Next-Generation TSUBAME Will Be Petascale Supercomputer for AI – TOP500 News

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The Tokyo Institute of Technology, also known as Tokyo Tech, has revealed that the TSUBAME 3.0 supercomputer scheduled to be installed this summer will provide 47 half precision (16-bit) petaflops of performance, making it one of the most powerful machines on the planet for artificial intelligence computation. The system is being built by HPE/SGI and will feature NVIDIAs Tesla P100 GPUs.

Source:Tokyo Institute of Technology

For Tokyo Tech, the use of NVIDIAs latest P100 GPUs is a logical step in TSUBAMEs evolution. The original 2006 system used ClearSpeed boards for acceleration, but was upgraded in 2008 with the Tesla S1040 cards. In 2010, TSUBAME 2.0 debuted with the Tesla M2050 modules, while the 2.5 upgrade included both the older S1050 and S1070 parts plus the newer Tesla K20X modules. Bringing the P100 GPUs into the TSUBAME lineage will not only help maintain backward compatibility for the CUDA applications developed on the Tokyo Tech machines for the last nine years, but will also provide an excellent platform for AI/machine learning codes.

In a press release from NVIDIA published Thursday, Tokyo Techs Satoshi Matsuoka, a professor of computer science who is building the system, said, NVIDIAs broad AI ecosystem, including thousands of deep learning and inference applications, will enable Tokyo Tech to begin training TSUBAME 3.0 immediately to help us more quickly solve some of the worlds once unsolvable problems.

For Tokyo Techs supercomputing users, its a happy coincidence that the latest NVIDIA GPU is such a good fit with regard to AI workloads. Interest in artificial intelligence is especially high in Japan, given the countrys manufacturing heritage in robotics and what seems to be almost a cultural predisposition to automate everything.

When up and running, TSUBAME 3.0 will operate in conjunction with the existing TSUBAME 2.5 supercomputer, providing a total of 64 half precision petaflops. That would make it Japans top AI system, although the title is likely to be short-lived. The Tokyo-based National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) is also constructing an AI-capable supercomputer, which is expected to supply 130 half precision petaflops when it is deployed in late 2017 or early 2018.

Although NVIDIA and Tokyo Tech are emphasizing the AI capability of the upcoming system, like its predecessors, TSUBAME 3.0 will also be used for conventional 64-bit supercomputing applications, and will be available to Japans academic research community and industry partners. For those traditional HPC tasks, it will rely on its 12 double precision petaflops, which will likely earn it a top 10 spot on the June TOP500 list if they can complete a Linpack run in time.

The system itself is a 540-node SGI ICE XA cluster, with each node housing two Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4 processors, four NVIDIA Tesla P100 GPUs, and 256 GB of main memory. The compute nodes will talk to each other via Intels 100 Gbps Omni-Path network, which will also be extended to the storage subsystem.

Speaking of which, the storage infrastructure will be supplied by Data Direct Networks (DDN) and will provide 15.9 petabytes of Lustre file system capacity based on three ES14KX appliances. The ES14KX is currently DDNs top-of-the-line file system storage appliance, delivering up 50 GB/seconds of I/O per enclosure. It can theoretically scale to hundreds of petabytes, so the TSUBAME 3.0 installation will be well within the products reach.

Energy efficiency is also like to be a feature of the new system, thanks primarily to the highly proficient P100 GPUs. In addition, the TSUBAME 3.0 designers are equipping the supercomputer with a warm water cooling system and are predicting a PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) as high as 1.033. That should enable the machine to run at top speed without the need to throttle it back during heavy use. A top 10 spot on the Green500 list is all but assured.

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Next-Generation TSUBAME Will Be Petascale Supercomputer for AI - TOP500 News

Inside the race to build the fastest ever supercomputer – EWN – Eyewitness News

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The fastest supercomputer in the world, the Sunway TaihuLight, is about to lose its title with the Japanese planning to build something even faster.

FILE: An individual working on a computer. Picture: iStock.

When China unveiled the Sunway TaihuLight in June 2016, it became the fastest supercomputer in the world. It easily surpassed the previous record holder, Tianhe-2. Its almost three times as fast. But now, the title it has held for less than a year is under threat, with the Japanese planning to build something even faster.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to invest 19.5 billion yen ($172 million) in the new machine, as part of an attempt to revitalise Japans electronics industry and reassert Japan's technical dominance.

Recent years have seen Japan's lead challenged by competition from South Korea and China, but the Japanese government hopes to reverse that trend.

IMMENSE COMPUTING POWER

The new machine, called the AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure, or ABCI, is designed to have a capacity of 130 petaflops. That means it will be able to perform 130 quadrillion calculations a second. Still confused? Well for the sake of easy comparison, thats equal to the computing power of 70,652 Playstation 4s.

As well as out-computing the current Chinese machine it will also be nearly ten times as fast as the Oakforest-PACS, the current fastest Japanese supercomputer, whose 13.6 petaflops will be dwarfed by those of the new machine. As far as we know, there is nothing out there that is as fast, said Satoshi Sekiguchi, director general at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the proposed machine, though, is its hyper-efficient power consumption. The computers designers are aiming for a power consumption of fewer than three megawatts. This would be five times lower than the TaihuLight, and the same as the Oakforest-PACS, the output of which is ten times lower.

THE APPLICATION

While other countries have optimised their most powerful computers for processes such as atmospheric modelling or nuclear weapon simulations, AIST aims to use the new machine to accelerate advances in AI technology. ABCI could help companies improve driverless vehicles by analysing vast amounts of traffic data. According to Sekiguchi, the supercomputer could also be used to mine medical records to develop new services and applications.

The computer will also be made available to Japanese corporations for a fee, said Sekiguchi, alongside others involved in the project. Japanese companies currently outsource their major data-crunching to foreign firms such as Google or Microsoft.

THE FUTURE

Japan hopes that ABCI will be operational by 2018, whereupon it will take the top spot on the TOP 500s ranking list of supercomputers.

It might not stay there for very long, though. Computer manufacturer Atos has already begun work on the Bull sequana supercomputer for the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). This machine is projected to have a performance of one exaflop, meaning that it will be able to perform a billion calculations a second - almost seven and a half times faster than the ABCI.

The French machine won't be operational until 2020 however, meaning ABCI should still enjoy a spot in the supercomputing limelight.

This article was republished courtesy of World Economic Forum.

Written by Robert Guy, content producer, Formative Content.

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Stampede Supercomputer Assists With Real-Time MRI Analysis – HPCwire (blog)

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Feb. 17 One of the main tools doctors use to detect diseases and injuries in cases ranging from multiple sclerosis to broken bones is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the results of an MRI scan take hours or days to interpret and analyze. This means that if a more detailed investigation is needed, or there is a problem with the scan, the patient needs to return for a follow-up.

A new, supercomputing-powered, real-time analysis system may change that.

Researchers from the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Philips Healthcare, have developed a new, automated platform capable of returning in-depth analyses of MRI scans in minutes, thereby minimizing patient callbacks, saving millions of dollars annually, and advancing precision medicine.

The team presented a proof-of-concept demonstration of the platform at theInternational Conference on Biomedical and Health Informaticsthis week in Orlando, Florida.

The platform they developed combines the imaging capabilities of the Philips MRI scanner with the processing power of theStampedesupercomputer one of the fastest in the world using the TACC-developedAgave API Platforminfrastructure to facilitate communication, data transfer, and job control between the two.

An API, or Application Program Interface, is a set of protocols and tools that specify how software components should interact. Agave manages the execution of the computing jobs and handles the flow of data from site to site. It has been used for a range of problems, from plant genomics to molecular simulations, and allows researchers to access cyberinfrastructure resources like Stampede via the web.

The Agave Platform brings the power of high-performance computing into the clinic, said William (Joe) Allen, a life science researcher for TACC and lead author on the paper. This gives radiologists and other clinical staff the means to provide real-time quality control, precision medicine, and overall better care to the patient.

The entire article can be found here.

Source:Aaron Dubrow, TACC

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Nvidia Will Power Japan’s fastest AI Super Computer, Tsubame 3.0 Launching This Summer – SegmentNext

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Nvidia will partner with Tokyo Institute of technology for Japans fastest AI supercomputer known as Tsubame 3.0. Tsubame 3.0 is said to be much better than its predecessor Tsubame 2.5, Nvidia will provide the Pascal-based Tesla P1000 GPU technology, accelerating the performance in Tsubame 3.0.

See Also: Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti Launch At GDC GeForce GTX Celebration?

Precisely, experts say that newfastest AI supercomputer: Tsubame 3.0 will be 3X efficient than its predecessor. This will be possible only with the latest GPU technology from Nvidia. Reportedly, new GPUs by Nvidia will deliver up to 12.2 petaflops of double precision performance.

Additionally, Nvidia says that a combination of Tsubame 3.0 and Tsubame 2.5 will pack a performance of 64.3 petaflops and this will make a combined system of Supercomputers to rank in top 10 around the globe.

Tokyo Techs Satoshi Matsuoka, a professor of computer science who is building the fastest AI super computer, further praised the partnership with Nvidia and said:

Nvidias broad AI ecosystem, including thousands of deep learning and inference applications, will enable Tokyo Tech to begin training Tsubame 3.0 immediately to help us more quickly solve some of the worlds once unsolvable problem

In parallel news, Nvidias top tier powerful yet reasonable GPU may be revealed soon at Nvidias GDC event. Nvidias GTX 1080 Ti is rumored to be in production and that it may arrive in late March.

The graphics card is expected to launch from March 20th to 23rd. The custom designed AIB versions of Nvidias GTX 1080Ti are expected to come out in the market sometime after the launch. Since the Geforce GTX 1080Ti will be slightly less in power than TITAN X, its price tag is expected to fall in the range of $750 to $900 at launch.

The graphics card is based on Nvidias GP102 Silicon. Nvidia will host its own show at GDC 2017 and we look forward to see and know more on GeForce GTX 1080Ti. To know more on this story, check out here.

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Stem cell therapy adds pep to pets – Columbus Telegram

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COLUMBUS For the past year, Dr. Todd Paczosa has been practicing what he calls the future of medicine.

The veterinarian treats his four-legged patients through stem cell therapy.

Im not anti-antibiotic, anti-medicine. I just believe that even in the future of cancer treatment that it is going to come down to your body healing itself, Paczosa said.

The process involves removing fatty tissue from a patient, extracting stem cells, then injecting the cells back into the animal's joints to promote healing.

Paczosa said he researched the treatment for about a decade before deciding to offer it at Redstone Veterinary Hospital in Columbus.

Our body is full of cells that heal. You get cut, your body heals. What we are doing is taking those cells, waking them up and saying, Hey, lets go to work, he said.

Since he started offering stem cell therapy last March, 17 dogs, horses and cattle have used the treatment. One of those patients is Butch, a 9-year-old schnauzer owned by Marge Biester of Columbus that was suffering from a strained ligament and achy joints.

He was really hurting. I had to do something for him, Biester said, adding that Butch wasnt putting much weight on his back leg when he walked.

The treatment was done in January. Butch was put under anesthesia to retrieve the fat tissue. Using equipment in-house, the stem cells were extracted and injected back into the dog that same day.

Paczosa, who has been a veterinarian for 23 years, said the entire process can be done in a day.

Biester noticed results in about two weeks.Butch wasnt doing his three-legged walk anymore and began acting like a more-active, younger version of himself.

Im amazed at how quickly he recovered, she said.

Paczosa said all of the animals he has treated so far have shown improvement.

One of these days, we will have one that doesnt work. Thats just medicine, but we havent had one yet, he said.

The possibility of the stem cell therapy not working can be a turnoff for some pet owners who might find it difficult to spend $1,900 to $2,400 for the treatment at Redstone. If it does work, Paczosa said the therapy is less expensive in the long run than putting an animal on medication for extended periods of time to ease the pain from arthritis.

Other pluses, he said, are that the regenerative therapy isnt as invasive as surgery and anti-rejection drugs don't have to be used since the cells come from the same animal.More than one joint can also be treated at a time and it can eliminate the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The biggest risks are putting the animal under anesthesia and infection of the surgical site where the fatty tissue is removed, typically from the shoulder area or abdomen.

Stem cell therapy is practiced at a few hundred veterinary clinics in the country. Redstone works with the animal stem cell company MediVet Biologics and uses that companys in-house technology.

Paczosa said owners have come from other states to use the therapy at his Columbus clinic.

Initial results from the procedure lasts about two years. An option to bank stem cells from a pet is available. A portion of what is taken can be stored in a lab and used again in the future.

For Paczosa's patients, results have been quick and ongoing.

Most owners have seen a dramatic improvement in two weeks. Our first patient is still seeing improvements, he said.

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INDYCAR legend Foyt plans to have stem cell therapy – IndyCar.com – INDYCAR

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(This story originally appeared as exclusive content on the Verizon INDYCAR Mobile app. To download the app for smartphones, click here.)

AVONDALE, Ariz. At 82, A.J. Foyt's body has literally been beaten beyond his years.

The first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 has experienced everything from a broken back at a 1964 NASCAR race in Riverside, California, to two badly broken feet and legs in a horrible crash at Road America in a 1990 Indy car race.

Foyt retired from racing on pole qualifying day at the 1993 Indianapolis 500, but retirement hasn't been much easier. He was stung more than 200 times from an attack of killer bees in 2005, trapped under an overturned bulldozer on his Texas ranch in 2007 and had knee replacements and a hip replacement. In November 2014, Foyt underwent triple-bypass heart surgery and remained in the hospital for weeks afterward because of complications.

Foyt has survived it all but not without a struggle. He now is looking for a fountain of youth and told the Verizon INDYCAR Mobile App that he will undergo stem cell therapy in Cancun, Mexico.

They have to cut away some of the tissue from my stomach and it takes 8-10 weeks for it to grow back to produce the stem cells, Foyt said in an exclusive interview. I'll probably have it done soon so that we can begin the treatment within the next two to three months.

Adult stem cells are able to grow and become a cell for a specific tissue or organ, according to the National Institutes of Health. They are different from embryonic stem cells, which come from fertilized eggs or aborted fetuses. Embryonic stem cells can turn into cells for nearly any tissue in the body.

The procedure is not performed in the United States, so Foyt has found a medical facility in Mexico that can do the treatment that regenerates newer and younger cells. He said he will have stem cells injected into each ankle and shoulder, as well as into his blood.

It used to be you would have to go to Germany to get this procedure, but now it's available in Cancun and that is probably where I'll have it done, Foyt said Saturday during the Verizon IndyCar Series open test at Phoenix Raceway. I'm not in good health like I used to be and, if my son Larry hadn't taken over (running) the team four years ago, I would have had to shut it down. It's something he likes to do and I'm backing him 100 percent.

Foyt said he feels good to be his age after all the crap that I've been through.

I feel better this year than I did last year, Foyt continued. If I get to feeling bad, I probably won't show up at the race. But I'm going to do that stem cell deal. My wife, Lucy, has been pretty sick lately. Dan Pastorini (the former NFL quarterback) did it and it helped him. Peyton Manning (the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback) did it for his neck and it really helped him. Tony Dorsett (the former Dallas Cowboys running back) did it, so I think we should try it.

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Nine months of rheumatoid arthritis suppression with one stem cell dose? – MedCity News

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Dividing mesenchymal stem cells

Its the kind of the data the field has worked towards for years.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients given a single intravenous dose ofMesoblastsnovel stem cell therapy were still demonstrating therapeutic benefits nine months later, according to new Phase 2 data from the Melbourne, Australia-based company.

While much larger Phase 3 studies are needed to validate the results, the data offer a tantalizing look at what optimized and targeted regenerative medicines could do as the field moves closer to an approval.

The study involved 48 patients that were resistant to frontline TNF-alpha therapies, such as Enbrel, Remicade, and Humira.

While these drugs have revolutionized the field and generated billions in revenue around20-40 percent of patients treated with a TNF inhibitor dont achieve a significant reduction in symptoms. Theyre non-responders. Others become resistant over time or experience adverse events.

When TNF inhibitors are off the table, patients are typically prescribed second-line drugs such as Rituxan. These, however, are not as effective and come with a range of serious side effects.

CEOSilviu Itescu said Mesoblasts mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) have demonstrated virtually no toxicity. The immune system doesnt register them as foreign so theres no negative immune response.The cells also appear targeted, intrinsically moving towards sites of inflammation and embedding themselves in the tissue.

The way the cells work is, they have receptors on their surface that are activated by every major cytokine that is important in progressive rheumatoid arthritis, including TNF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-17, Itescu explained. Those cytokines drive the disease and also bind to receptors on our cells. And when they bind to our cells they activate the cells to release other factors that switch off the very cells that made those cytokines.

In other words, MPCs interfere with the feed forward production of inflammatory molecules. Because the cells are addressing multiple pathways, he believes the therapy has an edge on the biologics inhibiting TNF-alpha or others key targets. It is also getting to the heart of the inflammation and disease, not simply knocking the immune system back.

Listed on both the NASDAQ and the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Mesoblast is evaluating its platform to a wide range of diseases. For each indication, the cells are delineated and optimized. Mesoblasts portfolio, Itescu said, is the most advanced in the stem cell field.

At the front of the pack is MSC-100-IV, a Phase 3 therapy for pediatric graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). MSC-100-IV secured orphan drug designation in the U.S., paving the way for an accelerated approval. The company is expecting a data readout in the third-quarter of this year.

Two other product candidates, MPC-150-IM and MPC-06-ID, are in late-stage development for advanced chronic heart failure and chronic low back pain due to degenerative disc disease.

In late December, U.S.-based MallinckrodtPharmaceuticals took an option on the GvHD and lower back pain programs.

When it comes to manufacturing, Itescu said the cells are designed to scale. The foundation for the supply chain is the allogeneic nature of the cells they can be administered to any patient.

Its not a problem for us, its an advantage, Itsecu said about the production logistics.Weve been at this for ten years and weve focused the entire thing on a scalable manufacturing platform using a unique subtype that can be used off-the-shelf and that can be industrially manufactured.

There are plenty of potential customers if the therapy is approved.

Rheumatoid arthritis is particularly lucrative. As Global Business Intelligencenotes, in 2013, three TNF-a-targeting biologics Humira, Remicade, and Enbrel were ranked among the top-10 best-selling drugs in the world, with global revenues of $11.1 billion, $9.9 billion, and $8.9 billion respectively.

Photo: Mesoblast

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Nine months of rheumatoid arthritis suppression with one stem cell dose? - MedCity News

Express Your Spirituality: Be Part of Envision Festival 2017 | The … – The Costa Rica News

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Every last week ofFebruarythousands of people come together to camp at Rancho La Merced near Uvita for the transformational festival Envision. The event is built by teams of volunteers and the organizers of Burning Man festival to model a tropical utopian community using the ideals of creativity, permaculture, sustainability, and eco-building. Transformational festivals are co-created by the participants to be safe, inclusive spaces where fear and societal conditioning can be overcome through spiritual expansion and social collectivity. The festival hosts some of the worlds best DJs and musical performance artists; headlining this year are Opiou, Autograf, and Raising Appalachia.

Envision incorporates yoga and workshops designed to liberate, heal, and empower. A diverse selection of vendors offer healthy, whole food and there are spaces where people can go for healing body and energy work. Envision is unique because it is a family-friendly event that centers around healthy lifestyles and communities, conscientious action, and creative expression.

Envision began as a small music festival held in Dominical and has since evolved into an event put on by the same people that created the Burning Man festival in Nevadas,Black Rock Desert. Burning Man began in 1990 as a counterculture festival about radical inclusion, participation, and freedom of expression. Festivals like Burning Man or Envision feature world music, seminars, workshops, ceremonies, and installation art. They are called transformational because they are gatherings dedicated to awakening human potential and inspiring people through art, spirituality, movement, and education.

The land where the event takes place (Rancho La Merced) is integral to the atmosphere created at the festival. The desert where Burning Man takes place is stark and absurd, complete with artful chaos amid sand storms and intense desert weather. This environment leads participants to be self-reliant and transform their lives by facing their fears and overcoming mental conditioning.

Envision, in the lush jungle near the ocean, is a scene of peaceful cohabitation with nature and respectful acceptance of all beings no matter the cultural differences. Through the creation of a space far from the realities of everyday life, transformationsare supposed to become possible in the form of self-realization. Through self-realization, people can experience unity and happiness and transcend the old systems that make up society.

Get your tickets today and #ViveLaExperiencia

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Book Review: ‘Cannabis and Spirituality’ – Cannabis Now

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Photo courtesy of Cannabis and Spirituality

It was just two years ago that then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence passed the highly controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act that, in part, helped Bill Levin to legally birth The First Church of Cannabis. At the time, the church was widely reported on and was viewed with both awe and contention. Many were shocked and scandalized, but most people were extremely skeptical of using cannabis as a holy sacrament or part of a religious practice. Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorers Guide to an Ancient Plant Spirit Ally is a book that highlights this reality with the respect it deserves.

Award-winning author and pharmacologist Julie Holland, who edited the seminal academic collection of essays in The Pot Book, writes the foreword which provides a great foundation for the tone of the book. While lauding the therapeutic effects of medicinal cannabis, she notes that theres been less of a focus on its spiritual effects across cultures and eras throughout history. Thankfully, this book continues to bridge the gap between our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

In this collection of essays, editor Stephen Gray gives a platform to a wide range of voices within the cannabis industry as well as writing a few pieces within the collection himself. As a lifelong student of many spiritual practices and author of Returning to Sacred World: A Spiritual Toolkit for the Emerging Reality, Gray is no stranger to topics that walk the edge of mainstream culture and this book is no different. His reverence for cannabis is apparent throughout the compilation from referring to cannabis as a euphoriant to his selection of authors to contribute to this project.

These experts in their fields and practitioners of an assortment of healing modalities to share their insight on the connection between cannabis and spirituality in this collection of essays. The thoughtful piece touch on a number of topics from sacred rituals and group ceremonies to everyday practices of creativity with an essay about the link between cannabis and creativity by Floyd Salas a fiction writer who won the 2013 the lifetime achievement American Book Award.

There may be some cannabis lovers who may feel that this book may be a little too esoteric for their interests, but there are a few chapters that can still be relatable for those that arent as mystically inclined. This read is quite a bit different from a lot of other available cannabis books that only offer a look at the therapeutic and medicinal effects of cannabis. Of course, emphasis is given to the moving experiences that reshape perspective and the radical shifts in worldview and personal mentality and the spiritual healing that cannabis has played an integral role in facilitating, but there is a lot of interesting and objective information within the collection as well.

For example, theres essay written by Dee Dessault, the first yoga teacher to offer ganja-enhanced classes in the U.S., where offers she her perspective on cannabis as a spiritual enhancer of a yogic practice. People who practice yoga will appreciate her words of wisdom about how cannabis heighten the experience of the very tenets that yoga promises a deeper sense of connection, a pronounced feeling of relaxation and feelings of acceptance.

In the books final chapter, Gray proposes that if theres a revolution of consciousness transformation arising on this planet, that cannabis will not only be a source of inspiration but will be at the forefront of the movement. While there are more and more signs pointing towards the reality of this concept, there are many who havent waited for mainstream culture to join them in this progressive line of thinking. But when and if they do, those who knew of cannabis true power will welcome them with open arms.

TELL US,what good books have you read lately?

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Spirituality center offers iconography retreats – La Crosse Tribune

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American iconographer Phil Zimmerman returns to the Franciscan Spirituality Center, 920 Market St., to teach the sacred art of iconography. Two separate retreats are available: The Holy Face, May 21-27; and Jonah and the Whale, July 9-15.

Zimmerman will guide participants step-by-step through the process of writing or painting an icon in the Byzantine style, following ancient guidelines and techniques while using modern materials.

Each day of the retreat will include prayer, reflection and historical information specific to the icon. All skill levels are welcome. Each retreat is limited to 25 participants, and all paints, brushes and other materials are provided. By the end of the week, students will have a completed icon varnished and ready to display.

Zimmerman has created hundreds of religious icons for churches and private collectors throughout the world. Based at his St. John of Damascus Icon Studio in Pennsylvania, he has taught more than 2,000 students.

Cost is $625 for the full retreat, which includes all meals and six nights stay or $505 for commuters, which includes retreat, lunch and supper. Register at http://www.fscenter.org or call 608-791-5295.

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Spirituality center offers iconography retreats - La Crosse Tribune

Art museum’s Haitian collection explores spirituality, history, daily life – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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"Saint Francis and the Christ Child" by Hector Hyppolite is on view in Milwaukee Art Museum's Haitian gallery.(Photo: Efraim Lev-er)

Amidworks of Haitian art,pillars creating alakou stand in the middle of the gallery in the Milwaukee Art Museum.

A lakou,which translates into English as a courtyard, serves as space for people to gather for purposes as varied as sacred space to a place to clean and sort rice. This lakouis surrounded by work inthree styles of Haitianart Port-au-Prince,Capashenand Croix-des-Bouquets on the museum's mezzanine level.

Most of it was donated to the museum by collectors Richard and Erna Flagg. The coupleleft the Germany during the rise of the Nazi regime and Richard Flagg became a successful tanner in Milwaukee. Kantara Souffrant,manager of the museum's schools and teachers program, related the story of Richard Flagg walking through the streets of New York City one day in 1973 and seeing a work ofartunlike anything he had seen before.

"He trusted that it was good because he had cultivated an eye as a collector," Souffrant said.

He bought it and thus what would become one of the best Haitian art collections in the world. That collection was gifted to MAM in 1991.

Sorted by style, the work addresses spiritual traditions, everyday life and history of Haiti. Most of the artwork in the collection was created in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

The northwestern section is filled with paintings in the Port-au-Prince style, defined by Hector Hyppolite, a painter and Vodou priest whose paintings often include references to spirits and Vodou. At the time Hyppolite worked, the Catholic Church and the Haitian government were discouraging Vodou and black nationalism was on the rise. His paintings like "Saint Francis and the Christ Child" show figures like the patron saint of animals as dark-skinned rather than white.

His use of Vodou spirits "becomes a way of him saying actually I am here I refuse to deny this part of my cultural tradition," Souffrant said.Vodou, Souffrant said, "sees every single thing in this world as having spirit and being divine. From water, earth, trees to you and I."

Shown on the eastern wall is art in the visually flatter Capashen style, which focuses on architecture history. These works are brought to life through an audio station that allows visitors to hear what the scene in the painting, if real, would sound like through spoken word and music.

"The Crucifixion of Charlemagne Pralte for Freedom" by Philom Obin is on view in the Haitian gallery in the Milwaukee Art Museum.(Photo: Efraim Lev-er)

The Capashen grouping here walks visitors through important moments in Haiti's history."The Crucifixion of Charlemagne Pralte for Freedom" by Philom Obin shows how Haitian history is intertwined with the United States. From 1915 until 1934, U.S. Marines occupied the country. Pralte was a leader in the Haitian nationalist opposition to occupation. He was betrayed by one of his own men and shot dead by a U.S. Marine. Pralte was tied to a door and a flag was draped over him. The Marines took a picture of his body and spread it around the country.Obin's painting, completed 50 years after Pralte's death, is based on that image.

"Circular Composition" by Srsier Louisjuste is crafted from steel oil barrels. The work is on view in the Haitian gallery in the Milwaukee Art Museum.(Photo: Efraim Lev-er)

Grand sculptures made from oil drums from theCroix-des-Bouquets fill the southern wall. The steel forming "Circular Compositions (Kompozisyon Anwon)" (1972) by Srsier Louisjuste shows human manifestations of the spirits and animals. In a hands-on station, visitors can feel how the thick steel from the oil drums is flattened and cut into the sculptures.

In February, visitors can also enjoy related Saturday afternoon performances in the Haitian area. Ko-Thi Dance Company will perform at 1 p.m. Feb. 18. Jahmes Finlayson and Friends will play African-rooted music in the Haitian area at 1 p.m. Feb. 25.

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Best Books on Spiritual Enlightenment / Awakening

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1 I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj by Nisargadatta Maharaj 4.51 avg rating 3,214 ratings

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Best Books on Spiritual Enlightenment / Awakening

Remembering Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s spiritual legacy on his 181st birthday – YourStory.com

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What is it about the divine that awes us so? How is it the one untouched space of a higher consciousness that no amount of scientific data can even try to penetrate? Is it simply a religious superstition cascaded down the ages or the fear to divulge into the unknown?

However, every once in several decades, a man or woman is born in this state of higher consciousness and with age, they have the option to either harbour and nurture it deeply or dismiss it for the flashy decadence of the world. But these yogis or mystics have often been thought of as middle-men, chains between the mortal and the divine, with one foot in each world.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was one such yogi who, from an extremely early age, responded to a greater calling. Born into a family of Brahmins in 19th century Bengal, as Gadadhar Chatterjee, Ramakrishnas disciples included influential names like Swami Vivekananda, Kaliprasad Chandra, and Sri Keshab Chandra Sen, who took his teachings to the world-stage.

Vivekananda, one of historys greatest leaders and social activists, built a series of homes across the country as a tribute to his mentor, known as The Ramakrishna Mission. In a letter he wrote to Alasinga Perumal, he stated his absolute awe and intimate respect for his guru, saying, This man had in fifty-one years lived the five thousand years of national spiritual life and so raised himself to be an object-lesson for future generations.

Ramakrishnas official patronage of the divine and his claim to have been visited by the Goddess Kali herself were recorded back when he presided as priest at the famous Dakhineshwar Temple, created by Rani Rashmoni back in 1855. Soon after this, his powerful persona and call for a simplistic religion a complete contrast to the variegated and complex practices of other Brahmins in those times attracted dozens of disciples from all kinds of social backgrounds in colonial India.

Later, Ramakrishna and his wife, Saradamoni Mukhopadhyay, endorsed the idea of a single unified religion for the world that of God without the confinements of labels like Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. To understand this almost monotheistic religion, he took to practising both Islam, where he claimed to have experienced a vision of a radiant white bearded man, as well as Christianity, where he had a vision of Madonna and Child and of Jesus himself.

Having completed all 64 sadhanas of tantras under the guidance of a female sage, Bhairavi Brahmani, learning the inner mechanics of the Vaishnav faith from Guru Jatadhari during 1864, and being initiated into Sanyaas (the formal life of an ascetic) during 1865 from Monk Totapuri, Ramakrishna used his own experience and enlightenment of the world as a lesson to his disciples across the world.

Celebrating his religiously liberal legacy 181 years after his birth, here is a list of some of his most soul-stirring and introspective quotesthat capture the beauty of life and spirituality:

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Remembering Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's spiritual legacy on his 181st birthday - YourStory.com

Nashville Season 5 Episode 8 Recap: Stand Beside Me – Parade

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February 17, 2017 9:57 AM ByRachel Weingarten Parade @rachelcw More by Rachel

Still need to catch up on last weeks episode? Heres the previousNashville recap.

Here be spoilers and some of them will be in all caps.

Nashville, what were you thinking? The season started with the aftermath of a plane crash and now you have another major character ostensibly fighting for her life after a car crash? And you, Miss Connie Britton, with an inscrutable sphinxlike expression on your face last week when I asked you about the rumors about Rayna possibly leaving the show after the mid-season. You knew! You knew that our girl would escape the stalker only tookay, lets back up and recap first and then we can all get back to fussing and fretting (and possibly fuming, depending on what happens in the coming weeks).

The Breakfast Club:

Things are mostly copacetic as the episode opens with our darling Daphne whipping up pancakes and bacon for the family. Of course, Maddie comes in (storms in?) demanding something else to eat and announces that the security guards are back, leaving Daphne feeling betrayed that no one warned her. Apparently, Creepy Carl AKA The Stalker posted bail and is standing outside their home. Is this legal? they all wonder. Apparently, the restraining order requires him to stay 300 feet away from Rayna and company at all times hence his positioning himself 317 feet away from the house. Needless to say, Deacon is less than pleased and threatens to go all Wolverine to protect his family, but the security guards talk him down. By the next morning, Carl is gone, but Raynas had a sleepless night. And next week are the CMT Awards says Rayna in a rather meta moment.

Are You There God? Its Me, Daphne.

Still on the home front, Daphne has a tummy ache. Later on, we find out shes gotten her first period. Theres some uncomfortable moments between Daphne and Maddie (who is the worst big sister in the history of big sisters), Daphne and Rayna (who wins Adorable Mother of the Year) and Rayna and Deacon who wonders if they should throw Daph a period party. No. Just, no. Rayna settles for a familiar robins egg blue box from Tiffany with a moon gift for Daphne. I dont know about you, but after Game of Thrones Cersei being obsessed with Sansas flowering and poor Daphnes very public period storyline, Im well past very awkward TV puberty.

Sister Act:

Juliettes at church learning about Isaiah and his or our quest for inner peace, which apparently, Juliette is discovering during time spent with the choir. So much so that she tells Hallie she wants to do a gospel album with her and the choir, and asks if Hallie can arrange for them to speak.

Juliette and Hallie go to the church a bit later on to discuss the potential album. Theres a frisson of excitement initially, but then the questions get tougher and a bit snarkier. Were all taught a valuable lesson about the way different faiths perceive the importance of their music and Juliette is schooled in the history of gospel. Juliette is a star after all (she calls her music her art, so we know shes serious) and gets a little bit witchy with the congregation. Hallie gives her a sad, sad disappointed face.

The next day though, Juliette humbly apologizes to the group and bares her soul a bit. We hear once again that shes been a sinner and God works in mysterious ways and some other thoughts that feel a bit like platitudes, but seem to win over the crowd. Theyre moved by her words and agree to move ahead with the album as partners and equals. Expect a future scene in an upcoming episode comprised of a happy/clappy/singing/hand-wringing montage followed by a beatific looking Juliette and choir on an album cover.

Apparently, Juliettes come to Jesus moments have also inspired her to view Averys music more critically. Juliettes not loving his new song, and thinks it sounds too much like his old songs. The girl has a point, but one wonders if shes being overly critical in wake of her own musical spiritual enlightenment.

Much Ado About Something:

That Damien. Hes a real nogoodnik. Remember when he said he was leaving town and then texted Scarlett that he didnt leave town? Well, the two meet for lunch. I think theyre supposed to be all yearn-y, but I wasnt feeling it. Apparently, Scarlett was though, since she tells Damien shes all confused. Damien thinks they should remedy that by eating lunch and getting to know each other and then hell go back to his HOTEL ROOM. Okay, he didnt present it that way, but (with apologies to Chekhov*) all know that if theres a hotel room mentioned at the beginning of a scene its going to be put to use at some point. Then Scarlett and Deacon hang out and chew the fat about relationshipsjust your average chit chat. That inspires Scar to head over to Gunnars to, oh, I dont know, DUMP HIM. She gives him a pretty lukewarm speech about how she isnt sure about her feelings and that she feels something right now for Damien. And, oh, she also doesnt feel anything for Gunnar (ouch) and that scares her and shes not going to let her fears stop her anymore. Gunnars not having it and basically tells her to go ahead and have sex with Damien since thats what shes planning.

Okay, heres a momentary aside. The chemistry between Damien and Scarlett is so tepid, that I really did think she needed some time for herself. Maybe she wasnt having a Chaka Khan moment, but I really didnt think that the next scene would have her and Damien post-sexy time. Ill back up for a moment.

The next thing we know, Scarlett is in a bathrobe, looking pensively out the window. I honestly thought this would be the moment shed turn to Damien and say something like This is a mistake. I cant. I need time for myself. You know, basically what she just said to Gunnar. Instead, Damien walks out clad in a towel wheeling out a room service cart with waffles and champagne and other fancy foods to replenish their strength after their earlier exertions. Scarlett says she should leave. They both talk about how much fun it was. They mutually decide to have more fun. So, is this when we wave boy, bye to Gunnar and try on Darlett or Scarmien for size?

A Star is Born:

Maddie went to Claytons gig on her own, and man, is she good. Rayna and her entourage show up. Both mother and daughter are bopping their heads along to the music, so we know its good. And while Highway 65 might not have its next big thing, Ray Ray offers to maybe mentor and advise Clay on his music and career, but he has to promise to take care of Maddie. Awww. Cute. Do we sense a CMT spinoff a la The Voice sometime soon? Or maybe NashvilLa La Land?

All By Myself:

Rayna leaves to go to work. Her security guy does a short once over of the space and then heads out to sit in the car. So, wheres the around the clock security cameras? Why isnt someone stationed IN the office? Because you know whats coming. A STALKER IS COMING and hes been hiding out in the broom closet all night. Hes got a great big knife and comes up on Rayna while her eyes are closed and shes listening to some music (with all the lights in the office off, because you know, its not creepy enough).

Poor Rayna. She tries to escape and stalker guy tries to calm her down, saying he doesnt even know why he brought a knife and that its not sharp. No, but its HUGE and SCARY. Rayna then quickly shifts into calm mode and tries to talk the stalker talk. The woman should moonlight as a hostage negotiator, shes that calm. So apparently, his name is really Wayne and he was abused as a child. He and Rayna bond over dysfunctional families; his father abused him, but Raynas dad murdered her mother when she was only 12, and shes not a psychopath, so she totally wins this round. Also, she channels her pain into music while he channels his pain into stalking, so Raynas really in the lead here. Related/unrelated, did every single character on Nashville go through tremendous childhood trauma?

Anyway, while Raynas talking, shes secretly dialing 911. Wayne the Stalker hears and tries to grab her as she runs to the door. The police department calls Rs security guy and suddenly everyone rushes into H65 simultaneously. Guns are raised and so is the knifeto Raynas neck. Rayna looks terrified but keeps telling Wayne not to give in to the bad part of himself and just when I thought that it would drag out into a cliffhanger episode, Wayne apologizes and.lets her go. I kind of thought there would be a bit more to it. Wayne stabbing himself or trying to commit death by police, but it ends there.

OR DOES IT?

The police think Rayna should go to the hospital, but she just wants to go home. Safely tucked into the back of a police car Rayna calls Deacon and through her tears tells him something awful has happened, but shes okay. He says Come home, baby. And I got all melty, until we see from our peripheral vision (which cant really be peripheral vision if were facing the screen, but I was a bit traumatized, so be gentle with me) a car is speeding straight at Rayna and directly into the passenger side and BOOM. Glass shatters and Rayna is thrown forward.

Nashville, I kind of hate you right now. With the rumor mill running overtime with hints that Connie Britton wont be returning to the show, is it even possible that Rayna will die? Or will she come back with a new face and played by Elizabeth Banks or Julie Bowen?

In the meantime, I think we should all be lighting incense or candles and baking casseroles to bring to Deacon. The man will need a lot of comforting in the tough weeks ahead.

So what did you think about this episode? Any theories about what might happen to Rayna? Any thoughts on Damien and Scarlett and who Gunnar might end up with next?

*Chekhovs Gun is a plot device shared by playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov in a letter to a fellow playwright. He wrote One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isnt going to go off. Its wrong to make promises you dont mean to keep. In other words, if theres a gun on stage in scene one, youd better use it at some point in the story. In the case of this episode, Damiens hotel room was announced, so we knew it would probably see some action.

Catch up on the first four seasons of Nashville on Hulu and watch new episodes on CMT, Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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Nashville Season 5 Episode 8 Recap: Stand Beside Me - Parade

Why NASA is sending a superbug to the space station – CNN

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Before you start to worry, this isn't a sign of an impending apocalypse. Working in conjunction with NASA, lead researcher Dr. Anita Goel hopes that by sending MRSA bacteria to a zero-gravity environment, we can better understand how superbugs mutate to become resistant to available antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, sometimes called a staph, is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and many others. It can cause a variety of health problems including sepsis, pneumonia and skin and bloodstream infections.

Goel is a medical doctor and a physicist. She's also chairwoman and CEO of her lab and company, Nanobiosym which seeks out breakthroughs and technologies that span and combine physics, biomedicine and nanotechnology.

"We are excited to put MRSA on the International Space Station and investigate the effects of microgravity on the growth and mutation patterns of these bugs," Goel said at a NASA news conference last week. "I have this hypothesis that microgravity will accelerate the mutation patterns. If we can use microgravity as an accelerator to fast-forward and get a sneak preview of what these mutations will look like, then we can essentially build smarter drugs on Earth."

Goel is also interested to see the changes in the gene expression patterns of this bacteria.

This all connects back to Goel's initial interest in the effect of an environment on DNA and what can be retrieved from it.

"The DNA is like a piano. The info in the DNA sequence is only part of what makes the music of an organism," she said. "The info embedded in the environment interplays with what is embedded in the DNA sequence, and together, they determine the music that the organism plays."

"If indeed we can use the ISS as an accelerator, an incubator, to know what future mutations of superbugs like MRSA will be, we use that info to develop better algorithms on Earth to inform drug discovery and faster ways to get to smarter drugs that are more personalized and more precisely targeted to a bug or strain at hand. We can have those drugs ready before the mutations even show up on Earth."

For anyone concerned about delivering a superbug to astronauts within the cramped quarters of the space station, Goel offered reassurance that they will never come directly into contact with the bacteria. This isn't NASA's first rodeo with bacteria or superbugs on the station, she said.

The bacteria will be sealed with three levels of containment and tightly packaged, including a portable habitat that is protected from rapid depressurization and even the rigors of traveling on a rocket to the station.

Goel is curious to see the effects of not only microgravity on the bacteria but electromagnetic radiation and other unanticipated elements. Studying anything in space is going to afford new understanding across multiple fields, she said.

"I think the space station and microgravity is an excuse for us to relook at our accepted paradigms and ways of thinking from a fresh perspective, and once we do that, we learn new things and discover new ways of looking at old things and looking at old data in new ways."

See more here:

Why NASA is sending a superbug to the space station - CNN

Watch SpaceX launch a mission to the International Space Station and land its rocket afterward – Quartz

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TIME
Watch SpaceX launch a mission to the International Space Station and land its rocket afterward
Quartz
Update on Feb. 18 at 10:05am ET: The countdown was aborted with just 13 seconds to go, because of a technical fault. The next launch window for the CRS-10 mission is tomorrow, Feb. 19, at 9:38am EST. SpaceX will fly a load of science and supplies to ...
Watch Live: SpaceX Launches a Rocket to the International Space StationTIME
SpaceX rocket to roar into orbit to space stationABC Action News
SpaceX delays rocket launch to International Space StationCBC.ca
MassLive.com -Spaceflight Now -WFTV Orlando -YouTube
all 225 news articles »

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Watch SpaceX launch a mission to the International Space Station and land its rocket afterward - Quartz

How to see the International Space Station from Atlanta this weekend – Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Calling all stargazers! Take a look at the sky tonight to catch the International Space Station cruise across the sky.

On Friday, Feb. 17, you will be able tosee the stationat 7:53 p.m. for two minutes. Catch the second sighting on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:01 p.m. for three minutes.

Wondering what you should be looking for? The station resembles a bright star or airplane, but it will be moving much faster than a jet. NASA has a guide to finding the station in the night sky.

NASA commander Shane Kimbrough, a Smyrna native and Georgia Tech grad,and two other Russian cosmonauts launched into space from Kazakhstan in October to conduct science investigations in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development.

Although the crew members wont hit solid ground for a few more weeks, Kimbrough has been giving folks an inside look at his experience. Just last month,he tweeted a photo of his hometown from 250 miles above Earth.

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How to see the International Space Station from Atlanta this weekend - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Cabbage harvested aboard space station: NASA – Economic Times

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WASHINGTON: Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have harvested the first crop of Chinese cabbage after spending nearly a month tending to the leafy greens, according to NASA.

While the space station crew will get to eat some of the Tokyo Bekana Chinese cabbage harvested by astronaut Peggy Whitson, the rest is being saved for scientific study back at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre.

This is the fifth crop grown aboard the station, and the first Chinese cabbage. The crop was chosen after evaluating several leafy vegetables on a number of criteria, such as how well they grow and their nutritional value.

The top four candidates were sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center's Space Food Systems team, where they brought in volunteer tasters to sample the choices.

The Tokyo Bekana turned out to be the most highly rated in all the taste categories, NASA said.

Astronauts often report that their taste buds dull during spaceflight, and they frequently add hot sauce, honey or soy sauce to otherwise bland-tasting fare.

One explanation for this may be that, in a reduced gravity environment, the fluid in astronauts' bodies shifts around equally, rather than being pulled down into their legs as we're accustomed to on Earth.

However, there is a backup plan to ensure the crew's culinary delight.

If the fresh Chinese cabbage they grew does not awaken their taste buds on its own, packets of ranch dressing were also sent up to help them enjoy the fruits (or veggies) of their labour, NASA said.

This year, a second Veggie system will be sent up to be seated next to the current one. It will provide side-by-side comparisons for future plant experiments and will hopefully make astronauts happy to have a bigger space garden.

Aboard the next resupply mission to the space station will be an experiment involving Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant, and petri plates inside the Veggie facility.

Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, making it a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies.

"These experiments will provide a key piece of the puzzle of how plants adjust their physiology to meet the needs of growing in a place outside their evolutionary experience," said Dr Anna Lisa Paul, the principal Investigator, from University of Florida in the US.

"And the more complete our understanding, the more success we will have in future missions as we take plants with us off planet," said Paul.

The rest is here:

Cabbage harvested aboard space station: NASA - Economic Times

Six UFOs ‘creep past’ International Space Station before NASA ‘cuts live feed’ – Irish Independent

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The 31-second video appears to focus on the outside of the American station and within seconds, 'six large' glowing orbs crept past the camera.

According to the Daily Mail the sighting was originally spotted by Youtube user Streetcap1, who then shared the clip online.

The video was shared with alien conspiracy website SecureTeam and Tyler from group told the website that he believed the items would be "fairly large".

"Much larger than NASA's typical excuse of ice particles, we must be looking at icebergs."

Tyler explained that suspiciously NASA cut the live feed and replaced it with feed from camera showing the inside of a briefing room.

Last month John Craddick, from Wolverhampton in the UK, claimed he spotted another UFO on the ISS live feed.

He told the Mirror: "I've been watching it [the live feed] for years but never seen any UFOs on it before.

"I was showing a friend how it worked at around 11.30pm when the feed cut out, and 35 seconds after it came back on, this object appeared.

"At first it was really small and then it grew bigger, lasting for about 25 seconds," he said.

Mr Craddick claims that it must be alien because "nothing human can fly that high"

Below shows a similar occurrence that happened in 2015.

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Six UFOs 'creep past' International Space Station before NASA 'cuts live feed' - Irish Independent

LOCKED IN: Shonduras and Spacestation crew livestream until they hit 1 million subscribers – KUTV 2News

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(KUTV) A Utah viral YouTube star and his staff aren't leaving their office this Friday ... instead they will be locked in until they hit 1 million YouTube subscribers.

He had 951,800 subscribers on YouTube, as of early Friday evening. Watch the live video below to see what Shonduras and the Spacestation crew are up to and chat with them live to cheer them on.

Why would anyone voluntarily do this to themselves? Well, because Shaun McBride of Syracuse, who was recently named Forbes Magazine 30 under 30, isn't used to conventional ideas like going home on the weekend. Instead he had an idea. He thought about keeping himself and his crew locked inside the "spacestation," the name they use to refer to their office space, until they hit a goal. The Weber State University Communication graduate realized this could result in a number of outcomes -- but what Forbes 30 under 30 business owner hasn't taken a chance?

Less than an hour into the lock in a few of the crew members were already wondering what they had done to themselves.

"I think we put ourself in an awkward situation where we hold ourselves hostage," one spacestation crew member said during the live stream event.

McBride told KUTV that the rate of getting new subscribers varies, but on average it takes about two weeks to get 10,000 new ones. One of the staff members piped up during the live stream that his brother did some quick analytics math and estimated at their current rate they would hit 1 million subscribers in ... 81 hours.

McBride started his social media venture on Snapchat, where he has amassed more than 600,000 followers. and it evolved over time into what it is today.

Shonduras has teamed up with big names like Samsung and Google and a number of other brands to help them develop social strategy and create branded content, according to Forbes.

If you are looking for all the ways to follow Shonduras and their vlogs check out the options below:

Snapchat

Instagram

YouTube

Twitter

Facebook

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LOCKED IN: Shonduras and Spacestation crew livestream until they hit 1 million subscribers - KUTV 2News