Monthly Archives: June 2020

Something curious happened in human population history over the last 1 million years. First, our numbers fell to as low as 18,500, and our ancestors were more endangered than chimpanzees and gorillas. Then we bounced back to extraordinary levels, far surpassing the other great apes.

Today the total population of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans is estimated to be only around 500,000, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Many species are critically endangered. Meanwhile, the human population has surged to 7.7 billion. And the irony is: Our astonishing ability to multiply now threatens the long-term sustainability of many species, including ours.

What happened? Why do we live in the Anthropocene and not a world resembling Planet of the Apes? We share around 99 percent of our DNA with our great ape cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos. So, what makes us different from our closest relatives that gives us our staggering capacity for reproducing and surviving?

As an evolutionary anthropologist, these questions have led me to live and study among the Yucatec Maya of Mexico, the Pum hunter-gatherers of Venezuela, and the Tanala agriculturalists of Madagascar. My research,* combined with genetic data and other studies, offers clues to what developed in the deep past that has made humans so successfulfor better or for worse.

In the 1970s, the isolated village of Xculoc, in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, was home to about 300 Maya people. The maize-farming residents had no electricity or running water. Women hauled water from a 50-meter-deep well using ropes and buckets. They ground maizethe mainstay of their dietin hand-cranked grinders.

Then two technologies were introduced that changed these Mayas lives and, ultimately, their population: a gas-powered water pump and two gas-powered maize grinders.

Using these devices, young women saved about two and a half hours of labor and 325 calories a day. In addition, younger siblings could more easily fetch water and crush maize, freeing up their older sisters time and literally decreasing their daily grind. Thats important because studies have found that heavy subsistence work suppresses ovarian function, whereas reducing labor and raising womens energy balance is associated with a bump in fertility.

In this 1993 photo, a Maya woman draws water from a centralized spigot that is fed by a gas-powered pump, which saves about 400 calories per day compared with hauling water from wells. Such changes relax energy demands on women and have led Maya women to bear more children. Karen Kramer

Subsequently, the age at which women in Xculoc first gave birth dropped by two years. And according to my long-term research, women who started childbearing after these machines arrived produced significantly larger families than prior generations. By 2003, women who started reproducing in the 1970s had eight to 12 children.

Saving women time and energy is central to increasing the population. And humans have developed numerous technological and social ways of accomplishing this that differ from our great ape relatives.

Its important to note that scientists must be cautious about drawing direct analogies between contemporary people or apes and our ancient ancestors. But modern humans and primates are our best tools for inferring how the underpinnings of our numerical success may have evolved.

Somewhere along the evolutionary road, humans started to favor new ways of having and raising their young. Mothers began weaning their infants earlier. In modern societies where infants rely on their mothers milk and not bottle feeding, babies nurse for two to three years. By contrast, great ape mothers nurse their young for four to six years.

Breastfeeding is calorically expensive. It takes a mother about 600 extra calories a day to produce milk. So, the sooner she stops nursing, the sooner she can biologically support another pregnancy. In modern societies without contraception, mothers give birth on average every three years. Other great apes may wait as many as six to eight years between births.

Our ancient ancestors also fed, sheltered, and cared for youngsters who were weaned but still growing. This gave them a better chance at surviving than nonhuman great ape young, which fend for themselves after theyre weaned. Today a child living in a hunter-gatherer society is twice as likely as a wild chimpanzee to survive to age 15.

Novel ways of parenting, compared to earlier hominins, meant human mothers were in the unique situation of having multiple dependents of different ages to care for at the same time. I cannot underscore enough how much this sets human mothers and children apart from the other great apes.

Having lots of kids is great for the success of the species. But theres a hitch. Mothers dont have enough hours in the day to care for their babies full time while providing for their older offspring. Thats especially true because the unique aspects of the human diet give mothers a lot of tasks to juggle

When these ancient life history traits were evolving, our ancestors made their living as hunter-gatherers, who typically eat diverse fare, including fruits, nuts, tubers, roots, large and small game, birds, reptiles, eggs,Having lots of kids is great for the success of the human species. But theres a hitch. insects, fish, and shellfish. Cobbling together such a menu requires modern hunter-gatherers to travel, on average, 13 kilometers per day. By contrast, chimpanzees and gorillas roam, on average, 2 kilometers per day.

Whats more, hunter-gatherers process most of their food to make it more digestible or to boost the bioavailability of nutrients. And as everyone who prepares food knows, that takes a significant amount of time.

Among the Pum hunter-gatherers from the savannas of Venezuela, women spend about three hours a day cracking, mashing, grinding, pounding, sifting, winnowing, butchering, and cooking food. The same is true of Efe womenhunter-gatherers living in the Ituri forest of Central Africa.

That prep time is in addition to the hours the Pum and Efe spend foraging and then carrying ingredients back to camp. Furthermore, each processing task requires a specialized technology, which means someone has to collect raw materials and make tools. !Kung women and men in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa spend about an hour each day making and repairing tools. Savanna Pum women devote nearly two hours to toolmakingtwice as much as the men.

On foraging days, Savanna Pum boys carry home enough fish to feed themselves and some members of their family. Russell D. Greaves

Hunter-gatherers also build shelters and hearths to provide a safe place to process ingredients, to store food and tools, and to leave children who may be too young to accompany others on long foraging trips. Plus, they must haul water, chop firewood, fashion clothing, and maintain the social and information networks needed to access geographically dispersed resources.

There are simply not enough hours in the day for any one person to accomplish all this. So, our ancestors came up with a solution.

That solution was cooperationbut not the kind of task-sharing many species engage in. Hunter-gatherers developed a distinct feature called intergenerational cooperation: Parents help kids, and children help parents.

This is not a trait we share with the other great apes, who arent particularly good at sharing food, helping mothers or offspring who arent their own, or even supporting their own children after they reach a certain age. Nonhuman great ape mothers rarely share meals with their juvenile offspring once theyre weaned, and juvenile apes dont offer food to their moms.

But among humans, intergenerational cooperation means it really does take a village to raise a child. Across cultures, mothers in hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies offer only about half of the direct care an infant receives. Savanna Pum infants, for example, have an average of nine caretakers besides their mother. Efe infants have an average of 11.

Fathers and grandparents certainly play important roles in supporting their families. But its not enough. An average Maya mother is 60 by the time her last child leaves home, so she has very few years after that to be a babysitting or food-collecting grandmother.

My research suggests a much more obvious source of help has been overlooked: kids. Other than mothers, children provide most of the child care in many cultures. And 7- to 10-year-olds do the bulk of the babysitting.

Children are also responsible for processing much of the food and running the household. A Pum boy carries home an average of 4.5 kilograms of wild fruit on days he forages. Thats the equivalent of 3,200 caloriesenough to feed himself and at least some of his family. (And thats in addition to any snacking he does in the field.) His sister can bring home more than a kilogram of roots (worth about 4,000 calories)some of which she will eat, but most of which she shares. Among the Hadza hunter-gatherers of East Africa, children forage for five to six hours a day. By age 5, they can supply about 50 percent of their own calories during some seasons.

Yucatec Maya girls, shown here washing clothes, spend several hours a day doing domestic chores and field work. Sam S. Urlacher

Children in agricultural communities are also hard workers. Yucatec Maya between the ages of 7 and 14 devote two to five hours a day to domestic and field work. Teens between the ages of 15 and 18 labor about 6.5 hours a dayas much as their parents.

By the time a Maya mother is 40, she has an average of seven children at home. These children contribute a combined 20 hours of work a day and supply 60 percent of what the family consumes.

Thanks to this multigenerational help, a woman can spend time doing what only she can do: have more children. So, children increase the population, but their labor is also a built-in engine to fuel their communitys fertility and speed up reproduction.

With intergenerational cooperation and a diversity of dietary strategies, our ancestors multiplied and weathered population bottlenecks. Just after 1800, the human population hit 1 billion.

The global population then expanded exponentially, largely due to the enhanced survival of both infants and older people. It reached 2 billion in 1927, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, 7 billion in 2011, and today is at over 7.7 billion.These figures intrigue me as an evolutionary enigma and deeply concern me as a contemporary issue. There is no question, though, that humans have been incredibly successful. The question is: How long can we maintain that success and still be sustainable? The answer, like our secret to growth in the past, stands on the shoulders of cooperation.

* Editors note: The author derived much of this essay from her 47th JAR Distinguished Lecture, How There Got to Be So Many of Us, which was published in the Winter 2019 issue of the Journal of Anthropological Research.

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Human Population Evolution - Why Are There So Many Humans? - SAPIENS

The Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, UK. (Image by Waid1995 from Pixabay)

The real story of how evolution is taught in U.S. public schools is not to be found in courtrooms but in classrooms.

The teaching of evolution in U.S. public schools is sporadically in the headlines, owing to legal cases like the Scopes trial ninety-five years ago, and the Kitzmiller trial fifteen years ago. But it would be a mistake to take such episodes as representative.

After all, few teachers were ever prosecuted for violating bans on the teaching of evolution in the 1920s, and few teachers were ever directed to teach intelligent design creationism in the 2000s. The real story of how evolution is taught in U.S. public schools is not to be found in courtrooms but in classrooms.

John T. Scopes (1900-1970), the teacher convicted for violating a Tennessee state law banning the teaching of evolution in 1925. (Source: Wikipedia, photo credit Watson Davis).

In 2007, prompted by the Kitzmiller trial conducted in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Eric Plutzer, a political scientist and polling expert at Penn State University, and his colleagues conducted the first rigorous national survey of U.S. public high school biology teachers aimed at investigating their teaching practices involving evolution.

Observing that the results showed ample room for improvement, they concluded, victory in the courts is not enough for the scientific community to ensure that evolution is included in high school science courses.

Now, thanks to a 2019 survey commissioned by the National Center for Science Education, conducted by Penn State under Plutzers direction, and designed in part to replicate the 2007 survey, its possible to investigate to what extent the teaching of evolution changed in the U.S. public high school biology classroom over a dozen years. Teaching evolution in U.S. public schools: a continuing challenge, by Plutzer, my colleague Ann Reid and I, published in Evolution: Education and Outreach, begins to explore the resultsand theres good news to report.

Evolution is receiving a greater amount of classroom attention. The average number of hours teaching evolution was 9.8 hours in 2007; it was 12.4 hours in 2019a gain of over 25 percent. Moreover, evolution is increasingly recognized as a central theme in the classroom. In 2007, a bare majority, 51 percent, of high school biology teachers emphasized the scientific consensus on evolution while giving no credence to creationism; in 2019, these teachers were in a commanding majority, at 67 percent.

Unfortunately, there are still teachers who give credence to creationism in their classrooms.

Unfortunately, there are still teachers who give credence to creationism in their classrooms. But their numbers are dwindling, from almost a third in 2007 to less than one in five in 2019. The majority of these teachers23 percent of all teachers in 2007; 12 percent in 2019are sending mixed messages: endorsing creationism as a valid scientific alternative to evolution while also endorsing evolution. A few8.6 percent of all teachers in 2007; 5.6 percent in 2019endorse creationism while not endorsing, perhaps even disputing, evolution.

Part of what motivates the teachers who give credence to creationism is, unsurprisingly, their own personal religious beliefs. The 2019 survey assessed such beliefs by presenting the teachers with the standard options used by Gallup in its polling on evolution and creationism. It turns out that 60 percent of the teachers who reported exclusively endorsing creationism in their classroom preferred the creationist option, God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.

Creationists are decreasingly represented among U.S. public high school biology teachers.

Even here there is encouraging news. In 2007, 16 percent of all the teachers surveyed agreed with the creationist option, while in 2019, only 10.5 percent of the teachers surveyedand only 7 percent of those who began teaching after 2007did so, suggesting that creationists are decreasingly represented among U.S. public high school biology teachers. The decrease significantly outpaces the decrease in creationism among the general U.S. population from 46 percent in 2007 to 40 percent in 2019, according to Gallup.

Thats not all the news from the survey, to be sure. The report assesses a few possible explanations for the improvement, concluding that the widespread adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards, in which evolution is included as a disciplinary core idea of the life sciences, played a substantial role. Further reports based on the survey, discussing evolution education at the middle school level and comparing pedagogical strategies used in teaching evolution and climate change, are under way.

Blake Touchet, a high school biology teacher in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. (Photo credit: National Center for Science Education).

But it is already clear, as our report concludes, that scientific and educational institutions should continue their efforts to add scientific rigor to standards, seek out and promote textbooks and other resources that cover evolution thoroughly, support professional development opportunities for teachers, and support teachers who come under pressure from parental or community members who resist evolution instruction or advocate for the inclusion of creationism.

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Teaching Evolution in US public schools: striking improvements in the last dozen years - On Society - BMC Blogs Network

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June 12, 2020 // Franchising.com // Louisville, Colo. - Office Evolution, the largest and fastest-growing coworking franchisor in the U.S., is further expanding its Colorado footprint by opening its 15th Colorado location, in Northglenn. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the brands strong model, suburban network and ability to accommodate shifting work habits, is fueling Office Evolutions growth in 2020.

The newest flexible workspace is located one block east of I-25 at 120th street in Northglenn at 11990 Grant Street, Suite 550 and is owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Dennis and Diane Mapes. The Mapes new location is in the Metro North building and serves small to medium-sized businesses and independent contractors throughout Westminster, Northglenn, Thornton, and Erie.

After researching the benefits coworking offers to business of all types, we decided this would be a great opportunity to grow our own business while supporting our diverse local business community, said Diane. Between Office Evolutions supportive culture and member-oriented business model, we are confident our space will help local entrepreneurs thrive, and are excited to become part of the Office Evolution ohana (Hawaiian for family) with our location.

No stranger to franchising, Diane owned her own preschool fitness franchise for over 10 years. During that time, she increased program participation within her system to over 36 daycares in her territory. In addition to her business ownership experience, she also has a strong background in sales and marketing, which she plans to utilize to help businesses throughout the metro north and Front Range communities. Dennis spent over 18 years in the legal administration and human resources field, where he served in a variety of roles, including director of operations and human resources manager, a title he now holds at a local trial law firm. The couple believes that the combination of their professional strengths makes for an effective management team.

The Mapes location offers solutions for entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them with access to 11,300 square feet of dedicated, shared and virtual workspaces. This includes 45 private offices, two conference rooms, drop-in options, phone-answering, address and mail services, and other professional amenities to help each business member succeed.

Office Evolutions suburban network of business centers allows employees to work closer to home, a benefit that many workers will be seeking after working remotely for the past several months due to Covid-19. Additionally, many businesses are looking to the suburbs for affordable workspace as they search for ways to get out of expensive real estate deals. As demand grows for safe and professional suburban workspace, Office Evolution is perfectly positioned for growth.

We are very proud of the work our team has put into the growth of Office Evolution across Colorado, said Office Evolution COO and Global Workspace Association Board Member William Edmundson. Our rapidly expanding network of flexible workspaces is home for business owners living in the suburbs who need a place to realize dreams. Solopreneurs and small business owners are searching for places that they can continue to get work done, and Office Evolution offers the perfect environment for dreamers, risk-takers and doers who are searching for business continuity during these unprecedented times.

Founded in 2003 and franchising since 2012, the Colorado-based company is the largest and fastest growing coworking franchisor in the United States. With 70 locations open and 80 projected open before year end, Office Evolution is poised for growth as the demand for suburban workspace increases. The brands model fills a niche for suburban-based workers looking for a professional environment to get their work done. Office Evolution is helping thousands of business owners be dreamers, risk-takers, and doers by providing them with access to professional services that will help them drive their business forward. Office Evolution continues to lead the workplace transformation that is projected to see nearly 30 percent of all office space become shared office space by 2030, according to a JLL report. Office Evolution is currently operating in more than 24 states across the nation.

SOURCE Office Evolution

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Office Evolution Goes a Mile Higher With Northglenn Opening - Franchising.com

Trail Blazers All-Star Damian LIllard has said many times that he wants to become not only the greatest Trail Blazers of all-time, but also the longest tenured player.

Of course, Trail Blazers fans have supported Lillards quest to become the best player in franchise history.

Thats something all of Rip City has gotten behind.

[Listen to the latest Talkin' Blazers Podcast with hosts NBA Champion Channing Frye and Emmy Award winner Dan Sheldon.]

In a recent Vanity Fair interview, Lillard was asked numerous questions with topics ranging from attending Black Lives Matter protests to how competitive he is as a person to his music career and who has influenced him in the music industry.

But, there was one question that stood out for any Trail Blazers fan reading the Vanity Fair questions from contributing editor Lisa Robinson, who was also a longtime music columnist for the New York Post prior to joining Vanity Fair.

Robinson said: As a Knicks fan, I wish you would come here. Madison Square Garden is so great.

Now lets stop right there.

Rip City Faithful has witnessed and heard on many occasions Lillards commitment and desire to be a Portland Trail Blazer for the rest of his career.

But, what about the Blazers commitment to Lillard? Was that ever in question?

Heres Lillards answer to the question above:

I thought I was headed there a few years ago; I was hearing trade rumors. The Garden is my favorite place to play. -- Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard in a recent Vanity Fair interview

So why were those rumors never really reported?

Or were they?

Thinking back a couple of years ago, there were two reports that come to mind.

Jan. 22, 2018, Yahoo Sports NBA Insider, Chris Haynes, who at the time was with ESPN, wrote a piece about Lillard meeting with Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen.

Haynes wrote:

The two met discreetly for approximately one hour in Allen's office at Moda Center before hosting the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, sources said. It was the first home game Allen attended in 2018.

Lillard, who will turn 28 on July 15, requested the meeting in part to reaffirm his commitment to the only professional franchise he has suited up for, but also to gain assurances that the organization was just as devoted to expeditiously crafting a title-contending team, sources said.

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Allen acknowledged the roster imbalance but questioned why the team had suffered through an inconsistent first half. Lillard issued a heartfelt vote of confidence for head coach Terry Stotts, sources said.

They also discussed players to target. The New York Times' Marc Stein recently reported that the Trail Blazers are one of the teams trying to engage in trade talks with the LA Clippers for big man DeAndre Jordan, but the Clippers haven't had any serious offers.

In addition, Lillard sought an explanation from Allen as to why Will Barton was traded to Denver in February 2015, sources said. Lillard made it known he didn't agree with the move. Barton is a penetrating, spot-up shooter -- the type of player Portland could use on the wing.

According to Haynes, Paul Allen was worried that Lillard would be the one to request a trade, but a trade request was not made.

So is it possible that the Blazers were trying to get out ahead of what they thought Lillard was going to propose?

Its possible.

What does everyone always say, again?

Oh yeah Its a business.

And in this case, it was a time to play chess, not checkers.

And then there was ESPNs Stephen A. Smith rambling on about potential trade partners with the Knicks and the Lakers or what Smith believed were Lillards options after he mentioned Lillards camp was open to a trade in early July 2018.

Even as the number three team they are clearly not an elite team thats going to make any noise in the postseason. Portland recognizes this, and as a result, you have people in Damian Lillards camp and on his side looking for him to leave. And he is open to leaving, even though he loves being in Portland. -- Stephen A. Smith

Smith continued, discussing where he believed Lillard wanted to end up. One of which was New York.

If Damian Lillard is going to leave the comfortable and financially beneficial confines of Portland, its only for two places from what Im being told. Hes only interested in New York or LA. One of the two. New York or LA, and by LA, I mean the Lakers, not the Clippers. Thats what Damian Lillard wants."

"His preference would be for the Portland Trail Blazers to find somebody, somebody big time to join him and CJ McCollum in Portland. Thats Damian Lillards preference. But if they cant improve the team and if they cant find anybody, then hes interested in going one of two places Its the Lakers or the Knicks.

There was no trade. Instead, Lillard signed a supermax contract extension with the Blazers this past summer and has continued to state numerous times that he wants to play his entire career in Rip City.

Madison Square Garden may be his favorite place to place, but rest assured, when he plays there it will be in a Trail Blazers jersey.

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Damian Lillard and the evolution of Dame D.O.L.L.A. - NBCSports.com

As hard as it may be to believe, this autumn will mark the eighth anniversary of my editorship of this review. On Oct. 1, 2012, Twitter was only 6 years old. The iPhone was 5 years old. Instagram was 2 years old. And America magazine was 103 years old.

In those first few months, we launched an ambitious, multiyear initiative to transform America into a media ministry that would meet the challenge of the digital revolution and allow America to lead the conversation about faith and culture in a new century. We announced a multiyear strategic plan to take America from a weekly print magazine with little digital presence to a multiplatform media ministry with vital, engaging content well beyond print.

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To achieve that vision, America has been steadily growing. In 2012, we had 16 full-time employees. Today we employ 43. Our online readership is nearly 10 times what it was in 2012. Weve redesigned and relaunched our print and digital editions, launched a video division, started a media fellowship for young professionals, rebooted the Catholic Book Club, produced award-winning podcasts, and recruited a worldwide network of correspondents and contributing writers. And we have done all of this while maintaining the standard of excellence that is our hallmark.

I believe that our founder, John Wynne, S.J., would be proud. When he founded America, he told its readers that because the press of events was so great, he dreamed of a day when America could publish daily. Well, Im pleased to say that this day has arrived. America now publishes every day, multiple times a day, and even hourly when news is breaking.

Americas position in relation to the news cycle has not changed. As Father Wynne wrote, our main task is not to be a newspaper but a journal, a forum for commentary and analysis. We continue to report some news, but our main task is to explain what is happening, to put it in context, to analyze what is happening from a Catholic, Jesuit perspective.

And just as Father Wynne did, we are always asking what the best means are for accomplishing those goals of reporting, explaining, discussing and reflecting on events. In 1909, the only means was the printed word. This is obviously no longer true.

What we have discovered during these years of transformation is that reporting, analyzing and discussing events is now best accomplished through digital media, while in-depth reflection and long-form journalism are best accomplished in print. To accommodate that, it is necessary to shift our human and financial resources from print to digital, allowing both platforms to do well what each does best. That also makes sense when you consider that nearly a million people read America online every month, while 70,000 read it in print.

For these reasons, beginning this summer, America will shift to a monthly frequency for our print edition. If you are a print subscriber, your current subscription will be automatically extended. A separate communication will arrive with those details. As always, I encourage you to visit our website at americamagazine.org and to sign up for our daily e-newsletter.

In a recent column, I wrote that every crisis is also an opportunity. The Covid-19 crisis has given us an opportunity to work fully remotely and to realize anew the power of a digital-first editorial strategy, its capacity to reach people on a scale our forebears could only dream about. And the economic pressures that have been brought to bear on the media by the pandemic-induced recession have reminded all of us of the importance of being flexible and innovative in order to remain commercially viable.

But let me be crystal clear about two things: First, this is not a fire sale. We are not reducing our frequency in print because we are going out of business. The underlying financials of America Media are strong, stronger than those of many other media organizations, even in the for-profit world. Second, we still believe in the power of the printed word. We believe that print is the best platform for in-depth, long-form reporting, analysis and commentary. A monthly frequency gives us the time and the resources to do that well.

As much as things change, some things stay the same. We remain committed to giving you the news, analysis and spiritual resources you need to make sense of events at the intersection of the church and the world. We renew our promise to you, the same promise Father Wynne made to our readers in 1909: Neither labor nor expense will be spared to make America worthy of its name.

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The evolution of 'America' - America Magazine

Collins and Devan Key the fraternal YouTube phenoms whose kid-friendly channel features life hacks, pranks, and zany food experiments have pacted with a new licensing agency as they seek to build a consumer product empire.

The Key brothers, who count 21.4 million subscribers and nab upwards of 100 million monthly views, have named Evolution USAthe official licensing and brand management agency for their Collins Key and Key Bros. brands. Evolution will assist in licensing and retail development on a variety of product categories at the global scale, including publishing, mobile gaming, promotions, product integrations, and more.

The Key brothers parent company, Keyper Company, already operates a master toy licensing agreement with Australia-based Moose Toys, which was unveiled in February. A product launch featuring fun challenges and DIY-inspired activities is slated to bow later this year, though the brothers deal with Evolution seeks to help them nail down comparable partnerships in other categories.

Keyper Company and their Collins Key brand are some of the biggest brands in the digital entertainment space, so we jumped at the chance to work with them, Evolution founder and chief revenue officer Travis Rutherford said in a statement. They have such a distinct and brand-friendly voice within the industry, as well as a clear sense of where they want to take their brand to ensure theyre everywhere their fans are, and were excited to work with them to get there.

Collins, 24, first rose to renown for his magic skills as a finalist on Americas Got Talent. Devan, 22, rose to fame on his brothers channel. In addition to licensed products, the brothers havevended their own merch since 2018.

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Collins And Devan Key Tap Evolution USA In Bid To Build Global Licensing Business - Tubefilter

By Kishore Jayaraman

The economic resurrection roadmap for India laid out by the Finance Minister recently, reinforced the Prime Ministers vision for a self-reliant India. As we envision the countrys overall recovery, there is a need to focus on technology-driven systems that will be a key pillar to building a future-ready India.

For a self-reliant India, a robust local manufacturing sector can act as a strong lever for economic growth. To build a sustainable local manufacturing base significant investment in disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) enabled machine learning, will be key to bringing down labour costs, reduce product defects, shorten unplanned downtimes, improve transition times and increase production speed. AI can be used to effectively gather data and insights across manufacturing operations from design to delivery, including predictive problem solving by identifying issues that may not be easy to spot.

As the pace of technological advancement continues to quicken, unleashing the true potential of data becomes ever more important. Finding ways to combine operational knowledge and expertise with this data to create actionable insights is what artificial intelligence enables.

Automation, robotics, and complex analytics have all been used by the manufacturing industry for years. If the technology that makes manufacturing more flexible is widely deployed, it can enable more cost-effective customization, and that could create a real shift in competitiveness. The integration of AI in the manufacturing industry must be seen as more like an evolution than a revolution.

According to industry reports, the Internet of Things could contribute $10 trillion to the global economy by 2030. It is thus imperative that AI, material tracking mechanisms, 3D printing, automated product design, robotics and wearables are integrated seamlessly across production processes and allowed to play a larger role in delivering zero-error results to help manufacturers reduce costs and increase productivity.

Rolls-Royce serves as a living example of an industrial giant transitioning to the new age of data-enabled efficiency which shows how any the company, regardless of its industry, can and should adapt to the data age. We are using advanced analytics, industrial Artificial Intelligence, and machine-learning techniques to develop data applications that will unlock design, manufacturing, and operational efficiencies within Rolls-Royce, and create new service propositions for customers.

Further, data generated by IoT sensors, aggregated and analyzed in the cloud, is providing Rolls-Royce with unprecedented insight into the live performance of its products from jet engines and helicopter blades to power generation systems and marine turbines. And that data capability is rapidly evolving beyond just predicting equipment issues and maintenance requirements to providing customers with valuable aftermarket services that range from showing airlines how to optimize their routes to keeping a survey ship in position in heavy seas.

The industry must come together to take technology to the next level and drive innovation through collaboration, with end-users and start-ups coming together to find ways to develop and embed new technology into businesses.

With a strong digital ecosystem and abundance of talent, India is in a unique position to recast the framework of manufacturing but this will require a quantum shift in our mindset and approach. Technology adoption will become a norm for success as we come out of this pandemic. We will need to up-skill our talent even as we learn to intelligently integrate technology into our businesses to move up the manufacturing value chain.

It is time we all envision a new India with greater strategic autonomy and technological far-sightedness to anticipate and respond to the challenges of the future. The change must begin with the people and their approach. We must create the workforce of the future that feels empowered with technology, rather than threatened so that they can create experiences that spark innovation and help build a more sustainable future.

(The author is President, Rolls-Royce India & South Asia. Views expressed are personal.)

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Artificial Intelligence and technology in manufacturing is evolution, not revolution - The Financial Express

WWE held their first-ever all-women's pay-per-view event in October 2018 Evolution and since then fans have been clamouring to see it again.

Earlier this week, FS1 re-aired Evolution, giving fans hope that a second event may be held some time in the near future. Nia Jax, who won the 20-woman Battle Royal at the first event, said she believes the fans and Superstars are definitely due another one.

"I will never forget the feeling that we had that night, the energy, the empowerment that was going on in the locker room and all of us just cheering each other on," Nia told Digital Spy exclusively.

"It was incredible, we were able to carry that entire show on our own and I feel as though we're definitely due for another one because new faces are in the mix and I feel like everybody should be able to see what the women are capable of right now."

Nia is preparing to take on WWE Women's Champion Asuka at Backlash this Sunday which will be held at the Performance Centre. It's a huge match for Nia who only returned to WWE in April, after a year off due to double knee surgery.

Speaking about adjusting to the new empty arena circumstances, Nia said: "When I first came back it was really awkward to come out to nothing, but since we've had to adjust to it, it just kind of fuels my fire a little bit more. I feel as though I am relying more on my own confidence and my own skills.

"It's actually been pretty cool," she added. "It's testing a lot of the skills that I had and needed to use."

Nia is the cousin of legendary WWE Superstar Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and she's extremely close with his daughter Simone, who began training with WWE earlier this year.

Related: WWE's Randy Orton reflects on House of Horrors

While Simone undoubtedly has big shoes to fill, Nia believes she's more than capable of forging her own path in WWE.

"Simone obviously has this in her blood and she has been such a huge fan since she was a young girl," Nia said.

"She knows the ins and outs and she's going to be able to pave her own way and her own path. She obviously knows the legacy she has to follow, it's quite a legacy her father left for her. But she is so ready to pave her own path and do her own thing.

"I'm super excited for her and I can't wait to see what she's going to be able to do," Nia added.

"She has everything it takes to become one of the greatest Superstars. I know she'll make great waves and I can't wait to see it."

Backlash airs this Sunday (June 14) live on the WWE Network at midnight GMT/ 7pm ET/4pm PT.

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Exclusive: Nia Jax talks Evolution 2 and The Rock's Daughter Simone Johnson in WWE - Digital Spy