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Fiesta de La Tirana
The town of La Tirana, with a population of no more than 500 people, receives over 250.000 visitors between July 10th and July 17th each year to enjoy one of the most colorful and mystic festivals of Chile: Fiesta de La Tirana. This religious festival is one of the most important in the north and gathers thousands of followers to celebrate the Del Carmen virgin each year.
Legend of La Tirana
This story dates back to 1535, when the Spanish conquistador Diego de Almagro leaves Cuzco heading for the conquest of Chile. Within the group that followed Diego de Almagro were an inca priest named Huillac Huma and his daughter Ñusta Huillac, hostages of the expedition group. When the expedition was traveling near the La Tirana area, Ñusta Huillac with her father and other followers escaped to the Pampa del Tamarugal, where they organized a rebellion and fought the Spanish for the next 4 years. During this period Ñusta Huillac came to be known as "La Tirana del Tamarugal" (the tyrant of the Tamarugal) due to her brutal treatment towards prisoners.
One day, a young Portuguese explorer named Vasco de Almeyda was taken prisoner by Ñusta and sentenced to death on account of his christian faith. However, Ñusta grew close to Vasco de Almayda and fell deeply in love. He managed to convince her to get baptized, so they could be together forever. During the ceremony of baptism the lovers were discovered by Ñusta's followers. Feeling betrayed by their leader they killed them on the spot.
Many years later an evangelist priest found a cross in the tamarugo forest and, after learning what happened, had a church built on the same spot he found the cross. The church remains to this day and was named "Nuestra Señora del Carmen de La Tirana", honoring the couple.
You can take a bus from Iquique's bus terminal to Tirana, which has a cost of CLP 2.000. Another alternative would be to take a bus heading to Pica, which passes by Tirana, having a cost of CLP 2.500.
Each year around 200 dance groups arrive to Tirana from different northern regions and some from Peru and Bolivia to take part in this beautiful tradition.This festival is known for its notable dances like "diabladas", "chinos", "indios", "antawaras" and its colorful dresses, which bewitch visitors with an environment full of music and colors in the middle of the dry and arid Atacama desert. This spectacular contrast can only be experienced in northern Chile.
Day 10 – Day 11
Dance groups start arriving to the town. Streets get filled with shops waiting for the endless number of visitors that start to arrive to the town en masse.Pilgrims arrive on cars, buses, walking and some even crawling with bleeding knees and helped by relatives or Red Cross assistants. The town of La Tirana and the properly adorned figure of the virgin await the arrival of anyone willing to take part in this festivity. The town comes to life.
Dances start, with the different groups performing one by one through the streets of La Tirana and starting to pay homage to the virgin. These dances extend to July 16th.Dance groups do not exceed 20 participants and are always led by the person with the most eye-catching mask, like devil, wolf, bird or fantasy masks. The pilgrims and spectators accommodate on the streets to enjoy the spectacle.
The "Víspera" (eve) of the festival is celebrated. Dance groups gather on the town square where bonfires are made and dancers dance around the fire in preparation for the next day.
At 00:00 hrs the festival hits its most impressive point, with fireworks that mix with colorful dances and chants that become more intense.A mass is celebrated at the town square for the thousands of pilgrims, and during the evening a procession is made through the streets with the figure of the virgin. This is the most important day of the festival, being considered the festive day of the virgin for the northern Chilean people.
The festival and dances conclude. Many people remain in La Tirana, continuing celebrations for a couple more days.For those who want to enjoy something special and unique, the Fiesta de La Tirana festival offers the chance to experience an exciting celebration, where you can soak the mysticism and charm of the north of Chile. Ideal for a new backpacker experience.
Precautions and Recommendations
1. Security: Take care of your belongings, specially if you decide to go camping free of cost in the surrounding areas of La Tirana, since thousands of people go to the festival and there are no guards. Paying for a hostel or campsite is a safer alternative.
2. Gastronomy: Do not miss the chance to taste llama meat, which is typical of the region.
3. Trash: DO NOT leave trash, be responsible!
4. Clothing and gear: Bring light clothing to use during the day, since it can get really hot. Bringing sandals is not recommended though, because there is a lot of dust. Sunscreen is a necessity. Bring warm clothes as well, since temperature can drop drastically at night. Weather in the desert is complicated, therefore bringing adequate clothing is fundamental to enjoy the festival.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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French Perspectives
French intellectual culture, from its Enlightenment heritage, is deeply imbued with a positivist approach to human problems. Modern science and technology are simply assumed to be the proper expressions of human reason. Under such assumptions it would be meaningless to consider the possibility that either science or technology could be intrinsically problematic or that it would be appropriate to try to identify proper limits to their development. Instead, for more than a century the main philosophical debate raised by scientific and technological progress dealt with conflicting political responses to extrinsic problems, such as the uses of technology to exploit the working class.
In France, moreover, academic life is highly centralized and, as a result of their selection and training, professional intellectuals tend to live in a world situated between the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Sorbonne. Such a context favors the reproduction of existing problems and debates, so that questioning of the intrinsic character of science or technology was at most a minor issue in the history of science. Those few thinkers who took seriously science or technology as issues in themselves remained isolated, their work largely ignored, with students who were interested in such topics systematically discouraged from appropriate programs of study. In consequence, questions of science, technology, and ethics in France during most of the twentieth century were not so much part of a tradition of critical reflection as they were associated with a series of individuals who, in somewhat eccentric manner, undertook to investigate them.
From Henri Bergson to Emmanuel Mounier
The response of Henri Bergson (1859–1941), the leading French philosopher of the first third of the twentieth century, to the disastrous experience of World War I is indicative of the basic attitude during this period. Educated at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, after teaching philosophy at a series of lycées, Bergson became a professor at the College de France, where his lectures attracted not only students and academics but even the general public and tourists. His most original reflections on creativity and time having been completed before the war, afterward Bergson served as a diplomat and worked in support of the League of Nations. His Les deux sources de la morale et de la religion (The two sources of morality and religion, 1932) argues a chastened but continuing commitment to the Enlightenment tradition.
Les deux sources acknowledges that there is something frenzied and uncontrolled (frénétique et emporté)in the race for material progress. Yet Bergson's perception of the problems raised by the scientific technology that is at the foundations of such progress is surprisingly narrow and shortsighted. He seems mostly sorry about "the search for comfort and luxury which seems to have become humankind's primary concern" (p. 322), although he quickly adds that there is no cause for worry, because humanity has always progressed by oscillating from one extreme attitude to its opposite—from a mysticism oriented toward self-control and self-possession to a materialistic mechanism aspiring to the control and possession of things. This is why "we should engage with no restraint in one direction in order to find out what the result will be: When it will no longer be possible to persist, we shall swing back with all our acquisitions, in the direction we had neglected or abandoned" (p. 321).
The dialectic of progress thus exhibits a kind of fatality that, in due time, can be expected to provide humankind, whose material body has grown dramatically, with a "supplement of soul" (p. 335). Bergson is confident that democracy will enable mechanism to satisfy everyone's true needs. Moreover, he expects that science will liberate the elan vital (vital impulse) from its materiality and spiritualize existence: "the material obstacle has almost tumbled down" (p. 337). Material progress fosters spiritual progress and thereby fulfills "the essential function of the universe, which is a machine for making gods" (p. 343). Understandably, a mind that entertains such lofty vistas will not be very sensitive to the concrete problems of everyday life, even those that would lead directly to a new and even more terrible war.
After World War II, French intellectuals were absorbed in the ideological and political debate for or against Marxism and communism. On the margins, such literary and religious thinkers as the Russian émigré Nicholas Berdyaev (1874–1948) and the novelists Georges Bernanos (1888–1948) and Jean Giono (1895–1970) raised pointed criticisms—as exemplified, for example, in the 1947 proceedings from a Geneva conference, Progrès technique et progrès moral. Against the threat of such views, Bergson's optimism was reaffirmed and turned into a technological messianism by the French personalist philosopher and founder of the journal Esprit, Emmanuel Mounier (1905–1950). His essay Be Not Afraid (1948) is a compendium of the irenic technophilia that predominated in French intellectual life until the late 1970s.
In response to the crisis of conscience that Hiroshima caused for some, Mounier dedicated himself to an unconditional justification of technology. For him, the criticisms made of "machinism" are founded on a theoretical error about the relationships between technology and society. The exponents of this view "claim to criticize the essential character of the machine, but in the main they attack the structure of capitalist society which has twisted the first services of the machine to its own ends" (pp. 31–32). Mounier thus summarizes in a nutshell the spirit of the time.
Whether spiritualists or materialists, rationalists or existentialists, most French philosophers were to adopt the Marxist doctrine that states "there is no problem of the machine as such." To the ethically scandalous problems of exploitation, economic inequality, and poor material living standards there are appropriate political responses. Concern for the environment was not yet a serious issue. Thus there was no philosophical problem of technology as such, and the leading French philosophers of the day completely ignored technology or even science as a theme calling for explicit critical assessment. Despite the fact that the work of Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) has been influential in France since the 1930s, there is little to nothing on technology in the work of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980), Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961), or Albert Camus (1913–1960).
Bernard Charbonneau and Jacques Ellul
Although he does not mention them, Mounier's argument is almost certainly directed in part against the critical position of a small group of "Gascon personalists" led by Bernard Charbonneau (1910–1996) and Jacques Ellul (1912–1994). Born and educated in Bordeaux, under the shadow of World War I, the first truly industrialized war, Charbonneau passed his agrégation in both history and geography, but chose not to follow the standard academic career. Instead, he elected employment at a small teachers' college in order to be able to live a rural life in the Pyrenees.
Charbonneau's central intuition is that modern technoscientific development creates what he calls "the great mutation." Early on, Charbonneau became convinced that since the war humankind was experiencing an utterly new phase in its history, one that displays two basic characteristics. First, the Great War (World War I), as a total war, subordinated reality to the logic of industrial and technological imperatives, which require the mobilization of the whole population, resources (industry, agriculture, forests), and space itself. Indeed, the war achieved as well a mobilization of the inner life of the people who, on both sides, were not just affected by the war, but consented to it, thus justifying the anonymous process that would destroy them. The Great War was the first experience of what Charbonneau describes as "a total social phenomenon," insisting that it does not have to be totalitarian in order to be total.
Second, this great mutation is characterized by auto-acceleration. Human power takes hold of the entire planet at an ever-accelerating pace. This acceleration is a quasi-autonomous process. It is not a collective project, because most of its effects have not been chosen, and there is no pilot, because it simply rushes forward independent of any direct guidance. Technoscientific and industrial development fosters more and more rapid change throughout the world, across all aspects of life, without any respect for cultural meaning or purpose. The result is a radical disruption of society and nature, a state of permanent change.
Charbonneau was convinced that contemporary conflicting ideologies (nationalism, fascism, communism, liberalism) were outdated and provided no purchase on this great mutation, and that the uncontrolled development of industry, technology, and science was the problem and the not the solution. In his major books, written during the 1940s but published much later, Charbonneau insists that the issues of technoscientific development, of totalitarianism, and of ecological disruption are interrelated. In L'Etat (1987), he describes how the technological and industrial dynamism of liberal society has created the conditions of a total and technocratic organization of social and individual life. In Le jardin de Babylone (1969), he describes how the expansion of human power and of the techno-industrial order into a planetary scale deprives human beings of a harmonious relationship with nature and threatens not only ecological balance but also human freedom. In Le système et le chaos (1990), Charbonneau warns that the disorganizing impact of technological, scientific, and industrial development on nature and on society calls for a total organization of social life that will compromise human liberty.
Ellul was likewise born and educated in Bordeaux; together he and Charbonneau developed a version of personalism that promoted small, decentralized, and environmentally focused groups rather than centralized Parisian leadership. Unlike Charbonneau, Ellul elected a more academic career, and following his agrégation in Roman Law, became professor of the history of law at the University of Bordeaux.
Ellul is often characterized as a pessimistic Calvinist, urging the rejection of modern technology as an evil runaway power. But although Christian, he is neither Calvinist nor pessimistic; he firmly believes that it is possible to control and direct technological change, and indeed that technological choices are necessary and urgent. This is precisely the great political challenge that humankind must accept, otherwise politics is nothing but vain agitation. But the mastery of technological change is a difficult task, and in order to have any chance of success it is necessary to have a clear vision of the obstacles.
Ellul's analysis of the central role of technology in contemporary society is developed in three books. In The Technological Society (1954), he insists that the discussion of the role of machines is no longer relevant, because modern technology is not a mere accumulation of tools and machines; it is a global phenomenon which by means of propaganda, social planning and business management, and the organization of leisure subsumes all areas of individual and social life to the systematic search for efficiency. As a result there is a fundamental ambiguity of technological development, which, on the one hand, emancipates people from natural constraints and, on the other, submits them to a system of abstract and coherent functional constraints that in their own way determine social life. Technological progress fosters a technological society, more and more organized and integrated on the basis of impersonal logics.
In The Technological System (1977), Ellul argues that technology is now the environment in which human beings live and to which they must adapt. This technological environment is increasingly exhibiting a systemic cohesion. It is an interconnected network of technological ensembles; it organizes itself and evolves according to a process of "self-augmentation" dictated by its internal needs. This is why it is so resistant to attempts at reorganization from the perspective of non-technological values, whether ethical, political, or aesthetic. This technological system exhibits its own totalizing dynamic and tends to provide the main framework of social life. Nevertheless, Ellul adds that in spite of its capacity for auto-unification, this system is not and cannot be entirely coherent, because irrationalities and dysfunctions occur each time it is in contact with a different environment, natural, human, or social.
In The Technological Bluff (1988), Ellul argues that the development of the technological system parallels a cultural inability to address the problems created by technology, and that the suffusion of contemporary mentalities by a technicist worldview is one of the major obstacles to the mastery of technology. This is why policies aimed at controlling technological change require, in order to be effective, a change in both collective mentality and individual action. In Changer la révolution (1982), Ellul offers some guidelines for this new ethics of political action, which he terms an "ethics of non-power."
Jean Brun's Existentialist Interpretation
Another major contribution to the understanding of technology from an intellectual who lived and worked outside of Parisian institutions is Jean Brun (1919–1994). Like Ellul, Brun was a committed Protestant Christian who taught in the provinces at the University of Dijon. To the analysis of technology he brought an education in Greek and Roman philosophy that enabled him to once again challenge received views.
In Le rêve et la machine (1992), which synthesizes his major ideas, Brun maintains that the common understanding of technology as an application of rational and objective knowledge for effectively altering the world in order to satisfy human needs is dramatically one-sided and inadequate for appreciating contemporary problems of science and technology. The formal rationality of technoscientific endeavors is deceiving; it prevents people from recognizing the informal, imaginative, and often unconscious dimensions of technoscientific behavior.
Brun argues that technology is both a force of life and a force of death. On the one hand, without technology of some kind, human life would scarcely be possible. On the other, technology fosters destructive delirium, mechanized hysteria, and the planning of crazy projects. Human use of technology and the way humans develop it is often unreasonable, and its impact on nature and on human beings can be quite violent. For Brun there is a deep connection between technology and irrationality, and the obstacles to its rational uses must be appreciated.
According to Brun, technology manifests two goals: satisfying human needs for a better life (motives of pragmatic utility) and responding to desires to alter the human condition (existential motives). The study of ancient myths and ancient philosophy convinced Brun that technology is not merely an instrument useful for satisfying human needs, but also a means for empowering human desire for surpassing the ontological foundations of existence, for transmuting and overcoming the human condition. Human beings suffer and have always suffered from their finitude, from the alienation of consciousness, from physical and spiritual limitations, grounded in the necessity of living in space and time.
For Brun, the history of machines has been shaped and fueled by humanity's obstinate attempts to develop technologies of communication and transportation that attempt to break through such limitations. Beneath such obstinacy lies a hidden but fundamental despair within human consciousness regarding its separate and temporal mode of existence. Human technologies are often endowed with the power of discovering doors that open an existential labyrinth. In this respect human techniques are the offspring of human dreams as much as they are the application of positive knowledge. For Brun, "machines are both daughters and mothers of fantasies that we should call metaphysical ... [T]he utilitarian function of the machine is only its diurnal face; we must unveil its nocturnal face" (1992, p. 14).
This unveiling, which he also calls a demystification of technology, is a necessary precondition for any rational control and wise use of science and technology, as it is because humans project onto their technologies their desires for an ontological liberation that they remain fascinated by and addicted to their technologies. For the same reason, people often remain indifferent to technology's negative side effects and tend to transform the means into an end. Along with movies such as The Fly (1986) or eXistenZ (1999) by the Canadian film-maker David Cronenberg, Brun argues for examining the ways utilitarian functions of technology are easily contaminated by its symbolic and existential functions.
The Mechanology of Gilbert Simondon
Another and quite different alternative to Enlightenment or positivist approaches to modern technology as applied science is found in the work of Gilbert Simondon (1924–1989), who proposed a general theory of the evolution of technological realities. Simondon was educated as a psychologist and philosopher at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and worked for the major part of his career in Poitiers and Paris. Because of a long-time interest in the character of machines, he studied what came to be called human factors engineering or ergonomics, which led him to attempt to understand their development somewhat independent of economic or other human interests.
In order to better clarify the human problems raised by machinism, Simondon chose the difficult path of laying the foundations of a kind of natural history of technological evolution. To this end he developed a conceptual framework for understanding the autonomy of technology and its radical alterity or otherness. As with Charbonneau, Ellul, and Brun, for him the category of instrumentality is inadequate for understanding the essential character of the technical order.
In Du mode d'existence des objets techniques (1958), Simondon argues that technical objects are not mere embodiments of abstract ideas, that they have their own mode of being or, as he says, of existing. Machines and technical objects evolve, and this evolution tends to exhibit a fundamental unity (structure). By analyzing the history of a few artifacts (motors, turbine, lamps, etc.), Simondon demonstrates how engineering practice follows the principle of functional unity, between the parts of the machine and between the machine and the exigencies of the surrounding world. "The technological being evolves by convergence and adaptation to itself. It unifies itself interiorly according to a principle of internal resonance" (p. 20).
Using as an example the evolution of the internal combustion engine, Simondon shows that each element assures the maximum possible of functions rather than attempt to realize a principle in its abstraction. Therefore, it is toward an interdependence of all the parts of the engine that its evolution converges, and it is this that leads to its progressive concretization through an organic-like integration of its diverse technical elements. According to Simondon, "The technological object exists then as a specific type that is found at the end of a convergent series. This series goes from the abstract to the concrete mode. It tends toward a state that would make the technological being a system entirely coherent with itself, entirely unified" (p. 23).
On this analytical basis Simondon develops a general theory of technology which, in the early twenty-first century, provides an intellectual framework for understanding the autonomy of technical objects and of technical systems: They develop according to a relational and reticular logic, obeying inner functional necessities that have little to do with human psychological, economical, social, and political goals. Although human beings produce technology, there is in technology something that is essentially resistant to human projects and values.
Simondon thinks that the solution to problems raised by the technicization of the world cannot be solved by politics, which relies on a poor understanding of the technical order and its dynamism. But for Simondon this is no reason for despair, and most of his subsequent intellectual endeavors aim at bridging the gap between the two cultures: the technoscientific operative one and the humanistic symbolic one. It is worth noting, in this respect, that although the second post-World War II generation of French philosophers such as Michel Foucault (1926–1984) and Jacques Derrida (b. 1930) were as silent about science and technology as their predecessors, some postmodernist authors such as Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995) have been attracted to Simondon. It may also be suggested that even those who do not share Simondon's rather optimistic and technophilic spirit may find in his thought substance for the pursuit of an authentic post-technological culture.
Supplementary Dimensions
The works of these four philosophers and the issues they wished to address were not, during their own time, well received in the French academic world. It is remarkable, for instance, that despite the 1974 French commitment to the development of nuclear power, this led to none of the kinds of public or intellectual debates typical of nuclear power developments in such countries as the United States or Great Britain. Nor has the increased technical powers of the professions of medicine or engineering engendered the kinds of discussions of professional ethics typical, especially, of the United States. Yet in the 1980s things did begin to change. One of these changes was the influence from the English-speaking world of the applied ethics movement, especially the field of bioethics.
In 1983, for instance, French President François Mitterrand created the Comité Consultatif National d'Ethique (CCNE), which consists of forty members, including representatives from different philosophical and religious schools of thought, public figures, and various scientific research institutions. Unlike similar or related commissions in other countries, the CCNE is not designed to be impartial but to elicit different points of view. Also unlike Enquette commissions in Germany or Royal Commissions in Commonwealth countries, the CCNE in not limited to specific topics but is an ongoing body. In 1994, in part as an outgrowth of its opinions, the French National Assembly passed legislation dealing with organ donation, medically assisted reproduction, and prenatal diagnosis.
Another associated activity emphasizing bioethics is the Science Generation Web site, which is cosponsored by the Institute de France, the Aventis Foundation, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations, the European Council of Applied Sciences and Engineering, and the European Commission. This Internet site thus serves as a model of interdisciplinary and government-private partnership. But precisely because of their high profiles, neither the CCNE nor Science Generation represents serious critical assessment. Although both manifest an emerging concern for science, technology, and ethics issues, both focus much more on reflecting the opinions of technoscientific experts or the general public.
Another indication of the emerging French interest in science, technology, and ethics has been the stepping out of scholars more consistently devoted to these topics than has previously been the case. One example was an exchange between mathematician and historian of science Michel Serres and science studies ethnographer Bruno Latour (1990), in which the two explore how technoscientific power entails in itself ethical challenges. Still another was the creation in 1992 of the Société pour la Philosophie de la Technique (SPT), which provides an arena where competing philosophic approaches toward technology can be discussed in a constructive way.
Among the contributors to SPT discussions one may take special note of the following: Jean-Jacques Salomon (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers), in analyses of relations between science and politics, has raised the issue of democratic control not only of technology but also of scientific research. Dominique Janicaud (Université de Nice), with his theory of potentialization, has examined how progress in some types of rationality has created a potential for new forms of dehumanizing irrationalities. Gilbert Hottois (Université Libre de Bruxelles), a Belgian philosopher, has argued the inherently an-ethicity and autonomy of technological change, while arguing from the example of bioethics for the possibility an accompagnement symbolique for science and technology. And Franck Tinland (Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier) insists from an anthropological point of view on the long term autonomy of technological change and the resulting ethical problems that humankind is now facing.
SEE ALSO Bergson, Henri;Comte, Auguste;Descarte, RenéDurkheim, Émile;Ellul, Jacques;Enlightenment Social Theory;Existentialism;Foucault, Michel;Levinas, Emmanuel;Lyotard, Jean-François;Paschal, Blaise;Phenomenology;Progress;Rousseau, Jean-Jacques;Verne, Jules.
Bergson, Henri. (1932). Les deux sources de la morale et de la religion The two sources of morality and religion]. Paris: Félix Alcan.
Brun, Jean. (1992). Le rêve et la machine [The dream and the machine]. Paris: Table Ronde.
Charbonneau, Bernard. (1969). Le jardin de Babylone [The garden of Babylon]. Paris: Gallimard.
Charbonneau, Bernard. (1987). L'Etat [The state]. Paris: Economica.
Charbonneau, Bernard. (1990). Le systéme et le chaos [The system and chaos]. Paris: Economica.
Ellul, Jacques. (1964 [1954]). The Technological Society, trans. John Wilkinson. New York: Knopf.
Ellul, Jacques. (1967). The Political Illusion, trans. Konrad Kellen. New York: Knopf.
Ellul, Jacques. (1980 [1977]). The Technological System, trans. Joachim Neugroschel. New York: Continuum.
Ellul, Jacques. (1982). Changer la révolution: L'inéluctable prolétariat [To transform the revolution: The unavoidable proletariat]. Paris: Seuil.
Ellul, Jacques. (1990 [1988]). The Technological Bluff, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Hottois, Gilbert. (1984). Le signe et la technique [Symbol and technique]. Paris: Aubier.
Hottois, Gilbert. (1999). Essais de philosophie bioéthique et biopolitique [Essays on philosophical bioethics and biopolitics]. Paris: Vrin.
Janicaud, Dominique. (1994). Powers of the Rational: Science, Technology, and the Future of Thought, trans. Peg Birmingham and Elizabeth Birmingham. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Mounier, Emmanuel. (1951). Be Not Afraid: Studies in Personalist Sociology, trans. Cynthia Rowland. London: Rockliff.
Recontres internationales de Geneve. (1948). Progrès technique et progrès moral [Technical progress and moral progress]. Neuchatel: La Baconnière.
Salomon, Jean-Jacques. (1973). Science and Politics, trans. Noël Lindsay. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Salomon, Jean-Jacques. (1999). Survivre a la science [Surviving science]. Paris: Aubier-Montaigne.
Serres, Michel, and Bruno Latour. (1995). Conversations on Science, Culture, and Time, trans. Roxanne Lapidus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Simondon, Gilbert. (1958). Du mode d'existence des objets techniques [On the mode of the existence of technical objects]. Paris: Aubier.
Tinland, Franck. (1977). La diférence anthropologique [The anthropological difference]. Paris: Aubier-Montaigne.
Tinland, Franck. (1997). L'homme alétoire [Human otherness]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1997.
Toulouse, Gérard. (1998). Regards sur l'ethique des sciences [Considering the ethics of the sciences]. Paris: Hachette-Littératures. Presents the views of an influential physicist.
Toulouse, Gérard. (2003). Les scientifiques et les droits de l'Homme [Scientists and human rights]. Paris: Maison des sciences de l'homme.
Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics
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A week ago I began intermittent fasting (IF), fasting for 16 hours and then eating two meals over 8 hours. It is actually really easy for me because I've never been a breakfast person. I learned about IF from Dr. Jason Fung, reading his books The Obesity Code and The Complete Guide to Fasting. Today I'm doing my first 24-hour fast. It is a little difficult for me since I'm slightly OCD and just the fact I'm not eating makes me obsess about eating! However, I'm keeping myself busy, I'm 17 hours in and feeling fine.
The purpose of adding fasting isn't so much for weight loss, although that is a big benefit. Living with PCOS, I know my body is insulin-resistant and this is a proven way to encourage your insulin and leptin sensitivity to normalize. I'm hoping to work up to monthly 5-day fasts to supplement my daily 16:8 fasts.
While fasting I drink coffee (black), tea, and water. Once I get into the longer fasts I will likely add bone broth and a serving of kombucha daily. I also continue all of my meds and take a multi-vitamin, vitamin D-3, an electrolyte supplement, and turmeric. Blood tests revealed vitamin D-3 and potassium deficiencies, so I keep a close eye on my consumption levels. I prefer to get my supplements from real food, but for some reason, I don't make a lot of D-3, no matter how much time I spend in the sun. I've always had a problem with potassium and magnesium, even though I consume lots of foods that are high in both.
There is a lot of stress in my life right now and I know that stress causes cortisol to rise, so I've also incorporated meditation using the Android app Calm. The app has a "daily calm" meditation as well as structured meditation courses. I do the daily calm and have started the 7-day introduction to meditation. My monkey brain is still fighting me, but I'm already seeing results. I told my husband yesterday that I felt happy for the first time in…. well, I can't even remember how long.
About a year ago I cut my anti-depression med in half and saw an improvement in being able to feel things and not feel the world is so flat, grey, and dulled. While I'm a little afraid I'm just cycling through a slightly manic phase (I usually don't get manic phases, just alternate between shallower and deeper episodes of depression), I hope this will last because it feels great!
Yummy: Alfredo Sauce on smoked chicken. Beyond delicious and Keto-compliant! My husband smoked the chicken breast and left the sugar out of the brine to ensure Keto friendliness. (Though from my research the sugar doesn't get absorbed by the chicken).
Thankful For: The support of my husband. He's lost weight as well, though he's a tad grumpy because his brand-new work pants are now loose.
Goal For Today: Load at least 3 moving boxes in my office/studio.


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NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (NWHUF)
Bid 0.00 x 0
Ask 0.00 x 0
52 Week Range 8.50 - 12.16
Avg. Volume 6,342
PE Ratio (TTM) 6.85
EPS (TTM) 1.60
Earnings Date Mar. 09, 2022 - Mar. 14, 2022
Forward Dividend & Yield 0.63 (5.87%)
Ex-Dividend Date Dec. 30, 2021
1y Target Est N/A
NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust Announces January 2022 Distribution
NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: NWH.UN) (the "REIT") announced today that the Trustees of the REIT have declared a distribution of $0.06667 per unit for the month of January 2022, representing $0.80 per unit on an annualized basis. The distribution will be payable on February 15, 2022, to unitholders of record as at January 31, 2022.
NORTHWEST HEALTHCARE PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST ANNOUNCES DECEMBER 2021 DISTRIBUTION
NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: NWH.UN) (the "REIT") announced today that the Trustees of the REIT have declared a distribution of $0.06667 per unit for the month of December 2021, representing $0.80 per unit on an annualized basis. The distribution will be payable on January 14, 2022, to unitholders of record as at December 31, 2021.
NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:NWH.UN) sheds 3.4% this week, as yearly returns fall more in line with earnings growth
Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. And the truth is, you can make...


I am an Engineer with several years of experience in operation, automation and scaling. In my last 3 companies I helped them to move from a monolithic mindset to a fully automated, scalable and cost effective system. I love cleaning and simplifying.
I joined Fitanalytics as a developer with a mix devops/Go-programmer role, later I moved to a hand-on team lead position. I lead and participated in development of several go apps and service. Also I started to help with introducing SRE concepts. We also started to move the rigid, non-automated, non-scalable setup to a fully automated and scalable setup in kubernetes. We then started to move the whole setup to use short-lived servers (in gcp they are named preemptible). I needed to prepare the culture and tools first before we can implement the move. We developed a setup that, again, one commit into git does a full deployment in staging/production Then I took over recommendation engine project. Based on the paradigm I introduced usage of graph-databases in the company which helped us in other projects too. We picked dgraph. I proved it works and created a scalable and fault-tolerant setup and coded the recommendation app which was in Go.
Here I had a chance to learn more about machine-learning and tensforflow. I was also able to practice how to manage costs in cloud even further by managing a large cluster of graph dtabases and rdbms (dgraph, mysql) in kubernetes using short-lived (preemptible) servers. I also had a chance to use graph databases in large scale in production which was a great experience.
tl;dr: go, terraform, ansible, docker, kubernetes, aerospike, redis, postgres.
This time in Travel audience I joined the Devops team. We established our kubernetes cluster and moved our apps. This time I learned more about automation and scaling specially tricks of handling our DB setup in kubernetes (Redis, Aeorspike and Postgres) I introduced concept of using short-living server (preemptible) in our kubernetes cluster for a cost effective cloud setup.
I moved on eventually as in my job I am looking for a mix role that I can apply my coding skills as much as my devops and DBA skills.
tl;dr: perl, terraform, aws-security, postgres cluster upgrade.
I joined Binary for a short period. I was a single person in our Berlin office which approved not very practical for me. I continued to help but eventually decided to move-on. I ask my previous company to join back.
I found this company through one of my ex-colleagues. I joined as a Perl developer. I helped with automation of some stuff like hadoop cluster in Google cloud. I wrote few services in Go.
I left when Binary decide to open an office in Germany and asked me to join.
I joined binary as a Developer. Binary was an old company with a legacy code and architecture. Language there was Perl that I never had touched. I grabbed a large project which had failed in last few attempts to convert the storage from file-based to RDBMS. I became a hands-on team lead and we finished the switch for storage engine with only one minute downtime. Then we started to split the code into different services. We fully automated our setup. We moved to the cloud which needed many changes, culturally, technically and even convincing regulators. We automated our release process which I learned how to. A push in a github repository and everything else must happen automatically. We ended up with a fully-automated and scalable systems with low cost. We changed our culture from glorifying new commits to seeking commits which removes code. This alone cleaned that old ball of mud more than anything. We enhanced our security through automation and our zero-access. We established our on-call team and through our effort changed the rule from a stressed firefighter to a relaxed standby member. I gathered very strong DBA and sysadmin knowledge in Binary.
I learned how to deal with monolithic systems and convert them to fully-automated, scalable cost-effective ones. I also get into human part of my job. I started to read harvard bushiness publications religiously. I got into habit of removing code. I left when I wanted to move to Germany.
I gathered strong, coding, DB and sysadmin experience. I was a hand-on team lead working with a small team for years. I left when I found my new job Malaysia.
Gnu/Linux, Debian, Fedora, Slackware. Building live Debian based OS. Administration and Network management.
Member of Technical Committee of "National Operating System Of Iran".
National Computer Olympiad candidate, 1992.


White privilege, in the United States context, is about inequitable distribution of power, money, education, healthcare, housing, and work, to name a few. Most of the issues associated with interrupting and dismantling white privilege are polarities to leverage and not problems to solve. It is easy to identify white privilege as a "problem to solve." It is also easy to simply identify the "solution" as the move From white privilege To racial equality. This is based on a "gap analysis" in which we identify three things: 1) what is wrong with the present state = white privilege, 2) what would be a preferred future state = racial equality, and, 3) a strategy to bridge the "gap" between the present state and the preferred future state. We suggest that gap analysis and typical problem solving, alone, is not only inadequate to interrupt white privilege, it undermines our efforts by generating unnecessary resistance. We suggest that the absolutely essential move From white privilege To racial equality is more effectively seen as a segment of an ongoing polarity energy system. When we can see it as a part of one or more key polarities, it will increase the attainability, speed, and sustainability of our efforts to interrupt white privilege, which in turn will support building relationships, and achieving justice faster and more sustainably.


It creates deep eyes in the eyes with 5 different pallet options which are composed of similar and harmonious color tones. Vitamin E in its content helps protect eyelids, the most sensitive region of the face. There is no perfume component in its content.


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Location & Favorites
Rental Cottage
Welcome to the Norman General Store
Historic Marker
Historic Norman General Store entrance
Our "museum" showcases some vintage items from the Kewaunee area.
Handmade Birdhouses
Scarves, Vintage Hats
Retro Purses
Miniature Quilt Hangers
Quilters Dream batting in assorted weights.
Old coal furnace.
Beads, purse hardware and zippers for your crafting projects.
Relax on the sofa or enjoy a game of checkers.
Edison LED light fixtures on reclaimed barn wood.
Edison-inspired LED light fixture with dimmer dial, mounted on reclaimed barn wood.
Unique light fixture with LED "Grand" Edison bulb.
Ceiling mount light fixtures with Edison LED bulbs.
Imagine the meals cooked on this antique stove. Vintage cookwares are for sale.
Vintage phone converted into light fixture. LED Edison bulb.
Colander ceiling fixture with LED Edison bulb.
Vintage Aprons
Handmade apron with oven mitt.
Greeting cards, wrapping paper, bows and ribbon.
Vintage LC Smith Corona typewriter.
Vintage and retro jewelry.
Retro and modern jewelry.
The Antler Shed soaps, lotion and soy candles.
Wisconsin made baking mixes, jams, maple syrups and snacks. Yummy!
We love to make gift baskets or provide gift wrap services.
Use left or right arrows to scroll through photos of the Historic Norman General Store
Norman was settled by immigrants from Bohemia, now a part of the Czech Republic. Like millions of Europeans in the 19th century, most of the Czechs that came to America hoped to own more farmland and make a better life for their families than they could in crowded Bohemia.
The first Czechs arrived here in the 1850's and one named Simon Pelnar bought a large farm in 1856. In 1869, his son Joseph and his wife Mary inherited the 40 acres where the Norman General Store sits today. By 1876, Joseph had a "hotel and saloon" on this spot. Joseph and his brothers owned so much of the land around Norman that it was informally called "Pelnarsville" until the early 1900's. The summer kitchen guest house, behind the Norman General Store, was built by the Pelnars in the 1880's.
In 1890, Mary sold the property to John Riha, whose family owned several farms near Norman. In 1904, the Rihas built a new house adjacent to the 1870's general store. These are the buildings that make up the Norman General Store property today. The store building came from another location west of Norman, and it is 20 years older than the house. The summer kitchen was relocated to another community in the 1950's and the store closed in 1968.
In 1988, Jerry and Anne Sinkula, natives of Kewaunee County, bought the unoccupied property. Jerry grew up near Norman, and spent many hours at the store during his childhood, when it was owned by one of his father's cousins.
In 1992, they moved the summer kitchen back to Norman and began to restore all of the buildings. They opened the main house and summer kitchen cottage as a bed and breakfast in 1996 and reopened the General Store in 1998.
In the summer of 2016, Gary and Denene Eagleton discovered the historic Norman General Store & Cottage for sale online. They quickly fell in love with the property and made an offer. Leaving behind the heat and humidity of Florida, the couple moved north at the end of September 2016.
June 2018 the Norman General Store was reopened. The Summer Kitchen Cottage is now listed on Airbnb for vacation rentals.
My great grandmother was a quilter. I remember her as always wearing an apron with bits of fabric safety-pinned to it. I now know that those pieces of fabric were parts of her quilt blocks. The fabric was cut with scissors, using templates made from cereal boxes, and the blocks were hand pieced. Her quilts were usually finished with self-binding and they were all hand quilted.
My official start to quilting began over 20 years ago with the Leisure Arts publication "Teach Yourself To Quilt". I did...I read and completed all 13 lessons and made the nine block sampler quilt. But I had a lot to learn and joined a local quilt guild. I found a new friend, Cathy, who became my quilting mentor (my BQFF) and we have enjoyed many adventures in quilting.
I was encouraged to enter my sampler quilt into the state quilt show because it would be a great way to receive impartial advice about my quilting. I found out that my hand appliqué stitches needed to be closer together and that I had a "good binding technique". My appliqué has improved and I'm still using the same bias binding method.
There is always more to learn about quilting and I look forward to sharing ideas, tips and techniques with my fellow quilters. Denene
Some things old, some things new. Some things uniquely made for you.
Norman General Store
E3296 County Road G
Kewaunee, WI 54216
920-301-0617(call or text)
normangeneralstore@icloud.com


Hitting a plateau in strength training? The answer to overcoming it might lie in accentuated eccentric loading (AEL).
Many experienced strength trainers try to overcome a plateau by trying to adapt their strength programme, however this is sometimes ineffective. In just five weeks accentuated eccentric loading training considerably improved results for experienced strength-trainers, a study recently published in Frontiers in Physiology found.
This method is based on the principle of repetitive muscle contractions applying a greater external load during the muscle's lengthening, the eccentric phase of the lift, than in the shortening, the concentric phase. The eccentric phase, for example, is the action of lowering the dumbbell back down from the lift during a biceps curl, as long as the dumbbell is lowered slowly rather than letting it drop.
This is different to the very popular isoinertial training where the same weight is used in both stages of the movement.
"It is important to train using actions that are highly specific to normal actions. I have always been interested in trying to optimize training because lots of people train hard, but I want those people to train smart allowing them to get the most out of their efforts; " explained Dr. Simon Walker from the Department of Biology of Physical Activity at University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
He added: "It was clear that the force production capacity during eccentric actions was not being utilized during traditional isoinertial training."
To determine the effects of accentuated eccentric loading the scientists conducted a ten week experiment applied to 28 experienced male strength-trainers separated into three groups: two groups (one using AEL and the other isoinertial training) were exposed to supervision, motivation, greater loading intensities, immediate post-training protein consumption and assistance at concentric failure, meanwhile the third group continued their normal unsupervised training program.
The results for the group using the accentuated eccentric load training were remarkable after the fifth week observing an increase of force production, work capacity, muscle activation and resistance compared to the other groups. However, both AEL and isoinertial methods were equally effective to increase the cross-sectional area of the quadriceps muscle, in subjects accustomed to resistance training.
"This information can modify people's training methods and perhaps highlight contemporary training methods that can be included and periodized into people's training regimes, this can range from patient groups to the elderly right through to athletes;" said Dr. Walker.
Evidently, the benefits of accentuated eccentric loading in already-trained individuals may take some time to manifest and, therefore, even several sessions of training may be insufficient to produce meaningful improvements.
"This is no magic pill that will suddenly create huge differences over systematic hard work. smart periodization, and nutrition; but it can give a boost or kick start to overcoming a plateau in strength and muscle mass development;" he continued.
However, it would be interesting to examine if adapting to even longer training periods of accentuated eccentric loading in the future will produce continued improvements or if otherwise the continuous high intensity may lead to over-reaching.
"There are lots of unresolved issues still, such as how AEL may affect recovery, training frequency, and also whether training intensity and volume should be adjusted to better suit the individual. Nevertheless, this study alone gives good evidence that athletes can work on a problematic area, for example to develop strength and muscle mass, by using this method when stagnation has occurred;" added Dr. Walker.


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Bill Huffman's Arizona Golf Blog Sewailo Golf Club & Notah Begay Light Up Tucson
The golf buzz in Tucson these days is all about the city's latest, greatest golf course, Sewailo, the first true champion- ship layout to be built in Arizona in the past five years. Adding to the excitement: former PGA Tour player/ Golf Channel analyst/architect Notah Begay has his name on it. Sewailo, pronounced…
Mesa Country Club Renovation Lives Up To Club's History
Mesa Country Club always has had a storied history, laced with tradition and ingenuity. Now, thanks to some new ideas and renovation efforts of its members and management team, the club that dates back to 1948 is adding another chapter. Over the summer, MCC closed its doors and went to work on the golf course…
Mickelson Rewrites Legacy with Open Win
Phil Mickelson's victory at the 142nd Open Championship on Sunday was pure shock and awe. Even more than that, it changed the perception we have of the player I've always considered the People's Choice. Seriously, I can't think of a bigger moment in a major championship since Jack Nicklaus…
Why I Love the Bloody Open
When it comes to the Open Championship, just never make the mistake of calling it the British Open. As a friend from over the pond once told me: "Only Americans refer to it as the British. Everyone else in the entire world calls it 'the Open.' " For some odd reason, such bloody snobbery appeals to me when it comes…
Troon Privé Adds Pine Canyon & Torreon Clubs
After five years of relatively sluggish-to-no growth, or in some cases financial disaster, the private golf scene in northern Arizona seems to be on a bit of a resurgence. Amazing, when you consider that pretty much every club north of Payson but Forest Highlands in Flagstaff has been through the wringer…
Mickelson Has ASU Golf Team On Its Way to Top 50
Tim Mickelson looks back and laughs, while insisting that there never was a real defining moment of panic in his debut season as the Arizona State men's golf coach. Indeed, if there were any doubts about the 2011-2012 campaign, a year of that saw the Sun Devils plunge to No. 83 in the country…
USGA and R&A Anchoring Ban: The Long and the Short of It
Well, it's official even if it's not going to be over with for at least another two and a half years. And when all is said and done, I'm not sure the U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews might have changed a darned thing. I'm talking about the ban on anchored putting, Rule 14-1b, that was…
Is TPC Scottsdale Renovation Really Worth $15 Million?
Brad Williams has been on the job for just a few months as the new general manager and director of golf at the TPC Scottsdale. For the most part, the former boss at the TPC Boston has been low profile since he assumed the reins from Bill Grove, who retired following the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open…
Why Woods Won't Win the Masters
The Masters is upon us. Doesn't it feel good? After a West Coast Swing that weathered wind, hail and snow, after a Florida campaign that gave us (more) rain and darkness, it's springtime in Augusta, Ga., the home of the Masters. And for the first time in a long time, it really is spring in the South, which is just coming out


Band and orchestra attended a festival Wednesday, April 3 in the Multi-Purpose Room and Performing Arts Center.
Concert band, orchestra, symphonic orchestra and wind ensemble participated in the event, which involved a performance and sight reading, a performance of a piece that the performer has never seen before. A panel of judges assessed the organizations, giving each of them separate scores on both parts of their performance.
The groups played a variety of songs, including "Backstage Pass" by Brian Balmages, "Symphony No. 9" by Antonin Dvorak, "Variations on a Korean Folk Song" by John Barnes Chance and "William Tell Overture" by Gioachino Rossini. Band performed fast-paced contemporary tunes, while orchestra played slower traditional pieces.
In preparation for the festival, musicians rehearsed during their respective class periods, after school and during their own time in order to refine their accuracy, rhythm and volume.


years on Mount Paranal, Chile) can be used to detect the slightly different paths caused by the quantum foam (Figure 15-24b).
lowest size such that the area and volume are quantized as shown in Figure 15-25. In the LQG formulation, the length is not the fundamental attribute. The theory is based on quantized angular momentum, which corresponds to an oriented area element (see an example in "Curvilinear Motion"). Thus the area is more fundamental than the length. There is a nonzero absolution minimum volume about 10-99 cm3, and it restricts the set of larger volumes to a discrete series of numbers. These quantum states are similar to the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. The idea is similar to the macroscopic and microscopic views of matter, for which the continuous apperance gradually changed to an assembly of discrete atoms at small scale.
Description of a quantum of space can be simplified by representing the volume with a dot or node, and the area (enclosing the volume) with a line perpendicular to the face (see Figure 15-26 a and b). The numbers for the node or line (in Figure 15-26 b) indicate the size of the volume or area. In this case, the quantum of the volume has eight units of the cubic Planck length. Figure 15-26 c and d show the connection of two volumes and its representation in nodes and lines. The network in Figure 15-27 shows the connection of many discrete volumes; it is called the "spin network". Particles (real and virtual), such as electrons, correspond to certain types of nodes, which are represented by adding more labels on the nodes. Field, such as the electromagnetic field, are represented by additional labels on the lines of the graph. For example, the eigenvalue of the quantized area, i.e., the link between two nodes and essentially to the total angular momentum (see Figure 15-26c,d), is approximately given by the formula at the bottom of Figure 15-25, where j is an integer or 1/2 integer spin quantum number associated with the link.
shown in Figure 15-27. Time flows not like a river but like the ticking of a clock, with "ticks" that are about as long as the Planck time: 10-43 second. Or, more precisely, time in the universe flows by the ticking of innumerable clocks - in a sense, at every location in the spin network where a quantum "move" takes place, a clock at that location has ticked once. In Figure 15-28, the lines of the spin network become planes, and the nodes become lines. The result is called a spin foam. Taking a slice through a spin foam at a particular time yields a spin network; taking a series of slices at different times (jumping from one dotted line to another) produces frames of a movie showing the spin network evolving in time. The sequence on the right-hand side of Figure 15-28 shows a connected group of three volume quanta merge to become a single one. Figure 15-27 is a computer model of a quantum spacetime, showing the evolution of the spin network. It portrays the strong fluctuation caused by the uncertainty principle.
An important test is whether classical general relativity can be recovered as an approximation to the loop quantum gravity. It has been shown that long-wavelength gravitational waves propagating on otherwise flat space can be described as excitations of specific quantum states in the loop quantum gravity theory. The theory can also reproduce blackhole radiation and the relationship between blackhole's entropy and its surface area.
accumulating during the rays' billion-year voyage. If a burst's gamma rays arrive at Earth in slightly different times according to their energy, that would be evidence for loop quantum gravity (see Figure 15-29a). The GLAST satellite, which is scheduled to be launched in 2005, will have the required sensitivity for this experiment.
In the summer of 2007, it is reported that the MAGIC Gamma-ray Telescope has measured a 4-minute time difference between the arrival of high and low-energy gamma rays released at the same time in a flare from the Markarian 501 galaxy, some half a billion light years away. However, the order seems to be the reverse, it is the lower-energy photons that arrive earlier. Currently in 2009, there are 5 gamma-ray telescopes (Figure 15-29b) scanning the sky across a wide range of energy. In addition, there will be a neutrino observatory at the South Pole to check if distant neutrinos arrive here in equal number of all flavours as predicted by the interaction with quantum foam. Also see "remarkable GRB130427A".
where D is the distance to the source, t is the difference in arrival time corresponding to the difference in photon energy E. Observations of the GRB090510 gamma-ray bursts by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope measured no discernible speed variation in a range of energy from 35 Mev to 31 Gev within the interval 0.50 - 1.45 sec. Since GRB090510 exhibits a red shift of z = 0.9, the corresponding comoving distance is 1.3x1028cm, thus a lower limit of EQG,1 = 1.2 EPlank is obtained from the formula. It means that there is no variation of photon speed with quantum-gravity model involving such energy scale (or inversely involving the smallest unit of length ~ LPlanck/1.2) .
Another possible effect of discrete spacetime involves very high energy cosmic rays. It was predicted that cosmic-ray protons with an energy greater than 3x1019 ev would scatter off the cosmic microwave background that fills space and should therefore never reach the Earth. However, more than 10 cosmic rays with energy over this limit were detected in an experiment called AGASA. It turns out that the discrete structure of space can raise the energy required for the scattering reaction, allowing higher-energy cosmic-ray protons to reach the Earth. If the AGASA observations hold up, and if no other explanation is found, then it may turn out that the discreteness of space has already been detected.
treated as a giant quantum computer which shows that a collections of qubits are far more robust than an individual one. Thus after 20 years, loop quantum gravity finally makes some connection to particle physics.
Loop quantum gravity has opened up a new window to investigate deep cosmological questions such as the origin of the universe. Recent loop quantum gravity calculations indicate that the big bang is actually a big bounce; before the bounce the universe was rapidly contracting. A question of similar profundity concerns the cosmological constant. Recent observations of distant supernovae and the cosmic microwave background strongly indicate that it is associated with a positive energy, which accelerates the universe's expansion. Loop quantum gravity has no trouble incorporating this fact into the theory.
It remains to be shown that classical general relativity is a good approximate description of the loop quantum gravity theory for distances much larger than the Planck length, in all circumstances; and whether special relativity must be modified at extremely high energies (loop quantum gravity indicates that the universal speed of light is only valid for low energy photons). It has been shown already that Newton's law can emerge from quantized space.
Unlike the superstring theory, loop quantum gravity is completely unperturbative and is also background-independent (geometry of spacetime is not fixed), and appears to lead to a pregeometry in which space and time are derived concepts (instead of being a pre-defined entity).
There is no link between the loop quantum theory and the superstring theory. While the supporters of the former stress the shortcoming of relying on a pre-defined space-time frame (in the superstring theory), and thus will not provide an adequate description of gravitation at small scale; the supporters of the superstring theory point out that the interaction between gravitons and other particles is inconsistent in loop quantum theory. It is suggested that both camps perceive only a small aspect of the whole thing - like the blind men and the elephant. It is suggested that string theory and loop quantum gravity are each part of a single theory. Each is correct, in the sense that it describes to a good approximation in a certain limited domain. The string theory is able to provide a framework for the graviton as mode of excitation of a string, while the loop quantum theory prescribes a way to make a background independent theory. Thus, each solves part of the problem. But each also has limits, which prevent it from forming the basis for a complete theory of nature. It is regrettable that physicists work exclusively only in one group or the other, criticizing each other instead of learning from each other.
Application of LQG to cosmology predicts that the universe did not arise from nothing in a Big Bang. Instead it grew from the collapse of a pre-existing universe that bounced back from a very high density state. This model would suppress the production of gravitational waves at cosmological scales, and that there would be no such imprint in the CMBR. See more in Loop Quantum Cosmology.
By 2008, loop quantum gravity is not the only alternative in the quest for an ultimate theory combining general relativity and quantum theory (so-called "theory of everything"). There are at least 4 other scenarios as shown in Table 15-02 below.
Gravity as Thermodynamics - Some research works are purported to link gravity with thermodynamics including Newton's law of gravitation and Einstein's equation. The idea was motivated by the Hawking radiation and the relationship between entropy and area of the event horizon (of a blackhole).
As discussed previously in "Loop Quantum Gravity".
Causal Sets - This theory postulates that the building blocks of space-time are simple mathematical points connected by links pointing from past to future. It predicts an accelerating universe before the discovery of dark energy.
See Table 15-02 above for "Causal Dynamical Triangulations".
Holograpy - The current theory is a variation of the original "Holographic Space-time".
As many next generation physicists tried to reconcile the string and loop-quantum theories starting from around 2011, there are indications pointing to the unification on two-dimensional boundary, which is not located at the edge of the universe but could be on any space-time point. It is likened to checking out the temperature with a thermometer. See a 2017 article on "When Loops Become Strings".
See "Un-relativistic Theory" for a novel formulation of quantum gravity, and the LQG by Lee Smolin.


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Hornets Rumors: Dwight Howard trade factors in big on ESPN's win-loss projection
Dwight Howard - NBA Fumble/ Youtube
ESPN released the win-loss prediction for the Hornets for the 2017-18 NBA regular-season.
by Onchie Ebriega Aguila (article) and Milos Kitanovic (video)
August 4, 2017 at 11:03 AM August 4, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Dwight Howard will be a force in the middle for the Charlotte Hornets this coming season, and NBA analysts have already taken into consideration the impact he will bring for his new team next season. ESPN has just released the win-loss predictions for every NBA teams for the 2017-18 NBA regular-season. The Hornets, who narrowly missed a playoff spot last season, are projected to have a better card this year.
The Dwight Effect
ESPN revealed its real plus/minus projections for the 2017-18 NBA season on Thursday. According to the latest estimates, the Hornets are set to win 44.1 games next season – which is an improvement from last season's 36-46 record and good for no.5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
ESPN's resident analytic Kevin Pelton pointed out Howard's arrival as one of the key factors behind the Hornets improved win-loss projections. Charlotte sorely missed Cody Zeller's inside presence as they went 3-17 for 20 games without their starting center last season. The Hornets addressed that problem after general manager Rich Cho pulled off a trade to acquire Howard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee and the no.41 pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
"The Hornets are primed to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Despite going 36-46 a year ago, Charlotte outscored opponents by 0.2 points per game, which typically would translate to a 41-41 record. Adding Dwight Howard should help Charlotte deal with any Zeller absences this season," per Pelton.
Rebounding and Defense
Howard, who averaged 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game last season, is also expected to address the team's need in rebounding (16th in the league at 43.6 rpg) and defense (13th at 104.7 points allowed per game). Despite admitting that small-ball has significantly reduced his effectiveness in today's game, Howard stressed that he's open to adapt by expanding his range all the way to three-point territory.
Several NBA analysts gave the Hornets a good grade after getting Howard from the Hawks for virtually nothing. Pundits believe head coach Steve Clifford can bring the best out of Howard as an offensive player. Clifford was part of Stan Van Gundy's coaching staff during Howard's time in Orlando Magic, giving him familiarity on how to use the big man's strength.
"I know what he has to do to play well," Clifford said during the press conference introducing Howard as a new member of the Hornets. "He understands that I know him. I know his game. Being around him in different settings I have a feel for what he likes to do... There is no reason he can't get back to playing at a really high level."
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Onchie Aguila is a professional sports and Pop culture writer. He has been covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, and WWE for over 9 years. Onchie previously worked for Associated Press-affiliated site DailyPost (Chicago, Illinois) and served as managing editor for multiple sports media platforms.
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The upcoming small and highly effective SUV 2020 Audi SQ3 was caught on digicam and this time on the Nurburgring monitor. The spy photographs displaying an upcoming mannequin that's coated in black-and-white camo. New 2020 Audi SQ3 is the sports activities model of the favored Germans Q3 SUV. Additionally, from the photographs that we received, yet another mannequin is on the monitor testing on the similar time and from the most recent replace, the phrase is of the RS Q3. This mannequin is extra highly effective and it comes with an engine that gives 400 HP, whereas the brand new within the line SQ3 delivers round 340 HP. 2020 Audi SQ3 Design Updates The enticing small crossover 2020 Audi SQ3 SUV is made on the VW Group's MQB modular-transverse platform. This platform could be very widespread and this SUV shared it with a variety of automobiles from the small and enticing VW Polo to the massive and stronger Atlas SUV. The entrance fascia of the upcoming SQ3 SUV defines the favored grille that additionally sits on the usual model. Nonetheless, this mannequin offers a lot bigger vents at every nook and an aggressive decrease diffuser. Additionally, the rear look is salted with the enticing quad exhaust ideas that give highly effective sound. The SQ3 headling can be nice due to the suspension that's tuned. 2020 Audi SQ3 Modernized Inside With the techy cabin and many area, the 2020 Audi SQ3 is unquestionably ready to rival a lot of the fashions within the BMW line. From the brand new spy photographs, we will clearly see a preferred Digital Cockpit system with a large display screen of 9.2-inch that's positioned between the local weather management system and the air vents. Nonetheless, a lot of the fashions in Audi`s line like TT, A3 or A4 possesses hidden screens that come out of the sprint. The brand new SQ3 mannequin comes with loads of area inside, with two rows of seats this small crossover will place 5 adults comfortably. Additionally, we anticipate stiched leathered seats as a lot of legroom and headroom. 2020 Audi SQ3 Below the Hood The brand new 2020 Audi SQ3 mannequin comes geared up with the turbocharged 2.Zero-liter four-cylinder powertrain. Moreover, the identical engine is underneath the hood of the favored S3 sedan. This engine underneath the sedan mannequin makes 310 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Nonetheless, with the SQ3 this engine is boosted to offer 340 horsepower. With the facility output, this mannequin runs from Zero to 60 mph within the four-second vary. The transmission that's used within the new SQ3 mannequin is seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch. 2020 Audi RS Q3 The producer will even supply extra highly effective mannequin 2020 Audi RS Q3. This one model underneath the hood will maintain the identical 2.5-liter turbo inline five-cylinder as earlier than. The turbo engine within the second-gen mannequin from the most recent data might present round 400 HP. If this data is true, the brand new mannequin will present 33 HP greater than the predecessor. 2020 Audi SQ3 Availability and Value The upcoming 2020 Audi SQ3 is anticipated to debut one yr after the usual mannequin. So, we will anticipate this mannequin to be launched someday on the finish of 2020. As for the worth at this second it`s not but out there. Nonetheless, we will anticipate a barely larger value as a result of this mannequin offers many new options and a lot better security. The worth of the RS Q3 mannequin is reviled and this efficiency model will value round $60,000. The publish New 2020 Audi SQ3 Spied Testing On The Nurburgring appeared first on 2020 / 2021 New SUV.


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Year : 2021 | Volume : 14 | Issue : 12 | Page : 528-542
Methods and parameters of melting curve analysis for identification of Leishmania species: A scoping review
Juliana J G Ferreira1, Fernanda S Nascimento1, Gláucia E B Marcon2, Eros A de Almeida3, Sandra C B Costa1
1 Laboratório de Diagnóstico de Doenças Infecciosas por Técnicas de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, 13083-887, SP, Brazil
2 Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Mato Grosso do Sul (FIOCRUZ MS), Rua Gabriel Abrão, 92, Jardim das Nações, Campo Grande, 79081-746 MS, Brazil
3 Grupo de Estudos em Doença de Chagas, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, 13083-887, SP, Brazil
Juliana J G Ferreira
Laboratório de Diagnóstico de Doenças Infecciosas por Técnicas de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, 13083-887, SP
DOI: 10.4103/1995-7645.332807
Leishmaniasis is a set of diseases with a worldwide distribution that affects mainly economically underprivileged populations in developing countries. It has a major impact on public health, with a global cost of billions of dollars per year. The treatment and control of leishmaniasis vary according to the Leishmania species involved, which require reliable methods for species identification. Since most of the currently used methods have limitations, there is a need for assays that allow rapid, precise identification of the offending species. Real-time polymerase chain reactions in conjunction with dissociation curve analysis have been used to detect differences in the DNA composition of selected genes of Leishmania spp. Kinetoplast DNA is the main molecular target used because of its high copy number per parasite, but other targets have also been studied. As part of an effort to establish melting temperature standards for each target gene, we have reviewed the pertinent literature available in public databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, SciELO and LILACS, using the keywords "Leishmania", "leishmaniasis", "real-time PCR", "melting temperature", and "melting curve", alone or in combination. After applying eligibility criteria, 27 articles were selected for analysis. A considerable variation in the methodologies analyzed was found regarding molecular targets, standardization of the methods, reproducibility and specificity. Because of this, statistical analysis was not performed. In most cases, the methods were able to differentiate the parasite at the subgenus level or few species regardless of the target chosen.
[FULL TEXT] [PDF]*
Ferreira JJ
Nascimento FS
Marcon GE
de Almeida EA
Costa SC
Leishmaniasis; Melting temperature; Real-time PCR
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Einstein was known to say "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" – so to bring simplicity to this topic – leadership visibility is all about conversations!
Why the desire to know more about visibility leadership?
It is quite simple, more people are searching for deeper insight into this topic because of its direct link to staff engagement, to your Net Promoter Scores and to the retention of the right people in the business. Then when you keep the right people, visibility enables greater certainty when building talent bench strength.
Visibility leadership is not just about both internal and external people "seeing" their leaders it is about them seeing their leaders demonstrate the values of the business through their behaviours when managing the performance of people.
When talking to people share what you are really thinking and feeling about the business, your role as a leader and the performance of people within the team.
How do we create visibility in leadership?
It's all about real conversations that leaders engage in with their people to find out what is really happening for them. It is NOT anything like the old "managing by wandering around" leadership theory that far too many leaders remember – where leaders wander the halls saying "hi" to everyone, showing their faces and making sure people "see" them, maybe engaging in "trivial" type conversations that neither person will recall later. This approach brings a certain lack of sincerity and authenticity – it is showy and resulted in bigger facades for the leader!
Visibility in leadership is all about leaders being vulnerable – it has nothing to do with playing "safe" and everything to do with taking the risks of truly connecting with the people in the business.
What benefits does visible leadership create?
To find out more about the nature of these kinds of conversations and more detail about the impacts – give us a call.


A Year 6 boy was approached on their way to school this morning and asked if they wanted to get into a car.
Description given is of a white male with ginger hair, sideburns and squarish glasses, who was driving a black BMW. The child said no and has arrived at school safely. Police are aware.


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Pstrociny są to ciemne cząstki okrywy ziarniaka i cząstki pochodzące z rozdrobnienia nieusuniętych zanieczyszczeń, czyli nasion chwastów i nasion ściemniałych np. wskutek chorób. Pstrociny powstają podczas przemiału np. pszenicy. Duża ilość pstrocin wynika z nieprawidłowo przeprowadzonego przemiału  i nieskutecznego czyszczenia ziarna przed przemiałem. Oznaczanie ilości pstrocin jest pomocne przy oznaczaniu popiołu.

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Gant Liquid's scent is clean and strong but not overpowering. Its versatile scent can be worn any time of day and for any occasion. The unique scent projects confidence to the one whom wears it and attraction from the people around him. It's common for women to compliment me on how "amazing" I smell and they go out of there way to smell my neck. Liquid is attraction in a bottle.


Element Pictures has announced PÁLÁS (formerly Picture Palace ) is now nearing completion and will open to the public in early 2018.
Based at 15 Merchants Road Lower in the heart of Galway city, this much anticipated and truly unique venue will bring an eclectic mix of the best new Irish and international films along with classics, foreign language, animated films, shorts, documentaries, special events, and festivals to a great local cinema going audience in Galway.
Element Cinemas operates the Light House in Smithfield Square, Dublin and, under the direction of Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney, has long been a champion of new and award-winning Irish films.
The cinema, designed by architect Tom de Paor, was initiated, and developed by Solas Galway Picture Palace Teoranta. Financial support for Pálás has been received from Galway City Council, the Department of Arts, Heritage, and Culture, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board, An Comhairle Ealaíon/the Arts Council, The Western Development Commission, Element Pictures, and film and business support from individuals and companies.
Element has worked closely with the design team and the main contractor JJ Rhatigan to oversee the completion of works and to deliver a state-of-the-art contemporary arthouse cinema to Galway.


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NEWS | UNIVERSITY
New regulations lead to 'improved' first Tailgate
Due to new limits on alcohol and the cooperation of student groups, this year's first Tailgate went more smoothly than in previous years.
Photo by Dianna Liu/ The Chronicle | The Chronicle
By Matt Barnett
September 6, 2010 | 4:00am EDT
Lady Gaga and Superman were among the star-studded and beer-drenched Tailgate crowd Saturday.
As per tradition, hundreds of students dressed in ridiculous costumes and spent the afternoon at the popular pregame revelry. This year, however, Duke Student Government established a new set of guidelines for the event, aiming to reduce alcohol waste and abuse, encourage student safety and promote Duke Football.
Duke students received several e-mails detailing the new guidelines during the week leading up to Saturday's event, which took place in the Blue Zone. The new regulations placed limits on the quantity of alcohol students and groups could bring and created a Tailgate Team consisting of DSG staff and group representatives which, like party monitors, facilitated enforcement of Tailgate rules.
Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said the event went better than previous years, thanks to the work of DSG and the Interfraternity Council.
"The groups respected the rules and regulations. The litter also appeared to have improved," she said. "However, the throwing of beer cans needs to stop."
Emergency Medical Services transported one student from the event due to alcohol poisoning, according to Duke University Police Chief John Dailey. Wasiolek added that multiple students reported cuts from the crushed beer cans that carpeted the Blue Zone's asphalt.
Although there were no major incidents at the event, an error in DSG's e-mail to the student body initially led to confusion concerning how students were supposed to bring alcohol into the event. In an e-mail to the student body Aug. 30, DSG set a limit of 30 cases of beer per vehicle. But Wasiolek said the original e-mail was intended to say 30 cases per group—not per car.
In a later e-mail to students, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta clarified that N.C. state law only allows the transporting of 80 liters of beer—equaling approximately nine cases and nine 12-oz cans. Tailgate Team members were instructed to allow three cars per group to transport alcohol in order to avoid violations.
An additional new policy also mandated that individual students could only carry in up to six cans of beer and had to show proper identification.
Chris Brown, DSG vice president for athletics and campus services who was in charge of Tailgate festivities, saw the event as a great success.
"Tailgate was hugely attended, the administration was pleased and students were satisfied," Brown said. "We couldn't have asked for a better Saturday."
Students had the most trouble following the old rules, not the new ones, Brown added. Dancing on cars and the throwing of beer cans, which are prohibited, were major areas of concern.
Brown also acknowledged that the move-in process was rushed and that the procedure will likely be changed before the next Tailgate. Students were not allowed to move cars into the Blue Zone until 2:45 p.m., just 30 minutes before the student body was permitted to walk in.
"We just didn't have enough time, and that's something we're addressing," Brown said.
But many students agreed that the event was a success.
"I thought college was only like this in the movies," said freshman Jacob Tobia, who wore an umbrella hat to stay dry.
'All about the people on the team': Provost Sally Kornbluth reflects on nearly three decades at Duke, transition to MIT presidency
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Duke student Jack Lichtenstein named a finalist in NFL's Big Data Bowl
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Nvision 2008, running at the San Jose Convention Center, is Nvidia's own conference. Focused on visual computing, the conference is a mix of end-user events, technical presentations and general interest sessions focused on the various elements of visual computing.
Ranging from demos of current and almost-shipping games, to very high-end vertical applications, Nvision is a showcase of applications and events revolving around Nvidia's varied product line. Also featured is one of the largest LAN parties on the west coast, with lots of prizes, gamers falling asleep at their computers, and more.
Here are a few of the pictures we snapped wandering around the show.


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Home Media Rights Monitor Federal Government Insists on Policy to Regulate Social Media in Nigeria
Federal Government Insists on Policy to Regulate Social Media in Nigeria
mraadmin
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture
The Federal Government of Nigeria has insisted that there is the need for policy to regulate social media use in Nigeria as, according to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria may "be sitting on a keg of gun powder" and "if we don't regulate social media, it will destroy us."
The Minister made the call for the regulation of social media when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, Ethics and Values on October 27, 2020 with a delegation of his Ministry to defend the Ministry's year 2021 budget.
Responding to questions from the committee members on how fake news and misinformation were used to aggravate the #EndSARS protest and what government can do to forestall re-occurrence, Alhaji Mohammed said: "We need a social media policy that will regulate what should be said and posted and what should not," and "We also need technology and resources to dominate our social media space."
He noted that social media is the platform of choice for those who propagate fake news adding, the #EndSARS protest was mobilised with the aid of social media while fake news and misinformation were used to fuel the peaceful protest to precipitate chaos and as a result, there is an urgent need for a national policy to curb its excesses and misuse.
He underscored the need for the deployment of resources to acquire relevant technology that would enable the government to dominate and control the nation's social media platforms.
Citing China and Ethiopia as examples, the Minister said: "If you go to China, you cannot get google, Facebook or Instagram but you can only use your email because they have made sure that it is regulated."
"In June this year, there was a riot in Ethiopia when a popular musician was killed. What Ethiopia did to curtail the crisis that followed was to shut down the social media for two days, even when Ethiopia hosts the AU," the Minister added.
Alhaji Mohammed said that the government foresaw the danger of fake news and hate speech as far back as 2017, he said "We saw as far back as 2017 that the next epidemic that will hit Nigeria and the entire world is fake news and misinformation," and that based on that it dedicated an entire National Council on Information meeting in Jos to the issue. He said thereafter the Ministry launched a national campaign on fake news on July 11, 2018, where it stressed that the next war will be fought without a shot being fired but with the use fake news.
He said the government did not stop there but went on a tour of all media houses seeking their support against fake news and also launched a campaign to regulate the social media which he said "was bitterly contested by the stakeholders."
He noted that social media and fake news have been used for negative effects saying it was used to escalate farmers-herdsmen clashes and that during the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, they were also used to stoke violence.
The House of Representatives, however, warned against clamping down on free speech and press freedom. A member of the Committee, Hon. Emmanuel Oghene, warned against any attempt to shut down the social media in the country, saying the action will be counter-productive and would make the youths to believe that there is an attempt to truncate democracy in the country. He said it will be wrong to always look at the negative sides of the social media at all times without mentioning the good side.
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