Sloop John B

 

A Paradox in Evolution

It may have fewer than many of the other sciences, but biology does have two dozen or so “rules”—broad generalizations about the behavior or nature and evolution.

Now, USC researchers want to add a new rule called “selectively advantageous instability (SAI),” which explores how instability can actually benefit a cell and a cellular organism.

The flipside of this “rule” is that SAI can also be a key factor to things like disease and aging, so understanding this process could aid in exploration of those biological processes.

Across the sciences, rules and laws help us make sense of the world around us, whether applied to cosmic scales or subatomic ones. However, in the biological world, things are a bit more complicated. That’s because nature is often full of biological exceptions, and so “rules of biology” are also considered broad generalizations rather than absolute facts that explain and govern all known life.      READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Minnesota Timberwolves beat Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals; Game 5 is tomorrow in Minnesota (More) | Boston Celtics sweep the Indiana Pacers 4-0 to win the Eastern Conference Finals, advance to the NBA Finals (More)

> Albert Ruddy, two-time Oscar-winning film producer known for "The Godfather" and "Million Dollar Baby," dies at 94 (More) | "Beautiful Girls" singer Sean Kingston faces 10 charges in Florida related to fraud and theft (More)

> Two albums pass 300,000 units sold in a single week for first time in eight years as both Taylor Swift's and Billie Eilish's latest albums haul in more than 300,000 units sold (More)


Science & Technology
In partnership with New Sapience

> OpenAI begins training its next generation large language model to replace current GPT-4, may take up to a year before it is available; CEO Sam Altman to lead safety and security committee (More)

> New mRNA vaccine shown to be effective in preventing lab animal deaths from H5N1 avian flu currently spreading across the US (More) | See current status of the outbreak (More)

> Engineered CAR-T cells, typically used in cancer immunotherapy, shown to treat chronic asthma in mouse studies (More) | How CAR-T works, in pictures (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.02%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq +0.6%); Nasdaq closes above the 17,000 level for the first time ever, boosted by a 7% rise in shares of chipmaker Nvidia (More)

> Adam Neumann drops $500M bid to buy back WeWork; US judge overseeing WeWork's bankruptcy proceedings instead sign off on a restructuring deal approving $450M in funding from SoftBank (More)

> Former FTX executive Ryan Salame sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to make illegal political contributions and operate an unlicensed money-transmission business (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Storms in North Texas with baseball-sized hail leave almost 800,000 residents without power, including across Dallas and Fort Worth (More)

> Georgia's parliament overrules president's veto of the "foreign agents" bill that sparked weekslong protests; bill requires media and nonprofits to register as foreign agents if over 20% of funding comes from outside the country (More)

> Tens of thousands of people protest in Armenian capital of Yerevan after Armenia's prime minister agrees to hand over four border villages to Azerbaijan (More)

SPUORCE:  1440 News

Going Against the Establishment

 

A few days ago, I decided to pay $6 and rent the movie Oppenheimer...  it was 3 hours in length and except for the very beginning was well worth the time...  There were no special effects of which to speak and no special cinematography, it was just pure acting and storyline.

What made me mad about the movie was not that we dropped the ATOMIC BOMB on Japan twice, but what a few powerful men did to Oppenheimer after the war when he was against developing a hydrogen bomb.

To put it bluntly, he was crucified because he went against power and therefore went against the establishment.

When one thinks about the USA, one perceives that the USA is above that sort of behavior - that behavior is reserved for countries like Russia, China, Iran, etc.  But, when one sees these kinds of movies and confirms the storyline with their own research, we realize quite quickly that the GREAT USA is no different at all.  AND...  in some case is WORSE.

By doing things for other countries, the USA hides behind it goodness to conceal its EVIL INTENTIONS.  The USA wants to CONTROL THE WORLD and control all the people in the world while at the same time pretending that it does not really want to do that.

I have no doubt that the rest of the world sees us as HYPOCRITS and rightly so...  because that is exactly who we are.

Not only did we crucify Oppenheimer because he refused to go along, but we are trying to crucify Donald Trump as well.  The difference is that Trump is fighting back, and the general public is catching on to the bullshit that is going on in this country.

Sometimes, I really think that the rest of the world needs to teach America a lesson...

The Car Ride

 

Rewriting Molecular Rules

Researchers have developed new guidelines for molecular design that prevent electrons from losing energy through atomic vibrations. These innovations promise to revolutionize the effectiveness of organic molecules used in OLEDs, sensors, and biomedical imaging. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

New molecular design rules discovered through laser-based spectroscopic techniques enable the uncoupling of electrons from atomic vibrations, leading to significantly improved performance in applications such as OLEDs and biomedical imaging.

Since the discovery of quantum mechanics more than a hundred years ago, it has been known that electrons in molecules can be coupled to the motion of the atoms that make up the molecules. Often referred to as molecular vibrations, the motion of atoms act like tiny springs, undergoing periodic motion.

For electrons in these systems, being joined to the hip with these vibrations means they are constantly in motion too, dancing to the tune of the atoms, on timescales of a millionth of a billionth of a second. But all this dancing around leads to a loss of energy and limits the performance of organic molecules in applications like light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), infrared sensors, and fluorescent biomarkers used in the study of cells and for tagging diseases such as cancer cells.         READ MORE...

Surfing Basics

 

Most Common Cancers

This list of common cancer types includes cancers that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the United States, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers:

Bladder Cancer
Breast Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer
Endometrial Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Leukemia
Liver
Lung Cancer
Melanoma
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Pancreatic Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Thyroid Cancer

Cancer incidence and mortality statistics reported by the National Cancer Institute and other resources were used to create the list.1 To qualify as a common cancer for the list, the estimated annual incidence for 2024 had to be 40,000 cases or more.
The most common type of cancer on the list is breast cancer, with 313,510 new cases expected in the United States in 2024. The next most common cancers are prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal cancers," these two cancer types are combined for the list. For 2024, the estimated number of new cases of colon cancer and rectal cancer are 106,590 and 46,220, respectively, adding to a total of 152,810 new cases of colorectal cancer.

SOURCE:  National Cancer Institute

How is Ice Cream Made?

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” The sentiment behind these well-known lyrics from the 1927 novelty song, “Ice Cream,” has stood the test of time in describing how people feel about the tasty frozen dairy treat. Whether we’re screaming about it or not, millions of us enjoy consuming it. According to Grand View Research, ice cream has an estimated market size value of $81.8 billion per year in the United States.

The ingredients and the processes used to make ice cream are essential to create a smooth and creamy texture worthy of the scream. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines ice cream as a food produced by freezing while stirring a pasteurized mix that consists of one or more optional dairy ingredients listed in part B of 21 CFR 135.110. Ice cream must contain 1.6 lb or greater of total solids and weigh 4.5 lb or greater, both per gallon, contain a minimum of 10% milkfat, with exceptions listed in 21 CFR 135.110, and contain less than 1.4% egg yolks by weight.

A Smooth Process
The process of making ice cream starts with dry ingredients (sugar, stabilizers, dried eggs, or milk), which are mixed into liquid ingredients (milk, cream) by one of two methods. In the first method, a powder horn contains a funnel to control the addition of dry ingredients to the liquid, passing the two through an impeller before cycling the mixture to allow the addition of optional dry ingredients. The second is to add all dry ingredients at the same time into a high shear mixing device. Flavorings like vanilla, chocolate, mint, or fruit extracts are common ingredients incorporated at this stage.

The ice cream mixture is then pasteurized, commonly at either 155°F for 30 min or 174°F for 25 sec, and homogenized. Batch and continuous pasteurization are employed in the industry. The latter, which is faster and more efficient, is most often used by commercial ice cream manufacturers. During pasteurization, bacterial cells are killed and the milk fat solids are melted within the mix in preparation for homogenization. In a separate chamber, the hot mix is forced through small openings at high pressure (2,000/500 psi) to reduce the liquid fat droplets to a small, uniform size.

Homogenization is integral to ice cream’s smooth texture and prevents fats from churning in the later freezing stage. The mixture is cooled to about 5°C (40°F) and aged for approximately 12 hr to allow the fat to partially crystallize. This step also allows the proteins and stabilizers to solubilize so that they can keep the fat particles small and entrap the air.

"Without air, ice cream would be too hard to eat."

Next, the ice cream is frozen quickly to maintain the smooth texture. The product is placed in a barrel freezer in which rotating blades continually agitate the mixture. The churning prevents large water crystal formation and incorporates significant volumes of air. In fact, the volume of the ice cream can increase by 60% to 100% simply because air is added.

The incorporation of air is crucial. It makes the ice cream softer and slows the melting process. Without air, ice cream would be too hard to eat. After incorporating air, sizeable flavorings such as candy pieces, nuts, or fruit chunks can be added, along with other flourishes like ripples and variegates. This step is completed in a line freezer immediately before packaging. These hardening rooms, which contain blast freezers set at temperatures below -30°C (-22°F), maintain product comprised of very small ice crystals, which leads to a desired smooth texture and flavor release.

Ingredient Functionality and Nondairy Inclusions
Ice cream mixes consist of milk, which contains >80% water, casein and whey proteins (>3% protein), lactose, minerals, and milk fat (>3%). Cream is used, which is >80% moisture, 11%–12% milk fat, and approximately 3% protein. The most predominant component in ice cream is water, at 55%–65%. The total solids are between 35%–42%, a percentage that increases as fat content increases. Fat content is commonly between 10%–16%. Cream, milk, buttermilk, whey, and skim milk are the main contributors of water, fat, and protein (approximately 3%) to the ice cream.

"The most predominant component in ice cream is water, at 55%–65%."

Milk supplies 4%–5% of the carbohydrates in ice cream in the form of lactose. Lactose helps with seeding, providing a nucleation site for small ice crystals to form, which is crucial for smooth texture. Milk proteins, most specifically casein, are strong emulsifiers because they contain both long sections of polar side chains and long sections of nonpolar side chains. The polar side chains orient to the large amount of water and other polar compounds in the ice cream. The nonpolar side chains orient to the small fat globules to form an emulsion and the air that has been incorporated in the ice cream to form a foam.

A closer look at three commercially available products provides a better understanding of the functionality and purpose of nondairy ingredients in ice cream. The first, Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Ice Cream with chunks of strawberries, is not sold in retail stores, but is only offered at Ben & Jerry’s “Scoop Shops” in various locations across the globe. The other two ice creams—Mayfield Signature Vanilla Ice Cream and Prairie Farms Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream—are sold in grocery stores.

Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Ice Cream (with chunks of strawberries) Ingredient Statement: CREAM, SKIM MILK, STRAWBERRIES, LIQUID SUGAR (SUGAR, WATER), SUGAR, EGG YOLKS, GUAR GUM, CARRAGEENAN

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream contains sugar dissolved in water, sugar, egg yolks, guar gum, and carrageenan. The sugar is sucrose, which provides the desired sweetness and also contributes to the ice cream’s smooth, creamy texture by contributing to seeding, which helps to prevent ice crystal formation. If a portion of the sugar is removed from the formulation, sweetness will decrease but the texture will be less creamy and smooth and the freezing point will increase, which will negatively impact texture.

Although many companies do not include egg yolks in their ice cream since it introduces an additional allergen, this Ben & Jerry’s product does include them. Egg yolks contain fat in the form of triglycerides that contribute to the creamy texture and protein and lecithin that help emulsify the fat and entrap air to stabilize the emulsion and foam. One main difference between custards and ice cream is that custards must contain 1.4% pasteurized egg yolk, increasing the product’s creaminess and smoothness. Guar gum and carrageenan are long chain polysaccharides that increase the glass transition temperature of the ice cream, which increases the temperature that is needed to freeze the ice cream and store the ice cream. Kappa carrageenan is commonly used in ice creams and other dairy products because the negative charges of sulfate on carrageenan interact with the positive charged amino acid side chains in casein, further stabilizing the product and maintaining solution homogeneity.

"Homogenization is integral to ice cream’s smooth texture and prevents fats from churning in the later freezing stage."

Mayfield Signature Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredient Statement: CREAM, BUTTERMILK, WHEY, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, SKIM MILK, NATURAL FLAVORS, PLANT BASED GUMS (GUAR, TARA), ANNATO (COLOR)

In addition to the dairy ingredients, the Mayfield brand natural vanilla ice cream also contains corn syrup, tara gum, and annatto. Corn syrup is a liquid that contains glucose and fructose, which are the monosaccharides that make up sucrose and increase sweetness and soluble solids. Tara gum functions like guar gum and carrageenan to stabilize the product by contributing to the smooth, creamy texture.

Prairie Farms Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredient Statement: MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, SKIM MILK, CORN SYRUP, COCOA (PROCESSED IN ALKALI), WHEY, STABILIZER (MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, GUAR GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, AND CARRAGEENAN)

As shown, Prairie Farms Belgian Chocolate ice cream contains similar ingredients to the Ben & Jerry’s and Mayfield ice creams, but this product also includes cocoa for the chocolate flavor and a stabilizer that contains guar gum, carrageenan, and mono- and diglycerides. The carrageenan helps keep the cocoa in solution. The mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers that help reduce the strain on the milk proteins and polysaccharide gums to help emulsify the fat and stabilize the air in the foam.

Stay Frosty
Process and new ingredient solutions will help food scientists continue to make outstanding ice cream, alleviate supply chain challenges, and allow for labels with fewer ingredients. Such advances also will help improve the quality of plant-based dairy product dessert alternatives and ensure that ice cream continues to meet consumer expectations in a “scream”-worthy way.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Wes Schilling, PhD, is a professor in the Dept. of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion at Mississippi State University (schilling@foodscience.msstate.edu).
Sawyer Wyatt Smith is an MS student in the Dept. of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion at Mississippi State University (sws212@msstate.edu).
AnneMarie Coatney is an undergraduate researcher at Mississippi State Univ. (afc160@msstate.edu).

Examples of Socialism in USA

1. California-Produced Insulin

Product: Insulin

One of the rare examples of ownership of the means of production of a product in the USA is California’s recent announcement that it will produce its own insulin.

California’s governor Newsom argued that he believed insulin production was too expensive due to insufficient competition in the market. To address this, his government passed a law allowing the government to get involved in the production of insulin with the goal of lowering costs to consumers.

Here, insulin production by the state would reflect socialism if the government would directly own the factories that produce the products.

Likely, the government will do this as a public-private partnership, subcontracting the work to a private company, meaning this may end up in a gray area with public ownership that has privatized elements.

2. Public Water Companies

Product: Water

Up to 75% of water services in the USA are owned and operated by a government entity, employing public servants (Warner, 2009).

A public water company would be considered a socialist program to the extent that it represents the production of a product (a ‘good’) – water – through a collectively-owned company.

Interestingly, public water companies tend to be quite profitable, meaning that they can operate without the need for taxpayers to pay into the industry out of general revenue.

However, this has meant that public water companies have been exposed to privatization risk. One key deterrent for privatization of water, however, is the fact that it tends to be an oligopoly (only one company provides the product), which therefore undermines the key engine of capitalism that keeps costs low – competition.

3. Public Infrastructure

Good or Service: Means of Distribution

Public infrastructure—bridges, roads, electricity, water and sewer systems, and other government infrastructure—is considered socialist. It is usually owned and operated by the government and paid for by a mix of taxation and user fees.

Reliable public infrastructure connects households across the US to higher quality opportunities for education, healthcare, and employment. It also encourages the reduction of greenhouse gasses, clean energy, and public transit, which benefits the public as a whole.

Likewise, public infrastructure increases worker productivity and work hours, which contribute to the nation’s GDP growth. As a result, the socialist project of public infrastructure supports capitalist businesses and helps them to succeed.

4. Fire Protection Services

Good or Service: Fire Protection

Fire protection services and fire departments are socialist programs funded by tax revenue and provided free at the point of use.

People don’t normally get charged for fire services. This is good considering that the US has one of the highest fire rates in the industrialized world, with 12.4 deaths per million population.

There are some exceptions to this rule, of course, such as if you live in an area where fire services aren’t funded through tax revenue. Private fire departments are chargeable, as well.

Generally, though, fire protection services are funded as part of the municipal budget and thus fall under socialism.

5. Public Transportation

Good or Service: Means of Distribution

Public transportation systems, including buses, subways, railway stations, etc., are another great example of socialism in America.

These services are socialist schemes that can’t support themselves without the aid of public taxes. They’re usually publicly owned and funded, and although not always free, many of these services offer free routes and subsidized fares.

Some US cities, like Chapel Hill in North Carolina, Olympia in Washington, and Missoula in Montana, are aiming to make their entire bus networks completely fare-free.

Public transport comes with a ton of community benefits. For one, it greatly reduces road traffic, which results in fewer traffic accidents, decreased congestion, easier parking, and reduced infrastructure wear and tear.

It also allows increased public access for the low-waged and poor, which can benefit those looking for work, business, and social integration. And of course, it reduces air and noise pollution. These advantages are all socialism at play.

6. Police Departments

Good or Service: Public Safety Services

Like firefighting departments, police departments are fully socialized. No one directly pays the police to come out to their house or to patrol the streets. It comes out of general revenue.

Police need to be in public hands because, if we are charged for policing, then social safety would be eroded. People would be afraid to contact the police when in need, and innocent people would have to pay the police for protection.

Furthermore, there is an argument to be made that the police need to remain in public hands so that they are accountable to the public. If they were a private or corporate entity then they would likely operate on a for-profit basis, which would not guarantee equal safety and rights to all.

7. Public Parks

Good or Service: Maintenance of Public Recreation Spaces

Public parks belong to everyone. They are usually free to get into, although increasingly pay per use is being instituted to recuperate costs and minimize land erosion.

Nevertheless, they have the features of socialism because they’re kept in the hands of the government to ensure access for all and to protect them from capitalists who might cut down trees and exploit the land for profit.

The United States has a proud history of parks. It is the first nation to ever create a national park, and it has some of the most beautiful parks in the world. Examples include Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, both of which are home to endangered and rare fauna and flora.

8. Public Schools

Good or Service: Education

Public schools, universities, and community colleges are another form of socialism in the US.

Under public schooling, the US government operates and facilitates the provision of education in the country. These schools often fall under government property and are thus paid for with government funds through taxes.

Currently, there are around 130,900 public schools in the US, including 6,000+ primary schools and 30,000+ secondary schools. Enrollment has reached 50 million students as of 2022.

Almost every state in the US has some form of the public school system, which aims to provide free education to a child of all ages, races, and household situations. They aren’t as polished as private schools, but they provide basic education and learning opportunities for the less fortunate.

State-run universities and colleges aren’t tuition-free but are much cheaper than private colleges. Private college tuition costs an average of $35,000 a year, whereas public colleges cost $3,000 a year. The reduced tuition costs are greatly advantageous for the working class.

9. Postal Service

Good or Service: Mail Delivery

The US Postal Service, also known as the USPS, the Post Office, US Mail, or simply Postal Service, is a government-run service that’s responsible for accepting and distributing postal services within the country.

The USPS isn’t directly funded by the government; it relies on revenues from stamps, postage, and other service fees to cover operating expenses.

However, the USPS occasionally borrows tax money to offset some of its losses, like when it borrowed $8.64 billion for COVID-19 assistance. Congress also provides the Postal Service $100 million a year to compensate for free mailing privileges of blind and overseas voters.

10. Medicare/Medicaid

Good or Service: Health Insurance

Medicare and Medicaid may be considered government-run socialist healthcare programs. They help cover the medical costs for individuals with limited income.

Individuals with an income of less than $13,000 and families with an income of less than $27,750 can qualify for Medicaid.

Medicare is an insurance program, whereas Medicaid is an assistance program.

People with Medicare pay part of hospital costs through deductibles based on the age of the patient, regardless of their income.

On the other hand, Medicaid provides health coverage for people with low income.

Medicare and Medicaid aren’t mandatory but recommended—especially for those with a low-income household or 65 years or older.

As of 2021, the total enrollment of Medicaid and Medicare is 75 million and 63 million respectively.

Socialized Services

The following two examples I think are dubious, but may reflect elements of socialism

11. Social Security

Good or Service: Health Insurance and Living Stipends

Signed into law by former President Roosevelt in 1935, the Social Security Act replaces a percentage of a worker’s pre-retirement income based on his/her lifetime earnings. It also ensures access to health care for the unemployed, the disabled, the sick, and the retired among others.

Social Security provides for the material needs of individuals and families, giving children the chance to grow up healthy and secure. It also protects disabled and aged individuals against the expenses of illness that can be detrimental to their savings. These principles reflect a socialist political worldview.

Social Security is mandatory in the United States. There’s no legal way to opt out of Social Security taxes unless you’re a member of a group that’s already exempt by the government. This includes non-immigrant and non-resident aliens, self-employed workers who make less than $400 annually, and members of certain religious groups.

12. Military

Good or Service: Defense

The US military is a socialist organization – in fact, it’s one of the biggest government-owned and operated employers in the world.

Like fire departments and public infrastructure, the military is controlled and maintained by the state rather than private or affluent individuals. It’s an organization that provides services for the common good; for the protection of the people and the state.

According to the National Priorities Project, of every dollar taxpayers pay in income taxes, roughly 24¢ goes to the military. This means that around 20% of the federal budget is dedicated to the country’s defense and security.

Speed of Light

 

Altered States of Consciousness

Recent research has uncovered that altered states of consciousness are much more common
among those who practice meditation and mindfulness than previously thought. While many individuals report positive and even transformational outcomes, a significant minority experience negative effects that can range from moderate to severe. The findings have been published in the journal Mindfulness.

The popularity of meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and similar practices has surged due to their potential health benefits. However, the experiences and effects of these practices, particularly the altered states of consciousness they can induce, remain underexplored. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital sought to investigate how common these altered states are and their impact on well-being, given the rising number of people engaging in these practices.

To achieve this, they developed a detailed questionnaire in collaboration with a team of experts in psychiatry, neuroscience, meditation, and survey design. The survey was designed to capture the diverse range of experiences associated with these practices and their impact on well-being.     READ MORE...

About Yesterday

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Richard M. Sherman, two-time Oscar winner and half of Sherman Brothers songwriting duo, dies at 95; his work included original songs for Disney's "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (More) | Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dies by suicide at 30 (More)

> "Anora" wins Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival; see full list of winners (More) | Johnny Wactor, "General Hospital" actor, dies at 37 after being shot during theft attempt (More)

> Josef Newgarden wins 108th Indianapolis 500, becomes first back-to-back winner since 2002 (More) | Boston College wins 2024 women's NCAA lacrosse championships (More) | ... and Notre Dame wins men's title (More) | Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023's NL MVP, out for season with torn ACL (More)


Science & Technology
> Boeing targets Saturday as next date for the first crewed launch of its Starliner spacecraft; company scrubbed a May 6 launch over issues with a pressure valve (More) | New analysis of data taken by NASA's Magellan probe in 1990-92 suggests Venus may currently be volcanically active (More)

> Genetic basis behind certain types of severe immunodeficiency in newborns discovered; findings may lead to new preventive treatments for life-threatening infections right after birth (Mor

> Scientists identify three regions of the brain that combine to form a neural circuit involved in stuttering; primary area is the left putamen, which controls lip and facial movements (More) | Explore a 3D map of the human brain (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow 0.0%, Nasdaq +1.1%); Nasdaq reaches new record high as shares of Nvidia and other tech companies continued to rally (More)

> Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI now valued at $24B after raising $6B in new funding; investors include a16z, Sequoia, and Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and his investment firm Kingdom Holding (More)

> Alibaba's global arm signs advertising deal with David Beckham, marking Chinese e-commerce giant's biggest-ever brand ambassador partnership; move comes as Alibaba's rivals Temu and Shein continue to expand globally (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> At least 45 people killed Sunday in Gaza's southern city of Rafah after Israeli airstrikes and subsequent fires, follows Hamas airstrikes in Tel Aviv for which no casualties were reported; Israel says it hit a Hamas compound and killed two senior militants, will investigate civilian deaths (More) | See war updates (More)

> Cyclone Remal makes landfall in southern Bangladesh and eastern India, flooding coastal villages, killing at least 16 people, and leaving millions without power (More) | At least 21 people killed after tornadoes and storms sweep across Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky over the weekend; storm system to move east (More)

> Bipartisan US congressional delegation meets new Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in Taipei; five-day trip comes three days after China stages military exercises encircling Taiwan (More) | See overview on China-Taiwan relations (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Star Trek's Utopia

 

I am only familiar with the following series:

1. Star Trek Original with James T. Kirk
2. The Next Generation
3. Deep Space Nine
4. Voyager
5. Enterprise
6. Discovery

And while I say I am familiar; it is really only with the top three since I only watched a few shows of the last three.  There are 12 series in the Star Trek Franchise and the last 6 I do not remember watching any at all.

My comments are therefore based upon the top two since those are the ones I saw multiple times.  Basically, a comparison of the leadership of James T. Kirk versus John Luke Picard.

Among other themes (ideas and ideals), the series, in my opinion, described a utopian civilization (the ultimate in Socialism) where ALL NEEDS OF SOCIETY (or at least those most important) were met.

• Free Housing
• Free Food
• Free Education
• Free Transportation
• Free Entertainment

It was assumed, as I recall, that robots performed all the work, so that earth's inhabitants were free to pursue whatever interested them.  Some, like the crew of the Enterprise, joined the Federation to protect earth from potential invaders while exploring space.

Even though people lived inside a UTOPIA, there were still criminals and crimes were committed so society was not that perfect.  One would have thought if life was that perfect why would anyone want to commit a crime...  

So, UTOPIA had not eliminated GREED. POWER, and CONTROL.

Both Kirk and Picard, were captains in the Federation, a military organization that followed the CHAIN OF COMMAND, but these captains oftentimes violated that Chain of Command, if it did not agree with their beliefs.

Neither captain was punished for their illegal activities because the outcomes of their actions were always positive.

Statistically speaking that is simply not possible...

What was even more surprising was that there was:

• No hunger
• No shortage of energy
• No illness that could not be cured
• No need for commerce except between planets

One wonders, like me, why there was not complacency or apathy since nothing really needed to be accomplished unless you were in the military or government.  It appeared that they were the only ones that needed to work.

Could a society like the one perpetuated on Star Trek actually exist?

If society was that advanced, why didn't robots do ALL THE WORK, including the work of the Federation?

Parrot

 

Water Battery for the Car

Electric mobility has just been put on the back burner, even though brands such as Tesla and Volkswagen are still 100% committed to it. However, everything could change now with the first water battery in history that you can carry in your current car. The best part? It will give you infinite autonomy without the need to recharge, something that was thought to be impossible until now.

Could a water battery be real? Scientists think so, and have created this

In the latest scientific news from China, a group of brilliant minds in the field has successfully invented the water battery. This breakthrough technology could overthrow existing energy solutions worldwide. It is the possibility of a breakthrough in energy storage performance.

The water battery has water as its electrolyte and aluminum as the anode material. This enables the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to store more energy in a smaller unit of volume than the unit weight. Surprisingly, they noticed that a single gram of anode could hold more than 10 times more energy than a lithium battery.

In addition to enhancing driving range to endless distance thus substitute the use of petrol, the technology will offer extended battery life in consumer products and the improved storage facility of power sources from renewable energy.     READ MORE...

Canned Heat

 

Making Oatmeal Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are truly the best! From Sarah Copeland’s cookbook Every Day Is Saturday, they’re soft and chewy, warmly spiced, and flecked with raisins and nuts. Perfect, if you ask me.

A few weeks ago, I got an intense craving for good oatmeal raisin cookies and hastily threw together ingredients that I had on hand. I ended up with oat-ball-type cookies that were…just ok, and my craving continued. So when I flipped through Every Day Is Saturday this week, Sarah’s oatmeal cookie recipe grabbed my attention.

She writes, “these [oatmeal cookies are] little nuggets of joy you can’t stop eating—that just-right kind of cookie.” I completely agree. These oatmeal cookies were exactly what I was craving. The only problem was that they disappeared too quickly!

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Ingredients

This recipe has simple ingredients. You likely have them in your pantry already! Here’s what you’ll need:

1. All-purpose flour and whole rolled oats form the base of the dough. Old fashioned oats give these cookies the best chewy texture. I don’t recommend using quick oats instead!
2. Baking powder and baking soda make them nice and puffy.
3. Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness.
4. Sea salt offsets the sweet sugar and raisins.
5. Cinnamon and vanilla extract give them that delicious warm, spiced oatmeal cookie flavor.
6. Coconut oil or melted butter adds moisture and richness. I used coconut oil, and these tasted wonderfully buttery just the same!
7. 1 large egg + an extra egg yolk give them a rich, thick dough and a moist, light final texture.
8. Raisins dot them with chewy pops of sweetness.
9. And walnuts add nuttiness and crunch.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.



How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Making this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe couldn’t be easier. No stand mixer (or even hand mixer) required! Here’s what you need to do:

First, make the dough. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in another.




Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the walnuts, oats, and raisins. The mixture will be thick!



Next, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This time gives the wet ingredients a chance to hydrate the flour and oats, making it easier to work with the dough. The cookies come out chewier, too!





Then, shape and bake the cookies. Roll the dough into balls and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown.




Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!



Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Tips
Sarah has a few excellent pointers in her book. These are her tips for making the best oatmeal raisin cookies:Use brown sugar. Instead of using a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar, Sarah opts for all brown sugar. It gives these oatmeal raisin cookies a delicious caramelized sweetness.

Go for melted, not creamed, butter. According to Sarah, creamed butter cookies are unpredictable: they can easily spread too much or be too firm. With melted butter, though, you’ll get moist, chewy cookies every time.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before baking. Those 20 minutes will make your dough easier to roll into balls, so the cookies will keep their shape and develop a yummy chewy texture in the oven.
Allow the cookies to cool completely for the best texture and flavor. It may be agony, but letting these oatmeal raisin cookies cool completely only makes them better. They’ll be chewier and fully infused with brown sugar flavor. Sarah likes these best a few hours to 1 day after baking. (Though I can attest that they’re still good if you can’t wait that long.)