Monthly Archives: February 2022

Quantum physics requires imaginary numbers to explain …

Posted: February 19, 2022 at 9:08 pm

Imaginary numbers might seem like unicorns and goblins interesting but irrelevant to reality.

But for describing matter at its roots, imaginary numbers turn out to be essential. They seem to be woven into the fabric of quantum mechanics, the math describing the realm of molecules, atoms and subatomic particles. A theory obeying the rules of quantum physics needs imaginary numbers to describe the real world, two new experiments suggest.

Imaginary numbers result from taking the square root of a negative number. They often pop up in equations as a mathematical tool to make calculations easier. But everything we can actually measure about the world is described by real numbers, the normal, nonimaginary figures were used to (SN: 5/8/18). Thats true in quantum physics too. Although imaginary numbers appear in the inner workings of the theory, all possible measurements generate real numbers.

Quantum theorys prominent use of complex numbers sums of imaginary and real numbers was disconcerting to its founders, including physicist Erwin Schrdinger. From the early days of quantum theory, complex numbers were treated more as a mathematical convenience than a fundamental building block, says physicist Jingyun Fan of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China.

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Some physicists have attempted to build quantum theory using real numbers only, avoiding the imaginary realm with versions called real quantum mechanics. But without an experimental test of such theories, the question remained whether imaginary numbers were truly necessary in quantum physics, or just a useful computational tool.

A type of experiment known as a Bell test resolved a different quantum quandary, proving that quantum mechanics really requires strange quantum linkages between particles called entanglement (SN: 8/28/15). We started thinking about whether an experiment of this sort could also refute real quantum mechanics, says theoretical physicist Miguel Navascus of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information Vienna. He and colleagues laid out a plan for an experiment in a paper posted online at arXiv.org in January 2021 and published December 15 in Nature.

In this plan, researchers would send pairs of entangled particles from two different sources to three different people, named according to conventional physics lingo as Alice, Bob and Charlie. Alice receives one particle, and can measure it using various settings that she chooses. Charlie does the same. Bob receives two particles and performs a special type of measurement to entangle the particles that Alice and Charlie receive. A real quantum theory, with no imaginary numbers, would predict different results than standard quantum physics, allowing the experiment to distinguish which one is correct.

Fan and colleagues performed such an experiment using photons, or particles of light, they report in a paper to be published in Physical Review Letters. By studying how Alice, Charlie and Bobs results compare across many measurements, Fan, Navascus and colleagues show that the data could be described only by a quantum theory with complex numbers.

Another team of physicists conducted an experiment based on the same concept using a quantum computer made with superconductors, materials which conduct electricity without resistance. Those researchers, too, found that quantum physics requires complex numbers, they report in another paper to be published in Physical Review Letters. We are curious about why complex numbers are necessary and play a fundamental role in quantum mechanics, says quantum physicist Chao-Yang Lu of the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, a coauthor of the study.

But the results dont rule out all theories that eschew imaginary numbers, notes theoretical physicist Jerry Finkelstein of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, who was not involved with the new studies. The study eliminated certain theories based on real numbers, namely those that still follow the conventions of quantum mechanics. Its still possible to explain the results without imaginary numbers by using a theory that breaks standard quantum rules. But those theories run into other conceptual issues, making them ugly, he says. But if youre willing to put up with the ugliness, then you can have a real quantum theory.

Despite the caveat, other physicists agree that the quandaries raised by the new findings are compelling. I find it intriguing when you ask questions about why is quantum mechanics the way it is, says physicist Krister Shalm of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo. Asking whether quantum theory could be simpler or if it contains anything unnecessary, these are very interesting and thought-provoking questions.

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What If Quantum Physics Were Applied To Economics? – Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

Posted: at 9:08 pm

Applied mathematician David Orrell offers a look at the difference quantum mechanical thinking would make to economics. The author of Money, Magic, and How to Dismantle a Financial Bomb: Quantum Economics for the Real World (2022) received considerable criticism for an article he wrote four years ago, Economics is quantum, which he summarizes in a followup article, published this month:

The idea is that money is best understood as a quantum social technology, with quantum properties of its own. In financial transactions, for example, value can be modelled as a probabilistic wave function which collapses down to an exact number when money is exchanged. When you put your house up for sale, you might have a fuzzy idea of its worth, but the actual price is only determined when a deal is made. An idea that seems bizarre in physics makes perfect sense in economics. Financial contracts such as mortgages and other loans entangle the debtor and the creditor in a fashion that can be modelled using quantum mathematics. The debtor is treated as being in a superposed state, balanced somewhere between a propensity to honour the debt and a propensity to default. Methods from quantum cognition can handle those phenomena, such as mental interference between incompatible concepts, that first inspired quantum physicists.

And the argument that quantum effects dont scale up has no relevance to economics. The idea isnt that money inherits its quantum properties from subatomic properties, but that its properties can be modelled using quantum mathematics (the aim isnt to use more maths, just different maths where needed). For example, the creation of money can be expressed using a quantum circuit in a way that captures effects such as uncertainty, power relationships, and so on. The effects of this substance scale up all the time (its called the financial system), and, like dark matter, exert a huge pull over the economy that goes undetected by classical approaches.

What difference would seeing things from a quantum perspective make in practice?

A defining feature of quantum mechanics, after all, is that it looks hard, but the picture that it paints of reality is soft and fuzzy. In many respects it isnt a hard science, but a soft science. A wave equation, for example, looks hard when it is written out as a mathematical formula but it is an equation of a wave, which is soft.

Quantum mechanical thinking might make better sense of markets where social values intersect with economic ones. For example people will pay more for an elite label than for a functionally equivalent house brand. Some zip codes (and universities) cost more than others when the main offering seems to be the prestigious number or name.

The people who respond to such fuzzy signals are not necessarily acting irrationally, as a classical economics approach might suppose. They are often responding to genuine realities which, like quantum mechanics, are fuzzy. The realities often collapse into a single situation: An introduction to an influential neighbor in the elite zip code can change a life or a career. But no single, hard number can be assigned to the role of influence during the process.

That said, Orrell leans heavily on claims that quantum mechanics is somehow more female and that women have been deprived and neglected in classical economics. Many women may find this sort of thing the assumption that femaleness is a reliable marker for having a different attitude to economics off-putting. But his thoughts are well worth reading anyway.

Author and design theorist Eric Anderson offers a note of caution. He is concerned that we make a distinction between what intelligent agents do and what quantum mechanics can do: Quantum mechanics is a terrible explanation for intelligent decision-making. We might as well argue that a Beethoven sonata resulted from the collapse of probabilistic wave functions as the large number of possible notes eventually collapsed to the final notes when he put pen to page. Might there be some interesting analogies between quantum mathematical models and human activities? Perhaps. But we need to be careful to not fall into the trap of thinking that the quantum model is ever an actual explanation for real decision-making. He develops the point that intelligent agents collapse probabilities to achieve a particular outcome in a podcast, Probability & Design (June 6, 2015), 7:00 minute mark.

It appears that Orrell, whose specialty is scientific forecasting, is attempting to model a process rather than its origin.

You may also wish to read: How Erik Larson hit on a method for deciding who is influential. The author of The Myth of Artificial Intelligence decided to apply an algorithm to Wikipedia but it had to be very specific.

The difference between influence and official power. Do you wonder why some people are listened to and not others, regardless of the value of their ideas? Well, read on

and

As money slowly transitions from matter to information Lets look at a brief history of cryptocurrencies which is not quite what we might think. The mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, founder of Bitcoin, did not invent new concepts in computer science or cryptography; he put them together in a way that worked.

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Strange Quantum Object Successfully Created in The Lab For The First Time – ScienceAlert

Posted: at 9:08 pm

Quantum mechanics the behavior of the Universe at the smallest of scales continues to surprise us, with scientists now having been able to successfully create a quantum object called a domain wall in laboratory settings.

For the first time, these walls can now be generated in the lab on demand, occurring when atoms stored at very cold temperatures a scenario known as a Bose-Einstein condensate group together in domains under certain conditions. The walls are the junctions between these domains.

The researchers creating these domain walls say they could end up shedding new light on many different areas of quantum mechanics, including quantum electronics, quantum memory, and the behavior of exotic quantum particles.

"It's kind of like a sand dune in the desert it's made up of sand, but the dune acts like an object that behaves differently from individual grains of sand," says physicist Kai-Xuan Yaofrom the University of Chicago.

There has been previous research into domain walls, but they've never been able to be created at will in the laboratory until now, giving scientists the ability to analyze them in new ways. It turns out they act as independent quantum objects, but not necessarily in the way that scientists would expect them to.

That unexpected behavior means domain walls join a class of objects called emergent phenomena, where particles that join together seem to follow a different set of physics laws than particles that are operating on their own.

One of the unusual observations made by the team is the way that domain walls react to electric fields, something which will need further study to untangle. For now, just being able to produce and manipulate these walls is an important step forward.

"We have a lot of experience in controlling atoms," says physicist Cheng Chinfrom the University of Chicago. "We know if you push atoms to the right, they will move right. But here, if you push the domain wall to the right, it moves left."

Part of the reason why the discovery is so important is that it could teach us more about how atoms behaved at the very beginning of the Universe's existence: Particles that were once clumped together eventually expanded to form stars and planets, and scientists would like to know exactly how that happened.

This domain wall discovery falls under the umbrella of what's known as dynamical gauge theory a way to test and compute the dynamics of quantum phenomena in the lab. These discoveries could explain how emergent phenomena operate in everything from materials to the early Universe.

As well as looking backwards though, the researchers are also looking forwards. Once more is understood about how domain walls can be controlled, it could open up opportunities for new quantum technologies.

"There may be applications for this phenomenon in terms of making programmable quantum material or quantum information processors," says Chin.

"It can be used to create a more robust way to store quantum information or enable new functions in materials. But before we can find that out, the first step is to understand how to control them."

The research has been published in Nature.

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Ranking the 5 best All-Star games in Utah Jazz history – The J Notes

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Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

The Utah Jazz have a rich history of standout All-Star performances. Thats to be expected from a team who has made every effort to remain competitive since they moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. While this franchise may not have made it to the top of the NBAs mountain yet, theyve spent much of their existence on its periphery.

In order to do that, you need All-Stars. More often than not, the Utah Jazz have one or two on the roster. On several occasions, theyve come up big in the leagues annual midseason showcase.

Here were ranking the best All-Star games in Utah Jazz history. Note that were not ranking the best individual Jazz performances. The simple reason for that is, on a couple of occasions, it was too difficult to say which of two Jazz All-Stars deserved the designation.

Call it another product of historically rostering elite talent.

In terms of historys notable Jazzmen, Rickey Green is one of the most underrated. Just dont get it confused: Green was a bonafide All-Star in his prime.

A wiry, athletic point guard with a high basketball IQ, Green was the resident point guard in Salt Lake City for quite some time. In 1983-84, he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

His scoring totals were rarely gaudy. Thats because Green was a pure point guard. In the modern age of score-first point guards, thats a relatively foreign concept. In 1984, it was the standard.

Green brought that standard of play into the 1983-84 All-Star Game. He only tallied 6 points, but racked up an impressive 11 assists.

Unsurprisingly, Green was overshadowed by one Magic Johnson. Of course, Johnson is arguably the best point guard in NBA history, and it showed that night. He finished this game with 15 points and a whopping 22 helpers.

Green wouldnt be the first or last player to get outshone by Magic Johnson. He still deserves credit for a great All-Star performance.

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Harris on Ukraine: World at ‘a decisive moment in history’ – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Posted: at 9:07 pm

MUNICH Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday that the world has arrived at "a decisive moment in history" as the Biden administration warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the coming days is highly likely.

During a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Harris vowed that the U.S. was committed to Ukraine's sovereignty. The vice president also used an address at the conference to reiterate the Biden administration's promise to hit Russia with economy-jarring sanctions if it invades Ukraine again, following the 2014 seizure of Crimea.

"Let me be clear, I can say with absolute certainty: If Russia further invades Ukraine, the United States, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant and unprecedented economic costs," Harris said.

Harris addressed the annual Munich conference the day after President Joe Biden said he was "convinced" that Russia's Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade neighboring Ukraine.

Harris made the case to a largely European audience that the West has "strength through unity" and that an invasion would likely lead to an even bigger NATO presence on Russia's doorstep.

Later, at the start of the meeting with Ukraine's leader, Harris called it "a decisive moment in history" and told Zelenskyy, "Any threat to your country we take seriously."

He responded: "We clearly understand what is going on. This is our land. We want peace."

He said he needs Western allies to take "specific steps," alluding to Ukraine's requests for even more military and economic assistance. Zelenskyy also noted that with Russian troops at his country's borders, Ukraine's army is in fact "defending all of Europe."

Harris herself remarked about the perilousness of the moment in her address at the conference, noting that "not since the end of the Cold War has this forum convened under such dire circumstances."

"Today, as we are all well aware, the foundation of European security is under direct threat in Ukraine," she said.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and fomented a rebellion in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for almost eight years. The United States and the European Union previously sanctioned Russia over its seizure of Crimea.

Western fears of an invasion have escalated in recent months as Russia amassed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders.

Harris said the Biden administration, along with its allies, had tried to engage with Moscow in good faith to find a diplomatic resolution but that effort was not reciprocated by the Kremlin.

"Russia continues to say it is ready to talk while at the same time it narrows the avenues for diplomacy," Harris said. "Their actions simply do not match their words."

Harris credited European allies for speaking with a largely unified voice as the latest Ukraine crisis has unfolded. The vice president said Republicans and Democrats in Washington who rarely agree on major issues are generally in agreement on the necessity of confronting Putin.

"We didn't all start out in the same place," Harris said. "We came together and are now speaking with a unified voice. And that voice was a function of not only dialogue and debate, some concessions, but also the practical realization of the moment that we are in, which is that we are looking at a sovereign nation that may very well be on the verge of being invaded yet again."

Harris on Friday met in Munich with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, who stressed that an increase in the U.S. troop presence on the eastern edge of NATO is necessary.

The White House has not yet said whether it will fulfill those requests, but Harris suggested in her address on Saturday that an invasion could lead to a bolstered American presence.

"The imposition of these sweeping and coordinated measures will inflict great damage on those who must be held accountable. And we will not stop with economic measures," Harris said. "We will further reinforce our NATO allies on the eastern flank."

Biden and other U.S. officials have offered increasingly dire warnings that the window for diplomacy is narrow.

Biden told reporters Friday that he believes Putin has decided to invade in the coming days, taking military action that could go far beyond the disputed Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and include the capital, Kyiv.

The vice president also met on Saturday with Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Biden has vowed the Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline will be blocked if Russia further invades Ukraine.

Harris also discussed the recent Ukraine developments and Western response with President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, the White House said.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the tensions between Ukraine and Russia at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Ypsilanti student earns scholarship as Black History Maker of Today – MLive.com

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YPSILANTI, MI - Helping students to understand cultures they might not be familiar with and amplifying marginalized voices has been Sarafina Cheas passion since she began attending Washtenaw International Middle Academy in sixth grade.

Six years later, Chea has gained confidence in her voice as secretary of Washtenaw International High Schools Black Student Union, using Black History Month as an opportunity to put up posters around the school educating the rest of the school about prominent Black voices.

Her involvement in efforts to bring diverse perspectives to the school has helped her earn a $1,000 scholarship as one of McDonalds 2022 Black History Makers of Today.

The scholarship recognizes individuals who help uplift their peers or community through positive behavior or change, with dedication to strengthening their culture and inviting others to learn about it.

Chea, 17, was informed of the scholarship by her manager at an Ypsilanti McDonalds after learning of her involvement with the BSU and other culturally-centered clubs shes a part of at WIHI.

WIHIs diverse student population has an extensive range of identity and social clubs from the BSU, Asian Student Association and Hispanic Latinx Student Alliance to its Gay Straight Alliance and Amnesty International chapters.

Being in a leadership with the BSU over the past few years has helped Chea realize the importance of educating her fellow students about Black history and culture.

Not only are you are you educating people that you may not have any direct connection to, youre educating the community, Chea said. We want everybody to feel like they have a place here.

Washtenaw International High School Principal Nhu Do said Chea, whose father is a first-generation immigrant from Liberia, is the embodiment of the type of student and community member the school strives to help grow.

To see students not just learn the importance of being advocates for themselves and those who are from oppressed and marginalized communities, but to actually commit their time and their energy and their leadership toward making these changes is the whole reason I got into education, Do said.

What Im most impressed with the Serafina is not her not that she is a phenomenal academic student, which she is, but that she is deeply and sincerely committed to serving others, and to interrupting the injustices and the inequities that exist in the world.

Chea hopes her work educating others about Black culture can continue after graduation, with plans to attend the University of Michigan in the fall.

Chea said she plans to be a part of the Black Student Union and other cultural organizations at UM, while majoring in marketing.

Her hope is she can help be a part of helping bring more awareness in college as she has done at WIHI, inviting more students into discussions about marginalized communities.

When you have people that are listening in that may not be part of that community, its really powerful, she said. ... The way that we focus on race and diversity in this school - I think that it should be something other schools are doing.

READ MORE:

Grizzly Scholars program fosters early love of STEM in Ypsilanti students

Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium recognized as Top Workplace in Michigan

Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn gives back to community with inspirational speech to Ypsilanti student-athletes

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Former Myrtle Beach Colored School at center of Black history event on social media – WBTW

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) A first-of-its-kind celebration of Black history centered around the former Myrtle Beach Colored School will take place next week on social media.

Starting on Monday, the Historic Myrtle Beach Colored School and Education Center at 900 Dunbar St. is asking social-media users to participate by sharing pictures and posts using the hastag #HMBCSSpiritWeek22.

Black History Celebration Spirit Week will have a different theme for each day of the week.

The original four-room, wood-framed Myrtle Beach Colored School opened in 1932. After closing in the early 1950s, it served as a warehouse but later was mostly abandoned until 2001 when the city created a committee of former students, community representatives and others to try to save the school.

The condition of the building kept it from being saved at its original location. It was, however, deconstructed and stored in a warehouse. Crews began building a new structure in 2005, and the new building was opened in June 2006.

The Historic Myrtle Beach Colored School Museum and Education Center is a tangible example of how citizens, neighborhoods, businesses and governments can work together to preserve the historic record and create new opportunities, a post on the Myrtle Beach city website says. The new old school is a functioning part of the community and a proud addition to the neighborhood. You couldnt ask for a better recipe for community partnership and public service.

The museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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History suggests one of the No. 1 seeds revealed in the early NCAA Tournament bracket will win the title – CBS Sports

Posted: at 9:07 pm

Every February since 2017, men's college basketball gets a one-time-only peek behind the curtain to see what the NCAA Division I men's basketball selection committee thinks about the best teamsbefore we get to Selection Sunday.

That time comes again on Saturday, when CBS will air its annual in-season bracket of the 16 top teams according to the selection committee on the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Preview. The show will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET. When we see all the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds unsheathed, we will be 22 days from Selection Sunday. Normally, this show happens 29 days from Selection Sunday, but as committee chair Tom Burnett told CBS Sports this week, with the NFL extending its season by one week, all parties thought it best to wait until after the Super Bowl to do this.

Will this be a permanent change to the college hoops calendar?

"We're not quite sure yet what the future holds, that will certainly be for the committee moving forward after I depart," Burnett, who is in his final season on the committee, told CBS Sports. "Three weeks is close, but we've got a lot of basketball left. I believe the count is near 750 games remaining in the regular season, and then we've got all the conference tournaments. So, a lot can change even if it's just three weeks."

That's true, but the short history of this in-season bracket teaser has also proved informative with some accurate foreshadowing. The previous four times there has been an early reveal that later had anNCAA Tournament(2017-19, 2021), three of the four No. 1 seeds in February held the top line in March. (While there was no 2020 NCAA Tournament, the projections that year also kept this pattern.) Last year, Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan held, while Ohio State dipped down to No. 2 come Selection Sunday.

Additionally, the four previous times the NCAA has done this (not accounting for 2020 when there was no tournament), one of the the four No. 1 seeds from February went on to win the national title.

Early No. 1 seeds: Villanova, Kansas, Baylor and Gonzaga. Actual No. 1 seeds: Villanova, Kansas, Gonzaga and North Carolina. National champion: North Carolina

Early No. 1 seeds: Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Purdue Actual No. 1 seeds: Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Kansas National champion: Villanova

Early No. 1 seeds: Duke, Virginia, Tennessee and Gonzaga Actual No. 1 seeds: Duke, Virginia, Gonzaga and North Carolina National champion: Virginia

Early No. 1 projected seeds: Baylor, Kansas, Gonzaga and San Diego State Actual No. 1 seeds: No tournament (Baylor, Kansas and Gonzaga were projected No. 1s)National champion: No tournament

Early No. 1 projected seeds: Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State Actual No. 1 seeds: Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Illinois National champion: Baylor

CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm projects Auburn, Gonzaga, Arizona and Kansas to be on the four top lines of the bracket. So, this is good news for fans of those programs. Because we are one week closer than usual to Selection Sunday for this show, the chances at least three of those teams maintain their elite seeding is even better.

"As we've gotten into conference play, we've had some results, teams are not going to be perfect they're going to lose games and such and take that into account and, again, remember the entire body of work," Burnett said.

The committee considered "six to seven programs" for the No. 1 seeds, and Burnett said contingencies were in place for Thursday night and Friday night results to adjust the bracket if necessary. (The committee met in person this week in Indianapolis and concluded their meetings on Thursday afternoon. For a refresher on seeding and bracketing principles, read this.) Overall, Burnett said "20 or so" teams were considered for the top 16 lines and it took three seed scrubs to get there.

This is the fourth season of the NCAA's NET rankings, which replaced the RPI (now a defunct/extinct metric, per the NCAA). As college hoops fans know, the NET has become the primary metric referenced across college hoops. But is it too emphasized by the media? Burnett said yes.

"It allows the committee to certainly maybe not make all of our decisions, but based some of the things we do on that," Burnett said of the NET. "On the team sheet we're looking at KenPom, we're looking at BPI, we're looking at everything that might be out there. And then, we're reading everything. ... I'm seeing what other voices talk about [in] our sport. We're taking all of that in, and certainly the NET plays a role in what we do as a committee, but it's not everything. And I will tell you certainly there's no circumstances where NET wins the day. NET makes us look at other things. That's my experience in the committee room. Why is their NET so high? Why are they so good in the predictives vs. the results metrics?"

It's an important distinction, as the committee has six metrics on team sheets it refers to. Four of those metrics are predictive in nature: NET, KenPom.com, Jeff Sagarin's ratings and ESPN's BPI. The two others Strength of Record and the Kevin Pauga Index; KPI for short are strictly rsum-based and are not influenced by team efficiency, scoring margin or any predictive qualities. Burnett emphasized how crucial all of these data points are to committee members now.

The eye test is not nearly as influential in discussion as it once was, according to Burnett.

"We're talking about the full body of work," he said. "Anything starting in November all the way through the conference tournaments, and that will factor in to what we do. But there's a lot of conversation about why metrics shape up the way they do, what does this number mean, and we may not get to all the final answers, but it's certainly a big part of the conversation.

"I think that's what our membership wanted us to do a few years ago was to bring that discussion more into the committee room, get away from what's used to be known as the eye test and just looking at someone and saying, 'They're a good team,' or 'maybe they're not a good team. They're in the bracket, they're not in the bracket.' We certainly don't want to do that. We want to be able to back up the information we share and reveal, whether it's this weekend or it's the real thing in three weeks."

One significant change with this year's committee is its expansion from 10 to 12 people. For more than five decades the NCAA selection committee in men's basketball had only 10 representatives. Two more were added in an effort to diversify the panel, though the NCAA still is only anointing conference commissioners and athletic directors to the committee. No former coaches or analytic experts or media members or anyone from different walks of life has been considered yet. Can that change? Will it?

"Our committee has a say in kind of how we're formulated but we don't make up our own rules," Burnett said. "There's a nominating committee in the Division I structure, certainly there's a Board of Directors that has final oversight of things. There are other voices that get involved, and when you get a mandate from the Board of Directors down ... I don't know that the basketball committee talked a whole lot about outside voices coming into the committee room, but again, at the end of the day we're not quite sure that's our decision."

Burnett said the committee continues to hear from coaches on this issue, but added that the committee isn't at that point where they're interested in diversifying further.

"So far there's been some comfort in how the committee's are structured," Burnett said.

It might be best to find some discomfort and continue to update how the committee forms its brain trust. The College Football Playoff committee and its powers-that-be, whoare vulnerable to many criticisms at least hasn't pigeonholed itself to only having ADs and commissioners on its roster.

As for the games and the operations of this year's men's tournament, CBS Sports recentlytalked with NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, who said, "We've gone back to the original playbook. This year's tournament is being planned and executed like it was pre-pandemic. And that's not to say that we're not looking at adjustments that need to be made. We certainly are."

Said Burnett: "What's different this year is really an effort to get the tournament back on track, get it back to its course of 14 different sites, starting in Dayton. ... We've got the policies and procedures in place, we know how to put tournament together. We know how to get people excited, or maybe angry at us, for the matchups and all of that that are ahead. ... Putting it back on course at the sites that we know it to be at is the main focus here and I think we're getting close to getting that accomplished."

The NCAA Tournament is scheduled to get underway on the men's side on March 15 in Dayton, Ohio. Selection Sunday is March 13.

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Today in History : Today is Saturday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2022. – wausaupilotandreview.com

Posted: at 9:07 pm

By The Associated Press

Todays Highlights in History:

On Feb. 19, 2008, an ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power; his brother Raul was later named to succeed him.

On this date:

In 1473, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.

In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr, accused of treason, was arrested in the Mississippi Territory, in present-day Alabama. (Burr was acquitted at trial.)

In 1878, Thomas Edison received a U.S. patent for an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines.

In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which paved the way for the relocation and internment of people of Japanese ancestry, including U.S.-born citizens.

In 1945, Operation Detachment began during World War II as some 30,000 U.S. Marines began landing on Iwo Jima, where they commenced a successful month-long battle to seize control of the island from Japanese forces.

In 1959, an agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.

In 1968, Mister Rogers Neighborhood debuts on NET (now PBS)

In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford, calling the issuing of the internment order for people of Japanese ancestry in 1942 a sad day in American history, signed a proclamation formally confirming its termination.

In 1985, the British soap opera EastEnders debuted on BBC Television.

In 1986, the U.S. Senate approved, 83-11, the Genocide Convention, an international treaty outlawing acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, nearly 37 years after the pact was first submitted for ratification.

In 1997, Deng Xiaoping (dung shah-oh-ping), the last of Chinas major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92.

In 2003, an Iranian military plane carrying 275 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in southeastern Iran, killing all on board.

In 2019, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to develop plans for a new Space Force within the Air Force, accepting less than the full-fledged department he had wanted.

Ten years ago: Three skiers were killed when an avalanche swept them about a quarter-mile down an out-of-bounds canyon at Stevens Pass, Washington, but a fourth skier caught up in the slide was saved by a safety device. Forty-four inmates were killed in a prison riot in Apodaca, northern Mexico.

Five years ago: Three former elite U.S. gymnasts, including 2000 Olympian Jamie Dantzscher, appeared on CBS 60 Minutes to say they were sexually abused by Dr. Larry Nassar, a volunteer team physician for USA Gymnastics. (Nassar would be sentenced to decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment.) Anthony Davis had an All-Star Game for the record books, scoring 52 points as the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 192-182 the highest-scoring game in league history.

One year ago: Southern cities slammed by winter storms that left millions without power for days were dealing with water pipes ruptured by record-low temperatures; the breaks created a shortage of clean drinking water, shut down airports and left hospitals scrambling. The United States officially returned to the Paris climate accord; President Joe Biden told a virtual gathering of European leaders that the world can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change. U.S. officials scrambled to reinforce the nations cyber defenses following a sweeping hack that may have exposed government and corporate secrets to Russia. Kim Kardashian West filed for divorce from Kanye West in Los Angeles after 6 1/2 years of marriage.

Todays Birthdays:

Singer Smokey Robinson is 82. Actor Carlin Glynn is 82. Former Sony Corp. Chairman Howard Stringer is 80. Singer Lou Christie is 79. Rock musician Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell) is 74. Actor Stephen Nichols is 71. Author Amy Tan is 70. Actor Jeff Daniels is 67. Rock singer-musician Dave Wakeling is 66. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 65. Actor Ray Winstone is 65. Actor Leslie David Baker is 64. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is 63. Britains Prince Andrew is 62. Tennis Hall of Famer Hana Mandlikova is 60. Singer Seal is 59. Actor Jessica Tuck is 59. Country musician Ralph McCauley (Wild Horses) is 58. Rock musician Jon Fishman (Phish) is 57. Actor Justine Bateman is 56. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 55. Actor Bellamy Young is 52. Rock musician Daniel Adair is 47. Pop singer-actor Haylie Duff is 37. Actor Arielle Kebbel is 37. Christian rock musician Seth Morrison (Skillet) is 34. Actor Luke Pasqualino is 32. Actor Victoria Justice is 29. Actor David (dah-VEED) Mazouz (TV: Gotham) is 21. Actor Millie Bobby Brown is 18.

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Today in History : Today is Saturday, Feb. 19, the 50th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com

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Auburn Football: Eric Kiesau’s history as offensive coordinator in FBS – Auburn Wire

Posted: at 9:07 pm

On Friday Auburn announced that Eric Kiesau would be promoted to offensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. Kiesau joined the staff in 2021 as a senior offensive analyst before being promoted to wide receivers coach following the Georgia State game.

This isnt the first run as offensive coordinator for Kiesau, he has served as the offensive play caller at five different stops since 2009. He joined the Colorado Buffaloes staff under Dan Hawkins as the wide receivers coach in 2006. Kiesau would be promoted to offensive coordinator in 2009.

After a one-year stint as the passing game coordinator with the Cal Bears, Kiesau would join Steve Sarkisians staff at Washington in 2012. When Sark left for the job at Southern California, Kiesau would head back to the Big 12 with the Kansas Jayhawks. He would be named interim offensive coordinator before joining the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015 as an offensive analyst.

By 2016, he was on the move again after Kiesau would take on the role of the associate head coach and offensive coordinator. After Tim DeRuyter was fired midway through the season, he would take over as interim head coach.

In 2017 Bryan Harsin hired Kiesau to be his wide receivers coach. He would name him co-offensive coordinator in 2019. He would take full control of the offensive coordinator role for the 2020 season.

With the history lesson out of the way, we broke down the offensive rankings under Eric Kiesau during his history as an offensive coordinator in FBS.

Passing Offense: 241.9 YPG (No. 49)

Rushing Offense: 110.7 YPG (No. 114)

Total Offense: 352.6 YPG (No. 98)

Scoring Offense: 33.9 PPG (No. 25)

Passing Offense: 255.6 YPG (No. 41)

Rushing Offense: 168.6 YPG (No. 52)

Total Offense: 424.2 YPG (No. 41)

Scoring Offense: 33.9 PPG (No. 19)

Passing Offense: 207.5 YPG (No. 87)

Rushing Offense: 108.5 YPG (No. 120)

Total Offense: 316.1 YPG (No. 122)

Scoring Offense: 16.5 PPG (No. 125)

Passing Offense: 203.5 YPG (No. 85)

Rushing Offense: 108.5 YPG (No. 116)

Total Offense: 312.1 YPG (No. 118)

Scoring Offense: 16.4 PPG (No. 120)

Passing Offense: 256.2 YPG (No. 39)

Rushing Offense: 228.1 YPG (No. 16)

Total Offense: 484.3 YPG (No. 15)

Scoring Offense: 36.4 PPG (No. 18)

Passing Offense: 212.1 YPG (No. 84)

Rushing Offense: 136.8 YPG (No. 86)

Total Offense: 348.9 YPG (No. 99)

Scoring Offense: 21.7 PPG (No. 95)

Passing Offense: 222.7 YPG (No. 58)

Rushing Offense: 142.7 YPG (No. 73)

Total Offense: 365.3 YPG (No. 73)

Scoring Offense: 24.2 PPG (No. 77)

Passing Offense: 226.3 YPG (No. 48)

Rushing Offense: 87.9 YPG (No. 113)

Total Offense: 314.2 YPG (No. 101)

Scoring Offense: 22.3 PPG (No. 88)

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Auburn Football: Eric Kiesau's history as offensive coordinator in FBS - Auburn Wire

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