One of the coolest parts of any movie focusing on cyborgs, robots, androids or what have you is the scene or scenes where the inner-workings of the machine are revealed to the audience for the first time. Sometimes its a twist, other times its just a chance to see what makes a robot tick. With Paramountslive-action Ghost in the Shell fast approaching on March 31, we thought wed take the opportunity to compile a list of The 10 Best Cyborg Reveal Scenes in Movies, which you can check out in the gallery below!

This is a great time to be celebrating all things robotic, as Anchor Bay is putting out a new limited edition Mondosteelbook Blu-ray ofMamoru Oshiis original 1995 anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, which we previewed and can say it still looks incredible for a 20+ year-old movie. Our friends at Scream Factory are also putting out two cyberpunk favorites to Blu-ray, 1990s RoboCop 2 and 1993s RoboCop 3, both packed to the gills with amazing bonus features that even those disappointed by the sequels will find fascinating.

Click here to pre-orderthe Mondo steelbook Ghost in the Shell Blu-ray before its March 14 street date!

Click here to pre-orderRoboCop 2and here to pre-orderRoboCop 3 on Scream Factory Blu-ray before their release on March 21!

Which of the cyborg reveals on our list is your favorite? What are some other great cyborg reveal scenes in movies? Let us know in the comments below!

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The 10 Best Cyborg Reveal Scenes in Movies - ComingSoon.net

How Cyborg Insects Could Save Lives and Stop Our Enemies – NBCNews.com

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

A first generation version of the backpack guidance system that includes energy harvesting, navigation and optical stimulation on a to-scale model of a dragonfly. Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Using electricity for this task is too crude, however. "The problem is if you draw a tiny current into the nerve core, you would activate all the nerves around it," Wheeler says, adding that light activation would provide more specificity.

Draper partnered with Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers, who are genetically modifying dragonflies' steering neurons to make them sensitive to light. The insects can then be strapped with a Draper-designed backpack that delivers targeted light pulses to specific steering neurons. The backpack also contains a navigation system, sensors, wireless transmitters, and miniature solar panels.

Instead of manually controlling the insects, the team could theoretically program a dragonfly (via the backpack) to do certain tasks, such as investigating a building in a warzone, which it will carry out autonomously. Wheeler thinks the system may be ready for real-world tests in about two years.

Bozkurt suggests biobots are just a stepping stone to miniaturized insect-like robots, which aren't yet possible due to technological limitations. "If you look at the history of science, before having our automobiles we were riding various beasts of burden," he says, explaining that biobots are modern science's beasts of burden.

But Liang thinks there are benefits to keeping robot-like insects around. They're more inexpensive and energy-efficient than full robots, she says, and have the ability to sense the environment on their own and respond in kind, such by evading unstable rubble or escaping from guard dogs or other dangers during espionage missions.

Some insects, such as locusts and bees, can also be trained to home in on certain scents, including the chemical cues of explosives. The insects could eventually be remotely

Liang suggests there may be other, more science fiction-like uses to the cyborgs not necessarily possible with full robots. For instance, if your home is infested with roaches, you could release a robo-roach to find their main hiding spaces. The roach, perhaps outfitted with attractive chemical cues, could then be guided outside of your home, luring the other roaches out in a kind of Pied Piper fashion. "This is a crazy idea, but I think it will be possible," she says.

Compared with machines, cyborg insects are "more versatile and flexible, and they require less control," Liang says. "They're more real."

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How Cyborg Insects Could Save Lives and Stop Our Enemies - NBCNews.com

Amanda Nunes no longer pursuing UFC Featherweight title fight … – MMAmania.com

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Not too long ago, current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) womens Bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes, was lobbying for her chance to get the winner of the first-ever womens Featherweight title fight between Germaine de Randamie and Holly Holm, which ultimately saw Iron Lady come out the victor at UFC 208 (see it).

But now that Cris Cyborg is back in the title picture after she was cleared of any wrongdoing by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Nunes has opted to forego her plans to compete for the 145-pound strap.

Why?

To hear Lioness tell it, the division belongs to Cyborg.

I do not intend to fight with Cris, Nunes told AG Fight in Brazil (via FOX Sports). But my intention was to fight [Holly Holm or Germaine de Randamie], who were in my category, but Cris is coming back now and Im not interested in going up. I want to see her as the champion. To fight with her, I would have to gain weight and gain muscle. I am at 135 pounds. To do such a job (at 145), I would need at least a year.

And before you perceive Nunes sudden disinterest in winning the 145-pound title as her simply ducking Cyborg, she elaborated further on her decision.

Thats what I said: This category is for Cris, but then she tested positive, Nunes said. But then, two girls from the 135-pound class moved up, one was coming off two defeats and the other was not in the rankings. The champion [Germaine de Randamie] is a girl that I have already defeated. I asked to go up because I can be champion in two categories. My point of view was that they were two athletes from my category and that Cris was not in the game at the time, she concluded.

It probably doesnt matter in the grand scheme of things, as UFC President Dana White pumped the brakes on Amandas quest to move up to featherweight long before Lioness had a change of heart.

As for what is next for Nunes, a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko -- whom she defeated at UFC 196 back in 2016 is on the horizon after Bullet finished Julianna Pena UFC on FOX 23. Cyborg, meanwhile, is currently waiting to see if de Randamies hand is healed before she can get a definite date for her first-ever UFC championship bout.

Amanda Nunes no longer pursuing UFC Featherweight title fight ... - MMAmania.com

These tattoos conduct electricity, turning you into a very basic cyborg – Mashable

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

Mashable

These tattoos conduct electricity, turning you into a very basic cyborg
Mashable
'Tech Tats' are temporary and use ink that conducts electricity. They are fitted with small sensors and trackers that turn them into tiny smart devices. So far the ...

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These tattoos conduct electricity, turning you into a very basic cyborg - Mashable

$50 Million fix pitched to keep FL beaches beautiful – Story … – WFTS – ABC Action News

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danzig

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. - There's a multi-million dollar plan proposed to keep our beaches beautiful. Its one of the big issues our state leaders will take up in Tallahassee in the days and weeks to come.

The $50 million dollars would go towards beach renourishment projects across the state, replacing the sand that mother nature washes away. It's a $20 million dollar increase from what the state has already budgeted for sand replenishment. The plan would also put in long-term fixes for beaches across Florida.

Indian Rocks Beach is one Pinellas County beach badly in need of a fix.

Pinellas County got the permits to add more sand 5 years ago, but only a few days ago got the state to agree to pay for their portion of the project.

Cathy Jedowski and her sisters have been going to Indian Rocks Beach for vacation for the last 40 years.

They've seen big changes to the sand over the years. The beach is smaller now than shes seen in a while. "We've seen a lot of changes here. One year there was no sand at all. Some years the beach is wide and beautiful," she explained.

Each renourishment takes a lot of money and a ton of sand. This summer, county workers will renourish Sand Key, which includes Indian Rocks Beach. They'll add enough sand to fit over an entire football field, stacked as tall as the biggest high rise in Downtown Tampa.

Erosion is the worst on certain Pinellas County beaches: The North end of St Pete Beach, South Treasure island, Upham Beach, Sand Key and Indian Rocks Beach.

Aside from the additional state funding, Pinellas county would continue to chip in an extra $10 million a year.

Tourist Greg Soper argues that's too big of an investment,thats a lot of money to spend on beaches especially when they are this beautiful already, he argued.

Yet, beach leaders argue its a good return on investment. For every $1 spent fixing our beaches, tourists spend $6, and if they stopped re-nourishing them, mother nature would simply wash the sand away, according to Andy Squires in Pinellas County's Coastal Management office.

House and senate leaders will both vote on the multi-million beach plan. If it passes, our local beaches will get the money by July.

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