Month: June 2021

Categories
Science

Subsequent, Juno has his sights set on Ganymede

Next, Juno has his sights set on Ganymede

NASA’s Juno mission is slated to get close to the solar system’s largest moon, Ganymede, on Monday. This will be the first flyby of the icy world since the Galileo and Cassini spacecraft observed the moon together in 2000. New Horizons also took a quick snapshot of Ganymede as it spun around Jupiter on its way to Pluto in 2007, but from a distance of 3.5 million kilometers. Junos Pass on Monday will come much closer, approaching the surface for 1038 kilometers.

This pass over Ganymede is the first in a series of flybys to the Galilean moons of Jupiter, which together will mark the culmination of Juno’s expanded mission. The probe’s main mission, which began in 2016, focused on the gas giant itself. Juno has taken long, highly elliptical orbits around Jupiter, submerged near the planet to collect data on the planet before moving far above again moves out the planet’s harmful radiation, which threatens the spacecraft’s hardware if left too long.

Ganymede from Galileo’s point of view. Photo credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi (Wikimedia Commons)

Juno will continue to study Jupiter during its expanded mission, but its orbit will now swing it over the previously hidden poles and also help put the planet into context. For example, Juno will conduct the first systematic study of Jupiter’s faint ring system and visit some of its moons.

The scientific goals for the meeting with Ganymede on Monday are far-reaching. Juno will of course use the JunoCam to take photos with visible light, which are not only spectacular to look at, but also allow planetary researchers to observe changes in the surface of Ganymede over time: the photos can be compared to those of Galileo 20 years ago and those of Voyager of . be compared 40 years ago.

Ganymede is the only moon with its own magnetosphere, so Juno’s team is hoping to study it. Dustin Buccino of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains, “If Juno flies past Ganymede, radio signals will travel through Ganymede’s ionosphere, causing small frequency changes that should be picked up by two antennas in the Canberra complex of the Deep Space Network in Australia. If we can measure this change, perhaps we could understand the relationship between Ganymede’s ionosphere, its intrinsic magnetic field, and Jupiter’s magnetosphere. “

Juno will also use his microwave radiometer to study Ganymede’s ice crust, which will tell us more about its composition, temperature, and structure.

Ganymede compared to the moon of the earth. Ganymede is 5,268 kilometers wide. Photo credit: Apollo 17 Earth: NASA; Telescope image of the full moon by Gregory H. Revera, computer-aided image by Ganymede: NASA / JPL / DLR.

Ganymede is a fascinating world. Since it is larger than Mercury, it would be classified as a planet if it orbited the Sun instead of Jupiter. It’s also fascinating because it’s a water world, with liquid oceans beneath its surface. This makes it one of the solar system’s best candidates for microbial alien life. On the other hand, Ganymede’s ocean may not be in contact with rocks at its bottom, but instead is trapped between two layers of ice sheets. On earth, the chemical reactions caused by water in contact with rocks provide energy for some types of microbes – if Ganymede’s ocean lacks this key ingredient, it may be sterile, but the jury has yet to decide.

However, it is expected that there is contact of liquid water and rock on another moon of Jupiter: Europe. In the coming years, Juno will also visit Europe more than once. Juno’s expanded mission will also take a closer look at Io, the fiery innermost moon of Jupiter, a place that is more volcanically active than anywhere else in the solar system. We can expect some stunning imagery and new scientific knowledge from these upcoming flybys. The observations made by Juno will complement and prepare the stage for two upcoming missions to the moons of Jupiter. The European Space Agency’s JUICE will launch in 2022 and will take a closer look at Ganymede, Callisto and Europe. NASA’s Europa Clipper will follow later in the 2020s.

Learn more: “NASA’s Juno for an up-close look at Jupiter’s moon Ganymede,” JPL.

Featured Image: Ganymede Mosaic and Geological Map by Voyager and Galileo Data. Photo credit: USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Wheaton / NASA / JPL-Caltech.

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Entertainment

Pink’s Video From Willow’s Birthday Proves Youthful Bros Are Bother

Pink's Video From Willow's Birthday Proves Younger Bros Are Trouble

Pink‘s daughter, Willow, somehow managed to avoid getting pulled into the riptide of her younger brother’s hysterical antics. 

The 41-year-old pop star shared a video to Instagram on Saturday, June 5 of her daughter belting out a lovely karaoke version of Vance Joy‘s “Riptide” at her 10th birthday party. However, during Willow’s performance, 4-year-old brother Jameson put on quite a show of his own in the background. 

“I threw willow a party but no one told Jameson that,” Pink wrote, adding laughing and crying-while-laughing emojis. “#thisfamilyisnuts @vancejoy our family loves you buddy!”

As Willow sang the somber song, Jameson displayed the wild dance moves, which periodically involved him adjusting his lollipop. To her credit, Willow managed to remain steadfast throughout the moment and did not let her brother’s shenanigans rattle her. 

“I love that Willow is not at all [fazed] though…,” one fan wrote in the comment section. Another supporter posted, “Jameson has my heart.” 

Categories
Sport

USMNT’s epic Nations League conquer Mexico supplied loads of classes

USMNT's epic Nations League triumph over Mexico provided plenty of lessons

DENVER — The United States men’s national team headed into Sunday’s CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico as a side heavy on potential but light on experience. Yet in an engrossing contest that lasted almost three hours, this young U.S. team grew before the collective eyes of those in attendance, prevailing 3-2 after extra time to claim the inaugural edition of the trophy.

It was a match in which the U.S. navigated myriad twists and turns, rallying twice, converting a pressure-packed penalty through Christian Pulisic in extra time, and then surviving a penalty against them with substitute keeper Ethan Horvath saving brilliantly from Andres Guardado.

There was also the usual venom that accompanies this rivalry. Pulisic and his teammates were showered with debris (and Giovanni Reyna being hit in the hit with an object) after his penalty conversion. There were heavy challenges, more than a few scuffles — including a hand around the neck of midfielder Weston McKennie — and even a fan entering the field.

– U.S.-Mexico marred by anti-gay chants, thrown objects
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

And in the end, the U.S. prevailed over El Tri in a competitive fixture for the first time in eight years. And while the game carried extra importance with a trophy on the line, the actual prize seemed almost secondary to the events that transpired throughout the evening.

“For this group, it’s really important,” said U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter about the victory. “We’re a young side and we need to learn how to win. These games are very difficult, and for us it was about having a game plan executing the game plan but then it’s also about the fight in the spirit.”

The USMNT won the inaugural Nations League final over rivals Mexico in a match filled with drama. Omar Vega/Getty Images

The future will determine just how much this victory will galvanize the U.S. team. World Cup qualifying starts in a mere three months, and qualification remains by far the most important prize for this side. To a degree, the U.S. men’s program is still smarting from its failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. But this win means plenty for the players in that it provides a massive boost of confidence that its potential is being translated into results in big moments. It also gives Berhalter the kind of signature win that increases belief in his methods.

At minimum, this is a game that these U.S. players will remember for the rest of their lives, especially given the wild swings in momentum. And none more so than Horvath, who struggled for playing time with Club Brugge this season, and was penciled in as the backup to Steffen. Yet when Steffen was forced off with a knee injury in the 69th minute, Horvath stepped in and made a series of game-changing plays to the delight of the over 20 friends and family who were in attendance.

“Just thinking about how difficult it is for goalkeepers to come into the game, in that stage of the game, and then to make the impact that he made was remarkable,” said Berhalter. He added, “It’s been a tough season for him and to come and have a performance like that in his hometown was, you know it’s stuff that storybooks write about.”

The talking point in the run-up to kick-off was Berhalter’s decision to go with a three-man backline, presumably in a bid to free up Sergino Dest from his defensive responsibilities and get more into the attack.

But before the U.S. could even settle into any kind of rhythm disaster struck as a too-casual pass from defender Mark McKenzie was picked off by Jesus Corona, allowing him to advance towards goal and rifle his shot past Steffen. The game was a mere 63 seconds old.

The U.S. struggled to settle in during the ensuing minutes, unable to connect passes and looking suspect in defense, especially with Tim Ream often left isolated to defend Uriel Antuna one-on-one.

But a critical sequence around the 27th minute highlighted that as much as the U.S. labored at times both individually and as a team, it showed near-endless reservoirs of resolve, and revealed an ability to learn on the fly. One moment, Hector Moreno nodded home Hector Herrera’s cross, only for VAR to come to the U.S. team’s rescue and disallow the tally. Then, in a flash, they were level, as Reyna cleaned up a rebound after McKennie’s header hit the post. In between, Reyna was everywhere, getting into the attack but also contributing on the defensive end. McKennie began to impose himself all over the field, and John Brooks put in an immense performance to help stabilize the U.S. defense.

There were still warning signs however. Pulisic was ineffective for most of the night. The back line was wobbly. Dest, thought to be a key component in the U.S. breaking down Mexico’s defense, looked completely out of sorts, and unsure of what he was supposed to do and where he needed to be.

The second half saw the U.S. play with more composure and on more level terms, even if it wasn’t completely in full flow. McKennie forced a trio of saves from Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa, as he consistently shook free on set pieces.

And yet it was a substitution from Mexico manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino — the introduction of attacker Diego Lainez — that nearly turned the tide. The Mexican side had been attacking Ream relentlessly all game, and Lainez’s shiftiness and fresh legs gave him a decided advantage. It paid off in the 79th minute as Lainez cut inside and unleashed a shot that beat Horvath.

At that point, it seemed as though all Mexico had to do was see the game out, yet McKennie wouldn’t be denied, finally getting the better of Ochoa with his header from Reyna’s corner just creeping into the goal.

The regional heavyweights continued to land haymakers, and Horvath needed to be at his sharpest to deny Lozano in the 90th minute. And if the first 90 minutes delivered drama, extra time took matters beyond the red line. Pulisic won a penalty in the 109th minute after being felled by Mexico defender Carlos Salcedo, one that required a five-minute VAR review, and also saw Martino red carded for placing his hands on the referee. Brooks couldn’t stand to watch, facing towards his own goal. He missed seeing Pulisic convert a cold-blooded penalty, and he celebrated by taking off his shirt and shushing the crowd, at which point the U.S. players were pelted with debris. Reyna appeared to take a projectile to the head, though Berhalter said he thinks the attacker “is going to be okay.”

Of course, there was one more dose of drama. McKenzie was adjudged to have handled Luis Romo’s shot in the box, requiring another lengthy VAR review. Guardado stepped up to take the spot kick, and while his shot lacked placement, it had plenty of power, forcing a spectacular save from Horvath, who admitted he and fellow keepers Steffen and David Ochoa spent 30-40 minutes with goalkeeper coach David Hyde studying the tendencies of the opposition.

“It’s down to us doing our homework,” said Horvath.

The U.S. then smartly ran out the clock, even as more projectiles rained down on them. At the final whistle, players collapsed to the ground, and were soon celebrating with the U.S. fans behind Horvath’s goal.

For the U.S., the tournament has been a rousing success. Yes, the team showed its inexperience in managing big occasions. But it also revealed an adaptability and a mental toughness, even in the face of incidents like one in the second half when Hector Herrera grabbed McKennie.

“I don’t know what it is, but they seem to like to grab my neck,” McKennie said. “It’s a rivalry that’s been there for generations and it’s rivalry that will still carry on. We just got the upper hand this time, and hopefully it stays that way.”

The younger generation is growing up.

Categories
Science

Whereas “specialists” prefer to make us imagine that Germany remains to be in a drought – actual observations inform us a special story – cotton wool with that?

While “experts” like to make us believe that Germany is still in a drought - real observations tell us a different story - cotton wool with that?

Reposted from the NoTricksZone

By P. Gosselin on June 6, 2021

Persistent claims about a German drought have become absurd.

During today’s Sunday stroll, I observed how much rain we’ve been getting here in northwest Germany lately – see photos below.

Many of the farmers’ fields are flooded, streams and rivers are high and ditches full of water.

However, some alarmists out there would like us to believe that Germany is still stumbling from the drought and that it is too early to call the alarm.

In spring 2021 Germany received 175 l / m² of precipitation compared to the average of 171 l / m² for the reference period 1991 to 2020. While March and April were too dry, in May there was unusually high precipitation compared to previous years. The beginning of June was wet too.

But in its most recent report, the German Weather Service DWD again highlighted the old, wetter reference period 1961-1990 because it was able to say that spring was drier than normal for the eighth year in a row. The DWD wants us to think that there is still a drought and that all the water out there should simply be ignored.

Germany in a drought?

Another trick used by the alarmists is a color map that shows the intensity of the drought throughout Germany – for a depth of 1.8 meters! And here the data is not actually measured, but modeled, as explained here.

This is how we should imagine the situation in Germany (June 4, 2021):

Diagram source: UFZ

“Oh my God!” Many people may think when they see the graph. “It’s dry out there!” The media loves to use the above chart because of all of the red color generated by the computer model.

But what is the reality?

However, if we check the graph for the plant-available water development from June 4, 2021, the top 25 cm soil, the story looks very different:

It is wet! But the media never reports on the graphic above.

Photos of the German “drought”

Today I took a few photos of the “drought” in northwest Germany to show you how terribly dry everything has become – because of fossil fuels, of course. (Warning: sarcasm).

Below, entire stretches of grain fields are under water from the recent heavy rains:

Photo: P. Gosselin

But hey, our models say the ground is really dry – 1.8 meters deep – that counts!

What follows is not a picture of a Southeast Asian rice field. It is Germany that is suffering from drought, the media are happy to tell us. Another soaked field:

Photo: P. Gosselin

The tree in the next photo is definitely suffering from drought stress – due to artificial climate drying:

Photo: P. Gosselin

White asparagus (asparagus) is a German favorite at this time of year. But this year’s harvest is severely hampered by the north German drought that is now taking place (2 meters below the ground, according to models):

Photo: P. Gosselin

Yes, German farmers pray day and night for urgently needed rain because their fields are so parched (sarcasm):

Photo: P. Gosselin

No, the following is not the Garden of Eden. This is what drought-ridden northern Germany currently looks like. Just ignore all of the green color and damp look:

Photo: P. Gosselin

The windmills are still not working to save the climate – just look at how parched this field is:

Photo: P. Gosselin

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Categories
Health

Amazon health-care risk? Teladoc CEO says it is ‘overrated’

Amazon health-care threat? Teladoc CEO says it's ‘overrated'

The Amazon Pharmacy home screen on a smartphone arranged in the Brooklyn Borough of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.

Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Ask a sports star before a game whether their team is going to win and they’re likely to say yes with confidence. And then cue the headlines that will sensationalize the hubris. But would you expect an athlete to say — would you want them to think — they’re about to lose?

The heads of companies sometimes talk about the competition in a similar way, and they shouldn’t be in the CEO hot seat without confidence in their company’s ability to win.

Take Teladoc Health CEO Jason Gorevic, recently asked at the CNBC Healthy Returns Summit about the threat Amazon poses in health care.

“Based on the fact that it has one enterprise client of 385 employees, it is overrated,” Gorevic said, answering a question about Amazon Care, the retail and tech giant’s app-based primary care entry in Teladoc’s market, which signed up its first client, Peloton-owned fitness equipment company Precor, in May.

Should the Teladoc CEO be more worried? Even after Amazon’s deal with Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan to take on the status quo with its health care joint effort, Haven, fell apart, the merchandising giant still has a big market to exploit.

Amazon Care is expected to expand to its own employees in all 50 states this summer. It has been adding workers faster than any company in history, more than 500,000 in 2020. It also has had a deal with employer health provider Crossover Health for in-person employee health clinics that continues to expand across states with a goal of putting these clinics within a few miles of all Amazon employees, especially in light of the attention its workplace injury rates have received.

J.P. Morgan is moving on and deeper into health care after Haven, recently announcing it will move ahead with its own effort to invest in new health-care ideas, to be offered among its 165,000 employees and families.

Virtual health here to stay

As society has moved rapidly from the awareness phase of virtual care to the expectation phase, those expectations have increased, and Teladoc has added services like mental health treatment as part of what Gorevic tells CNBC is the future “unified experience” with patients.

“Virtual care is not a stay at home phenomenon,” Gorevic said. “The utilization we are seeing across multiple conditions all indicate it is here to stay.”

He cited first quarter 2021 results during which visit volume was up 69% year over year in spite of the fact that seasonal flu-related visits were down 90%.

Nevertheless, Teladoc shares have cratered, down from a peak earlier this year above $290 to roughly half that level, ending trading last week slightly above $146. But Gorevic says investors are missing the bigger picture, and overlooking improving numbers. The biggest quarterly number he cites: revenue per member, per month, which in Q1 2021 was $2.25, versus 87 cents a year ago.

Others cite the rapid M&A taking place in Teladoc’s market as reason to worry.

Walmart acquired MeMD in May; two other telemedicine competitors, Doctor on Demand and Grand Rounds, recently merged.

“Everyone feels like they have to have a press release that says something about telehealth to be relevant,” Gorevic told CNBC Healthy Returns. “I’m not surprised by any of these moves.”

“This pandemic has thrown the whole market into motion. As we looked at the market, we said we needed to be bold, and we see where it’s going,” the Teladoc CEO said, citing its $18 billion acquisition of chronic disease management company Livongo, which is focused on diabetes, and its expanding mental health services.

Gorevic says health-care consumers are overwhelmed by health-care websites and apps and want a unified experience, and the company is seeing that in multi-product bookings, which in 2020 represented two-thirds of bookings.

Amazon and the fear of disruption

Amazon’s ability to upend, or at least send waves of terror, through the health care industry has already been seen in the launch of its online pharmacy, which led to shares of Goodrx dropping from over $52 to roughly $33 after the announcement last October.

Wall Street analysts who cover Teladoc see Amazon’s presence as significant, yet not all agree it is an acute threat to Teladoc currently.

“Leery of Amazon’s initiatives here,” wrote Sean Wieland, managing director and a senior research analyst focusing on health-care information technology and health-care services at Piper Sandler, in response to an email.

“Even Amazon would have to get the enterprise market on board one employer at a time, as it’s a highly fragmented market and that would take years. Also, it’s a significant lift to go from offering urgent care visits on demand to whole person health care.”

More from CNBC’s Healthy Returns

Charles Rhyee, managing director and senior research analyst covering health-care technology and distribution at Cowen & Co., said Goodrx is a good example of how Amazon can disrupt health care, and it would be a mistake to ignore Amazon’s potential. But he thinks the threat in pharmacy is more direct than in telehealth.

“It’s is a mature market. There are tons of pharmacies out there and it is not a growth sector. In the truest sense, more of zero sum game,” Rhyee said, and that is something Amazon can afford to win at the expense of CVS or Goodrx.

Telehealth visits still a fraction of the market

Telehealth is still a nascent field and that may play to Teladoc’s favor in the years ahead.

“We are all talking about it because of Covid forcing everyone to seek virtual care, but if you think about how many visits Teladoc will do this year, it’s 12 million to 13 million visits,” Rhyee said.

That compares to a U.S. market in which there are one billion visits or more, annually, including mental health care.

Whether a Teladoc or American Well is growing in the telemedicine market, Rhyee says that amounts to about 2% to 3% of visits, a small fraction of what can be virtualized and an indicator that the market is going to expand.

“I’m not concerned,” Rhyee said. “Where Teladoc sits is not what Amazon is doing. It’s not just basic video visits to speak to a doctor for a minor thing. It is increasingly in multiple specialities and second opinions and Livongo. You can argue right now very few, if any, have that broad capabilities, and that’s why Doctor on Demand is merging with Grand Rounds.”

He looks at Amazon in basic care and pharmacy in a similar way to his analysis of Walmart’s health care after its acquisition of MeMD. “They want to provide some basic connectivity and prescriptions that can be dispensed at Walmart.”  

Why Teladoc shares have been volatile

Stocks move up and down in discrete periods of time, and that doesn’t always correspond to the longer-term trend. That’s part of the challenge for investors with Teladoc right now, trying to figure out what its growth looks like post-Covid.

Membership growth guidance for this year may not be as strong as some investors wanted coming out of Covid, and app tracking firms have shown slowing momentum in daily usage. Yet people using Teladoc less now than April of last year does not mean they are using it less than they were in 2019. And last year was unusual.

“We don’t know what virtual will look like in the end,” Rhyee said. 

The Cowen analyst has a $240 price target on the stock and says at $140 it is trading at roughly 8 times forward revenue, which is up from where it traded before Covid, but that was when “people didn’t believe it was a real business.”

Rhyee says he will worry more about Amazon if it starts stringing together acquisitions in health care, including in the chronic condition management space. “That would tell me they are much more serious about it,” he said.

As long as Amazon Care is one enterprise client and its own employees, the Teladoc outlook will be based elsewhere.

The idea of competition between Teladoc and Amazon may be missing the real threat Amazon poses in health care, according to David Grossman, research manager director at Stifel. That includes disrupting the legacy providers in insurance and pharmacy benefits managers.

Teladoc is disrupting traditional providers by creating a virtual 24/7 network on demand that can offer a potentially lower-cost alternative. Those traditional providers now forced to offer telemedicine are more of a near-term threat to Teladoc, in Grossman’s view, as they evolve from starting telehealth “literally overnight” to incorporating virtual care as a permanent feature of their care delivery models.

“Virtual care is now table stakes for providers, while 15 months ago it was barely on the radar screen,” he said.

Setting up appointments online and having telehealth as an option may be one of the features Amazon offers, but that is a shortsighted way to view what Amazon is after in the health care system.

Amazon is saying we take over everything. It’s not lets go after Teladoc. That’s incidental.

David Gross, Stifel analyst

Grossman, who is concerned about Teladoc’s ability to grow revenue and margins, says Gorevic is a smart guy building a reasonable model. Now they can pitch health plans on using a provider network they have created at lower cost for employers, if employees agree to access services virtually as a first stop. That disintermediates the traditional provider network, but he does not see Amazon stopping there or even thinking in those terms specifically.

“Amazon is saying we take over everything,” Grossman said, looking at traditional health care market that is flawed in delivery and pricing and adds little value. “It’s not lets go after Teladoc. That’s incidental.”

Taking cost out of the system is what Amazon already has proven to be great at, squeezing out players that don’t offer value and shouldn’t be there. “I’m rooting for them in that sense,” the Stifel analyst said.

But whether it is Amazon’s or Walmart’s efforts that are emerging in health care, the models to watch do not exclude Teladoc. “There is no indication we should write it off,” Grossman said.

Teladoc shares are down for a lot of reasons, starting with the market rotation out of growth names and the market acknowledging that traditional providers are ramping up their own telemedicine products.

“Everyone points to Amazon, and let’s be fair, it was a high multiple stock and the market is getting out of the stay at home trade and pricing how high can utilization translate into pricing” Grossman said. He added that Teladoc has struggled to convince the street of its pricing power. “They have been opaque.”

The company is growing monthly revenue per member, as Gorevic noted, but the Stifel analyst was quick to point out the recent Q1 growth relied on the acquisition of Livongo. Livongo is the largest provider of virtual chronic care and that is top of mind for employers, but Teladoc has a lot of work left to do to prove demand for it is a secular driver of its business growth.

Behavioral health, meanwhile, is the fastest- growing incremental service but there is only so much that can be delivered on an automated basis, so it becomes a staffing platform to match supply and demand and help sole mental health practice proprietors fill their book of business like an Uber or Lyft.

While the 8 times revenue the company is trading at might seem less than rich, double-digit revenue multiple companies tend to be in sectors like software, where scalability comes fast and at high margins. Teladoc’s subscription-heavy sales model means a majority of revenue is fixed while the costs remain variable.

“Their claim all along has been as utilization goes up it’s good for them, but there is no pricing algorithm around that. We don’t know how to calculate that,” Grossman said.

Companies like Teladoc and American Well can grow members, and grow utilization among members, but how either of those growth measures factor into pricing power remains unpredictable. Utilization can go up, but revenue not match it. And that contributes to investor concerns about its scalability.

“It is factually correct they can get more per member with more services and there are lots of opportunities, but lots of competition for each module and booking,” Grossman said. The company’s scale and visibility give it an advantage, “but lots remains uncertain,” he said.

Gorevic told CNBC this is not a pandemic story. “Something else is going on here. People are reaching out for other things.”

Mental health, dermatology, and chronic conditions including diabetes, and health issues linked to it such as weight loss. “Not one and done things, and that’s why I am convinced,” the Teladoc CEO said.

Building the virtual primary care model and convincing payers and employers that it is most cost-effective to choose this option, and agree to have members enter the health system virtually as the first step, is the bigger opportunity to drive higher revenue per member, Grossman said, and longer-term it is the more sustainable way to disrupt the traditional provider network.

In that sense, Teladoc is taking market share just like Amazon would, and they can grow for a longer period of time. That may be a discrete disruption in health care that becomes permanent. The biggest disruption in health care, though, is not about telemedicine.

“All roads lead into the payers,” Grossman said. “That’s where the level of satisfaction is low and the control they have is high.”

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Categories
Science

New know-how to seek for life, whether or not it’s just like earth life or not

How would rain be any different on a strange world?

In 1960, the first Alien Intelligence Search (SETI) survey was conducted at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. This was the Ozma project, developed by the famous astronomer and SETI pioneer Frank Drake (after whom the Drake equation is named). Since then, joint efforts to find evidence of off-earth life have come together in a new area of ​​study known as astrobiology.

The search for extraterrestrial life has sparked new interest thanks to the thousands of exoplanets discovered in recent years. Unfortunately, our efforts are still severely constrained by our limited frame of reference. However, a new tool developed by a team of researchers from the University of Glasgow and Arizona State University (ASU) could point the way to life in all of its forms!

The study describing its results, recently published in the journal Nature Communications, was carried out by Prof. Leroy Cronin and his team from the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, UK. There were also members of the Beyond Center for Concepts in Fundamental Science at Arizona State University (ASU) and the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Chemical space, visualized. Photo credit: Naomi Johnson, Lee Cronin / ASU

At the heart of this new tool is a concept called Assembly Theory, developed by Prof. Leroy Cronin – a Regius Professor of Chemistry – and his colleagues at the Glasgow School of Chemistry with the support of scientists from ASU. This theory describes how living systems can be distinguished from inanimate ones by identifying complex molecules that are produced in abundance (and cannot form randomly).

Applied to molecules, assembly theory identifies molecules as biosignatures based on what life does, not what it is. As Cronin stated in an ASU press release:

“Our system is the first falsifiable hypothesis for recognizing life and is based on the idea that only living systems can produce complex molecules that cannot randomly form in any amount, and so we can circumvent the problem of defining life.”

The next step was to find a way to quantify this complexity, which the team did by developing an algorithm that assigns a score to a particular molecule. This is a so-called “Molecular Assembly” (MA) number, which is based on the number of bonds required to build the molecule. Of course, large biogenic molecules would have a higher MA than smaller ones or molecules that are not biogenic (large or small).

To test their method, the team used their algorithm to assign MA numbers to a database of around 2.5 million molecules. Then they used a sample of about 100 small molecules and small protein fragments (peptides) to check the expected correlation between the MA number and the number of peptides a molecule would produce if exposed to a mass spectrometer – the samples in Pieces disassembled and analyzed the number of unique pieces.

This artist’s impression shows the view of the planet in the TOI-178 system furthest from the star. Photo credit: ESO / L. Calçada / spaceengine.org

Working with NASA, the team also examined samples from around the world and some extraterrestrial samples. This included a fragment of the Murchison meteorite, a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite rich in organic molecules that landed in Australia in 1969 (although the sample itself was not biological in origin). They also examined samples of fossil lake sediments from the Holocene (30,000 years ago) and the Middle Miocene (14 million years ago).

From this, the team was able to show that life is the only process that can produce molecules with high MA numbers. They also found that there is an MA threshold which, once exceeded, indicates that life is necessary to produce the molecule in question. Co-author Sara Imari Walker of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU said:

“The method makes it possible to identify life in its biochemistry without prior knowledge. It can therefore be used to search for extraterrestrial life on future NASA missions, and it provides a completely new experimental and theoretical approach to finally uncovering the nature of life in the universe and how it can arise from inanimate chemicals. “

“Living and non-living systems differ in the degree to which they can reliably and demonstrably build highly complex molecular structures,” added Doug Moore, a postdoctoral fellow at ASU’s Beyond Center and co-author of the study. “We wanted to show that this is the case and propose a biosignature that is both biochemically agnostic and practically useful.”

Artist’s impression of dragonfly on titan’s surface. Credits: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL

This makes the algorithm the first experimentally verifiable tool for measuring complexity, which makes the algorithm particularly useful in the search for extraterrestrial life. Put simply, it could be tested and validated in a laboratory with instruments dedicated to future missions. By developing an approach that cannot produce false positives, astrobiologists stand a real chance of making the most profound discovery in the history of our species.

In addition to astrobiological research, this tool could also help in researching the origins of life here on earth. The theoretical framework for this tool is one of the first techniques that can quantify how chemical systems process information (a fundamental aspect of life). Co-author Cole Mathis, an ASU alumnus who is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Glasgow:

“We believe that this will enable a completely new approach to understanding the origin of living systems on earth and other worlds and, hopefully, to identify de novo living systems in laboratory experiments. If we understand from a really practical perspective how living systems are able to organize themselves and produce complex molecules, we can use this knowledge to develop and manufacture new drugs and new materials. “

In the coming years a series of missions for the outer solar system are planned to search for life in the “ocean worlds”. Using spectrometers equipped with the MA number algorithm, missions for Europe and Enceladus and Titan could examine the atmosphere, surfaces, plume activity and methane lakes for signs of molecules that only exist in the presence of life.

Further reading: ASU, Natur

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Sport

NBA Playoff Bracket 2021: Up to date TV schedule, scores, outcomes for Spherical 2

NBA Playoff Bracket 2021: Updated TV schedule, scores, results for Round 2

Which teams will reach the finals of the Eastern and Western Conference? We’ll find out soon when the NBA playoffs go into round two in 2021.

There hasn’t been much drama on the east side of the playoffs so far. The Bucks swept the heat in a dominant fashion, and the 76ers, Nets and Hawks finished their first round streak in five games each.

However, the West has seen two first-round series in the last six games, and the Clippers and Mavericks are heading for a win-or-go home game 7. Let’s hope the Western Conference semifinals are as competitive as these duels.

Below is everything you need to know about watching the 2021 NBA Playoffs, including the TV schedules for each series.

MORE: Watch selected NBA playoff games live with fuboTV (7-day trial)

NBA Playoff Bracket 2021

(NBA)

NBA scores and results

Eastern Conference Round Two Schedule, Results

(1) 76ers vs. (5) Hawks: Atlanta leads 1-0

date game Time (ET) National television
6th of June Falken 128, 76er 124 13 o’clock ABC / fuboTV
8th June Game 2 19:30 o’clock TNT
June 11th Game 3 19:30 o’clock ESPN / fuboTV
14th June Game 4 still open TNT
June 16 Game 5 * still open TNT
18th of June Game 6 * still open ESPN / fuboTV
20th June Game 7 * still open still open

* If necessary

(2) Nets vs. (3) Bucks: Brooklyn leads 1-0

date game Time (ET) National television
June 5th Nets 115, $ 107 19:30 o’clock TNT
June 7th Game 2 19:30 o’clock TNT
the 10th of June Game 3 still open ESPN / fuboTV
June 13th Game 4 3 pm ABC / fuboTV
15th June Game 5 * still open TNT
17th of June Game 6 * still open ESPN / fuboTV
June 19 Game 7 * still open TNT

* If necessary

Western Conference Round Two Schedule, Results

(1) Jazz vs. (4) Clippers

date game Time (ET) National television
8th June Game 1 22 O `clock TNT
the 10th of June Game 2 22 O `clock ESPN / fuboTV
June 12 Game 3 8:30 p.m. ABC / fuboTV
14th June Game 4 22 O `clock TNT
June 16 Game 5 * still open TNT
18th of June Game 6 * still open ESPN / fuboTV
20th June Game 7 * still open still open

* If necessary

(2) Suns vs. (3) Nuggets

date game Time (ET) National television
June 7th Game 1 22 O `clock TNT
June 9 Game 2 9:30 p.m. TNT
June 11th Game 3 22 O `clock ESPN / fuboTV
June 13th Game 4 8 p.m. TNT
15th June Game 5 * still open TNT
17th of June Game 6 * still open ESPN / fuboTV
20th June Game 7 * still open still open

* If necessary

Results of the first round of the Eastern Conference

(1) 76ers vs. (8) Wizards: Philadelphia wins 4-1

game Result
Game 1 76ers 125, magician 118
Game 2 76ers 120, magicians 95
Game 3 76er 132, magician 103
Game 4 Wizard 122, 76er 114
Game 5 76er 129, magician 112

(2) Nets vs. (7) Celtics: Brooklyn wins 4-1

game Result
Game 1 Nets 104, Celtics 93
Game 2 Nets 130, Celtics 108
Game 3 Celtics 125, nets 119
Game 4 Nets 141, Celtics 126
Game 5 Nets 123, Celtics 109

(3) Bucks vs. (6) Heat: Milwaukee wins 4-0

game Result
Game 1 Bucks 109, Heat 107 (OT)
Game 2 $ 132, heat 98
Game 3 Bucks 113, heat 84
Game 4 Dollars 120, heat 103

(4) Knicks vs. (5) Hawks: Atlanta wins 4-1

game Result
Game 1 Falcons 107, Knicks 105
Game 2 Knicks 101, Falken 92
Game 3 Falcons 105, Knicks 94
Game 4 Falcons 113, Knicks 96
Game 5 Falcons 103, Knicks 89

Results of the first round of the Western Conference

(1) Jazz vs. (8) Grizzlies: Utah wins 4-1

game Result
Game 1 Grizzlies 112, Jazz 109
Game 2 Jazz 141, Grizzlies 129
Game 3 Jazz 121, Grizzlies 111
Game 4 Jazz 120, Grizzlies 113
Game 5 Jazz 126, Grizzlies 110

(2) Suns vs. (7) Lakers: Phoenix wins 4-2

game Result
23. May Suns 99, Lakers 90
25. May Lakers 109, Suns 102
May 27th Lakers 109, Suns 95
30th May Suns 100, Lakers 92
June 1 Suns 115, Lakers 85
3rd of June Suns 113, Lakers 100

(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Trail Blazers: Denver wins 4-2

game Result
Game 1 Trailblazer 123, Nuggets 109
Game 2 Nuggets 128, Trailblazer 109
Game 3 Nuggets 120, Trailblazer 115
Game 4 Trailblazer 115, Nuggets 95
Game 5 Nuggets 147, Trailblazer 140 (2OT)
Game 6 Nuggets 126, Trailblazer 115

(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks: Los Angeles wins 4-3

game Result
Game 1 Mavericks 113, Clippers 103
Game 2 Mavericks 127, Clippers 121
Game 3 Clippers 118, Mavericks 108
Game 4 Clippers 106, Mavericks 81
Game 5 Mavericks 105, Clippers 100
Game 6 Clippers 104, Mavericks 97
Game 7 Clippers 126, Mavericks 111
Categories
Entertainment

Parker McKenna Posey talks about self-learning after changing into a mom

Parker McKenna Posey talks about self-learning after becoming a mother

Roommate, we recently reported that Parker McKenna Posey is a new mom to a little girl named Harley. The actress kept her pregnancy under wraps and announced this on Instagram back in May. Like most new mothers, Parker has apparently had her moments of resigning herself to her new life. On Thursday, the actress took to Instagram to share details on restoring self-confidence after giving birth.

Parker said she felt unsure about “To be in someone’s goddamn swimsuit. ”She found herself making comparisons with others while“ not feeling ”about herself. Parker also shared that she had only experienced this feeling once in her life. But the moment helped her think about the novelty of parenting.

“This is new for me … then I noticed YES !!! This is all damn new to me, ”Parker wrote in a long caption. “I am a new mother. In a whole new room! A working mother. A bad woman !!!! ”

She went on to talk about learning about herself, and cultivating self-love.

“I need to relearn my body and learn to love this new woman that I have become, ”wrote Parker. “I recently read that self-love is not a destination, it’s a journey !!!!!!”

Parker has posted five photos to accompany the revealing caption. In these photos she is wearing a one-piece swimsuit with multiple prints. She saw her posing in the door of a bathroom. Her hair is styled in long, blonde and dark brown cornrows.

Parker also expressed her gratitude for her body and the journey he was on.

“All I know is that this body NATURALLY gave birth to an 8 1/2 pound baby,” wrote Parker. “I’m grateful for that and grateful for all the shapes and sizes I’ve ever had. !!!! ”

On Friday, Parker posted a follow-up to her first message. The new post apparently targeted people who allegedly criticized the actress for how her body looked in the swimsuit photos.

“There is no way I am fishing for compliments,” wrote Parker. “But more importantly, I NEVER want to hurt anyone while I’m sharing my trip … It doesn’t matter to me how many people tell me how good I look, it matters how I feel about myself.”

Parker also shared that she experiences the love and joy of motherhood every day, but that these feelings don’t stop her from being “Parker first”. She also talked about how the body changes during and after pregnancy.

“… although you may not see through pictures, videos, filters, and boomerangs what I see or understand how I feel … it is MY TRUTH,” Parker wrote. “I am very rarely super open to IG about shit like that. But I wanted to be transparent and let you know that we ALL have uncertainties, no matter what it looks like on IG, no one is perfect or feels perfect 24/7. “

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Science

“The Local weather Motion Should do Extra to Mobilise Older Folks” – Watts Up With That?

“The Climate Movement Must do More to Mobilise Older People” – Watts Up With That?

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Because “Older people can be wealthy”.

Why the climate movement must do more to mobilise older people

June 3, 2021 2.34am AEST

Aled Jones Professor & Director, Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University
Bradley Hiller Visiting Fellow, Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University

Some say age is only a number. Others associate age with wisdom. Or perhaps it is a state of mind. Whatever it is, age is a factor in climate progress, and 2021’s renewed climate momentum must mobilise the oft-overlooked elderly demographic.

To date, the global climate movement has engaged young people en masse. Pre-COVID, the world witnessed a swathe of student-led climate protests, leading to broader public debate and increased youth representation in key international forums.

…

Elderly people are relatively invisible in climate discussions compared to the youth demographic, yet are arguably the most critical for broader climate action. Here are five reasons to broaden the youthful momentum to engage and empower the elderly:

…

5. Older people can be wealthy

The elderly collectively control an increasing share of global wealth, spending and assets. For example, the 55-and-over population in the US already spends twice as much as the much-targeted millennial market. By 2030, it is estimated that just 11% of investable assets in the US will be held by people younger than 45. Yet despite holding most shareholder voting rights, older investors tend to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors less strongly than younger investors.

…

Read more: https://theconversation.com/why-the-climate-movement-must-do-more-to-mobilise-older-people-161732

Top marks for honesty, at least about wanting old people to contribute more towards the cause.

So why are old people so disengaged? Plenty of old folk have children and grandchildren they love, so suggestions I have seen that old people simply don’t care doesn’t wash. Old people are usually (though not always) very well informed, so it is unlikely they are unfamiliar with climate crisis claims.

One possible explanation, is age gives old people the experience and perspective to realise the climate crisis narrative is a pile of bull pucky.

Everyone over 50 remembers the Global Cooling crisis, because we all watched the wildly popular “In Search of” documentary on the coming ice age.

I remember watching “In Search Of … The Coming Ice Age” as a kid. Everyone believed the documentary, because the presenter was actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Dr. Spock in the original Star Trek series. The ice age documentary also featured an impressive lineup of scientists, including Chester Langway, James Hayes, Gifford Miller (who described how the descent into the next ice age started 3000 years ago), and Stephen Schneider, who speculated about using nuclear energy to melt the ice caps, to halt the big freeze.

Stephen Schneider hilariously backflipped a few years after the documentary, and started pushing global warming theories with as much sincerity as he previously pushed the global cooling scare.

My point is, at the time we all believed Nimoy’s flick, just like young people today believe all the global warming nonsense they have been force fed, because young people just aren’t old enough yet to have personally witnessed a major settled science backflip. After you see a few abrupt shifts in direction (fat good? fat bad? Pritikin diet? Atkins Diet?), often with the same people pushing the new line with just as much sincerity as they previously pushed the opposite position, you would have to be stupid not to wonder at least a bit whether the so called experts were making it up as they go.

But it seems most people have to witness this kind of shameless scientific backflip for themselves, to lose their automatic faith in authority.

Thankfully we have had a recent series of in my opinion shameless public scientific backflips, which with any luck will do lasting damage to the climate crisis narrative.

Dr. Fauci’s public backflips on Covid (lab leak? natural? kids need masks? kids don’t need masks?) may have done more long term damage to young people’s willingness to accept scientific authority at face value, than anything I have ever written.

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Health

Die 2.000 E-Mails von Fauci professional Tag zeigen, wie wenig US-Beamte in den frühen Tagen der Covid-Pandemie wussten

Die 2.000 E-Mails von Fauci pro Tag zeigen, wie wenig US-Beamte in den frühen Tagen der Covid-Pandemie wussten

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Direktor am National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, nimmt an einer Anhörung des Gesundheits-, Bildungs-, Arbeits- und Rentenausschusses des US-Senats teil, um die COVID-19-Reaktion zu untersuchen, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf einem Update von Bundesbeamten auf dem Capitol Hill in Washington liegt , 18. März 2021.

Anna Geldmacherin | Schwimmbecken | Reuters

Am 12. April 2020 schickte ein Beamter der National Institutes of Health eine E-Mail an Dr. Anthony Fauci, den führenden Experten für Infektionskrankheiten des Landes, und den damaligen CDC-Direktor Dr. Robert Redfield, der sich über die zunehmenden Feindseligkeiten zwischen den USA und der Weltgesundheitsorganisation wegen des Coronavirus Sorgen machte Pandemie.

Dann drohte Präsident Donald Trump, der internationalen Gesundheitsorganisation die Finanzierung zu entziehen, weil sie „jeden Aspekt“ des Ausbruchs falsch gemacht hatte

„Ich bin besorgt über den jüngsten Kampf zwischen den USA und der WHO, weil er die aktuellen weltweiten Bemühungen zur Kontrolle der Ausbreitung von COVID-19 beeinträchtigen könnte“, heißt es in der E-Mail, die auch Fragen zur Genauigkeit des chinesischen Covid-19-Falls aufwirft und Daten zum Todesfall.

Fauci antwortete: „Diese Pandemie war für viele Länder auf der ganzen Welt, einschließlich China und den USA, eine extreme Herausforderung. Ich kann nur sagen, dass ich (und ich bin mir sicher, dass Bob Redfield genauso denkt) lieber nach vorne blicke und keine Schuld zuschreibe.“ oder Schuld.”

“Es liegen genug Probleme vor uns, die wir gemeinsam bewältigen müssen”, fügte er hinzu.

Notfallmediziner (EMT) heben einen Patienten, bei dem eine Coronavirus-Krankheit (COVID-19) festgestellt wurde, in einen Krankenwagen, während er Schutzkleidung trägt, während der Ausbruch der Coronavirus-Krankheit (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, andauert. USA, 26. März 2020.

Stefan Jeremiah | Reuters

E-Mails veröffentlicht

Die Nachricht des NIH-Beamten, dessen Name geschwärzt ist, wurde als Teil einer Sammlung von Tausenden von Faucis E-Mails aus der ersten Hälfte des Jahres 2020 veröffentlicht, die BuzzFeed News und andere Medien über das Informationsfreiheitsgesetz erhalten hatten. Als Direktor des Nationalen Instituts für Allergien und Infektionskrankheiten innerhalb der NIH stand Fauci im Mittelpunkt des Sturms.

Die ängstliche Note und Faucis ominöse Antwort veranschaulichen das Chaos des Augenblicks.

Covid-Fälle und Todesfälle in den USA hatten erschreckende neue Höchststände erreicht, seit Trump einen Monat zuvor die Pandemie zum nationalen Notstand erklärt hatte. Staatsoberhäupter hatten drakonische Sperrbefehle erlassen, die Millionen von Menschenleben auf den Kopf gestellt und einen wirtschaftlichen freien Fall ausgelöst haben. Tests, soziale Distanzierung und Kontaktverfolgung steckten in den Kinderschuhen, Krankenhäuser waren überfordert, wichtige Schutzausrüstungen wurden knapp und Impfstoffe mussten noch entwickelt werden.

US-Präsident Donald Trump erklärt die Coronavirus-Pandemie zu einem nationalen Notfall, während Vizepräsident Mike Pence und Gesundheitsminister Alex Azar während einer Pressekonferenz im Rosengarten des Weißen Hauses in Washington am 13. März 2020 zuhören.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

Der Präsident, der im Januar und Februar Chinas Reaktion auf den Ausbruch des neu auftretenden Virus gelobt hatte, hatte seinen Ton scharf geändert, die WHO und Peking kritisiert und beide für die Krise verantwortlich gemacht.

Fauci hatte in den Tagen und Wochen vor der offiziellen Erklärung der WHO am 11. März 2020 E-Mails von Personen erhalten, die besagten, dass eine Pandemie wahrscheinlich sei.

Einige fragten ihn, ob sie große persönliche Veranstaltungen absagen sollten, während andere Ideen für mögliche Behandlungen und Lösungen für den Ausbruch ausspuckten. Einige fragten, ob er der Meinung sei, dass die Amerikaner angemessen vorbereitet seien.

2.000 E-Mails pro Tag

Fauci bewies Geduld, Diplomatie und Fleiß in seinen oft nächtlichen Antworten an hochrangige US-Beamte, berühmte Künstler und normale Menschen. Die E-Mails zeigen auch den enormen physischen und manchmal emotionalen Tribut, den die Pandemie von Fauci forderte, der unter einer manchmal unzusammenhängenden Reaktion unter der Trump-Administration zu einer der vertrauenswürdigsten Informationsquellen zu Covid-19 geworden war.

Am 18. Februar 2020 erhielt Fauci eine E-Mail von einem scheinbar alten Bekannten, der fragte, ob er am Wochenende zu einem möglichen Treffen in der Stadt sei. Fauci entschuldigte sich, schrieb, dass er keine Verbindung herstellen könne und fragte, ob sie sich ein anderes Mal treffen könnten, während er ununterbrochen arbeitete.

„Das Weiße Haus und HHS haben mich rund um die Uhr, einschließlich Samstag und Sonntag, mit der Coronavirus-Krise beschäftigt. Ich habe meine Frau … in den letzten 10 Tagen insgesamt etwa 45 Minuten lang gesehen“, schrieb er. “Ich hoffe, dass du verstehst.”

Anthony Fauci, Direktor des National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center, spricht, während US-Vizepräsident Mike Pence (rechts) und Deborah Birx, Koordinatorin der Coronavirus-Reaktion, während einer Pressekonferenz im Besprechungsraum des Weißen Hauses in Washington zuhören. DC, USA, am Montag, 2. März 2020.

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Bis Ende März, als die USA etwas mehr als 153.000 Covid-Fälle hatten, entschuldigte sich Fauci dafür, dass er so lange gebraucht hatte, um zu einem anderen alten Freund zurückzukehren, und sagte, er erhalte mehr als 2.000 E-Mails pro Tag. In einer separaten E-Mail einige Tage später an Dr. J. Larry Jameson, einen Arztkollegen an der University of Pennsylvania, sagte Fauci, er sei „völlig überfordert“ und bekomme „3 bis 4 Stunden Schlaf pro Nacht“.

Hilfsangebote

Seine E-Mails sind gespickt mit Pitches von Leuten mit sehr unterschiedlichem Fachwissen, die ihre besten Vermutungen zum Umgang mit der anhaltenden Krise abgeben.

Eine Person, die sich Anfang März meldete und sich selbst als „weder Arzt noch Wissenschaftler“ bezeichnete, schlug vor, dass die Regierung US-Erwachsene anderen bekannten und „weniger tödlichen“ Coronaviren aussetzt, um zu versuchen, ein gewisses Maß an Immunität gegen das neue Virus zu entwickeln.

Fauci antwortete um 22.50 Uhr: “Danke für Ihren Hinweis. AS Fauci.”

Quilter Ami Simms hat sich Mitte März gemeldet, um dem NIH ihre Dienste bei der Herstellung eines Musters für Gesichtsmasken anzubieten. Sie sagte, sie habe in der Vergangenheit Quilter für andere Zwecke mobilisiert und es gab “Millionen von Kanalisationen, die sich freuen würden, jetzt zu helfen und zu helfen”. Fauci leitete die E-Mail an Dr. Andrea Lerner, eine Top-Ärztin seiner Agentur, weiter.

Frau mit hausgemachter Gesichtsmaske

Isabel Pavia | Moment | Getty Images

Seine Antworten zeigen, dass die Eingabe, die den Posteingang verstopft, nicht immer willkommen war.

„Bitte lesen Sie dies und finden Sie heraus, worüber er spricht, und handeln Sie nach Ihrem Ermessen“, schrieb Fauci in einer E-Mail vom 7. ” zur Covid-Erkennung.

„Heute Abend sind nur noch 498 E-Mails zu versenden“, fügte Fauci hinzu.

Die vielfältigen Ratschläge und Fragen, die Fauci in diesen ersten Monaten erhielt, zeigten, wie viel führende US-amerikanische und internationale Wissenschaftler, einschließlich Fauci selbst, zu Beginn der Pandemie nicht über Covid wussten.

Unheimliche Frühwarnungen

Die Frage nach Masken kam früh und oft auf, und einige von Faucis Ratschlägen erwiesen sich später als falsch.

In einer E-Mail vom 5. Februar 2020 an die Präsidentin der American University, Sylvia Burwell, die unter dem ehemaligen Präsidenten Barack Obama als HHS-Sekretärin tätig war, riet Fauci ihr davon ab, am Flughafen eine Maske zu tragen. “Die typische Maske, die Sie in der Drogerie kaufen, ist nicht wirklich effektiv, um das Virus fernzuhalten, das klein genug ist, um das Material zu durchdringen”, schrieb er.

Fußgänger, die Schutzmasken tragen, um die Ausbreitung eines tödlichen Virus zu stoppen, das in der chinesischen Stadt Wuhan begann, gehen am 25.

Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images

Der chinesische Immunologe George Gao wandte sich Ende März an Fauci, um sich für die Kritik an der US-Maskenpolitik zu entschuldigen. „Wie konnte ich so ein Wort ‚großer Fehler‘ über andere sagen? Das war die Formulierung des Journalisten. Ich hoffe, Sie verstehen“, schrieb Gao.

Die USA würden ihre Maskenrichtlinien erst im Juli ändern.

Einige der E-Mail-Ketten erwiesen sich auch als unheimlich prophetisch.

Der Kolumnist der Washington Post, Michael Gerson, wandte sich am 2. März 2020 an Fauci, als es in den USA 91 bestätigte Fälle gab, und sagte, NIH-Direktor Dr. Francis Collins habe ihm gesagt, dass 5 bis 20 % des Landes mit Covid infiziert sein könnten.

“Eine Pandemie erscheint jetzt wahrscheinlich”, sagte er. “Abhängig von der Sterblichkeitsrate könnte dies zu Hunderttausenden von Todesfällen führen”, schrieb er. Fauci sagte, er habe Recht. Selbst wenn die Sterblichkeit bei 1% lag und nur 5% der US-Bevölkerung sie bekam, “könnten wir ein paar hunderttausend Tote haben”, antwortete er um 6:11 Uhr

Wuhan Institut für Virologie

Eine E-Mail von Faucis stellvertretendem Direktor bei NAIAD, Hugh Auchincloss, vom 1. Februar weist darauf hin, dass die Agentur versuchte festzustellen, ob sie an der sogenannten Funktionsgewinnforschung am Wuhan Institute of Virology beteiligt war. Das Labor wurde seitdem ins Rampenlicht der Debatte über die Ursprünge des Virus gerückt, nachdem Medienberichte aufgetaucht waren, dass mindestens drei Forscher dort im November 2019 an einer Covid-ähnlichen Infektion genug erkrankt waren, um sich in ein Krankenhaus zu begeben.

Während des Besuchs des Teams der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO), das mit der Untersuchung der Ursprünge der Coronavirus-Krankheit (COVID-19) beauftragt ist, am 3. Februar 2021 in Wuhan, Provinz Hubei, China, halten Sicherheitspersonal Wache vor dem Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Thomas Peter | Reuters

Fauci hatte Auchincloss eine 2015 in Nature Medicine veröffentlichte Studie mit dem Titel „Ein SARS-ähnlicher Cluster von zirkulierenden Fledermaus-Coronaviren zeigt Potenzial für die Entstehung des Menschen“ geschickt. Die Studie wurde teilweise vom NIAID finanziert und hatte mehrere Autoren, meist von renommierten US-Institutionen. Einer von ihnen war jedoch am Wuhan-Institut ansässig, wo Forscher den umstrittenen Forschungsstil verwendeten, der einen Krankheitserreger aufnimmt und ihn tödlicher oder ansteckender macht, um Wege zu seiner Bekämpfung zu untersuchen.

„In dem Papier, das Sie mir geschickt haben, heißt es, dass die Experimente vor der Verstärkung der Funktionspause durchgeführt wurden, aber seitdem vom NIH überprüft und genehmigt wurden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, was das bedeutet, da Emily sicher ist, dass keine Coronavirus-Arbeit das P3-Framework durchlaufen hat um festzustellen, ob wir irgendwelche entfernten Verbindungen zu dieser Arbeit im Ausland haben”, antwortete Auchincloss.

US-Präsident Joe Biden sagte im vergangenen Monat, er habe den US-Geheimdiensten befohlen, sich eingehend mit den Ursprüngen von Covid zu befassen, und sagte, es sei ebenso wahrscheinlich, dass es aus der Natur hervorgegangen oder aus einem Labor durchgesickert sei.

Fauci der Frauenschwarm

Als angesehener Experte für Infektionskrankheiten in wissenschaftlichen Kreisen, machten Faucis hochkarätige Rolle und sein sachlicher Stil als führende Autorität in der Pandemie ihn zu einem bekannten Namen – und zu einer widerstrebenden Popkultur-Ikone, wie seine E-Mails zeigen.

„Ich hätte mir das nicht einmal ausdenken können“, schrieb Fauci am 10. April über einen Artikel in The Atlantic, in dem er seinen schnellen Aufstieg zum „Herzenschwarm“ -Status inmitten der Pandemie beschrieb.

Brad Pitt als Dr. Anthony Fauci bei den “Fauci Cold Open” bei “Saturday Night Live” am 25. April 2020.

ABC | NBCUniversal | Getty Images

“Unsere Gesellschaft ist wirklich total verrückt”, schrieb Fauci als Reaktion auf einen ähnlichen Artikel, der “Fauci Fever” und die Online-“Sexualisierung” des heute 80-jährigen Virologen dokumentiert.

Sein Gesicht war auf Kleidung, Essen und Getränken eingebrannt, und er wurde ständig sowohl in den Nachrichten- als auch in den Unterhaltungsmedien erwähnt. Fauci reagierte in einer E-Mail vom 31. März auf einen Artikel der Washington Post über seine „Kultgefolgschaft“ und nannte ihn „wirklich surrealistisch“.

“Hoffentlich hört das alles bald auf”, schrieb Fauci. Er fügte in einem Follow-up hinzu: “Es ist überhaupt nicht angenehm, das ist sicher.”

Aber die Aufzeichnungen zeigen, dass Fauci von mindestens einer Darstellung von ihm geschmeichelt wurde: Brad Pitts Version von Saturday Night Live. “Pitt war unglaublich”, schrieb Fauci am 27. April an einen Kollegen. “Ein Rezensent der SNL-Show sagte, dass Pitt ‘genau wie ich’ aussah. Diese Aussage hat mein Jahr gemacht.”

“Jetzt haben Sie auch die Antwort darauf, wer Sie in dem Film spielen würde”, antwortete Tara Schwetz, die stellvertretende Direktorin des NIH. Fauci frönte der Idee: “Du könntest die Rolle meiner Freundin vom Medizinstudium spielen, was dir die Möglichkeit geben würde, mit Brad Pitt zusammenzuarbeiten.”