Monthly Archives: May 2022

They are the specimens that helped prove the theory of evolution, yet they have remained lost for 150 years.

Now, Cambridge University has uncovered jars of platypuses and echidnas which were pivotal in proving that some mammals can lay eggs, supporting Charles Darwins controversial new hypothesis of natural selection and dealing a crushing blow to creationism.

Until Europeans first encountered the creatures in Australia in the 1790s, it had been assumed that all mammals give birth to live young, yet many scientists refused to believe the aberrations were real.

With a tail like a beaver, a flat bill, and webbed feet like a duck, when the first platypus specimens were brought to Europe people thought they were fakes that had been sewn together.

The finds were discovered in stores at Cambridges University Museum of Zoology, while assistant director Jack Ashby was researching a book about Australian mammals.

In the 19th-century, many conservative scientists didnt want to believe that an egg-laying mammal could exist, because this would support the theory of evolution the idea that one animal group was capable of changing into another, said Mr Ashby.

Lizards and frogs lay eggs, so the idea of a mammal laying eggs was dismissed by many people I think they felt it was degrading to be related to animals that they considered lower life forms.

The rest is here:

Platypus eggs which proved Darwin's evolution theory rediscovered 150 years after they were lost - The Telegraph

Securrency is joined by Abu Dhabi Global Market, Halo Investing, State Street, Stellar Development Foundation, and other partners, for a week-long program of dedicated talks and engagements focused on the movement towards a global liquidity network.

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Securrency, a leading developer of institutional-grade blockchain-based financial and regulatory technology, opens the "Liquidity Lounge" on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos taking place May 22-26.

Located in the heart of Davos, the Liquidity Lounge serves as the hub for focused discussions covering the evolution of global capital marketsand the ramifications for current and future market participants. From the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT) to enhance current market infrastructures to new regulations to innovative products, services, and practices that remove friction in global financial markets to opening up new opportunities for the financially underserved and excluded, the Liquidity Lounge offers participants and attendees the opportunity to gain a first-hand view of where the future of finance is headed.

Securrency and its world-class partners invite all World Economic Forum attendees to join them in the Liquidity Lounge at ESCHER Raumdesign, Promenade 115, 7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland. A seminal event, bringing together global leaders in digital asset finance, compliance and regulation, the Liquidity Lounge is co-hosted by several prominent stakeholders including, Abu Dhabi Global Market, Halo Investing, State Street, and the Stellar Development Foundation, and offers a full program at the cutting edge of global digital finance.

"Securrency's presence on the ground at Davos further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to support the responsible evolution of global financial markets," said,Dan Doney, Chief Executive Officer of Securrency. "We are on the forefront of the remarkable convergence of legacy financial systems with innovative new technologies that are capable of improving global capital markets for all who use them. The power of blockchain technology, harnessed by responsible innovators, is driving this transformation in a way that appropriately balances the need for financial privacy with advanced institutional and regulatory oversight capabilities. The result will be unprecedented global liquidity and a sea-change from how modern markets work and how we interact with them."

John Hensel, Chief Operating Officer of Securrency,said, "We're excited to be curating this discussion on the future of finance. We are also proud to bring together some of our closest partners, such as Stellar Development Foundation, Halo Investing, State Street, and Abu Dhabi Global Market, to share their expert insights, alongside other key figures involved in the evolution of our markets. We are confident that this impressive group of thought leaders will drive the discussion and industry forward."

Beginning with a welcoming reception on Sunday, May 22, the Liquidity Lounge will offer a wide-ranging and spirited discussion on the future of finance in the ambiance of the World Economic Forum. The daily program themes include:

Further details on the agenda can be found at the following link: https://wef.securrency.com/

About Securrency, Inc.

Securrencyis a blockchain-based financial markets infrastructure company focused on building a financial ecosystem to optimize financial logistics to enhance capital formation and stimulate global liquidity. Securrency is driving change at the core of financial services via a fully-interoperable distributed identity and compliance framework with state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to bridge legacy financial platforms to next-generation blockchain networks. One of the most advanced regulatory technology providers in the industry, Securrency has developed integrated, scalable, and universal compliance tools that automate enforcement of multi-jurisdictional regulatory policy.

Media ContactsAnna RyanWachsmanE: [emailprotected]

SOURCE Securrency

The rest is here:

Securrency Opens "Liquidity Lounge" in Davos: Cutting Edge Discussions on the Evolution of Capital Markets & the Future of Finance - PR...

Another Eevee evolution will appear in Pokemon Unite, as Espeon is on the way. The character was teased back on May 6, 2022. The official Twitter account showed Eevee in front of a decorative screen. Now, we know Espeon will show up in-game on May 16, 2022.

Theres no gameplay footage of Espeon in Pokemon Unite yet. The announcement only showed off how the psychic-type will look in-game. It did confirm what sort of role the Eevee evolution will play, though. It will be classified as a ranged attacker. Fellow ranged attackers already in-game include Alolan Ninetails, Greninja, and Pikachu. One of the last recent additions, Duraludon, is also another ranged attacker.

Only one other Eevee evolution is present in Pokemon Unite at the moment. Thats Sylveon. It joined the cast in October 2022. Like Espeon, it is also another ranged attacker.

Theres another Pokemon Unite update on the way, though its been delayed. A subscription that would give people gems, Holowear, and license trials were teased. It was supposed to launch in May 2022. However, the official account noted that the launch date was an error and the service is delayed.

Pokemon Unite is available on the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, and Espeon will appear on May 16, 2022.

Read the original here:

Espeon Will Be the Next Pokemon Unite Eevee Evolution - Siliconera

Photo credit: West Point, U.S. Military Academy, via Flickr (cropped).

A few months ago, I fell and dislocated my left shoulder. My upper arm bone was put back in its socket the same day, but then I spent months in physical therapy to regain full function. In the process, I have learned a lot about an amazing joint that I previously took for granted.

Thedrawing belowshows only part of the human shoulders anatomy.Notshown is the large deltoid muscle, which overlies the shoulder joint and connects the upper arm bone (humerus) to the collarbone (clavicle) and the shoulder blade (scapula). Also not shown is the trapezius muscle across the back, which connects the left and right scapulas. Both the deltoid and the trapezius play important roles in stabilizing the joint.

In the drawing, yellow indicates bone, red indicates muscle, blue indicates tendon, and purple indicates bursa (a fluid-filled cushion). The dashed black lines indicate the hidden ball-and-socket joint between the humerus and the scapula. Unlike the hip joint, in which the ball is deeper in the socket, the shoulder joint is more open. This means the shoulder joint is less stable than the hip joint, but it is also much more flexible. In fact, it is the most flexible joint in the human body.

The biceps muscle at the lower left gets its name from the fact that it has two heads. One attaches, through a tendon and a small bursa, near the top of the humerus. The other head attaches to the coracoid process, an extension of the scapula. The lower end of the biceps muscle is attached to the forearm. Although it is primarily involved in moving the forearm, its divided head helps to stabilize the shoulder joint.

Both the flexibility and stability of the shoulder joint are due primarily to the muscles of the rotator cuff, listed on the left side of the drawing. All four of the listed muscles stretch across the scapula and attach to the top of the humerus. For a 10-minute tutorial on the rotator cuff, seehere. For a longer (20-minute) tutorial on the movements, bones, and muscles of the shoulder, seehere.

The more I have learned about the shoulder joint, the more I have been impressed by its specified complexity, which points tointelligent design. Imagine my surprise when I came across a six-and-a-half-minute video claiming that the human shoulder is a design disaster. Thevideowas made byCheddar News, which describes itself as the only news network focused on the next generation of innovators and decision-makers[.] Cheddar News is where forward thinkers go to learn about the people, ideas and innovations that are driving change and creating whats next.

I am confident that a rigorous argument can be made for the intelligent design of the human shoulder. But that is not what I present here. In what follows, I examine the claimsagainstdesign that are made in the Cheddar News video.

The videos producer is Natalia Ryzak, who has a masters degree in journalism from Columbia University. At the beginning, Ryzak explains that human shoulder blades tilt down and outwards, whereas chimps tilt up. Small variations like this are the reason humans have awful shoulders. And chimps, with whom we share nearly 99% of our DNA, dont. For that, Ryzak continues,we can thank evolution or more specifically, how we are outpacing it.

But the tilt difference does not explain why the human shoulder is awful. If we spent most of our time swinging from tree branches, it might; but we dont. And the claimed 99% similarity between human and chimp DNA has no bearing on the issue.

Ryzak goes on (from 0:47 to 0:59) to say:

Side effects of a human shoulder may include dislocation, separation, rotator cuff tears, bursitis, tendonitis, tendonosis, impingement syndrome, instability, arthritis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), and fracture.

But these are not side effects, any more than getting a flat tire is a side effect of making an automobile. Or having a roof torn off by a tornado is a side effect of building a house. And these problems are not unique to humans: Chimps can also suffer fromarthritisandfractures, among other things.

Enter Nathan Lents, professor of biology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. In 2015, Lents argued on hisblogthat the human eye is badly designed, primarily because the vertebrate retina is wired in backwards. Like Richard Dawkins and others before him, Lents based his claim on the fact that the light-sensing cells face away from the incoming light. Butevidencepublished from the 1960s onward and reported in standard textbooks shows that this arrangement isfar betterthan the one Lents favors.

Back to the video on Whythe Human Shoulder is a Design Disaster. Lents says(at 1:30) that the shoulder is more of a floating joint than any other joint in the body. Ryzak explains that the outer layer of muscles (consisting of the deltoid and trapezius) is stronger than the inner layer (the rotator cuff). Then Lents continues (from 1:59),Having such an overlapping meshwork of muscles, what youre inviting is pinching, and tearing, as the orientation can shift. Lents compares the shoulder joint to the hip joint, in which the relationship of the hip to the leg is fairly fixed in place.

So far, the video has summarized the structure of the shoulder and its difference from the hip. The shoulder is more flexible than the hip. Good thing, too, or we wouldnt be able to perform many of the actions we do. Just watch an acrobat performing on the parallel bars. Or a baseball player pitching a fastball. Or an athlete swimming the butterfly.

But journalist Ryzak confidently concludesex cathedra(starting at 2:19) that weve proven to you just how cr*ppy our shoulders are. How so? Ryzak doesnt say. Instead she simply suggests going back into the evolution part.

According to Lents (starting at 2:28), In our quadrupedal ancestors, in our deep past, really we had four legs, they werent really arms, to speak of. When you think of a dog and a cat, they dont have arms, they have legs. But they still have a shoulder joint, as we can think of it.

Then Ryzak says, Our shoulders evolved for a life in the trees, swinging and hanging out. Then we left the trees behind and began to stand upright. This freed our arms up for other purposes, like hunting and gathering. So from four-legged animals that walked and ran on the ground, we get animals that spend some of their time on the ground but mostly swing from branches to branches in the trees. Then those animals evolved into animals that stood upright and used their arms for other purposes. This is the standard Darwinian narrative. But how, exactly, did four-legged animals on the ground evolve into two-armed animals that swung on tree branches, which then evolved into two-armed animals that stood upright on the ground? The video offers no explanation; only an imaginative story.

Lents continues (starting at 2:54),We are partially adapted for throwing, which is no other animal in our group of animals throws anything. This is not true: Chimps canthrow, though not as far or as accurately as humans. Indeed, they are infamous forflinging fecesat visitors to zoos.

But thats a minor detail. Lents goes on to say, So we believe that throwing was a very strong evolutionary pressure as we began to hunt throwing spears, thrusting as well, so thrusting and throwing are very specific kinds of motion. And that required that floating nature to our shoulder. But evolutionary pressure just means that throwing favored the survival of early humans. It does not account for the origin of the human shoulder. As Darwinian biologistswrotein 1996, adaptations concern the survival of the fittest, not the arrival of the fittest.

So the claim that we left the trees behind and began to stand upright does not explain the remarkable anatomy of the human shoulder. After all, chimps leave the trees on a regular basis (though they dont stand upright). Yet their shoulder anatomy has not changed.

According to Lents (at 3:57), Part of the problem in present-day humans is not so much a bad shoulder design but a mismatch between what our shoulder is designed to do and how we use it on a daily basis. Of course, Lents doesnt think the shoulder was intelligently designed. As a Darwinist, he believes that the shoulder evolved through accidental variations and survival of the fittest. And in our immediate ancestors, the shoulder was adapted (designed) to swing through trees.

Most of our modern activities are very different. Ryzak adds (starting at 4:16),

It might surprise you, but simply sitting at your desk is a major contributor to shoulder problems. When we hunch forward for days, hours, months, years on end, we end up causing unnecessary pulls and strains on our rotator cuff muscles. That can lead to injuries.

Lents explains (starting at 5:20) that you can minimize shoulder problems by changing the way you eat, changing the ways you use your body. And, Ryzak adds (from 5:34 to 5:52), pay attention to basic posture. So after all the talk about bad design and evolutionary mismatch, the solution to our design disaster is for us to pay attention todiet,exercise, andposture.

I think I could have figured that out without all the anti-design rhetoric and Darwinian storytelling. Oh, and I would add: Be careful not to fall in such a way as to dislocate your shoulder.

See original here:

Is the Human Shoulder Badly Designed? - Discovery Institute

NEW YORK,May 12, 2022The National Basketball Association (NBA) today unveiled a lineup of reimagined trophies for the NBA postseason, including an evolution of the Larry OBrien Trophy, awarded annually to the NBA champions.The six trophies, designed in collaboration with artist Victor Solomon and Tiffany & Co., are named after NBA legends who have helped shape the league and represent the standards of postseason excellence.

The NBAs relationship with Tiffany & Co. spans 45 years, with the American luxury house having designed and manufactured the Larry OBrien Trophy since 1977, the leagues conference championship trophies since 2001 and the Bill Russell Trophy (NBA Finals MVP) since 2005.Tiffanys legendary Makers the skilled craftspeople at its hollowware workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island bring to life more than 65 trophies each year in addition to hundreds of other designs they also produce at the workshop.Solomon worked in tandem with Tiffany & Co. to evolve the NBAs postseason hardware offerings, refreshing how the leagues champions will be honored for the next 75 years and beyond.

NBA Finals Trophies

The Larry OBrien Trophy

The leagues championship trophy, named after Larry OBrien since 1984, honors the NBAs third commissioner, who oversaw the NBAs absorption of four ABA teams and the elevation of national broadcast agreements.The trophy stands 25.5 inches tall and weighs approximately 30 pounds, with its latest iteration evolved in three key areas:

The Bill Russell Trophy

The NBA Finals MVP award, named after Bill Russell since 2009, honors a legend who won a record 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons.The Bill Russell Trophy, which remains 17.25 inches tall and weighs 11 pounds, is now finished completely in gold vermeil to match the Larry OBrien Trophy, and features similar masking to reveal the net and basketball channels

The NBA Conference Champion Trophies

The NBA is naming its conference champion trophies after two NBA legends, Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson, for their outstanding contributions on the court and the impact they made as early presidents of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Similar to the original trophies created in 2001, the Eastern and Western Conference Champion trophies each raise a silver basketball symbolically quartered into four sections, representing the key milestones on the road to the NBA Finals: making the Playoffs and winning the First Round, Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals. The underside lists the 15 teams in each conference and the Conference Finals logo. Made of sterling silver, the Western Conference trophy measures 15.6 inches tall and weighs 31 pounds, while the Eastern Conference trophy also measures 15.6 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds. The etching on the base of both trophies features the namesakes and round-by-round scores. The Eastern Conference Champion Trophy is raised by three posts while the Western Conference Champion Trophy is raised by two rings.

The Bob Cousy Trophy

Nicknamed Mr. Basketball and The Houdini of the Hardwood for his revolutionary playmaking ability, Cousy has been named to every Anniversary Team in league history (25th, 35th, 50th and 75th).He is a six-time NBA champion, an NBA MVP, a 13-time NBA All-Star selection, a 12-time All-NBA Team selection and a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP.As the first president of the NBPA, Cousy was instrumental in securing important benefits for his fellow players.

I have been part of the NBA family since 1950 and among the greatest joys of my post-playing career has been watching the game continue to evolve into what it is today, said Cousy.There are few greater achievements in sports than representing your conference in the NBA Finals, and Im moved that the NBA has granted me the honor of being connected to the Eastern Conference champions for years to come.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy

Oscar The Big O Robertson was the first NBA player to average a triple-double for an entire season.An NBA champion, NBA MVP, 12-time NBA All-Star selection, 11-time All-NBA Team selection, NBA Rookie of the Year, three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP and member of the leagues 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Robertson is one of the best all-around players in the history of the game.Robertson was also the first African American president of the NBPA and played a pivotal role in reforming the NBA Draft and ushering in free agency.

I am thrilled to have the NBA Western Conference Champions Trophy named in my honor, said Robertson. Several decades ago, I played in an emerging and highly competitive league with tremendous talent.This trophy represents to me not only my hard work to make the league better, but all the efforts of the future Oscar Robertson Trophy winners who make the NBA great.

NBA Conference Finals MVP Trophies

Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s.Together, Bird and Johnsons bicoastal rivalry captivated fans and played a critical role in elevating the league to new heights.The two NBA legends are honored as the namesakes for the trophies that will now be awarded each year to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals MVPs.

Each Conference Finals MVP trophy raises a sterling silver ball, similar to the conference champion trophies.The trophy bears a 24k gold vermeil net in its support structure, mirroring the new Finals MVP trophy, and stands 14 inches tall and weighs approximately five pounds.

The Larry Bird Trophy

Birds illustrious career is highlighted by three NBA championships, three NBA MVP awards, two NBA Finals MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA Team selections, an NBA Rookie of the Year award, an NBA All-Star Game MVP award and selections to the leagues 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

I am very honored to have my name associated with the NBAs Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy, said Bird.I know how tough it is to get to this great milestone of the Eastern Conference Finals and to be named the Most Valuable Player makes it even more special.

The Earvin Magic Johnson Trophy

One of the greatest point guards of all time, Johnson has built a legacy of excellence that includes five NBA championships, three NBA MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA Team selections, two NBA All-Star Game MVP awards and selections to the leagues 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

The NBA Conference Finals represent the last hurdle a team must face for an opportunity to make it to the big stage, the NBA Finals, said Johnson.Im truly honored to have my name memorialized on the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Trophy. This player excels on both ends of the court, makes his teammates better and leads his team to the greatest stage in basketball.

Additionally, the NBA and Meta Quest 2 recreated NBA Lane the leagues seasonlong marketing campaign in virtual reality.Starting today in Horizon Worlds, fans will be able to play mini games, watch the latest Playoffs highlights and view all six new trophies in the Trophy Room.

The 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel continue tonight with the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Miami Heat (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) followed by the Phoenix Suns taking on the Dallas Mavericks (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The 2022 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV begin on Thursday, June 2 on ABC.

Continued here:

NBA introduces new lineup of postseason hardware featuring an evolution of the Larry OBrien Trophy - TalkBasket.net