Engines of Our Ingenuity
No. 1161:
by John H. Lienhard
Click here for audio of Episode 1161.
Today, we try to make sense of an old Roman power plant. The University of Houston's College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them.
Anyone who's ever studied the history of technology has seen a drawing of 16 Roman water wheels, two abreast, arranged in stair-steps down a hillside. Historians have isolated that one mill like a sore. The common wisdom says that the Romans, who kept slaves, had no need of water power. This must be a lone oddity.
But the Romans were different people over many centuries and many lands they occupied. This mill was built just after 300 AD in a place called Barbegal near Arles in Southern France. In those days the emperor Constantine was in residence at Arles. Arles was far from Rome and it was also far from any reliable supply of barbarian tribes -- whom the Romans liked to enslave.
Power-generating water wheels had been around for about 600 years by then and they occasionally turn up in old writings and old ruins. But this Barbegal mill was a colossus among water mills.
An aqueduct brought water into a catch basin at the top of a small hill. From there it flowed through one pair of water wheels after another. The 16 mills ground enough grain to feed over 12,000 people -- roughly the entire population of 4th-century Arles.
The great stone foundations of the Barbegal mill still march down that hill. But they were covered by dirt, and not discovered until 1940. If Barbegal could stay hidden from history, what about smaller mills? So many mills, especially smaller ones, easily could've passed into dust.
We know water wheels were all over medieval Europe later on, when slaves weren't used at all. After 1066, William the Conqueror's Doomsday book listed nearly 6000 mills in England alone.
Trevor Hodge looks at that record and asks, "Where are all those English mills today?" Almost none of those 900-year-old mills have stood up. That means there had to be more of the really old Roman mills than we know about. And Barbegal was clearly a well-developed, well-understood technology.
Still, far fewer mills turn up in the Roman literature than in medieval documents. The Romans clearly didn't exploit mills fully and we wonder why. Hodge points to a matter beyond slavery. Horses hadn't yet been harnessed for hauling goods. It was still hard to move grain to and from central mills. A few big cities like Arles might've had mills. But it didn't yet pay to build grain mills where the population was sparse.
So the Barbegal mill is an important reminder that the offer of an effective new technology is not always easy to accept. The true usefulness of new technology depends on more factors than are ever obvious. By 1000 AD horses, stronger and faster than oxen, were now hauling goods. It was only then that the water wheel could complete its transformation of the human condition.
(Theme music)
Hodge, T., A Roman Factory. Scientific American, November 1990, pp. 106-111.
Singer, C., Holmyard, E.J., Hall, A.R., Williams, T.I., A History of Technology, Vol. II. New York: Oxford University Press, 1956, Chapter 17, Power.
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Benefits of Aluminium Sliding Doors for Your Home
Sliding door refers to a door that is fitted to runners and it moves on a fixed track to ensure smooth operation. Sliding door usually consists of two door leaves and it can be opened by sliding the door leaf back and forth. Unlike traditional swing doors, sliding doors don't take up much space for the door to swing open but compared to folding doors, sliding doors have limitation in providing a smaller entrance way as only one of the door leaves can be moved at a time. When opened, the moving door leaf will slide in front of the stationary door leaf, resulting in half the entrance way being blocked. However, sliding doors still gain popularity these days due to their amazing characteristics. So what are the benefits of aluminium sliding doors for your home? Let's find out
1. Maximise space
Due to the limitation of home space, we will try to adopt a space-saving design when decorating our house. Aluminium sliding door, a simple and fashionable furniture, is often sought after by people for space maximization. The installation of the aluminium sliding door is relatively flexible as it does not take up much space. With a simple push-pull action, two spaces can be separated or joined at any time according to the usage to maximize your space effortlessly. Hence, in architectural design, aluminium sliding doors are commonly being used as bathroom door or kitchen door. Besides, sliding doors are also frequently used as exterior doors such as villa doors, patio doors, living room doors, balcony doors, store doors, studio doors, garage doors and so on.
2. Durability and low maintenance
The materials of sliding doors range from traditional wooden materials to glass and aluminium materials. A bad selection of sliding doors will lead to certain problems such as broken rollers, worn track with screeching sound, difficulty to slide, faulty locking mechanism and so on. So, it is wise to invest on a high quality sliding door. Wooden sliding doors that are too thin will appear to be frivolous and unstable when pushed and pulled. After a period of usage, they are easily warped and deformed which affects the operation of the doors. On the other hand, aluminium is the material to look for when choosing a sliding door as it is more durable and it requires minimal maintenance. Aluminium sliding doors are not affected by the factors such as rusting, fading and rotting. With these features, aluminium sliding doors are effective to withstand various natural environments while still deliver an astonishing performance for a long period of time.
3. Heat insulation and noise reduction
Window Elements Optima 68 Aluminium Sliding Door can be tightly sealed and there are no gaps between the door panels. Our aluminium doors also use high quality glass which provide good heat insulation and excellent sound proof effect. When the weather is relatively hot, a door can play a certain role in heat insulation. Instead of switching on the air conditioner, aluminium sliding door can better ensure the indoor cooling effect while not consuming much energy. Conversely, when the weather is colder, the sliding door can act as a partition to keep the interior warm. In short, aluminium sliding doors can keep your property warm in cold weather and cool in the summer, which ultimately reduce your energy bills.
4. Natural light and smooth operation
Aluminium sliding doors also have advantages in allowing natural light and providing smooth operation. Aluminium sliding doors operate quickly and take up no space as you only need to push a door leaf to one side. This design ensures that two spaces can be connected seamlessly to create a spacious area. In term of outlook, aluminium sliding door with glass can be installed at the balcony to enjoy the sun and the scenery. The large glass door also maximises permeability of sunlight. In today's advocacy of nature, aluminium sliding doors create a transparent, bright interior that is perfectly connected to the nature and can definitely enlighten your living area with soothing natural light. In general, installing aluminium sliding doors can certainly upgrade your living space. So, why not consider one in your home?

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


listening dinnerAdriana Lukas on flickr
It's well-documented that men have a few inherent qualities that give them a leg up in the business world. But their body language and expression of emotion (or lack thereof) could be unintentionally hurting their performance at work.
In a recent article, Carol Kinsey Goman at Forbes highlights a number of the biggest body language blunders that men are guilty of committing in the workplace. Here are the two mistakes she mentioned we thought were most interesting:
1. Not exhibiting empathy
Oftentimes, when a man is approached with a problem, he immediately dives into executive problem-solving mode. This can be blamed on the male brain's temporal-parietal junction, which activates what Goman calls men's "analyze-and-fix-it circuits." This set of wiring can hurt men when a friend or colleague is looking for an empathetic ear. "The next time someone comes to you with an emotional problem," writes Goman, "try being an empathetic sounding board rather than an executive problem solver."
2. Invading personal space
Because successful and confident men typically occupy greater amounts of personal space, they often wind up invading others' spheres. These infringements don't go over well, as humans are biologically programmed to feel threatened when approached too closely. Goman says that "you can tell if you have infringed on people's space by the way they react-stepping away, withdrawing their head or neck, angling their shoulders away, or placing an object (laptop purse, coffee cup) between the two of you. And when you notice any of these signs, back off!"
Goman also writes that three other mistakes men make are appearing intimidating, not displaying emotion, and acting as though they're not listening.
NOW READ: How Much Women Actually Earn Compared To Men


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Definition of haute bourgeoisie in English:
noun(the haute bourgeoisie) [treated as singular or plural]
The upper middle class.
- Today, Occultists are routinely disparaged by the superior classes, the haute bourgeoisie, to which I belong, and which also includes most of the widely read art critics and influential art historians.
- These forms of unearned income linked to exploitation led to the emergence of the haute bourgeoisie as a new ruling class, which molded the state and church into instruments of domination over the petit bourgeoisie and the working class.
- Not all Dresden was bombed, of course; on the banks of the Elbe there are still the magnificent villas of the haute bourgeoisie.
French, literally 'high bourgeoisie'.
Definition of haute bourgeoisie in:
- US English dictionary
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
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Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 28, Issue 5, 1 May 2013, Pages 297-306
Jussi Lehtonen, Daniel J. Schmidt, Katja Heubel and Hanna Kokko
Sexual parasites offer unique insights into asexual and sexual reproduction. They mate with a 'host' whose genetic contribution is discarded either immediately (in androgenesis or gynogenesis) or after a delay of one generation (in hybridogenesis). The discarded genome can be maternal or paternal, implying that not only females but also males can reproduce asexually. The resulting lineages are often older than ecological or evolutionary theory predicts. Sexual parasites have links to a diverse set of concepts: selfish genetic elements, degradation of clonal genomes, evolution of sex, mate-choice theory, and host–parasite dynamics. We discuss the different sexually parasitic systems in both hermaphrodites and gonochoristic organisms, emphasizing their similarities and differences in ecological and evolutionary settings.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (2628 kb)
Current Biology, Volume 19, Issue 21, 17 November 2009, Pages R983-R985
John R. Pannell
Orchids are celebrated for their extraordinary diversity of floral strategies, but species with separate sexes are exceedingly rare. A new study shows that females are maintained with hermaphrodites in one such species through an unusual mix of sexual and asexual reproduction.
Summary | Full Text | PDF (460 kb)
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 27, Issue 3, 1 March 2012, Pages 172-178
Jussi Lehtonen, Michael D. Jennions and Hanna Kokko
Explaining the evolution of sex is challenging for biologists. A 'twofold cost' compared with asexual reproduction is often quoted. If a cost of this magnitude exists, the benefits of sex must be large for it to have evolved and be maintained. Focusing on benefits can be misleading, as this sidelines important questions about the cost of sex: what is the source of the twofold cost: males, genome dilution or both? Does the cost deviate from twofold? What other factors make sex costly? How should the costs of sex be empirically measured? The total cost of sex and how it varies in different contexts must be known to determine the benefits needed to account for the origin and maintenance of sex.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (299 kb)
Copyright © 1998 The American Society of Human Genetics All rights reserved.
The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 62, Issue 4, 937-940, 1 April 1998
True hermaphroditism in humans usually is associated with a 46,XX karyotype or with mosaicism in which admixtures of cells with an XX and an XY karyotype are seen. However, the mechanisms that cause such mosaicisms are poorly understood. To date, with rare exceptions, analyses of hermaphrodites have been limited mostly to cytogenetic investigations. In this report, we describe a 5-year-old patient with true hermaphroditism and a 46,XX/46,XY karyotype (ratio 38:12) in lymphocytes, suggesting involvement of two fertilization events. Microsatellite DNA polymorphisms distributed throughout the genome were analyzed, to investigate the origin of the cell lines concerned. The results are consistent with double paternal and single maternal genetic contributions. Possible mechanisms that would explain these findings are discussed. The most likely mechanism involves a single haploid ovum dividing parthenogenetically into two haploid ova, followed by double fertilization and fusion of the two zygotes into a single individual, at the early embryonic stage.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
First we send this note home:
As part of a class project for
tomorrow, we need you to trace and
cut out the outline of your hand.
Please send in your hand cut-out
Thanks for your participation,
The next day we read and discuss The Kissing Hand. We do a "book talk," listing our likes
and dislikes. Then the students get out the cut-out of their parent's hand. We talk about
making a "kissing hand" for our parents to hold when they are missing us. We add a big red
heart sticker in the center and brainstorm ways to make each "kissing hand" special.....
color it the parent's favorite color, draw parent's favorite thing to do on it, draw lots of hearts
on it, etc.
Then we attach the decorated hand to the following note and send it home:
We read the book The Kissing Hand by
Audrey Penn. It is a story about a little
raccoon named Chester who was anxious
about leaving home and going to school.
So his mother decided to share a "family
secret" with himthe "kissing hand". She
gave him a kiss on his paw and told him to
press the kiss to his cheek whenever he
We know that you, too, may be anxious
about your new Kindergartener going to
school for the first time. So your child has
made a "kissing hand" for YOU. (Feel free
to use as needed.)


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Contract farming as part of a multi-instrument inclusive business structure
This article in the journal Agrekon discusses contract farming agreements, which are presently being restructured to form part of more complex inclusive business set-ups. Additional instruments, alongside contract farming, are implemented to overcome the challenges of contract farming and to adapt to the policy environment in which the different stakeholders operate. This paper develops a theoretical framework that gives insight into how these complex entities are structured and operate in a developing country context. This theoretical analysis takes a holistic approach by adopting elements of existing theories to form a new critical research paradigm. This new framework is then tested on two complex inclusive businesses that aim to integrate smallholder farmers into the commercial value chain, but which have each implemented a different institutional set-up developed around contract farming arrangements. It finds that a high dependence by the offtaker in the first case study stimulates a higher level of commitment and investment by this stakeholder in the contract arrangement. In turn, this increases the asset specificity aspect, which then requires safeguards to ensure the smallholders adhere to the contractual agreement. A higher dependency in this particular study also resulted in a higher number of smallholders being engaged in the contract, requiring mechanisms to efficiently monitor and coordinate them.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'm really noob in maths topics so I hope you will excuse me if I use terms which aren't correct.
I would like to simulate $n$ dimensional diffusion processes with $n$ noises.
Each process has its variance and is correlated to others by correlation / covariance matrix.
My question is about the diffusion matrix: how is it linked to the correlation / covariance matrix?
Let I have martingales
$\begin{pmatrix} dX_{t}^{1}\\ dX_{t}^{2} \end{pmatrix} = 0+\begin{pmatrix} \cdots & \cdots \\ \cdots & \cdots \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix} dW_{t}^{1}\\ dW_{t}^{2} \end{pmatrix}$.
What should I use instead of the empty diffusion matrix if my correlation / covariance matrix is like
$V=\begin{pmatrix} 1 & -.1\\ -.1 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$?
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Improving Efficiency and Safety in Product Shipping through Automated Palletizing
Fast and efficient product shipping is essential for any business. However, manual palletizing can often present unexpected challenges, such as difficulty maximizing load amounts while ensuring stability and preventing product damage. These issues can be effectively resolved through the implementation of automated palletizing.
Manual palletizing poses a significant risk of injury for workers who are required to engage in repetitive and strenuous tasks for extended periods of time. Automating these tasks relieves workers of the heavy lifting and reduces the risk of strain injuries, ultimately improving their overall well-being.
In addition to improving safety, automated palletizing also increases productivity by enabling the cobots to work for longer periods of time while maintaining the same speed. This minimizes downtime and boosts productivity, allowing businesses to effectively balance taking advantage of opportunities, satisfying customers, and maintaining a happy workforce.
Palletizing cobots are intuitive to use and can transform palletizing from a bottleneck into an efficient and streamlined process. By automating palletizing tasks, businesses can ensure faster and safer product shipping, ultimately benefiting their bottom line.


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Sturgeon and Paddlefish – US & Canada
The wild Sturgeon populations of the U.S. and Canada are suffering from overfishing and habitat degradation. Because these species are long-lived, and little is known about habitat requirements, recovery will be slow. Management is weak because coordination of management agencies is poor, and there is insufficient data on populations to determine sustainable catch levels.
This fish may have high levels of mercury and PCBs that could pose a health risk to adults and children. More mercury and contaminant info here.


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History and Development of Renton
Just over 100 years ago, Renton was just an open space along the trail from Seattle. Framed by densely wooded hills, and the Black and Cedar Rivers running through it, the land had long been home to the Duwamish people. The Duwamish built permanent villages and fishing weirs along the rivers.
Henry Tobin and his wife Diana were among the first settlers of European descent. In 1853 they built their first home on a donation claim on the banks of the Cedar and Black Rivers. After Tobin's death in 1857, Diana married Erasmus Smithers. Smithers platted the town of Renton on part of the land that he and his wife owned.
In 1873, Smithers organized the Renton Coal Company, with the financial backing of Captain William Renton. Capt. Renton, a wealthy businessman, was also one of the founders of the first sawmill. Along with his partner William Talbot, Renton was responsible for the construction of the first railroad used in the territory.
On September 6, 1901, the town of Renton was incorporated. Renton's first mayor was Dr. Abijah Ives Beach, a physician who provided care for the miners of Renton's coal mines. The first town offices were situated in Tonkin's General Store, located where Tonkin's Park is today.
Between 1920 and 1930 Renton slowly evolved from a fledgling town to an urban center. Coal mining and other early industries, like Pacific Car and Foundry (PACCAR), remained an important part of the City's economy through the 1930s. Other small businesses formed to serve the needs of coal miners and their families. In 1927 the U.S. Junk Company opened, and several moves and name changes later, continues to do business as McLendon Hardware today.
During World War II the Boeing Airplane Company stepped up its aircraft production, a turning point for the city. In 1941 Renton's population was 4,488, but the building of the Renton Boeing plant for the production of the famous B-29s brought thousands seeking employment.
After the war, the majority of these people continued to make their homes in Renton, and have since been absorbed into other industries in Renton and nearby Seattle. Unlike other war industrial areas that declined after the end of the war, Renton's population remained constant.
Currently a community of over 80,000 residents and growing, Renton is still home to the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, PACCAR, The Landing, and home of the Seattle Seahawks training camp, in addition to numerous small businesses and service industries.
For additional information, please visit the Renton History Museum.


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In order to calculate the distance from two points in polar coordinates, we use the polar coordinates distance formula. In order to derive the polar coordinates distance formula, we use the law of cosines. We can also use the polar coordinates distance formula to help us come up with the polar equation for a circle centered at the origin.
I want to derive the distance formula in polar coordinates and to do this I'm going to need to recall the law of cosines. If you have a triangle, it's not necessarily a right triangle and you know three, two sides and the angle between them, you can find the third side using this formula, c squared equals a squared plus b squared minus 2ab cosine theta. And again a and b are the 2 known sides, theta's the angle between them.
Alright. Let's look at our picture here. I've graphed 2 points in polar coordinates. One is r1 theta 1, the other's r2 theta 2. I want to fi nd the distance between these points. Now in order to do this I need the length of these 2 sides and I need this angle. Now r2 theta 2 is r2 away from the origin, so that gives me this length as r2. And r1 theta 1 is r1 away from the origin. Theta 2 represents the angle that this point makes with the positive x axis and theta 1 is the angle this would make with the positive x axis. So this angle between them is going to be theta 2 minus theta 1.
So I have 2 sides and the angle between them and I'm ready to use the law of cosines to derive the distance formula. So the distance formula looks like this. d squared equals r1 squared plus r2 squared minus twice the product r1 and r2. 2 r1 r2 times the cosine of the angle between them which is theta 2 minus theta 1. That's it, that's the distance formula. Now obviously you'll take the square root over the result but it's basically in the form of the law of cosines and we'll use this to find the distance between 2 points in polar coordinates.


Motion of no confidence
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A motion of no confidence (alternatively vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or (unsuccessful) confidence motion) is a statement or vote that a person or persons in a position of responsibility (government, managerial, etc.) is no longer deemed fit to hold that position: perhaps because they are inadequate in some respect, are failing to carry out obligations, or are making decisions that other members feel are detrimental. As a parliamentary motion, it demonstrates to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in (one or more members of) the appointed government.
A censure motion is different from a no-confidence motion. Depending on the constitution of the body concerned, "No Confidence" may lead to compulsory resignation of the council of ministers or other position-holder(s), whereas "Censure" is meant to show disapproval and does not result in the resignation of ministers. The censure motion can be against an individual minister or a group of ministers, but the no-confidence motion is directed against the entire cabinet. Again, depending on the applicable rules, censure motions may need to state the reasons for the motion while no-confidence motions may not require reasons to be specified.
Parliamentary systems[edit]
In many parliamentary democracies, strict time limits exist as to the proposal of a no confidence motion, with a vote only allowed once every three, four or six months. Thus the timing of a motion of no confidence is a matter of political judgement; using a motion of no confidence on a relatively trivial matter may prove counterproductive if a more important issue suddenly arises which warrants a motion of no confidence, because a motion cannot be proposed if one had been voted on recently. Sometimes, the government will choose to declare that one of its bills is a "motion of confidence" in order to prevent dissident members of parliament from voting against it.
United Kingdom[edit]
Traditionally, in the Westminster system, the defeat of a supply bill (one that concerns the spending of money) is seen to require the resignation of the government or dissolution of Parliament, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, also called loss of supply. When the upper house of a Westminster system country has the right to refuse supply, such as in Australia during the events of 1975, the convention is in a grey area, as Westminster governments are not normally expected to maintain the confidence of the upper house.
Prior to 2011, in the British Parliament, a no-confidence motion generally first appeared as an early day motion, although the vote on the Queen's Speech also constituted a confidence motion.[1] However, under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, only a motion explicitly resolving "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government" is treated as a motion of no confidence.
In India, a Motion of No Confidence can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Parliament of India). The motion is admitted for discussion when a minimum of fifty members of the house support the motion.[2] If the motion carries, the house debates and votes on the motion. If a majority of the members of the house vote in favour of the motion, the motion is passed and the Government is bound to vacate the office. Acharya Kripalani moved the first-ever No confidence motion on the floor of the Lok Sabha in August 1963, immediately after the disastrous India-China War.[3][4]
In Italy,[5] the government requires the support of both houses of the Parliament. A vote of no confidence may be proposed if one tenth of the members of a single house sign the proposition and starting from three days before the appointed date, said vote can be brought into discussion. Following the case of Filippo Mancuso in 1995 and the subsequent Constitutional Court sentence in 1996,[6] it is possible to propose an individual vote of no confidence against a single minister instead of the whole government.
In the Australian Parliament, a motion of no-confidence requires a majority of the members present in the House of Representatives to agree to it. The House of Representatives currently consists of 150 members; requiring 76 votes in favour of the motion when all members of the House are present. A vote of no confidence in a Government, or a motion or amendment censuring a Government, has never been successful in the House of Representatives.[10] Despite this, on eight occasions Governments have either resigned or advised a dissolution following their defeat on other questions before the House. Specific motions of no confidence or censure motions against the Prime Minister, ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, Senators and leaders of political parties have been moved and have been successful on some occasions. Motions of no confidence against the Government may be passed in the Senate, yet may have little or no impact in the House.[10]
Presidential systems[edit]
United States[edit]
In the United States, motions styled as "no confidence" are only symbolic and are rare. Party leadership turnover generally occurs as a result of internal discussion and vote among the elected members of the party, followed by the response of the public in a primary election and general election.
In organizations that use Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), there is no motion of no confidence, although the assembly could adopt a motion expressing a lack of confidence in its leaders (i.e. a motion to censure).[11]
The United States Congress passed a no confidence motion against Secretary of State Dean Acheson in the 1950s[12] and considered one against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,[13] but these motions are of symbolic effect only.
Removal from office[edit]
As U.S. political tradition does not include motions of no confidence, laws provide for the removal of specific people. All of these processes are designed to be rare.
In some U.S. states, a recall election fills a similar role of removing an unpopular executive officer, but in contrast to a motion of no confidence, a recall vote is a no-confidence election by the public and is normally only allowed against elected executive offices, rather than legislative seats. In states that have recall elections, the law usually restricts how often they are held, so that recall attempts do not follow each highly contested election.
Each house of Congress may, by a two-thirds majority, vote to expel any of its own members, and similar processes exist in U.S. state legislatures. These removals are very rare, and the motivations are typically criminal misdeeds or ethics violations, not mere loss of confidence.
Impeachment in the United States can remove a government officer through a two-part process in the legislature. Congress can remove a federal officer, including the President and any federal judge. State legislatures have similar powers over the state offices. Impeachment is reserved for criminal conduct or major ethical violations and is not directly a vote of no confidence in the party, since removal of the head of government usually results in succession by an officer of the same party.
To deal with this situation, the French placed a great degree of executive power in the office of its President, who is immune from Motions of No Confidence.
See also[edit]
 5. ^ Constitution of Italy. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
 6. ^ "Sentenza n. 7 del 1996". Retrieved January 3, 2015.
 7. ^ German Constitution Official English Translation Article 67 - Vote of No Confidence
 8. ^ Wikisource:Constitution of Japan
 9. ^ (CBC)
 10. ^ a b Motions of no confidence and censure (HTML version). House of Representatives Practice (6th ed.). Canberra: Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
 11. ^ Robert III, Henry M. (2011). "Frequently Asked Questions about RONR (Question 7)". The Official Robert's Rules of Order Web Site. The Robert's Rules Association. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
 14. ^ Marson, James; Bendavid, Naftali (December 3, 2013). "Ukraine Government Survives No-Confidence Vote". The Wall Street Journal.


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It's not hard to construct narratives of decline for the paved trans-Isthmus diolkos road. One only has to compare the monument unearthed by N. Verdelis 50 years ago with modern photos of a road sliding into the canal. Indeed, Sophia Loverdou has used the tools of social media to launch a "Save the Diolkos" campaign. She has documented the deterioration of the road by posting dozens of "before" and "after" images of the road since its excavation (see this Facebook page), and marked the ongoing consequences of continuous canal traffic through this Youtube channel.
The differences in the before and after photos really are impressive. The following images come from the Facebook page. The platform at Sector A, for example, has deteriorated significantly even in the last twenty years.
About a third of the road excavated (Sectors B-E) on the Peloponnesian side of the canal has slipped into the canal. I imagine, however, that Sector B is preserved under the sand in the image on the right.
Another glimpse of the part of the road (Sectors C-D) that has fared the worst:
And even the part of the road frequently visited by tourists (Sector G) has largely slipped into the canal.
As a scholar of Late Antiquity, I'm naturally wary of straightforward narratives of decline. Indeed, I was struck by Ferrell Jenkins' post on the diolkos in early July, which includes his scanned slides from the early 1970s that show the upkeep of the road then was actually a bit worse than it is today (even if its overall preservation was better). The road is covered not only in vegetation (fairly normal of most Greek sites in late spring / early summer) but also in earth. There has also been some effort in recent years to keep things from getting worse. The following images capture some basic techniques (mortar and cement) to prevent the soil under Sector G from eroding further into the canal.
These efforts have been partial, however, and are not likely to match the rate of deterioration. Indeed, it's the deterioration of the road, caused by episodes of dredging and constant ship traffic, that is the striking and dramatic story here. While Greece's crisis of economy may make a fix unlikely anytime soon there's still good reason to join the campaign to save the road. This petition letter, which is addressed to the prime minister of Greece, simply runs:
"We declare ourselves against the mentalities and practices that lead to the destruction of the world's heritage and we ask the Greek Prime Minister to exercise his authority so that, without any further delays and hypocrisy, the Diolkos is finally saved and restored."


Summary of Stumbling on Happiness
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Buy the book
Stumbling on Happiness book summary
So often you are your own worst enemy when you plan for the future. You're not alone; it's the human condition.
9 Overall
7 Applicability
9 Innovation
9 Style
You, like most people, have probably made poor decisions regarding the future. For proof of human folly, you have only to look at the large number of divorces, jobs walked away from, failed start-up businesses and attics filled with junk someone "had to buy." Families regret their goofy vacations – then take the same awful trips the following year. And the observers who ask, "What could they possibly have been thinking?" make the same sorts of mistakes in their own lives. As a Yiddish proverb says, "Mann tracht und Gott lacht" – "Man plans and God laughs." So what's going on? Why are people such poor prognosticators? Psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, with great wit, that the human imagination, along with the other cognitive abilities people use to forecast happiness, are fatally flawed. Based on extensive psychological research, his book posits that, regarding life's future milestones, most people would do better asking someone else what to do rather than making their own decisions. getAbstract recommends this book to managers responsible for planning strategy and tactics, and to anyone else who wonders why he or she so often gets it totally wrong.
In this summary, you will learn
 - Why people have such a difficult time planning for their future happiness
 - How perception, imagination, memory and the brain's cognitive faculties often play tricks on you as you try to decide what will make you happy
 - Why asking the advice of someone with experience may be the best way to make a choice
 - Why most people don't do this
"Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow"
Human beings are the only creatures that truly plan for the future. The squirrel burying nuts in anticipation of winter is mindlessly following a survival script that is hard-wired into its brain. This is also the case for other animals whose actions...
About the Author
Daniel Gilbert teaches psychology at Harvard. He is a pioneer in the research of "affective forecasting" – the forecasting of one's emotional state in the future.
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Sendes vanligvis innen 7-15 dager
Read With Biff, Chip and Kipper is the UK's best-selling home reading series, it is based on Oxford Reading Tree which is used in 80% of primary schools. This Read With Biff, Chip & Kipper Phonics Activity Book contains lots of colourful activities and stickers to help your child practise their letters and sounds just as they do at school. At Level 3-4 this book practises key phonics skills such as letter groups for long vowel sounds such as 'ee' and 'igh'. It also includes tips for parents and support on the page for every activity. This series of activity books has been carefully levelled to support your child step-by-step as he/she progresses with their phonic knowledge and as they build their confidence as a reader. Reading Skills Activity Books are also available at the same level to practise common words and early reading and writing skills. Essential support for parents is available through _URL_. Visit the Oxford Owl for practical advice for helping children learn to read, all you need to know about phonics and lots of fun activities and free eBooks.
Andre produkter med samme artist(er)/medvirkende


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The idea of contaminated food brings up images of court jesters doing taste tests to make sure that kings and queens aren't poisoned. Stories of intentional adulteration go back hundreds of years. People have to eat, and some people have hateful intentions. So, what can we do to keep these people from succeeding? It's no longer just people in positions of power who need to be concerned with food fraud. Using strong food defense methods helps you back your brand and comply with FSMA's Intentional Adulteration (IA) Rule. Some IA deadlines have already passed, and enforcement inspections start as soon as March 2020.
What is the Intentional Adulteration (IA) Rule?
Intentional Adulteration was the last of the seven foundational rules that came from the Food Safety Modernization Act. The IA Rule was proposed in late December of 2013 but was finalized on May 27, 2016. This rule created requirements to prevent (or at least minimize) acts meant to cause broad public health harm. Congress and the FDA scoped the rule so that it affects the weakest points of the food supply chain.
Who does it cover?
Facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold human food are covered by the IA rule—so if you have to register with the FDA under section 415 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the IA Rule applies to you. Intentional Adulteration applies to both domestic and imported food. Retail food and farms aren't covered, and there are exemptions for very small businesses and some others as well.
What does it mean to me?
Food defense plans and training are both required for the Intentional Adulteration. Food defense plans are made up of six parts:
- Vulnerability assessment—used to find the points with the highest risk for intentional adulteration
- Mitigation strategies—measures to minimize or prevent vulnerabilities at each actionable process step
- Procedures for food defense monitoring—documented steps and frequency to monitor mitigation strategies
- Food defense corrective action procedures—written outline for steps to take when mitigation strategies aren't put in place properly
- Food defense verification procedures—what is done to make sure that monitoring, corrective actions, and mitigation strategies are done properly
- Records—documentation to show that all of the procedures from the other parts of the food defense plan were fully and accurately completed
Food Defense Dynamics
Food defense threats have three different factors: motivation, capability, and vulnerability. Motivation accounts for the reason someone would purposely tamper with food. Capability is someone's power to commit the crime. That includes what was used and how they did it. Vulnerability is how likely is someone to be successful at corrupting the food. What all has been put in place to prevent outside influence? Successful food defense plans consider in what areas are vulnerabilities likely to exist and how can people take advantage of these.
The three most common motivators are economically motivated adulteration, also known as "EMA", terrorism, and sabotage. Economically Motivated Adulteration is sometimes called food fraud. EMA is something done to have a monetary gain or economic upper hand or get around trade policies. Terrorism involves people who target the food system to either cause fear, public health harm or social and economic disruption. The target of sabotage is the company more than the public. Sabotage would be when a disgruntled employee, consumer, or competitor wants to damage the brand. This can be a bit more difficult to pinpoint since a lot of times it's done by someone who knows the business well.
Protecting your food from intentional adulteration is important to your business's success, even if you don't produce high-risk foods. Whether or not you fall into the IA Rule category, keep in mind how you can avoid incidents and save yourself money and hassle, plus protect your most valuable asset—your customers. Learn how you can protect your facility with Alchemy Academy. Our Food Defense Supervisor Awareness course is fully online and helps you get a better understanding of what to think about when securing your products.


How do I pay for a PayPal payment request or invoice?
You can pay a payment request or invoice by clicking payment button in the email we sent you, or follow the steps below:
 1. Go to Activity.
 2. Locate the invoice or payment request, and click Send Payment.
 3. Review the information and click Send Payments Now.
If you don't have a PayPal account, you can click the payment button in the money request or invoice email, and follow the instructions to sign up for an account to complete the payment.
Want to know more about PayPal invoices? Here's a video that'll help.


The ACT Science Test: Biology Basics
The ACT Science Test: Biology Basics
The ACT Science test contains passages on a variety of scientific subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, etc. According to the Official ACT website: "Advanced knowledge in these subjects is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses is needed to answer some of the questions. The test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content, skill in mathematics, or reading ability."
While this means that you do NOT have to be an excellent Science student to score highly on the ACT Science test, some knowledge of the concepts tested and a familiarity with the presentation of certain concepts will almost certainly lead to better scores.
Passages dealing with Biology may feature some of these concepts: body systems, cellular biology, photosynthesis, ecosystems, evolution, and genetics. If you are currently in Biology, or have an old Biology book, you may want to review these fundamentals so that you are comfortable with the terminology in the passages. Again, however, all the information you need to answer the questions will be presented in the passages. So there will be no questions such as, "what is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?", unless that answer is to be found explicitly in the given text.
This example of a Biology passage is from Look how we can approach it without any outside knowledge!
Structure of the Passage
Introduction of topic
Definition of terms
Viewpoint #1
Viewpoint #2
Our understanding of the viewpoints makes this more like a Biology-themed Reading Test passage than anything you would see on a Biology quiz.
To practice your approach on this Conflicting Viewpoints passage, first refresh your strategy here.


U.S. leading race in artificial intelligence, with China rising on. A study by Information Technology and Innovation Foundation assesses Artificial Intelligence using 30 metrics.
WASHINGTON : The United States is leading rivals in development and use of artificial intelligence while China is rising quickly and the European Union is lagging behind, a research report showed Monday.
The study by the Information technology and innovation Foundation assessed AI 30 separate metrics including human talent, research activity, commercial development and investment in hardware and software.
The United States leads, with an overall score of 44.6 points on a 100-point scale, followed by China with 32 and the European Union with 23.3, the report based on on 2020 data found.
The researchers found the US leading in key areas such as investment in startups and research and investment funding.
But China has made strides in several areas and last year had more of the world's 500 most powerful supercomputers than any other nation - 214, compared with 113 for the US and 91 for EU.
''The Chinese government has made AI a top priority and the results are showing,'' said Daniel Castro, director of the think tank's Center for Data innovation and lead author of the report.
''The United States and European Union need to pay attention to what China is doing and respond, because nations that lead in the development and use of AI will shape its future and significantly improve their economic competitiveness, while those that fall behind risk losing competitiveness in key industries.''
The EU lagged notably in venture capital and private equity funding, while faring better in terms of research papers published.
The report found China published some 24,929 AI research papers in 2018, the latest year for which data was available, to 20,418 for the European Union and 16, 233 for the United States.
But it said that ''average US research quality is still higher than that of of China and the European Union.''
The surveys also concluded that the United States ''is still the world leader in designing chips for AI systems.''
To remain competitive, the report said, Europe needs to boost research tax incentives, and expand public research institutes working on AI.
For the United States to maintain its lead, it must boost support for AI research and deployment, and step up efforts to develop AI talent domestically while attracting top talent from around the world. [AFP]
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Student Teaching
Admission to Student Teaching
Permission to Student Teach
By April 30, prior to the student teaching semester/year, the candidate must review the following criteria with his/her advisor to ensure that these requirements have been met.
The student must:
1. Complete a Student Teaching Application;
maintain a GPA of 2.50 or above with no grade lower than C (2.00) in professional or major courses,
2. Have no incomplete grades;
3. Sign a denial of felony/misdemeanor statement;
4. Provide two recommendations that show evidence of maintenance of moral and ethical standards;
5. Provide evidence of a physical examination, including a TB test result, during the past six months;
6. Complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experience;
7. Complete at least 80% of course work in major area(s) Secondary Education candidates only;
8. Complete 100% of course work other than senior professional education courses
9. Complete a portfolio with rating of 2.0 or above on each outcome (Elementary Education Candidates only).
The Executive Committee will examine all evidence, review progress, and recommend to the Teacher Preparation Committee TPC approval or denial of the application to student teach.
The TPC will vote and report its decision to the student teacher candidate. If denial is voted, a written explanation of cause will be given to the candidate.
Previous: Full Acceptance to the Education Program


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Closing the Gaps Between What Sounds Good and What Gets Done
What We Know
Most leaders struggle to close the gaps between the types of employee behavior they desire and the types of behavior they get. Here are three possible explanations for those gaps:
- Employees understand what they're expected to do, but they're unable to do it
- Employees understand what they're expect to do, but they're unwilling to do it
- Employees don't understand what they're expected to do
Contrary to what many leaders believe, the most common explanation for not getting more of the behavior they expect is because their employees do not understand what they're expected to do.
Too many leaders seem to believe that the words and phrases contained in their mission statements, core values and other such documents adequately describe the things they expect employees to do. Those words and phrases have two things in common:
- They all sound good
- They have little or no impact on employee behavior or organizational performance
According to Jim Bearden, closing the gaps between what sounds good (mission statements, core values or core beliefs), and what gets done (employee behavior) is a key leadership role.
in this powerful workshop jim will
- Lay out 4 truths about the relationship between leadership behavior and organizational responses to challenges & changes
- Describe 6 specific steps leaders can take to get more of the behavior they expect
- Walk us through his 4-step model for expanding & enhancing employee engagement
jim's unique post-workshop component
- Jim will send each participant a series of weekly follow-up pieces focusing on key points covered in the workshop
- In those pieces he will offer additional thoughts about topics covered and suggestions to help participants translate the material covered into effective leadership behavior
Participants won't hear any platitudes or theories, but they will leave with a better understanding of specific Leadership behavior for Closing the Gaps Between What Sounds Good & What Gets Done.


What is a young moon?
During the month, we observe how the lunar disk in the sky changes. This is due to the fact that the sun lit by the Moon is visible from the Earth at different angles. In the young Moon - the Moon is located between the Earth and the Sun so that we see only the narrow crescent edges of its illuminated surface. During the first two weeks of the month its width widens to full, when the entire illuminated surface of the Moon is visible from the Earth. Within the next two weeks, the illuminated sector of the Moon decreases until there remains only a splinter - the old Moon.
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Naming resources
This page describes the naming convention for Compute Engine resources.
Resources are the fundamental components that make up a Cloud service or product. For example, resources on Compute Engine include but are not limited to:
To learn more about resources, see Global, regional, and zonal resources documentation.
Naming convention
When you create a new resource on Compute Engine, you have to provide properties such as a name for the resource.
For resources on Compute Engine, the resource name must meet the following format (unless specified differently in the documentation for creating that resource):
 - Be 1-63 characters in length.
 - Comply with RFC 1035 conventions.
 - Match the regular expression [a-z]([-a-z0-9]*[a-z0-9])?. This means that the first character must be a lowercase letter, and all the following characters must be hyphens, lowercase letters, or digits, except the last character, which cannot be a hyphen.
Name uniqueness
In general, resource names must be unique within a location within a project. For example, an external IP address name must be unique within the region where it resides. However, you can reuse names across locations.
If the VmDnsSetting setting for your instance is not set to ZonalOnly then your VM instance names must be unique across the project. We strongly recommend using the VmDnsSetting:ZonalOnly setting for your projects, not only so you can reuse VM names across locations, but also because it offers higher reliability guarantees by isolating failures in the DNS registration to individual zones. For more information, see Zonal DNS names.


3 Mistakes I made Raising Baby Chicks and How YOU can Avoid them
 1. Do not bother building the chicken stairs in/out of the btiny-chairrooder. They will not use them, they will only poop on them.
 2. Do not bother giving the chicks tiny furniture. They will not use it appropriately, they will only poop on it.
 3. Do not bother trying to potty train the chickens using a small plastic toilet from a dollhouse. You guessed it, they will not use it, they will only poop on it. Hey wait!
But seriously….. Read tips and instructions for how to set up a brooder (baby chicken house) before bringing the chicks home and make sure to have the basic supplies on hand. They need some pretty intensive care in the beginning. I recommend these sources:
 1. Free guide from the My Pet Chicken websitealso a good source for supplies, coops and chickens. _URL_
 2. Backyard Chicken Website with a ton of great information. _URL_
I love books, so here are my book recommendations:
 1. A Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens by Melissa Caughey. Excellent for kids! Helpful for adults too.
 2. Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow. Thorough, lots of details about chicken keeping in general.
There are so many more--raising chickens is becoming so much more common that there are just a lot of sources out there. These have just been the ones that I have used and liked. In addition to all of the information that you read in your source of choice, here are 3 more personal suggestions on the art of raising baby chicks.
 1. Start with a large box so you do not have to build the chickens new homes every few days when they grow and learn to fly. Start big, they will grow into it.
 2. Buy 2 chicken waterers and 2 food dispensers. They are cheap and after washing one out and letting it air dry, you can use the second one right away. The chicks poop so often on everything that you will need to do this quite often.
 3. Place the chicken brooder far away from anything that has small crevices or is difficult to clean in general.
 4. Pick up and hold the chicks as often as possible, talk to them and as soon as they will accept treats (dried mealworms are a favorite!), give them treats so they know you are the special Head Chicken.
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Consider the Kovsh
These ornamental ladles are kovshi (singular: kovsh), a type of Russian drinking vessel in the shape of a duck. Traditionally, various vessels were intended for different beverages. Kovshi, which come in a range of sizes, were intended for drinking kvass or beer. They were also used for drinking mead, a honey based drink that varied in flavor from using different fruits and berries. Silver kovshi were used for white mead, while golden kovshi were used for red mead.
They were originally made of wood and some early kovshi were made of tightly woven cloth. In the 16th century, they began to be made in silver and increasingly assumed a ceremonial status. The kovshi in our collection are nineteenth and early twentieth century pieces of the Old Russian style, seen in the multicolored enameling inspired by sixteenth and seventeenth-century patterns. A yearning for a Russian art unmarred by Western influence contributed to what became the Russian Revival in the 1870s and 1880s. Interest in exploring early Russian artistic traditions provided craftsmen with a rich body of sources for creating beautiful, distinctly Russian works of art. Cloisonné enameling is but one example; another is trompe l'oeil, discussed in this blog post. While many such pieces were ornamental, a few could function as punch bowls or salts depending on their size.
These pieces illustrate how time and again the functional and artistic merits of the decorative arts can be appreciated both independently and harmoniously.


van den Berg at the Temporäre Kunsthalle in Berlin in 2010. It was maybe the most elaborate and precise installation of artworks I've done so far in such accumulating combinations like On Kawara, Anna Opperman and Antje Majewski or Michael Schmidt, Franka Hörnschemeyer, Bojan Šarčević and Simon Wachsmuth. The works dealt in various ways with remembering and forgetting as personal and cultural phenomenas; and that at the Schlossplatz in the middle of Berlin, a site which continues to be occupied for different ideological reasons.
C-P: Having recently tried curating myself and currently with some projects under progress, I'm curious to know the considerations that go into your curatorial practice.
T.S: Instead of an answer I would like to put something out there to argue. As part of the'six memos for the next...' book we* published a kind of manifest as a result of the 2-year exhibition program.
1 In the artwork significance is experienced as a sensual organized sense.
2 Decisions by the artist form the artwork.
3 The work's reception is its production. The viewer is the second producer.
4 Exhibiting means to create visibilities respectively experiences.
5 Exhibiting means to trust the artwork's vigor and resoluteness.
6 Exhibiting means to strengthen the artwork's vigor.
7 Exhibiting means to deal with artworks.
8 Exhibiting means to stage encounters between artworks and between artworks and people.
9 Exhibiting means to shape distances and proximities.
10 Exhibiting is a sensual event that requires thinking in a space.
11 The staging of an exhibition is itself the intervention.
12 To experience artwork and exhibition as perception-room asks for contiguousness.
13 Artwork and exhibition take the visitor out of time.
14 Artwork and exhibition offer the visitor time for immediate insight – beyond sheer imparted knowledge.
15 Artwork and exhibition develop experiences that enable the visitor to indirectly act differently.
* Jörg van den Berg (curator), Sandra Boeschenstein (artist), Wolfgang Fetz (director), Barbara Köhler (author), Schirin Kretschmann (artist) and Tilo Schulz
C-P: When we chatted back at the gallery in Berlin, it turned out that you had quite a few ties to Stockholm having spent some time here in the nineties with previous exhibition stints at Moderna museet and the late Ynglingagatan 1. I believe you also did a residency at IASPIS. Do you have any particular fond memories from this period that you would like to share with us?
T.S: The connection to Swedish artists at the time had a major impact on my own development as an artist. And with some of the artist I am still close friends. Artists like Matts Leiderstam, Annika Eriksson, Johan Thurfjell, Annika von Hausswolff, Johanna Billing, Peter Geschwind, Gunilla Klingberg I have closely followed since then, worked with them or just enjoyed their work. For some reason I lost contact with a younger scene in Sweden. My fault. Ynglingagatan 1, IASPIS, Index, Magasin 3, Galerie Nordenhake, Andréhn-Schiptjenko and the Moderna Museet project... I was sucking in all the inspiration, conversations and impressions. At the same time I always felt very welcome on a personal level. I recall dialing Johan Thurfjell one day to ask if he wanted to hang out and it turned out that he was on his way to the movies, already running a bit late. I rushed out myself without havig asked what film we were about to see. I made it just on time and we entered just as the movie had started. It was 1999, I hadn't heard or read anything about it. To make a long story short, it was a horror movie based on found footage and I totally freaked out. It really got to me... It was the Blair Witch Project. I can still feel it today.
Thanks Johan!
C-P: Finally, with the year just beginning, what's coming up for you?
T.S: I am very excited about a show at the Lajos Kassák Museum in Budapest.
To learn more about Tilo's work, please visit:
Image credits:
A rush and a push and the land we stand on is ours
230 x 600 cm (5 pieces each 230 x 120 cm)
Acrylic paint on aluminium
No. Home
200 x 60 x 40 cm (each, 2 pieces)
Acrylic paint on MDF
Photo: Uwe Walter
Courtesy of Jochen Hempel Gallery
Schritte, zwischen
Black MDF, Acrylic, ropes, 5 speaker, sound piece
Haus der Kunst Munich
Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Tied Up and Down, How to consider force a privilege
Ceiling div. materials, 4 sound pieces, 1 video, boat sculpture (on the river)
The Model, Sligo
Photo: Tommy Weir
Portrait of Tilo Schulz by Maximilian Geuter
There is a circle in your life that needs to be repeated
2 parts each 420 cm x ø 600 cm
Corduroy fabric, wood, foam
Kunstverein Hanover
Courtesy Galerie Jochen Hempel
Thin red line
210 x 510 x 110 cm
Acrylic paint on MDF, black mirror
Courtesy acb Galéria
A journal about contemporary art
© 2020 C-print


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Empty properties are a wasted resource. We try to identify these long-term empty properties as they can contribute towards the degeneration of an area and undermine sustainable communities. They may also become a rubbish dumping site or the property condition could deteriorate. There has also been an increase in the number of break-ins to steal metal items such as boilers, radiators and pipework.
Information for owners of empty homes
Where possible the District Council aims to work with owners of empty properties to bring them back into use using the following methods:
- Renting through council leasing or rent deposit schemes
- Private renting through a private agency – letting agencies will offer a range of management services
- Private renting with the owner as landlord
- Selling the property - on the open market through an estate agent or at an auction.
- Enforcement options
Where an owner persistently leaves a property empty, if it is in a poor condition or in an area of high housing need, the District Council may take the following action:
- Report the property to other council departments such as private housing service and planning, in relation to poor condition of property.
- A Compulsory Purchase Order can be issued, if the owner has resisted all voluntary attempts to bring the property back into use.
- Empty Dwelling Management Order: This allows councils to take over the management of residential properties, where an owner of an empty property has turned down offers of help to bring the property back into use, and can offer no good reason why the property should remain empty.
The council would facilitate any capital works needed to allow the property to be leased and use the property to accommodate people in housing need for up to 7 years.
Report an empty property
If you have information on an empty property or wish to complain about one, please contact us.


Biography of J.B.S. Haldane
The Scottish geneticist Professor John Haldane (_PHONE_) at University College London
Hulton Deutsch / Getty Images
J.B.S. Haldane was an evolutionary biologist who made many contributions to the field of evolution.
Dates: Born November 5, 1892 - Died December 1, 1964
Early Life and Education
John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (Jack, for short) was born on November 5, 1892, in Oxford, England to Louisa Kathleen Trotter and John Scott Haldane. The Haldane family was well off and valued education beginning at an early age. Jack's father was a well-known psychologist in Oxford and as an eight-year-old child, Jack started studying the discipline with his father and assisted him in his work. He also learned genetics by breeding guinea pigs as a child.
Jack's formal schooling was done at Eton College and New College at Oxford. He obtained his M.A. in 1914. Soon after, Haldane enlisted in the British Army and served during World War I.
Personal Life
After returning from the war, Haldane began teaching at the University of Cambridge in 1922. In 1924 he met Charlotte Franken Burghes. She was a reporter for a local publication and was married at the time that they met. She ended up divorcing her husband so she could marry Jack, almost costing him his teaching position at Cambridge for the controversy. The couple married in 1925 after her divorce was final.
Haldane took a teaching position at the University of California, Berkeley in 1932, but returned to London in 1934 to spend the majority of the rest of his teaching career at the University of London. In 1946, Jack and Charlotte separated in 1942 and finally divorced in 1945 so he could marry Dr. Helen Spurway. In 1956, the Haldanes moved to India to teach and study there.
Jack was openly atheist as he said that was how he conducted his experiments. He felt it wasn't fair to assume no God would interfere with the experiments he conducted, so he could not reconcile having a personal belief in any god. He often used himself as a test subject. Jack allegedly would perform dangerous experiments, such as drinking hydrochloric acid to test the effects on muscle control.
Career and Accomplishments
Jack Haldane excelled in the field of mathematics. He spent most of his teaching and research career interested in the mathematical side of genetics and particularly how enzymes worked. In 1925, Jack published his work with G.E. Briggs about enzymes that included the Briggs-Haldane equation. This equation took a previously published equation by Victor Henri and helped reinterpret how enzyme kinetics worked.
Haldane also published many works on population genetics, again utilizing mathematics to support his ideas. He used his mathematical equations to support Charles Darwin's idea of Natural Selection. This led to Jack helping to contribute to the Modern Synthesis of the Theory of Evolution. He was able to link Natural Selection to Gregor Mendel's genetics using mathematics. This proved to be an invaluable addition to the many pieces of evidence that helped support the Theory of Evolution. Darwin himself did not have the privilege of knowing about genetics, so a quantitative way to measure how a population evolved was a major breakthrough at the time.
Haldane's work brought a new understanding and renewed support of the Theory of Evolution by quantifying the theory. By using quantifiable data, he made the observations by Darwin and others verifiable. This allowed other scientists across the world to use their own data in support of the new Modern Synthesis of the Theory of Evolution linking genetics and evolution.
Jack Haldane died December 1, 1964, after a bout with cancer.


skunkYou've just settled back into your camp chair to enjoy a moment of peace in the wilderness when….sniff, sniff…sniff, sniff…what in the world is that smell? Then out runs Fido, who apparently went to battle with a skunk—and lost.
Anyone who has had to deal with skunk stink on their dog knows how terrible it can be. Your nose burns while you try to wash the smell out and your canine companion is banned to the garage for weeks.
Here is a simple recipe for fighting skunk stink that is safe for pets, humans and the environment.
How it works:
Skunk spray is composed of thiols, the same compounds that produce the unpleasant aroma of rotten eggs. Thiols are acidic and not water-soluble, a combination that results in a substance that sticks to hair, fabric, skin, etc. and is difficult to wash off. The Polecat Perfume recipe reacts and oxidizes the thiols in skunk spray. Oxygen is added to the sulfur atoms of thiols in a chemical process converting the thiol molecules into sulfones and sulfoxides. These converted compounds become odorless and water soluble making the skunk spray easier to wash off.
1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon dish-washing detergent
Mixing the three ingredients creates an effervescing action that oxidizes and allows skunk spray to be washed away.
Things you will need:
1) 1/2 Gallon or larger bucket to mix the Polecat Perfume in.
2) Access to plenty of rinse water.
3) The will and compassion to get beyond the skunk smell and to know that things will be better in a few minutes.
Wash Procedure:
1) Prepare a bucket for mixing the Polecat Perfume recipe as well as access to plenty of warm rinse water. An exceptionally dirty dog (muddy, oily, or otherwise) will require more Polecat Perfume. For best results wash your pet before application.
2) Mix the three components (3% hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish-washing detergent) together in the bucket. Important: mixing must take place in an open container. Any attempt to contain the activation could cause the container to burst due to the effervescing action of the three ingredients.
3) Immediately apply and work the mixture into the pets fur and any other items that may have come into contact with the skunk spray, collars, leashes, etc. The reaction created by mixing the components together lasts about three minutes. Allow the mixture to set on the item being washed, working it constantly into the fur for 7-10 minutes. Once you are satisfied with the wash, you will need to rinse the pet well. As with any shampoo, we recommend flushing the eyes with plenty of water if the mixture comes into contact.
4) Once the Polecat Perfume is thoroughly rinsed away, carrying the skunk odor with it, a good wash with dog shampoo and rinse will complete the task.
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Philosophy > General AR Philosophy > Morality
Scientists Propose 'Bill of Rights' for Dolphins to Protect 'Non-Human Persons'
Animal-rights activists have long sought freedom for dolphins from their circus-like captivity. Now scientists are proposing a "Declaration of Cetacean Rights." The biological order of Cetacea includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Dolphins are the second most intelligent mammal on the planet--even smarter than chimpanzees. Humans rule the earth, but dolphins are the smartest in the seas. Research shows that dolphins are even capable of thinking about the future.


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How to do just that particularly in the Virgin Islands was on display Tuesday at Good Hope School as the St. Croix Environmental Association sponsored its second Environmental Science Career Expo in partnership with the V.I. Network of Environmental Educators.
The goal of the event was to enable middle school and high school students to learn about the career path choices, work experience and skills required to attain jobs in science and technological fields with representatives from private enterprises, government and nonprofit agencies participated.
"We want to get kids excited about science. We live on a small piece of land and are surrounded by the ocean and we have to take care of it," said St. Croix Environmental Association spokeswoman Lynnea Roberts.
"Beyond that, we want kids to be excited about college and going to study science," she said. "There is a lot of science going on around the island that is sort of undercover and a lot of people don't know about it."
Roberts said she hopes to put on two more of these career fairs later this year at both Central and Complex High Schools.
Marcia Taylor of the University of the Virgin Islands' Center for Marine and Environmental Studies said she was there to recruit the future.
"We want more young people going into careers related to the marine environment," Taylor said. "We want to get more local students trained so they can take the jobs here in their home."
"There are a lot of opportunities down here and it would be great if people that lived here could benefit from that," Taylor said.
She said graduates of the program, if they've wanted to stay and work in the territory, have had success in finding careers here.
She also noted the same marine issues Roberts mentioned — overfishing and ocean acidification. She said future job prospects in these fields would be plentiful for those interested in learning how to manage those problems and mitigate the effects of them, especially as they pertain to the V.I. coral reef systems.
"There are more federal dollars being spent down here because we realize we're on the brink of losing an incredible resource. There's more grants related to that, more people studying it and that's an area where there's more money being pumped in all the time."
As students wandered from booth to booth learning about the work of those participating organizations, some teachers were even collaborating with agency representatives in the hopes of doing hands on work inside the classroom at a later date.
Leila Muller of the V.I. Energy Office and teacher Sarah Christiansen of AZ Academy were just one example as they were planning renewable energy demonstrations for Christiansen's fifthand eighth-grade science students.
"This is the future, right here," Christiansen said, pointing at some solar energy demonstrations. "Kids need to know what the future is going to be like and need to prepare for the future and what types of jobs and careers will be available."
Muller said, "We're also going to be doing more sustainable buildings and green buildings," adding that's where the future is. "And we want the young minds to know what opportunities there are in the field of energy."
AZ Academy sophomores Conrad Yanez and Rick Beggs said they came away from the event with more environmental knowledge of how to protect St. Croix and with a possible goal to attain in the future.
"I might be interested in the science part of it," Beggs said. "Maybe one day I'll come up with a new way to protect corals."
"I think I might be a marine biologist, maybe mangroves or something like that," Yanez added. "I like working in places like Salt River. It's pretty interesting."


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This perception of TBTF creates an expectation of government support for these banks at the time of distress. Due to this perception, these banks may resort to risk taking and there could be lack of market discipline on behalf of these banks. Hence, there is a need for a stronger regulatory environment for the SIBs. In this regard, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) came out with a framework in November, 2011 for identifying the Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs).
Similarly, the RBI has been mandated to identify the Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) and lay down suitable regulatory requirements to prevent their failure. In order to identify the D-SIBs, the RBI takes into account only those banks whose size is equal to or more than 2% of GDP. Further, these banks are categorized as D-SIBs only when they fulfill the mentioned criteria: size, interconnected-ness, lack of readily available substitutes or financial institution infrastructure, and complexity.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Presently, the SBI bank, ICICI bank and HDFC bank have been identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs).
→ Question-93
Answer: b
 - The US has urged Bangladesh to postpone the relocation of Rohingyas to the newly built camp on uninhabited island of Bhashan Char.
 - The Bhashan Char has emerged less than two decades back from the sea and according to the environmentalists it is an ecologically fragile area which is prone to floods, erosion and cyclone.
→ Question-94
Answer: c
The first edition of the School Education Quality Index (SEQI) has been released by NITI Aayog.
Statement 1 is incorrect:
 - SEQI helps in evaluating the performance of States andUTs in the school education sector.
Statement 2 is correct:
 - It groups the states and UTs as Large States, Small States and Union Territories in order to facilitate like-to-like comparisons. Kerala occupied first rank among 20 large states in terms of quality of school education, followed by Rajasthan and Karnataka, while Uttar Pradesh was ranked at the bottom position during 2016-17.
 - Manipur topped the list of small states followed by Tripura and Goa.
Statement 3 is incorrect:
 - Among the seven UTs Chandigarh was ranked first followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Delhi.
→ Question-95
Answer: a
Statement 1 is incorrect: It is a joint military exercise and not naval exercise between India and France. The joint military exercise of India and French troops was held between 31st October and 13th November 2019 in Rajasthan.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The exercise is a military exercise and hence cannot showcase its naval dominance over the entire extended area of the Indian Ocean region. It's a biennial exercise and is conducted alternately in India and France. The bilateral training exercise was conducted at Foreign Training Node at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
Statement 3 is correct: The joint exercise will focus on Counter Terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-desert terrain under United Nations Mandate. The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two Armies.
→ Question-96
Answer: c
Statement 1 is correct: HAM brings certainty in the returns to the investments by the private players. For the investment made by the Private they will be paid a variable annuity amount after the completion of the project depending on the value of the assets created. This arrangement reduces financial risks and increases liquidity as there is availability of credit due to certainty in returns.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) the government will contribute 40% of the project cost in the first five years through annual payments. Remainig 60% of the project cost has to be raised by the private developer in the form of equity or loans. So the majority of the investments are not made by the Government.
Statement 3 is correct: After completion of the project the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) takes the responsibility of revenue collection through tolls and maintains the project. The developer has no role in the maintenance of the project.
→ Question-97
Answer: b
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of 1,008 Indians from different populations across the country. It was implemented by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. There is no connection with WHO in this project.
Statement 2 is correct: The outcomes of the IndiGen will have applications in a number of areas including predictive and preventive medicine with faster and efficient diagnosis of rare genetic diseases. The data will be important for building the knowhow, baseline data and indigenous capacity in the emerging area of Precision Medicine. The outcomes of the IndiGen will be utilized towards understanding the genetic diversity on a population scale, make available genetic variant frequencies for clinical applications and enable genetic epidemiology of diseases. The benefits of this initiative include epidemiology of genetic diseases to enable cost effective genetic tests, carrier screening applications for expectant couples, enabling efficient diagnosis of heritable cancers and pharmacogenetic tests to prevent adverse drug reactions.
Statement 3 is correct: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of 1,008 Indians from different populations across the country. IndiGen programme aims to undertake whole genome sequencing of thousands of individuals representing diverse ethnic groups from India.
→ Question-98
Answer: b
 - A US$165 million loan agreement was signed between The Government of India, the state Government of Odisha and the World Bank to support smallholder farmers in strengthening the resilience of their production systems, diversifying and improving the marketing of their produce, to realize more income.
 - The project will be implemented in rural areas vulnerable to droughts and largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
 - The project will strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers against adverse climate.
 - It will try to improve access to resilient seed varieties and production technologies, diversifying towards more climate-resilient crops, and improving access to better water management and irrigation services.
 - The project will support the rehabilitation of 532 water tanks; promote productivity improvements at the farm level; support farmers to reduce the current emphasis on food grains (especially paddy and wheat) and increase the share of high-value and more nutritious products like fruits and vegetables; and provide marketing support to farmers who are able to generate a marketable surplus.
 - The project will also support aquaculture in rehabilitated tanks, help farmers to access affordable and quality fingerlings, and disseminate improved aquaculture practices and post-harvest management.
→ Question-99
Answer: d
Statement 1 is correct: Rheumatic fever is endemic in India and remains one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, accounting for nearly 25-45% of acquired heart disease. The most devastating effects are on children and young adults in their most productive years.
Statement 2 is correct: In October 2019, the government was planning to procure penicillin centrally for three years and give it to all children between 5-15 years who have a sore throat, at least once. The Government is trying to revive penicillin availability because it is the cheapest option for rheumatic fever treatment.
Statement 3 is correct: Rheumatic heart disease disproportionately affects girls and women. The risk of developing rheumatic heart disease is up to two times higher for females than males.
→ Question-100
Answer: b
Statement 1 is incorrect: ICDS is a scheme for children from 0-6 years as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. Anganwadis are day care centres for children and are set up under ICDS. They are honorary workers who are paid a monthly honoraria.
Statement 2 is correct: It offers six services supplementary nutrition, pre-school non formal education, nutrition and health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services.
Statement 3 is correct: Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) or SABLA is implemented under ICDS through Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). The scheme is aimed at self-development, empowerment, improve awareness on nutrition and health status of adolescent girls.
UPSC Mock Test Description IAS Mock Test for Prelims – General Studies Paper 1
Number of Questions 100
Type of Questions Objective-type (MCQs)
Time Duration 2 hours
Answer Key + Explanation Yes
Score Calculation Calculate UPSC Prelims score
UPSC mock tests help the aspirants to acclimatize themselves to the IAS Exam Pattern and candidates can also assess their strengths and weaknesses.
UPSC Prelims 2021 Exam Date – June 27th, 2021
For UPSC aspirants, BYJU'S experts have created IAS mock tests after careful analysis of previous years' question papers and trends.
Candidates can also check the subject-wise weightage in UPSC Prelims at the linked article.
Note: For best results, candidates should take this IAS mock test in the stipulated time limit (with the help of the timer given) and go through the explanations of the answers carefully.
Check the list of some important issues of that can come helpful in prelims examination of civil services:
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Migration to Ukraine
The Hutterites lived in constant fear of being taken captive by the Turks in Wallachia (Romania), so three and a half years after arriving, they prepared to migrate again, this time to Ukraine.
On April 10, 1771, 60 people left their home and traveled to Ukraine. All their possessions were stored on five wagons, and they walked all the way.
The Brethren settled on land that owned by Count Rumiantsev. Plows, sheep and other supplies were loaned to them on the condition that they'd be repaid. A new Bruderhof was established which they named "Vishenka".
Between 1771 and 1791, seven trips were made by the Brethren in attempts to bring back family members and those in prison in Transylvania and Hungary. Walters, Mändels, Tschetters and Wollmans were persuaded to join the Hutterites at Vishenka. As well, several Mennonite families joined, including Deckers, Entzs, Knels, and Gross'. In total, the leaders were able to persuade 56 to come back and join the Vishenka bruderhof.
During this time, Hans Kleinsasser was the elder (until his death in 1779). Joseph Kuhr became the elder after him until his death in 1794.


text: Organizations deploy gamification in CSCW systems to enhance motivation and behavioral outcomes of users. However, gamification approaches often cause competition between users, which might be inappropriate for working environments that seek cooperation. Drawing on the social interdependence theory, this paper provides a classification for gamification features and insights about the design of cooperative gamification. Using the example of an innovation community of a German engineering company, we present the design of a cooperative gamification approach and results from a first experimental evaluation. The findings indicate that the developed gamification approach has positive effects on perceived enjoyment and the intention towards knowledge sharing in the considered innovation community. Besides our conceptual contribution, our findings suggest that cooperative gamification may be beneficial for cooperative working environments and represents a promising field for future research.


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A bear sits inside an enclosure at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in Tam Dao, Vietnam, in Oct. / Mike Ives, AP
TAM DAO, Vietnam (AP) - Bears, some of them blinded or maimed, play behind tall green fences like children at school recess. Rescued from Asia's bear bile trade, they were brought to live in this lush national park, but now they may need saving once more.
The future of the bears' sanctuary has been in doubt since July, when a vice defense minister ordered the nonprofit group operating the $2 million center not to expand further and to find another location. U.S. politicians and officials in other countries are among those urging the military to back off.
The defense official wrote, without elaborating, that the Chat Dau Valley is of strategic military interest, but environmentalists allege that vested interests have urged an eviction. They point to documents showing that the daughter of the park's director is involved in a proposed ecotourism venture that wants to lease park land.
Conservation groups say the dispute in Tam Dao National Park is emblematic of conflicts brewing across Vietnam's protected areas. When developers want the land, they say, environmental safeguards disappear.
Vietnamese laws adhere to international environmental standards, but in practice are "minor considerations" in land-use and infrastructure-planning decisions, the World Bank said in a report last year.
Vietnam is among the most biologically diverse countries on earth, comprising less than 1 percent of the world's land but about 10 percent of its species. But the report noted that its protected areas are suffering from deforestation and habitat loss.
"It doesn't matter if the forests are protected by law or not," said Trinh Le Nguyen, executive director of People and Nature Reconciliation, one of Vietnam's few locally based conservation groups. If officials and community groups are not vocal enough, "then the private sector will try (to get) wealthier and wealthier."
Conservationists cite the example of northern Ba Be National Park, where pollution from ore mining is said to threaten a freshwater lake that has received accolades from an international environmental convention. Scientists and hundreds of residents have protested that the pollution is causing the lake's water quality to deteriorate, state media reported last year. A local Communist Party official also has called for a probe into what the state-run Vietnam News Agency calls "rampant deforestation" by loggers inside the park.
Elsewhere, a proposal to develop two hydropower plants in Cat Tien National Park in the south has triggered opposition because the dams would inundate forests.
"It took generations to establish and maintain our national parks," said former park director Tran Van Thanh, who is calling for the proposal to be scrapped. "It would be a waste if we have to surrender parts of our forests for economic development."
Vietnam first established protected lands in the 1960s, and the network has grown to include 30 national parks and scores of other protected areas spanning forests and wetlands. But experts say local development agendas often trump larger conservation goals as officials sell off protected territory for mines, hydropower dams and infrastructure or real estate projects.
Tensions between conservation and development have only increased over the last decade in Vietnam. Land developers have become wealthy, powerful and ambitious on the back of rapid economic growth. Protected areas are typically under the control of local officials, who receive little funding for conservation and view the areas as potential sources of revenue.
"Vietnam is at a real crossroads where it has to make some hard decisions about whether or not it values biodiversity conservation," said Pamela McElwee, a professor of human ecology at Rutgers University who conducts research in Vietnam's protected areas. "The majority of folks working in the protected-area system are genuinely dedicated... but they're facing really powerful interests."
Vietnam's poor enforcement of environmental laws is adding to international criticism of its ruling Communist Party, which is castigated for its human rights record and its handling of a sagging economy.
Ten conservation groups, several foreign embassies and U.S. politicians have written to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in recent weeks urging him to not close the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre, which lies 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of the capital, Hanoi.
They were alarmed by Vice Defense Minister Do Ba Ty's July letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He directed the center not to expand further and to find an alternate site in partnership with local officials. He wrote that the Chat Dau Valley is of "strategic importance to national defense."
"The expansion of the bear rescue center in this valley will have direct impact on military projects," the letter said, according to a copy given to the Associated Press by the sanctuary's nonprofit operator, Hong Kong-based Animals Asia Foundation. The letter did not explain why the land was of strategic importance.
Seven Democratic U.S. representatives urged Dung to protect the sanctuary in a Nov. 5 letter. "The claim that the land is an area of national defense significance is questionable," they said, noting that the bear center has operated since 2005 and the park has welcomed tourism since 1996. The lead signer was Rep. Sam Farr of California.
Animals Asia says an eviction would leave 104 rescued bears homeless and waste its $2 million investment, which was funded entirely by international foundations, corporations and private donors. It says after an initial trial period, the prime minister in 2008 approved its plan to build facilities on about 11 hectares (27 acres) inside the roughly 39,000-hectare park, and that the center has so far expanded to half those 11 hectares.
The group rescued bears that were being used to produce bear bile, which has historically been used in China and other Asian countries to treat fevers, pain, inflammation and other ailments. Bears are typically captured in forests and transported to farms, where the green bile is sucked from their gall bladders in a painful process that sometimes kills them.
In recent weeks, Animals Asia has waged a public relations campaign alleging park director Do Dinh Tien has a personal stake in an ecotourism venture proposed for the park by the Hanoi company Truong Giang Group.
Animals Asia's Vietnam director, Tuan Bendixsen, said he believes the ecotourism project would be built on the undeveloped half of the bear center's 11 hectares. Documents show the company in March sent a team of surveyors to evaluate that parcel and other park land for development.
"He wants to take half the land, and he can't get it, and that's why he's creating all this trouble for us," Bendixsen said of the park director.
In September 2011, Do Dinh Tien asked the agriculture ministry to approve separate plans by three companies, including Truong Giang, to develop ecotourism in Tam Dao's national park, according to documents given to the AP.
Documents show that days earlier, Truong Giang had asked Tien for permission to lease 48 hectares of land in Tam Dao for an "ecological tourism and entertainment project." Truong Giang's registration papers list Tien's daughter, Do Thi Ngan, as one of its four shareholders.
Ngan and officials at the agriculture and defense ministries declined to comment.
In an interview, Tien declined to discuss his daughter's relationship to the company, saying he has not yet discussed the matter with her. But he insisted he has never lobbied for the company's interests.
"From my perspective, the bear center can go ahead if it follows procedures," Tien said recently at park headquarters. "But I can't speak for the Ministry of Defense."
State media say the agriculture ministry is working with the central government to resolve the dispute. The prime minister has final say over the bear center's fate.
National Assembly Deputy Duong Trung Quoc was quoted by online newspaper Vietnamnet Wednesday as saying evicting the bear center could anger the international community.
"It would do harm to our country's image," he said.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read the original story: Vietnam may evict bears from 'protected' park land


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