Month: July 2024

Categories
Sport

Bam Adebayo and the USA win clearly towards South Sudan in Olympic basketball

Bam Adebayo and the USA win clearly against South Sudan in Olympic basketball

  • Brian Windhorst, senior editor at ESPNJuly 31, 2024, 5:02 p.m. ET

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    • ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
    • Worked as cover for the Cleveland Cavs for seven years
    • Author of two books

LILLE, France – Worrying about which superstar might not play on a given night is not the U.S. national team's problem, but may ultimately become its trademark.

The relentless strength of this team will continue to create some awkward moments as coaches grapple with how to balance it all, but it will continue to fuel the Americans on their way to their fifth consecutive gold medal.

On Wednesday, it was again the driving force behind the 103-86 win over upstart South Sudan, which gave the US team a 2-0 deficit in the Olympic game and secured their ticket for the quarterfinals next week.

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The American bench was outstanding, scoring 66 points (compared to just 14 points for South Sudan) and making two crucial runs that essentially decided the game.

Bam Adebayo, who got more playing time because it was Joel Embiid's turn to sit out the game, had perhaps his best game ever with the national team when he came off the bench to score 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds.

Kevin Durant returned to his role as a substitute and provided his usual firepower with 14 points, and Derrick White contributed 10 points with three steals and a block in addition to a number of excellent defensive plays.

In Sunday's win over Serbia, the most important moment of the game turned out to be when Durant came off the bench in the first quarter. Six minutes into the match against South Sudan, with the score at 10-10 and the Bright Stars gaining confidence, the Stade Pierre Mauroy honked the horn and U.S. coach Steve Kerr sent his substitutes into the game.

It's so tempting, even natural, to pay attention to who's starting in these high-profile games. And on this night, it was especially exciting because Jayson Tatum, the underdog in a controversial decision against Serbia, was part of the starting group. So were LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Davis, players who have won six MVP awards and nine championship rings between them.

However, the fundamental strength of this squad is ignored.

When the group of Durant, White, Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Edwards came in, the game changed. This group is full of excellent defenders and still has plenty of offensive power.

South Sudan, which has great athleticism with a group of former NBA players and shooters, is a great story and a dangerous team with a bright future, but it just can't compete with that depth.

That group, also augmented by Devin Booker, went on a 23-4 run in the first and second quarters that essentially decided the game. That group repeated its role in the second half as South Sudan, led by the hot shooting of Nuni Omot (24 points) and Bul Kuol (16), cut the lead against the American starters from 19 points to 10. Then the substitute extended the lead to 16 points by the end of the third quarter.

Then the starters James, Davis and Booker, who scored 30 points together, made sure that the lead was maintained comfortably until the end.

Categories
Health

Eisai Biogen: Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi reveals advantages over three years

Eisai Biogen: Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi shows benefits over three years

The newly FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug Leqembi is prepared on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at Abington Neurological Associates in Abington, PA.

Hannah Yoon | The Washington Post |

The breakthrough Alzheimer's drug Leqembi slowed the progression of the disease in patients over three years, highlighting the need for long-term treatment, according to new data released Tuesday by Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai.

The study results on Leqembi, which Eisai Biogenalso found that a patient's Alzheimer's disease worsened after stopping treatment. The incidence of adverse events associated with Leqembi, including brain bleeding and swelling, decreased after six months of treatment, Dr. Lynn Kramer, Eisai's chief clinical officer for advanced human biology studies, told CNBC.

This decline is critical: These brain side effects have raised concerns among some doctors and are the main reason why a European drug regulator advised against approving Leqembi last week.

The study contains the longest available data on Leqembi's efficacy and safety to date. Since approval last summer, the market launch in the US has been bumpy, partly due to bottlenecks in requirements for diagnostic tests and regular brain scans. Eisai published 24-month data on Leqembi in November.

Eisai presented the results on Tuesday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Philadelphia, the world's largest conference on dementia research. The results provide a first glimpse of what the future might look like for Alzheimer's patients with therapies such as Leqembi, which is currently administered twice a month by infusion.

The drug is a monoclonal antibody that targets toxic plaques in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and is designed to slow the progression of the disease in its early stages. Leqembi also works by eliminating protofibrils, the building blocks of amyloid plaques.

The data demonstrate the importance of early and sustained treatment for people living with this notoriously difficult-to-treat brain disease – even after a drug has cleared a patient's amyloid plaques.

“Continued treatment is important if you want to maintain your cognitive abilities and functionality for longer,” Kramer said.

Although Leqembi is not a cure, “if you start early enough, it can benefit you for years,” he said.

Kramer added that Eisai expects that patients will eventually be able to switch to a maintenance dose of Leqembi after approximately 18 to 24 months of treatment, which would allow less frequent or more convenient way to take the medicine over a longer period of time.

Eisai and Biogen are seeking regulatory approval for a once-monthly infusion of Leqembi, with a decision expected in January. The drugmakers also plan to launch an injectable form of Leqembi that patients can take once a week at home.

“These two things will change the paradigm, make it easier for the patient, make it easier for the entire medical system,” Kramer said in an interview.

Nearly 7 million Americans are affected by the disease, the fifth leading cause of death among adults over 65, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2050, the number of Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. is expected to rise to nearly 13 million.

Details of the long-term study

The results are based on extensive research on selected participants in mid- and late-stage Leqembi studies.

A phase three study called Clarity AD studied three different groups of patients for 36 months.

One group of participants took Leqembi for three years, while another group received a placebo for the first 18 months before switching to Eisai's drug for the same duration. Eisai monitored a final group of patients outside the study who received no treatment for three years.

Tek Image/Science Photo Library | Science Photo Library | Getty Images

Patients who started treatment with Leqembi early continued to benefit from the drug over three years and showed slower cognitive decline compared to the other two groups, according to a presentation by Eisai.

According to Kramer, the difference in cognitive decline between the “early onset” Leqembi group and those who received nothing throughout the study period became larger between 18 and 36 months.

Leqembi “interrupts the natural course of the disease and has an increasingly powerful effect,” he said, adding: “The earlier you detect the disease, the better.”

Patients who started on a placebo experienced slower cognitive decline after they switched to Leqembi after 18 months, but their Alzheimer's disease was still worse than in the group that took Leqembi earlier in the 36-month period.

A sub-study of the study looked at patients who had no or very low levels of another protein called tau, which accumulates in the brain and is considered a marker of the severity of Alzheimer's disease. People with low levels of this protein are in the early stages of the disease.

After three years of taking Leqembi, 59 percent of people with no or very low tau levels showed no progress at all in their Alzheimer's disease, the presentation said. Just over half of these patients actually saw their condition improve.

A Phase 2 study called Study 201 has now examined patients who temporarily stopped treatment with Leqembi.

For 18 months, one group of participants took Leqembi and the other group took a placebo. The groups then took nothing for an average of two years before all patients began treatment with Leqembi for another 18 months.

The positive effect of Leqembi on a patient's disease was maintained even after treatment was stopped, the presentation said.

But the rate of cognitive decline in patients who stopped taking Leqembi returned to the rate in people who took a placebo during the break, showing that the disease continues to progress even when amyloid plaques are removed and a patient stops taking Leqembi, Eisai said in a news release.

“The idea is: If you stop, you’ll get worse,” Kramer said.

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Categories
Technology

Parag Parekh from IKEA on digital ethics; 100 billion euros for AI analysis within the EU

Parag Parekh from IKEA on digital ethics; 100 billion euros for AI research in the EU

Welcome to the new episode of the TNW podcast – the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and interview some of the most interesting people in the industry.

In today's episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about batteries and life on Earth, very expensive AI research proposals, copyright traps and, of course, the Olympics.

You will also hear a On-stage conversation with Parag Parekh, Chief Digital Officer at IKEA, at Linnea's TNW conference. The topic of conversation was 'Digital Ethics in Practice' – and Parag was able to give a good overview of how the retail giant is tackling this across all the channels it operates in.

Here are the stories and things mentioned in the episode:

The music and sound engineering for this podcast are by Sound Pulse.

If you have any questions, suggestions or opinions, please email us at podcast@thenextweb.com.

Categories
Science

Environmental coverage – ​​what’s occurring with it?

Environmental policy – ​​what’s going on with it?

Out of masterresource

By Robert Bradley Jr.

“A more conservative EPA … will prevent unnecessary spending by the regulated community [and] … bring savings to the American taxpayer. Improved transparency will serve as an important control … [to] “Bring concrete environmental improvements to the American people in the form of cleaner air, cleaner water, and healthier soils.” (– Heritage Foundation, Project 2025)

Last week's post examined the energy section of the Heritage Foundation's 922-page Mandate for Leadership: 2025. This post reproduces the environment section of the same document (1,200 words), which calls for a return to the basics of clean air and water – and away from the cancer of climate policy as an ecological problem.

As discussed below, EPA must prioritize achievable, definable environmental improvements and not engage in wasteful, pointless climateism and forced energy transition.

The challenge in creating a conservative EPA will be to balance legitimate skepticism about an agency that has long been able to be co-opted by the left for political ends with the need to implement the agency's true function: protecting public health and the environment in cooperation with the states. In addition, the EPA must be reoriented away from attempts to make it an all-powerful energy and land-use policymaker and toward its congressionally authorized role as an environmental regulator.

Not surprisingly, under the Biden administration, the EPA has returned to the same top-down coercive approach that characterized the Obama administration, reinstating unattainable standards designed to facilitate the “transition” away from politically unpopular industries and technologies and toward the Biden administration’s preferred alternatives. This approach is most evident in the Biden administration’s assault on the energy sector, as the government uses its regulatory power to make coal, oil, and natural gas very expensive and increasingly inaccessible to operate, while forcing the economy to switch to and rely on unreliable renewable energy….

As a result of this approach, we have seen the return of costly, job-killing regulations that weaken the economy and increase bureaucracy but do little to address complex environmental problems. In some cases, these policies even undermine environmental protection efforts by moving industries overseas to countries where environmental compliance is seriously lacking – if any meaningful regulation exists at all. At the same time, the costs and staffing of agencies have increased significantly….

Compared to the Obama administration, there is one key difference in the Biden administration's approach: In a concerted effort to reduce congressional oversight, the position of EPA administrator has been eclipsed by the appointment of several “climate czars” in the Biden White House. In fact, current EPA administrator Michael Regan, who has a reputation as a well-meaning, generally capable former civil servant, has been shut out of the political cycle and served mainly as a convenient distraction from the EPA's expansive, costly, and economy-destroying agenda.

A co-opted mission. The EPA has been a breeding ground for the expansion of federal government influence and control across the economy. Embedded activists have sought to circumvent legal restrictions to pursue a global, climate-related agenda. They sought to achieve that agenda by implementing costly policies that would otherwise not have gained the necessary political traction in Congress. Many EPA actions under liberal administrations simply ignored the will of Congress and instead catered to the goals and desires of politically connected activists.

Pursuing this global agenda has distracted the agency from fulfilling its core mission, creating a backlog of missed regulatory deadlines and sometimes even leading to preventable environmental disasters. During the Obama administration, for example, the United States experienced two of its worst environmental disasters in decades, including the Flint, Michigan, water crisis in 2014 and the Gold King Mine oil spill in 2015.

In addition to causing such immediate and tangible harm in diverse communities, an EPA characterized by activism and disregard for the law has created uncertainty in the regulated community, vindictive enforcement, weighted analysis, increased costs, and reduced confidence in the agency's ultimate actions. Although the U.S. environmental story is very positive, there has been a return to fear-based rhetoric within the agency, particularly with regard to the perceived threat of climate change.

Misrepresenting the state of our environment in general, and the actual damage that can reasonably be attributed to climate change in particular, is a favorite tool of the left to scare the American public into accepting its ineffective, liberty-restricting regulations, limited property rights, and exorbitant costs. In effect, the Biden EPA has once again presented the American people with a false choice: choosing between a healthy environment and a strong, growing economy.

Political reform (“back to basics”)

The structure and mission of the EPA should be severely limited to reflect the principles of cooperative federalism and limited government. This requires a comprehensive restructuring and rationalization of the agency to address:

  • Governance. EPA should build serious relationships with state and local agencies and take a more supportive role, sharing resources and expertise and recognizing that the primary role in making decisions about the environment lies with the people who live there.
  • Responsible progress. Regulatory efforts should focus on addressing concrete environmental problems with practical, low-cost and affordable solutions to clean air, water and soil. Results should be measured and tracked using simple, publicly available metrics.
  • Optimized processDuplicate, wasteful, or redundant programs that do not specifically support the Agency's mission should be eliminated, and a structured management program should be developed to assist state and local governments in protecting public health and the environment.
  • Healthy, thriving communities. EPA should consider the economic costs of its actions to local communities and reduce them as much as possible to help them grow and prosper.
  • Compliance before enforcement. EPA should maintain cooperative relationships with the regulated community, particularly small businesses, and prioritize compliance over enforcement.
  • Transparent science and regulatory analysis. EPA should publish and comment on all scientific studies and analyses that support regulatory decisions.

Climate change

  • Remove the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for all source categories that are not currently regulated. The overall reporting program places a significant burden on small businesses and companies that are not regulated. This is either a pointless burden or a sword of Damocles for future regulation, and neither is appropriate.
  • Establish a system with reasonable timelines to update the 2009 risk assessment.
  • Establish a significant emission rate (SER) for greenhouse gases (GHGs).

Necessary reforms: priorities from day one

  • Inform Congress that EPA will not undertake any current or planned scientific activities that do not have clear and current congressional authorization. This priority should be highlighted in the President's first budget request.
  • The new President's Inauguration Day regulatory review/freeze policy should avoid exceptions for EPA actions. This freeze should explicitly include quasi-regulatory actions, including assessments, findings, standards, and guidelines that have not gone through the notice and comment process and may date back years.
  • Pause review of all contracts over $100,000 with a strong focus on key external peer reviews and regulatory models.
  • Call on the public to identify areas where EPA has assessed risks inconsistently, failed to use the best science, or engaged in research misconduct.
  • Avoid using unauthorized regulatory inputs such as the social cost of carbon, black box and proprietary models, and unrealistic climate scenarios, including those based on the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5.

DIPLOMA
A more conservative EPA, guided by the policies described in this chapter, will lead to a better environmental future without unintended consequences. It will prevent unnecessary spending by the regulated community and enable investments in the economic development and job creation that are critical to thriving communities.

Reducing the size and scope of the EPA will save the American taxpayer money. Improved transparency will serve as an important check and balance to ensure that the agency's mission is not distorted or abused for political purposes. Importantly, a conservative EPA will deliver tangible environmental improvements to the American people in the form of cleaner air, cleaner water, and healthier soil.

Critical commentary

The above reform has many positive aspects, but the policy document is slow to cut the roots of a poisoned tree. Specifically, the new president should end the EPA's climate mission entirely, withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, and cease funding and participation in the International Energy Agency. The infamous Endangerment Finding must be reviewed and reversed, and the platform's requirement to “set a significant emissions rate (SER) for greenhouse gases (GHGs)” should be removed.

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Categories
Entertainment

Simone Biles appears to overshadow MyKayla Skinner after her Olympic victory

Simone Biles seems to overshadow MyKayla Skinner after her Olympic victory

In her controversial video, 27-year-old MyKayla suggested that the US Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending abuse in sports, was one of the reasons for this perceived lack of effort.

“Coaches can't get on the nerves of athletes and have to be very careful about what they say,” she said. “That's really good in some ways, but at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics, I think you have to be a little aggressive and intense.”

After strong reactions online, MyKayla later apologized and clarified that her comments had been “misinterpreted or misunderstood.”

Categories
Sport

2024 Olympic Video games: Athletes and occasions to observe on Tuesday

2024 Olympic Games: Athletes and events to watch on Tuesday

July 30, 2024, 11:02 a.m. ET

On Tuesday, some of the top names on the US team will return to active sport at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

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Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey will continue their “rehabilitation tour” in the gymnasts' team final. Coco Gauff will face Donna Vekic in the third round of the women's singles and then compete against Taylor Fritz in the first round of the mixed doubles. Katie Ledecky will swim in the women's 1500 m freestyle heats. The men's Olympic soccer team will also play another group match.

In addition to Gauff and Fritz, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will play their second men's doubles match at Roland Garros, while Andy Murray has another chance to delay his retirement through his doubles match.

Here's what to look out for on Tuesday.

A special moment for the US gymnastics team and their families

After months of sacrifice and training for the Paris Games, the U.S. gymnastics team secured bronze on Monday with a score of 257.793, winning its first medal since the 2008 Beijing Games. After receiving their medals, Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik and Frederick Richard shared the special moment with their families and significant others.

We're not crying, you are. 😭 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/gSJLvZwPMH

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 30, 2024

China wins gold in table tennis mixed doubles

In the second Olympic year of table tennis mixed doubles, there is a second champion in this discipline.

Three years after China won a silver medal at the postponed 2020 Games, Chinese duo Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha took gold on Tuesday. Wang and Sun defeated North Korean tandem Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who took home silver, 4-2. South Koreans Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin took the bronze medal.

It's getting hot in Paris

PARIS – Things are heating up at the Olympics. Temperatures at Roland Garros just exceeded 30.1 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), prompting organizers to activate their extreme weather policy.

Players in singles matches have a 10-minute break after the second set. During the break, players may go to the toilet, take a shower, change clothes, or eat and drink.

Jasmine Paolini and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova are tied after two sets, so they just had their 10-minute break. As usual, the volunteers came with a hose to spray the sand and then aimed it at the front rows of spectators. The fans loved it! – Connor O'Halloran

Coco Gauff cried after defeat

American Coco Gauff was knocked out by Donna Vekic in the third round of the women's singles competition on Tuesday morning in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far. Vekic, representing Croatia, entered the match ranked No. 21 in the world and the 13th seed in the Olympic tournament. Gauff is ranked second in the WTA world rankings and was also the second seed in the Olympic tournament.

Vekic will face the winner of the ongoing third-round match between Maria Sakkari, representing Greece, and Marta Kostyuk, representing Ukraine.

Oleksandr Usyk tears apart Olympic boxing

The International Olympic Committee has said that the sport could be removed from the 2028 Olympic Games if there are no changes in the leadership of amateur boxing. Boxing was almost removed from the program of the Paris Olympic Games after a dispute between the governing body of amateur boxing and the IOC. Oleksandr Usyk called the sport “tainted.”

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Usyk: Boxing is not making progress at the Olympics

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk discusses the future of Olympic boxing and calls for change.

“For many years there has been a desire to change the boxing system that has become rotten at the international level,” Oleksandr Usyk told SNTV during a question and answer session at Ukraine House. – READ MORE

Surfing heats postponed due to weather

The Olympic surfing competitions are being held on the other side of the world in Tahiti – 9,800 miles from Paris – to “engage the French overseas territories and their communities in the Olympic Games.” However, Tuesday's surfing heats have been postponed due to weather conditions. Surfline, a surf forecasting website, is predicting strong waves for Tuesday and Wednesday, but the wind could bring “disorganized and potentially out of control” conditions.

Katie Ledecky dominates (again) on her way to the 1,500m freestyle final

The reigning gold medalist in the women's 1500m freestyle is back to defend her title and is already on a roll.

Our favorite Olympic stories

• Meet Nic Fink, engineer and swimming medalist
• What’s next for US women’s gymnastics?
• Noah Lyles' wise words for Coco Gauff
• Sha'Carri Richardson's Road to Paris
More Olympic content

Katie Ledecky has long dominated the discipline – all 15 of the best times in the 1500m freestyle were achieved by her – and her skill was evident during her qualifying heat in Paris. Ledecky touched the wall to finish the race with no competitor in sight – there was no other swimmer in the broadcast camera frame as she turned onto the home stretch.

That's what she does. 🤷‍♀️

Katie Ledecky dominates and secures her ticket for the final of the 1500 m freestyle. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/bf9Rsy14V8

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024

Spain shows its muscles in men's basketball

Spain, the reigning FIBA ​​Eurobasket champion, defeated Greece and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo 84-77. But it was not a pretty win. Spain built a 16-point lead in the first half, led by Santi Aldama's 19 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks and Sergio Llull, who scored 11 points in the first half.

Antetokounmpo and the Greeks fought back and tied the game in the second half, which he finished with 27 points, but much of their energy went into the comeback rather than the finish.

European thriller 🔥

Spain 🇪🇸 escapes with the win and keeps its hopes alive ✅#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/NGOOqlnQRd

– FIBA ​​(@FIBA) July 30, 2024

The “pommel horse type” is in trend

While the US men's gymnastics team won the bronze medal on Monday, the wider sports audience was introduced to the bespectacled American pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, whom the US team had brought to Paris for a task that he also fulfilled: He perfected the pommel horse exercises.

2024 Summer Olympics

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• Time schedule: Find your favorite event
• Medal tracker: The total number of countries
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The only American gymnast to ever win a world title in the event, the 25-year-old former Penn State gymnast who spends his free time in Paris solving Rubik's Cube made big headlines after the competition. He was the last athlete to compete and performed a spectacular pommel horse move (without glasses) that secured a medal for Team USA.

America instantly fell in love with “the Clark Kent of pommel horse” and we are here for it. – Alyssa Roenigk

Stephen Nedoroscik, the Clark Kent of pommel horse! 🫡🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1HfYFSbJvH

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024

Categories
Science

Evolutionary biology: Why examine it? What can it train us concerning the seek for life past Earth?

Evolutionary biology: Why study it? What can it teach us about the search for life beyond Earth?

Universe Today has had the incredible opportunity to explore several scientific fields including impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, planetary geophysics, cosmochemistry, meteorites, radio astronomy, extremophiles, organic chemistry, black holes, cryovolcanism, planetary protection, dark matter, supernovas, neutron stars and exomoons and how these diverse yet unique fields all form the basis for us to better understand our place in the Universe.

Here, Universe Today discusses the incredible field of evolutionary biology with Dr. David Baum, Professor of Botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He discusses the importance of studying evolutionary biology, the highlights of his career, what evolutionary biology can teach us about the search for life beyond Earth, and what advice he can give to prospective students who want to study evolutionary biology. So what is the importance of studying evolutionary biology?

Dr. Baum tells Universe Today: “Humans and all living things are the product of evolution. So what could be more important than understanding how evolution works to produce such amazing organisms and ecosystems! Biology is primarily concerned with how questions, such as: How do we fight infections? How do animals choose their mates? How do plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into plant compounds?”

Dr. Baum continues: “Evolutionary biologists ask why questions. When we do, the answer can be either historical or generally ahistorical. In both cases, evolutionary models enrich our understanding of the natural world. Evolution also helps us make predictions, such as the almost inevitable development of resistance to antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, etc.”

The field of evolutionary biology, also called evolution by natural selection, was founded in 1859 by Charles Darwin, who coined the concept of evolution by natural selection in his book On the Origin of Species. Although these new insights into the evolution of life were groundbreaking, they were not recognized as a separate field by the academic community until the 1930s. And it took another five decades before departments of evolutionary biology were established at universities.

Since then, the field of evolutionary biology has “evolved” to better understand speciation, sexual reproduction, aging, and cooperation, bringing fields like computer science and molecular genetics into the process of answering these questions. It involves the study of different types of evolution, including adaptive, convergent, divergent, and coevolution, which attempt to explain how life evolves over time based on its environment, species, and interactions. In addition, medicine uses evolutionary biology to gain deeper insights into evolutionary medicine and evolutionary therapies. So what are some of the career highlights Dr. Baum has experienced while studying evolutionary biology?

Dr. Baum tells Universe Today: “There are too many to list, but perhaps the best part was that in 2014 I hypothesized how complex cells with nuclei might have arisen, and then in 2015 researchers discovered a new group of organisms that, when visualized in 2020, supported our model so surprisingly well that textbooks on the subject were rewritten!”

As the name suggests, the field of evolutionary biology is the study of biological development over time, which can range from thousands to billions of years. Evolutionary biologists seek to understand the processes that allowed life to develop on Earth, from the first single-celled organisms that existed in our planet's early history to the millions of complex species that inhabit our planet today. Although Earth is the only known celestial body with life, the questions that drive the field of evolutionary biology extend beyond the boundaries of our small, blue world. In doing so, evolutionary biologists ask whether the same processes could have allowed life to arise on other celestial bodies, including the planets Mars and Venus and even moons like Europa and Titan.

Today, the planet Mars is a dry, cold, and desolate world. But could life have formed billions of years ago, after the Red Planet itself was formed? And while the surface of Venus has extreme temperatures and pressures where life as we know it cannot exist, what was it like billions of years ago? And what about Venus' atmosphere, which offers evidence that life as we know it could exist today at high altitudes, where conditions of temperature and pressure are more similar to those on Earth? Is there life in the deep oceans of Europa, and what about the lakes and seas of liquid methane and ethane on Titan? Given these burning questions, what can evolutionary biology teach us about the search for life beyond Earth?

“My lab is studying how evolution can begin on inanimate planets,” Dr. Baum tells Universe Today. “We use both chemical experiments and analytical work based on principles from physics and evolutionary theory. I believe this work will ultimately clarify whether some kind of evolving biosphere is inevitable and whether it is likely to be made up of individualized units such as cells and whether these units are likely to have an analogue in genetic systems. It's too early to know, but I suspect that individualization is probably universal, but I'm less sure about genetics. However, we suspect that without genetic systems, cellular complexity is likely to be limited.”

As mentioned above, the field of evolutionary biology encompasses a wide range of expertise from a variety of scientific disciplines, including computer science, genetics, and medicine. In addition, it has enabled the creation of new fields of research that study the evolution of robotics, engineering, architecture, and economics. For evolutionary robotics, scientists used the theory of natural selection to improve robots using artificial intelligence (AI), which involves developing algorithms to weed out the least efficient robot designs based on a specific task assigned to them. This has allowed engineers to develop efficient robots that can function in environments unfavorable to humans, such as nanoscale or space. So what advice can Dr. Baum give to prospective students who want to study evolutionary biology?

Dr. Baum tells Universe Today: “Read lots of wonderful popular books to get a feel for the underlying principles, but be critical of your own thinking – the concept of evolution by natural selection seems simple, but it turns out to be much more subtle and complex than people usually think.”

As the field of evolutionary biology continues to grow, expand, and “evolve,” helping other fields of science do the same, so will our understanding of how life arose on Earth and possibly on other worlds. In the 165 years since it was introduced by Charles Darwin, the field of evolutionary biology has grown to encompass far more than Darwin could have imagined, so it's exciting to think about where evolutionary biology will be in the next 165 years.

Dr. Baum concludes to Universe Today: “Evolutionary biology is central to understanding why organisms are the way they are. But it is also the basis for the most profound questions in astrobiology and physics: Is there a drive for life in the universe? If a world produces life, is there a drive for complexity and intelligence? And, to extrapolate, are we alone in the universe?!”

How will evolutionary biology help us understand our place in the universe in the years and decades to come? Only time will tell, and that's why we do science!

And as always, keep doing science and keep looking up!

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Categories
Health

We’re inspired by Abbott’s share buying and selling, however discouraged by Honeywell’s strikes

We are encouraged by Abbott’s share trading, but discouraged by Honeywell’s moves

Every weekday, CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer publishes the Homestretch – an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the final hour of trading on Wall Street.

Categories
Entertainment

“Scary Film” actress Erica Ash dies on the age of 46

'Scary Movie' Actress Erica Ash Passes Away At Age 46

The actress's family Erika Ash has confirmed that the 46-year-old has died. The “Scary Movie” star, known for her comedic talent, died after privately battling cancer. Her mother, Diana Ash, confirmed the tragic news to TMZ after a post-and-delete from BET first broke the news on Monday morning (July 29).

“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of our beloved daughter, sister and friend Erica Chantal Ash (1977-2024). After a long and courageous battle with cancer, she passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones,” Diana Ash is said to have said this.

This is what Erica's mother said

Her breakthrough came between 2006 and 2007, when she appeared regularly in two seasons of “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Erica was also known for her roles and appearances in films and television shows, including Survivors' Remorse, Real Husbands of Hollywood, In Contempt and Mad TV. She was born in Florida in 1977, per deadline.

Her mother Diana also spoke to the outlet about her daughter's success on screen and what she was like off it. Mom Ash asked that everyone donate to a cancer foundation, but she did not specify which variant of the disease her daughter died from.

“Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor, and genuine joy for life. Her memory will live forever in our hearts. In honor of Erica's memory, the family asks that donations be made to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation or the Breast Cancer Foundation of your choice. We are grateful for the kind expressions of love and support during this difficult time.”

Celebrities and fans react to Erica Ash's death

Hours before TMZ, radio host Roland Martin had also confirmed the death of Erica Ash in a post on X (formerly Twitter) and revealed in a separate post that he knew her “well.” Towards the end of his statement, he added a belated endorsement of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign on behalf of his friend.

“Sad to confirm that our beloved sister @TheEricaAsh is now an ancestor. She was 46. Erica was an incredibly talented, funny and serious actress. I adored her. She took politics seriously and would have been one of @KamalaHarris' biggest supporters. Pray for her family.”

I am saddened to confirm that our beloved sister @TheEricaAsh is now an ancestor. She was 46. Erica was an incredibly talented, funny and serious actress. I adored her. She took politics seriously and would have been one of @KamalaHarris' biggest supporters. Praying for her family. pic.twitter.com/ewiYHfXtWb

– rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) July 29, 2024

Just a few minutes after Martin, her dear friend Loni Love also confirmed the death of Erica Ash. She also congratulated the late “Scary Movie” actress on her sense of humor and her career.

“I sadly have to confirm the passing of my friend and fellow actress Erica Ashe… Erica was talented and hilarious, whether it was the show Survivor's Remorse or Madtv, she always put her all into her work. She was always just there… now she is gone… My sincere condolences to her family and fans.”

This is a developing story, please check back later for updates.

Rest in peace, Erica Ash!

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Technology

Web cable severed: Cat-and-mouse recreation on the Olympic Video games in Paris continues

Internet cable severed: Cat-and-mouse game at the Olympic Games in Paris continues

According to local police, several fiber optic cables in France were “sabotaged” overnight, causing widespread disruption to internet services across the country.

The perpetrators remain at large, while the cat-and-mouse game between police and criminals at the Olympic Games continues on the sidelines of the Sprints, swimming and shot put.

The internet cables were cut early Monday morning. said Network provider Netalis on X. Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari sentenced the attacks and called them “cowardly and irresponsible”.

Paris, where most Olympic events take place, is not affected. Whether the attacks were intended to disrupt the games or not is currently unclear.

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However, the incident occurred just three days after an arson attack paralyzed large parts of the French railway network and caused significant delays just hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

However, the French Interior Minister suggested that the Sabotage of the railway could be linked to left-wing extremist activists. It is still unclear whether the police are linking the two attacks.

As millions of people flock to Paris for the Olympic Games, authorities are on high alert for security risks, including from cyber criminals. Analysts predict that there will be up to four billion cyber attacks at this year's games.

The French secret services are particularly on the Watch out for Russian hackersRussia has repeatedly attempted to hack the Olympics in the past, and with the country banned from participating in the games due to its invasion of Ukraine, tensions are at an all-time high.

Hackers with links to Russian intelligence services were active at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea the online ticket system disrupted and turn off the Wi-Fi in the stadium during the opening ceremony.

While the Olympic Games offer mainly fun and games for spectators, they also become the scene of a cat-and-mouse game between criminals and the police.