Monthly Archives: February 2017

Comparing Trump to Stalin, Australia’s Chief Scientist Warns Against Censorship – Common Dreams

Posted: February 7, 2017 at 7:43 am


Common Dreams
Comparing Trump to Stalin, Australia's Chief Scientist Warns Against Censorship
Common Dreams
American scientists are facing censorship on par with that imposed in the USSR under Josef Stalin, Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel said during a scientific roundtable in Canberra, Australia, on Monday. "Science is literally under attack ...
Australia's chief scientist: Trump's EPA changes akin to Stalin's censorship of scienceTheBlaze.com
Australia's Top Scientist Blasts Donald Trump Over Stalin-Like CensorshipHuffington Post
Australia's chief scientist tears Trump's EPA mandate: 'It's reminiscent of the censorship exerted by political ...The Week Magazine
The Guardian -The Australian -The Sydney Morning Herald
all 15 news articles »

See the original post:
Comparing Trump to Stalin, Australia's Chief Scientist Warns Against Censorship - Common Dreams

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on Comparing Trump to Stalin, Australia’s Chief Scientist Warns Against Censorship – Common Dreams

Documents About Financial Censorship Under Operation Choke Point Show Concern from Congress, Provide Few … – EFF

Posted: at 7:43 am

EFF recently received dozens of pages of documents in response to a FOIA request we submitted about Operation Choke Point, a Department of Justice project to pressure banks and financial institutions into cutting off service to certain businesses. Unfortunately, the response from the Department of Justice leaves many questions unanswered.

EFF has been tracking instances of financial censorship for years to identify how online speech is indirectly silenced or intimidated by shuttering bank accounts, donation platforms, and other financial institutions. The Wall Street Journal wrote about the Justice Departments controversial and secretive campaign against financial institutions in 2013, and one Justice Department official quoted in the article stated:

"We are changing the structures within the financial system that allow all kinds of fraudulent merchants to operate," with the intent of "choking them off from the very air they need to survive."

While Operation Choke Point was purportedly aimed at shutting down fraudulent online payday loan companies, we became concerned that this campaign could also affect legal online businesses.

EFF filed FOIA requests with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission. The documents EFF received from the DOJ are primarily correspondence between members of Congress and the Department of Justice. In that correspondence, Congress members raised concerns about Operation Choke Point, asked questions about how it operates, and stated that this is an issue that constituents are sending letters about.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Kenny Marchant (D-TX), for example, emailed the Department of Justice with specific questions about how the Department defines a high risk financial business.

In the correspondence we received, the DOJ overwhelmingly replied with form letters that didnt describe the criteria the Department used to decide whether a company was considered high risk, how many companies were currently labeled high risk, whether a company would ever know if it was considered high risk, or any appeal process for companies to have themselves removed from that category.

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) wrote a letter to then Attorney General Eric Holder describing how two community banks in Wisconsin were bullied by regional agents of the FDIC, who told them to stop working with prominent online lenders:

These banks were informed that if they chose to ignore the FDIC's request, they would face "the highest levels of scrutiny they could imagine," and were given no explanation, details of complaints, or any evidence as to why these demands were being made.'

Duffy called these threats "outrageous" and "intimidation tactics."

Other members of Congress wrote to the Department of Justice about how Operation Choke Point was hampering opportunities for law-abiding Native American tribes and the Hispanic community.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), who cosponsored the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and advocates for additional financial regulation, expressed deep concern about the Department of Justice stepping beyond the bounds of the law with Operation Choke Point. In his letter to Holder, he stated:

As much as I would like to see stronger regulation of consumer lenders, I've sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Accordingly, I must oppose efforts to "legislate by prosecution" and legislate by "criminal investigation," even if I agree partly or completely with the ultimate substantive aim.

He also said, "[y]our department should conduct criminal investigations for the purpose of enforcing laws we havenot laws you (and I) might wish we had."

Unfortunately, the responses from the Department of Justice left more questions than answers. Vital details about Operation Choke Pointincluding what industries beyond online loans may be impacted, the exact criteria for labeling a business high risk, and the tactics used to pressure banks into participationare still unknown.

Many people believe that Americas financial institutions may need additional regulation, and some may believe that online lenders should face additional scrutiny. However, an intimidation squadron secretly pressuring banks to cut off businesses without due process is not the right way forward. As weve seen with digital booksellers, whistleblower websites, online publishers, and online personal ads, payment providers often cave to pressurewhether formal or informalto shut down or restrict accounts of those engaged in First Amendment-protected activity. In order to foster a future where digital expression can flourish, we need to ensure that necessary service providers like banks and payment processors dont turn into the weak link used to cut off unpopular speech.

But that requires transparency. We need more information about how the government is pressuring financial institutions. Unfortunately, the Department of Justices nonresponses to Congress dont get us any closer to understanding this complicated issue.

Check out the most recent documents EFF got in response to its FOIA request on Operation Choke Point. See documents EFF received earlier on this program.

Originally posted here:
Documents About Financial Censorship Under Operation Choke Point Show Concern from Congress, Provide Few ... - EFF

Posted in Censorship | Comments Off on Documents About Financial Censorship Under Operation Choke Point Show Concern from Congress, Provide Few … – EFF

Sharon DuBois: Libertarians offer a choice of freedom – Kansas City Star

Posted: at 7:42 am


Kansas City Star
Sharon DuBois: Libertarians offer a choice of freedom
Kansas City Star
Frederic Bastiat, whose political and economic ideas strongly influenced libertarianism, once wrote, Every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. Indeed, modern-day ...

View post:
Sharon DuBois: Libertarians offer a choice of freedom - Kansas City Star

Posted in Libertarianism | Comments Off on Sharon DuBois: Libertarians offer a choice of freedom – Kansas City Star

New report examines the genomics market – WhaTech

Posted: at 7:41 am

Genomics is the scientific field which primarily deals with the evolution, mapping and structure of a genome. Genome analysis is undertaken with the purpose of assigning numerical values to genes which orchestrate the production of various proteins.

Over the past few decades, genomics companies have tried map out the mutation of a cells DNA in an effort to understand how diseases like cancer arise. Recent advances in bioinformatics have led to revolutionary research advances to understand critical biological organs like the brain.

Another important factor driving DNA sequencing as well as other human genetics projects is the quest for immortality. Medical professionals are confident that as technology and their understanding advances, they can not only prolong the life of a human being, but also gain success in the pursuit for immorality.

Scope & Regional Forecast of the Genomics Market

The Genomics Market considers the primary growth drivers to be a few factors like: an increasingly competitive pharmaceutical industry; human genetics being widely utilized during the development of new medicine categories; rising demand for genome analysis as governments look to modify plants and animals for enhanced yields and superior adaptability respectively; and a decline in the prices of equipment produced by genomics companies.

The Genomics Market expects Asia-Pacific to drive market expansion during the next few years as growing economies like China and India increasingly depend on genome sequencing for improving crop yields as well as to solve healthcare problems. India is home to a vibrant pharmaceutical industry which is constantly on the lookout for medical innovations which bring down the cost of drugs, treatments or procedures.

The Genomics Market revenue is all set to exceed the $7 Billion mark by 2022 at a CAGR of 7.5%.

Report: industryarc.com/pdfdownload.php?id=1275

Segmentations & Key Players Involved in the Genomics Market

The Genomics Market can be broken down into various segmentations on the basis of -

Product Type: Products (DNA Microarrays, Electrophoresis, X-Ray Crystallography, Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr), DNA Sequencers, Chromatography) and Reagents Used.

Service Industry: Bio-Informatics Database, Bio-Informatics Tools and Laboratory Services.

End User Application: Anthropology, Agriculture, Cytogenetics, Diagnostics, Drug Discovery, Toxicogenomics and Others.

Geographical Location: Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World.

Some of the key players involved in the Genomics Market are as follows:

Why access this report?

* The overall market has been consolidated from the perspective of different geographic locations and key economies for this market.

* Identifies growth sectors and factors driving or constraining the market.

* The market is analyzed based on the key attributes such as the power in the hands of producers and consumers, analysis on the degree of competition, and threats from substitutes and new entrants.

* The study includes the demand of this particular market on a global and regional scale for a six year period of 2016 - 2022, to assess how the market will develop.

Report: industryarc.com/1275

...

See the article here:
New report examines the genomics market - WhaTech

Posted in Immortality Medicine | Comments Off on New report examines the genomics market – WhaTech

Can Hot Peppers Make You Live Longer? This Study Says Yes! – Reader’s Digest

Posted: at 7:41 am

istock/ktsimageHot peppers are the unofficial superfood we all need. They help you lose weight, jumpstart metabolism, and stimulate endorphins as a proven aphrodisiac. And based on a new study, they harness one more superpower: immortality.

Okay, its not that drastic, but hot peppers may be able to increase your lifespan. Researchers from the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont found that the consumption of hot red chili peppers (not to be confused with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) is associated with a 13 percent lower risk of death, especially concerning deaths caused by heart disease or stroke.

These findings are based on 23 years worth of data collected from more than 16,000 Americans. Those who ate any amount of hot red chili peppers, excluding ground chili peppers, were considered chili pepper consumers. After 23 years, the death rate of pepper-eaters (21.6 percent) was lower than the death rate of participants who did not eat the peppers at all (33.6 percent).

The authors behind this study arent sure why chili peppers could delay death, but it could have something do to with capsaicin (the primary component of chili peppers) and its receptors in the body called TRP channels. Capsaicin improves digestion, has antioxidant properties that fight infections, and may fight cardiovascular disease. Certain types of TRP channels may protect against obesity.

So the next time youre debating what kind of salsa to buy, opt for the hottest flavor. It could give you some extra time on this lovely planet of ours.

MORE: 6 Spicy Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Continued here:
Can Hot Peppers Make You Live Longer? This Study Says Yes! - Reader's Digest

Posted in Immortality Medicine | Comments Off on Can Hot Peppers Make You Live Longer? This Study Says Yes! – Reader’s Digest

Genomics Market Expects Asia-Pacific to Drive CAGR of 7.5% Till at … – Digital Journal

Posted: at 7:41 am

Genomics Market Revenue, Spurred by Research Advances & Superior Crop Yields, is Expected to Exceed the $7 Billion Mark by 2022.

Genomics is the scientific field which primarily deals with the evolution, mapping and structure of a genome. Genome analysis is undertaken with the purpose of assigning numerical values to genes which orchestrate the production of various proteins. Over the past few decades, genomics companies have tried map out the mutation of a cells DNA in an effort to understand how diseases like cancer arise. Recent advances in bioinformatics have led to revolutionary research advances to understand critical biological organs like the brain. Another important factor driving DNA sequencing as well as other human genetics projects is the quest for immortality. Medical professionals are confident that as technology and their understanding advances, they can not only prolong the life of a human being, but also gain success in the pursuit for immorality. Hence, the Genomics Market is well placed to register significant growth during the forecast period of 2016-2022.

Scope & Regional Forecast of the Genomics Market

The Genomics Market considers the primary growth drivers to be a few factors like: an increasingly competitive pharmaceutical industry; human genetics being widely utilized during the development of new medicine categories; rising demand for genome analysis as governments look to modify plants and animals for enhanced yields and superior adaptability respectively; and a decline in the prices of equipment produced by genomics companies.

The Genomics Market expects Asia-Pacific to drive market expansion during the next few years as growing economies like China and India increasingly depend on genome sequencing for improving crop yields as well as to solve healthcare problems. India is home to a vibrant pharmaceutical industry which is constantly on the lookout for medical innovations which bring down the cost of drugs, treatments or procedures. The Genomics Market revenue is all set to exceed the $7 Billion mark by 2022 at a CAGR of 7.5%.

Avail Sample @http://industryarc.com/pdfdownload.php?id=1275

Segmentations & Key Players Involved in the Genomics Market

The Genomics Market can be broken down into various segmentations on the basis of -

Product Type: Products (DNA Microarrays, Electrophoresis, X-Ray Crystallography, Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr), DNA Sequencers, Chromatography) and Reagents Used.

Service Industry: Bio-Informatics Database, Bio-Informatics Tools and Laboratory Services.

End User Application: Anthropology, Agriculture, Cytogenetics, Diagnostics, Drug Discovery, Toxicogenomics and Others.

Geographical Location: Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World.

Some of the key players involved in the Genomics Market are as follows:

Why buy this report?

* The overall market has been consolidated from the perspective of different geographic locations and key economies for this market.

* Identifies growth sectors and factors driving or constraining the market.

* The market is analyzed based on the key attributes such as the power in the hands of producers and consumers, analysis on the degree of competition, and threats from substitutes and new entrants.

* The study includes the demand of this particular market on a global and regional scale for a six year period of 2016 - 2022, to assess how the market will develop.

Make an Inquiry @http://industryarc.com/inquiry-before-buying.php?id=1275

Media Contact Company Name: IndustryARC Contact Person: Mr. Sanjay Matthews Email: sales@industryarc.com Phone: 1-614-588-8538 (Ext: 101) Country: United States Website: http://www.industryarc.com

Originally posted here:
Genomics Market Expects Asia-Pacific to Drive CAGR of 7.5% Till at ... - Digital Journal

Posted in Immortality Medicine | Comments Off on Genomics Market Expects Asia-Pacific to Drive CAGR of 7.5% Till at … – Digital Journal

Noted philosopher to deliver Tanner Lectures on ‘Posthuman, All too Human’ – Yale News

Posted: at 7:41 am

Posthuman, All Too Human is the theme of the 2017 Tanner Lectures on Human Values that will be delivered this spring by philosopher Rosi Braidotti of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Her first talk, titled Memoirs of a Posthumanist, will be on Wednesday, March 1; the second, Aspirations of a Posthumanist, will take place on Thursday, March 2. Both talks will be held at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St. Braidotti will be joined by Joanna Radin, assistant professor of the history of medicine and of history, and Rdiger Campe, the Alfred C. and Martha F. Mohr Professor of Germanic Languages & Literatures and professor of comparative literature, for further discussion at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 3.

Both lectures and the discussion are free and open to the public.

Braidotti is the Distinguished University Professor and founding director of the Centre for the Humanities at Utrecht University. Her published works include Patterns of Dissonance: An Essay on Women in Contemporary French Philosophy, Nomadic Subjects: Embodiment and Sexual Difference in Contemporary Feminist Theory, Metamorphoses: Towards a Materialist Theory of Becoming, Transpositions: On Nomadic Ethics, and The Posthuman. In 2016, she co-edited Conflicting Humanities with Paul Gilroy.

Braidotti has been an elected board member of the Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes since 2009. She is also an honorary fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a member of the Academia Europaea. She was awarded honorary degrees by the University of Helsinki and the University of Linkoping. In 2005, she was knighted into the Order of the Netherlands by Queen Beatrix.

The Tanner Lectures on Human Values were established by the American scholar, industrialist, and philanthropist Obert Clark Tanner, who hoped that these lectures would contribute to the intellectual and moral life of humankind. For more information, contact the Whitney Humanities Center at 203-432-0670 or email whitneyhumanitiescenter@yale.edu.

Follow this link:
Noted philosopher to deliver Tanner Lectures on 'Posthuman, All too Human' - Yale News

Posted in Post Human | Comments Off on Noted philosopher to deliver Tanner Lectures on ‘Posthuman, All too Human’ – Yale News

Elon Musk Has Released Photos of His Underground Tunnels – Futurism

Posted: at 7:40 am

The Bore-ing Company

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been moving quickly on the development of what he calls The Boring Company.In January of last year, he presenteda proposal at the Hyperloop Pod Competition for a company that would lighten traffic through the use of underground tunnels. One year later, Musk mentioned that construction of a tunnel could begin in Los Angeles by the end of February.

Musk hasnt fallen short of his promise his new boring machine began to dig a tunnel as part of a demonstration at SpaceXs Hyperloop Pod Competition last weekend. Although the machine has only created a mere hole, his team plans to eventually construct a full-fledged tunnel.

Musk hasntbeen too clear about how the tunnel will function, but the Hyperloop could be involved after, it is supposed to be able to work above or below ground. Musk has, at the very least, not denied the connection:

For those that are curious enough to see what Musks boring machine looks like, he released a photo of it on Twitter recently. This might be only one part of a massive machine without the cutting head attached.

Although tunneling machines already exist, Musks company would be unique because the machines would make tunneling faster, speeding up the digging process almost tenfold compared to conventional methods. If Musks boring machine can make tunneling quicker and easier, underground transit could also become more popular. Tunnels would be a solution to heavy traffic, especially in urban areas, as well as a potential way to bring transportation into buildings.

Musk isnt exactly serious about creating a separate entity called The Boring Company. Thankfully, the project fits into Teslas mission to alleviate traffic which, in turn, will reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

His boring machine is also in line with SpaceXs mission to eventually settle a colony on Mars. It could be used to test the viability of tunnel construction on the Red Planet, creating underground habitats that would protect people from extreme cold, low pressure, and high radiation.

Read this article:
Elon Musk Has Released Photos of His Underground Tunnels - Futurism

Posted in Futurism | Comments Off on Elon Musk Has Released Photos of His Underground Tunnels – Futurism

Lady Gaga’s Backup Dancers Were Actually 300 Drones from Intel – Futurism

Posted: at 7:40 am

Shooting Stars

If you havent noticed, the Super Bowl LI is trending on social media the Patriots won in overtime and Lady Gaga impressed during halftime. But the pop superstar wasnt the only one that lit up the night Intel literally did so with 300 drones thatmoved behind Lady Gaga as she sangon the stadiums roof.

The Intel Shooting Star drone is the companys first drone created for entertainment light shows, says Anil Nanduri, VP for Intels New Technology Group. Weve also worked with the FAA to receive a Part 107 Waiver to fly these drones as a fleet with one pilot at night in the U.S.

These Shooting Star dronesare actually quite simple. They use a desktop software suite of programs, allowing them to follow a pre-programmed route. The software also keeps the drones form colliding with one another, as they dont have hardware to detect collisions, nor do they communicate directly with each other.

Each of Intels drones can be assembled in less than 15 minutes.There are no screws and everything snaps together. They have a large, multicolored LED light on the bottom, are encased in a styrofoam housing, and weigh about the same as a volleyball. Currently, Intel uses these drones to conduct fantastic, well-coordinated light shows in the night sky. Intel says these are near-limitless in its scale they re able to control more than 10,000 drones at a time.

In the future, Intel hopes that this fleet drone technology will find other applications beyond that of entertainment. As Josh Walden, senior VP and GM at the New Technology Group said: The potential for these light show drones is endless, and we hope this experience inspires other creatives, artists and innovators to really think about how they can incorporate drone technology in new ways that have yet to even be thought of.

These drones, combined with Intels other proprietary technologies, could even be used in search and rescue operations, or for industrial inspection. Intels leaders are positioning the company to provide the compute, sensor, communications, and cloud integration for the growing drone ecosystem, the company notes.

See the original post here:
Lady Gaga's Backup Dancers Were Actually 300 Drones from Intel - Futurism

Posted in Futurism | Comments Off on Lady Gaga’s Backup Dancers Were Actually 300 Drones from Intel – Futurism

Elon Musk: Electric Semi Trucks Are On Their Way – Futurism

Posted: at 7:40 am

In Brief

Last year, Elon Musk released the second half of his Master Plan, which was strongly anchored in creating a more sustainable future for our planet. It included plans to create a solar roof with seamlessly integrated battery storage, improve driverless vehicles, and expand its electric-powered product line. Included in the last piece of the plan is the development of electric semi-trucks.

Today, Musk has assured the public via Twitter that Teslas semis are well on their way.

However, as the Tesla Semi becomes a reality, the Model 3, a new Tesla car design slated for a 2017 release with over 400,000 reservations behind it, remains Teslas priority. Nevertheless, despite the companys current main focus, the Tesla Semi is apparently already in early development work, reports Electrek.

One of the biggest challenges that Tesla might face in bringing these large, battery-powered trucks might be their size. So far, we have seen Teslas current technology work exceptionally well for compact cars and sedans. But modifying this technology for heavy trucks designed to carry cargo and drive long-distance means that Tesla will most likely have to significantly adjust charging mechanisms, drastically increase the energy-capacity of its batteries, and work to make the vehicle lighter overall. But, since Tesla is one of the most forward-thinking and innovative companies of our time, its probably only a matter of time before we see the inventive new ways that they will address these challenges.

Read this article:
Elon Musk: Electric Semi Trucks Are On Their Way - Futurism

Posted in Futurism | Comments Off on Elon Musk: Electric Semi Trucks Are On Their Way – Futurism