text:
\section{Introduction}
Novel single photon detectors based on MPGD
technologies~\cite{upgrade} have
been developed for the upgrade
of the RICH-1 detector~\cite{rich1} of
the COMPASS~\cite{compass} experiment at
CERN SPS. They have been installed during the 2015-2016
Winter shut-down of the SPS and operated during
the 2016 and 2017 COMPASS data taking.
\section{Requirements}
The requirements for the High Voltage
(HV) system
originate from the architecture of the
novel detectors,  consisting
in a hybrid MPGD arrangement
(Fig.~\ref{fig:hybrid}):
two layers of THick GEMs
(THGEM)~\cite{thgem}, the first one
also acts as a reflective
photocathode (its top face is coated
with a CsI film), are
coupled to a MicroMegas (MM)~\cite{mm}
on a pad segmented
anode. The MM is resistive by an
original implementation making use of discrete elements:
HV is applied to the anode
pads, each one  protected
by an individual resistor, while the
signals are collected from a second
set of pads, parallel to the first ones,
embedded in the anode PCB
where the signal is transferred by
capacitively coupling
(Fig.~\ref{fig:resistiveMM}).
The detectors are operated
with a gas mixture Ar~:~CH$_4$~=~50~:~50, selected for
optimal extraction of the photoelectrons from the
converting CsI film to the gaseous atmosphere~\cite{rich1}.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{hybridscheme.pdf}
\end{center}
\caption{\label{fig:hybrid}
Sketch of the hybrid single photon detector (image not to scale).}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{resistiveMM.pdf}
\end{center}
\caption{\label{fig:resistiveMM}
The resistive MM by discrete elements. (a) Sketch illustrating the principle by the exploded view of the PCB layers: the blue pad is the anode electrode of the MM; the red pad is embedded in the PCB and the signal is transferred from the blue to the red pad by capacitive coupling. (b) The principle is illustrated by the electrical scheme: the top elements of the capacitors are the pad forming the MM anode (blue pad in (a)), the bottom elements of the capacitors (red pad in (a)) are connected to the front-end electronics. (c) Picture of the MM anode PCB, front view. (d) Picture of the MM anode PCB, rear view, detail: the connectors serving 48 pads are grouped together; the signal connectors and the resistor arrays connectors can be seen.}
\end{figure}
\par
For what concerns the active multipliers, namely THGEMs and
MM gaps, each 600$\times$600~mm$^2$ detector is formed by two
600$\times$300~mm$^2$ units arranged side
by side within a single
detector (Fig.s~\ref{fig:mm-picture},
\ref{fig:detector-thgem-picture}), while the
protection and drift wire planes are in
common for the two units.
\begin{figure}
  \begin{minipage}[b]{0.4\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{mm-picture.pdf}    \caption{\label{fig:mm-picture}
    Picture, taken during the detector construction,
of two MM units arranged in a detector.}
  \end{minipage}
  \hfill
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.4\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{detector-thgem-picture.pdf}
\caption{\label{fig:detector-thgem-picture}
Picture, taken during the detector construction,
of two THGEMs arranged in a detector. The 12
physical segments of each THGEM are visible.}
\end{minipage}
\end{figure}
\par
The typical voltages applied to the detector electrodes are
(with reference to electrodes as indicated in
Fig.~\ref{fig:hybrid}): protection wires at -300~V,
drift wires at -3400~V, THGEM~1, top at -3200~V,
THGEM~1, bottom at -2000~V,
THGEM~2, top at -1700~V, THGEM~2, bottom at -500~V,
mesh grounded
and anode at +600~V.
\section{The high voltage distribution scheme and the high voltage system}
The protection and drift wires are powered by a
power supply channel each.
\par
The THGEM plates are physically segmented
in 12 longitudinal segments
with area 24$\times$600~mm$^2$
(Fig.~\ref{fig:detector-thgem-picture}).
Concerning power supply, six segments of the
top (bottom) face, corresponding to an area of
180$\times$600~mm$^2$ referred to as a "sector"
in the following, are powered
by a single individual supply
channel, where the voltage is distributed
to the individual segments according
to the scheme shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:thgem-hv}.
The resistors and fast diodes in series with each
segment aim at suppressing the cross-talk of the
voltage swing when a discharge affects one of the segments.
\par
The distribution scheme of the power to the MM pads
is shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:resistiveMM}~(b)
and two power supply channels
per unit are used, each one supplying 2450 pads;
this area corresponds to that of a sector:
from the power supply point of view, each detector,
formed by two units, is powered by sectors,
two per unit and, therefore,
four per chamber.
\par
The preservation of the correct electric field configuration
at the lateral detector edges, where the detector frames are
very near to the active elements in order to minimize
the dead area between adjacent detectors,  imposes
to preserve the field shape by
the presence of two auxiliary
electrodes at the two lateral sides of the detector frames,
corresponding to further four supply channels per detector.
\par
In total, the supply system for the four detector set includes
more than 100 channels. Commercial power supply units
by CAEN~\footnote{CAEN S.p.A.,
Via della Vetraia, 11, 55049 Viareggio, Lucca, Italy}
are used.
THGEMs are powered by
A1561HDN 12 channel units, capable of voltage supply up to
-6~kV and current monitor with 50~pA resolution, fully
satisfactory for our application; MMs are supplied by
A7030DP 12-channel units, with maximum voltage of +3~kV and
2~nA resolution of the current monitor; this resolution is
marginal respect to our needs and the off-set of the current
monitor is unstable. The power supply units are housed in two
main frame type SY 4527, one placed near the top detectors and
one placed near the bottom ones to minimize the HV cable, which is  5~m.
\par
HV channel setting within a detector is
highly correlated, making the correct manual operation
a complex and risky task. Therefore, a custom-made
control system has been  realized; it is written in
C++ making use of the wxWidgets library
and designed so to comply with the COMPASS
experiment slow control system. The reference HV values are
accompanied by individual "OwnScale" of each channel to make
fine-tuning for gain uniformity easier. An autodecrease HV
algorithm is implemented to protect the detectors
in case of a too high current spark rate. The voltage and
current monitored by the power supply are logged at 1 Hz rate.
The voltages are continuously corrected on the base of the
measured environmental parameters, namely temperature and
pressure, in order to preserve the detector gain stability.
The correction algorithm is the result of dedicated
laboratory tuning exercises:
\begin{equation}
V(P,T) = V_0  (1+0.5  (P/P_0 \cdot T_0/T -1 ))
\end{equation}
where V is the voltage, P is the absolute pressure in mbar,
T is the temperature in degrees Kelvin
and V$_0$, T$_0$ and P$_0$
refer to reference conditions.
\par
The control system is completed by a GUI interface
for user access.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{thgem-hv.pdf}
\end{center}
\caption{\label{fig:thgem-hv}
Scheme of the voltage distribution to six THGEM segments of the top (bottom) face.}
\end{figure}
\section{The electrical performance of the the novel MPGD-based photon detectors of COMPASS RICH-1}
No HV-level trip has been observed at the supply
channels over about
seven months of operation, thanks to the  schemes
adopted for the HV distribution. Current sparks are present,
corresponding to temporary discharges. The stability of the
voltage from the supply guarantees that only a portion of the
detector is affected, namely, a physical segment in case of
THGEMs and a pad area in case of MMs. The recovery time,
monitored via the current information, is $\lesssim$10~s for
current sparks in THGEM and about 1-2~s in MMs. Sparks
in the two THGEMs are 100\% correlated. All the observed
sparks in MMs are accompanied by sparks in THGEMs
and not vice versa, suggesting that they are induced by misbehaviors in THGEMs.
\par
Sparks rates, typically not exceeding
20/h in total
for the four novel detectors,
do not exhibit a remarkable dependence on
the beam intensity
(Fig.~\ref{fig:spark-rate}). Sparks correlated in time have
been observed for THGEM segments, also when they are not
contiguous. These observations suggest that a major source of
the observed sparks are cosmic rays that, occasionally, can
produce relevant ionization in these detectors which are
oriented almost vertically.
\par
Three sectors have exhibited weaker electrical stability
during the first year of operation of the novel detector,
corresponding to almost 20\% of the active surface.
The observations about the current spark correlations
suggest that they are related to THGEM regions with weaker
performance. Therefore,
a dedicated measurement campaign was performed in the
2016-2017 Winter shut-down of the SPS, to identify, within
each single sector, the weak segments in order to supply them
separately and move the weak performance to smaller
areas: a segment represent only 1\% of the total active area.
THGEM 1 and THGEM2 of each detector have been studied
separately. Each segment of the THGEM under study was
separately powered at increasing voltages, in a sequence of
10-minute steps. The spark-rate was measured, segment by
segment during the step and the voltage was decreased, instead
of increasing it, if the number of sparks was exceeding 5.
The voltage and current parameters were logged and the
exercise extended for a few consecutive days for each THGEM.
The total time that a segment could stand a given voltage,
the number of sparks versus voltage and the spark rate at
given voltage  were used to monitor the
segment quality and they have provided consistent indications,
from which the weak segments have been identified.
A single weak segment was identified in the THGEMs used as THGEM 1,
in spite of the presence of the CsI coating and, more
in general, these THGEMs could stand higher
voltage than the THGEMs used as THGEM 2. This unexpected outcome can be related
to the extra preparatory processes
required to use a THGEM as photocathode
substrate: Ni-Au coating and one more cleaning step.
In total 10 weak segments were identified and separately
powered, corresponding to 10\% of the total active surface.
\par
A few local shorts have developed over months of operation in the MM gaps. They affect single, isolated pads, they are observed through an increase of the supply current and could not be removed by the application of reversed bias. We do not know the cause. After seven months of operation the observed rate is 1 per mil.
\par
The detector gain has been observed over
periods of months by
analyzing the collected data. The gain is extracted from the
amplitude spectrum of the signals generated by the single
photoelectrons; it is stable at about the 5\% level apart
in a single sector, for which further investigation is ongoing.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{spark-rate.pdf}
\end{center}
\caption{\label{fig:spark-rate}
Spark rate versus beam intensity for the 16 sectors of the
four chambers.}
\end{figure}
\section{Conclusions}
In spite of the complexity of hybrid MPGDs,  the
HV system with sophisticated control, that we have
implemented, guarantees safety operation,
the collection of the
information required for understanding and monitoring
the detector behavior and their satisfactory
electrical stability at gains around 15~k, a
non-trivial
achievement considering that, so far,
all MPGDs operate in experiment at gain below 10~k.
\\
\par
\textbf{ACKNOWLEDGMENT}
\par
The activity is partially supported by the H2020 project
AIDA2020 GA no. 654168.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Hooters Against Misogyny: The Paradox of Femen(ism)
By Aaron D. Wolf
First came the whirlwind Pussy Riot American tour. And now the Boobish Invasion continues, with the Eastern European "topless sextremists" known as Femen threatening to descend on the United States like a Satanic Swedish Bikini Team.
The picture that accompanies this article in Tina Brown's Daily Beast is a little "NSFW," and the interview that follows is not safe for common sense. But the gist of it is that these breast-baring babes are already looking beyond their current protests in Ukraine to expand their market in the United States. Apparently urinating publicly on head shots of Viktor Yanukovych has finally grown stale.
And after all, there is so much to piss on in the United States, which these vyches still regard as a Christian nation in need of liberation. Thus the threat of brute excretory force, as summed up so succinctly in this pull-quote from Femen spokeshuman Inna Shevchenko: "I can't tolerate such an intolerant thing as religion."
Inna, you'll recall, is the twentysomething who, wearing only short-shorts and black boots, chainsawed down (also NSFW) a memorial crucifix in Kiev that had been erected to honor victims of a 1930's famine orchestrated by Stalin. This act of desecration (her "Trash Prayer") was meant to protest Pussy Riot's two-year prison sentence for "hooliganism driven by religious hatred"—a result of PR's own act of desecration, self-dubbed a "Punk Prayer."
This paradox remains: Through public and deliberately sensual nudity, Femen sexually objectifies women while claiming to protest the sexual objectification of women. A far cry from the national geographical images of feminist days gone by, these "protestors" are hardly "transforming the sexist point of view of naked a woman's body," as Inna so eloquent did speeched. They are only cementing the barbarian instinct to view women as chattel, an instinct that, despite feminist rhetoric, the very Church they protest and hate has stood against ever since the days of Her Founder.
This paradox has not been lost on Pussy Riot. When Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina appeared on stage with American has-been erotic pop star Madonna during their American tour, six current members of "the band" back in Mother Russia denounced them and said that they are no longer members of Pussy Riot, as the two have yielded to the "personality cult" and performed in the form of "traditional entertainment" with "expensive tickets": "All this is an extreme contradiction of the very principles of the Pussy Riot collective," declared collectivists Garadja, Fara, Shaiba, Cat, Seraphima, and Schumacher.
For these protestors of intolerance, there can be no tolerance shown to those who protest intolerance under false pretenses. That is, unless the offending parties return to Russia and get whipped by a crazed Cossack in Sochi while being videotaped and photographed. Or is that too personality-cultish?
Aaron D. Wolf
Aaron D. Wolf (1973-2019) was Chronicles' executive editor. His writings have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. He was a frequent guest on Issues, Etc. (Lutheran Public Radio) and The Paul Youngblood Show (nta.fm), and has appeared on several other radio programs, including The Tom Clark Show (Wisconsin Public Radio) and Extension 720 With Milt Rosenberg (WGN).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
News to Know
Sungrazing Comet for Christmas
by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell on December 15, 2012
Sungrazing comet promises a great show for Christmas 2013.
SOTT.net: "Next Year's 'Brightest Comet in Modern Times' To Be 'Once in a Civilization' Event"
Because sungrazing comets closely approach the fiery heat of our sun, they tend to put on a great show. Much of their ice melts to leave a magnificent tail of dust and gas visible from earth. Discovered on September 21, 2012, by astronomers at Russia's International Scientific Optical Network observatory and confirmed by additional observations, the sungrazing comet C/2012 S2 (ISON) is streaking toward our sun. It is set to swing within 1.16 million miles of it in the weeks before Christmas 2013. The comet should reach its closest point (perihelion) on November 28, 2013.
The painting on the left, by the 17th century Dutch painter Atlas van Stolk, depicts the famous comet of 1680. The nighttime view of it on the right was drawn by a contemporary English observer. The comet was bright enough to be visible during the day. Image credit: www.jwwerner.com.
Notice in this painting of the 1680 comet over Rotterdam by Lieve Verschuier that many observers held a Jacob's Staff (Cross-staff), an instrument ordinarily used in navigation to determine latitude by measuring the height of the North Star above the horizon. Perhaps the people were attempting to determine the comet's altitude or to estimate the length of its tail. Image credit: www.jwwerner.com.
Experts predict the Christmas comet, which has yet to actually acquire a nickname, will rival the Great Comet of 1680. That comet frightened many people but delighted Sir Isaac Newton, who saw the comet as a way to observationally confirm his theories of gravitation on a truly grand scale. Newton, a Bible-believer who believed God created an orderly universe, saw the hand of God manifested in his discoveries. Newton, one of the greatest scientists of all time, soon afterward published his theory of gravitation in Principia Mathematica. He was able to include this comet as an observable example supporting his theories.1
Contemporary reports of the 1680 comet include many eyewitness accounts in writing and in art. In his book The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America, John Fiske describes observations of the comet by the Dutch settlers of Manhattan:
At first it was tailless and dim, like a nebulous cloud, but at the end of a week the tail began to show itself and in a second week had attained a length of 30 degrees; in the third week it extended to 70 degrees, while the whole mass was growing brighter. After five weeks it seemed to be absorbed into the intense glare of the sun, but in four days more it reappeared like a blazing sun itself in the throes of some giant convulsion and threw out a tail in the opposite direction as far as the whole distance between the sun and the earth.2
Astronomy Now is predicting this sungrazer's arrival will be "a once-in-a-civilization's-lifetime event."
Astronomy Now is predicting this sungrazer's arrival will be "a once-in-a-civilization's-lifetime event." The best views in the Northern Hemisphere are expected to be those as the comet blooms during its approach to the sun, and astronomers predict the bright visitor to our sky could appear brighter than a full moon.3 By the day after Christmas, it should be 39,000,000 miles from earth.4 It should remain visible to the naked eye until mid-January 2014.5 Also expected in 2013 is Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), set to show up in March, but the Christmas comet should outshine it.6
The Scientific American article describing the comet and reprinted on numerous websites opens with the words, "As it flares out of the distant Oort Cloud . . . ." As with the comet expected in March, this comet's current path is typical of the path that would be expected in a comet originating from the hypothetical comet birthplace. Doubtless these words are merely an introductory comment by the journalist, as the Oort cloud has never actually been observed.
The Oort cloud was hypothesized as a birthplace for long-period comets, for if the solar system were really as old as currently conventional cosmology claims, such comets would have fizzled long ago. The ne'er-been-observed Oort cloud is supposed to be located at the outer reaches of our sun's gravitational influence. Astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner of University of South Carolina Lancaster, who will soon be joining the full-time staff of Answers in Genesis, says,
This sungrazer comet has an orbit that's virtually parabolic, as near as we can tell. That means that its orbital path extends very far out from the sun, which, if the Oort cloud exists, would be in the region of the Oort cloud. However, more than 25 years ago the late Carl Sagan observed that there is no direct evidence that the Oort cloud exists. The situation hasn't changed since then. I'm looking forward to this comet. Its orbit is very similar to the great comet of 1680. If this comet behaves in even a remotely similar manner to that comet, we will be in for quite a show.
The year 2013 promises to be a great year for observing stellar events. It will also be a good time to remember that these comets could not survive for millions of years. As the time of their appearance draws close, we will surely see the appearance of "educational" programs with convincing computer graphics explaining the Oort cloud origin for such comets. Children at school will learn about comets—for the sky will be a great place for all to observe—and they also will hear about the Oort cloud as if its existence were documented. But we should remember that the only reason to propose the existence of the Oort cloud—which has additional problems you can read about at "More Problems for the 'Oort Comet Cloud'"—was to explain how these fascinating comets could exist in a universe billions of years old. Their very existence, however, is consistent with a young creation as described in the Bible.
The Tale of a Comet
More Problems for the 'Oort Comet Cloud'
Sir Isaac Newton (1642/3–1727)
A Comet's Tale
Nemesis Comet Most Likely a Myth
Comets Had a Role In Forming Earth's Oceans, Study Shows
Dinosaur Killer
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Sir Isaac Newton, Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, book III prop. 41 as described by editor in penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/_Topics/history/_Texts/FISDQC/11*.html#note1
John Fiske, The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin: 1903), penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/_Topics/history/_Texts/FISDQC/11*.html#note1
P. Grego, "New Comet Might Blaze Brighter Than the Full Moon," AstronomyNow, September 25, 2012, http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1209/25comet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2012_S1 report from "JPL Close-Approach Data: C/2012 S1 (ISON)" ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2012S1;cad=1#cad
Grego, "New Comet."
Taking Back Astronomy$16.99
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Readers Comments – Dogs in the Classroom: A Novel Teaching Assistant?
We are very interested in hearing about your experiences and views on dogs in the classrooms. If you have any comments, anecdotes, or questions please post these in this page.
I am a a member of a pastoral team based in a primary school also a Thrive practioner. I work with pupils ranging from 4yrs -11yrs. For the last 4yrs I have been involved with the charity dogs helping kids based in North Devon. Currently a member of DHK and her dog a Labradoodle come into school once a week and work with a group of around 6-8 children. I can not express in words how amazing this has been and the difference Teazel the Labradoodle has made to the whole school. Dogs helping kids use highly trained dogs and all dogs are assessed regularly by qualified dog trainers. Any dog that becomes an officilal DHK dog has spent 18/24 months in training and has to pass many assessments. Teazel works with children who have behavioural issues also children who lack in confidence and self-esteem or children who may have social and emotional difficulties.
What have we seen- motivated children, improved behaviours, self-esteem and confidence grown, a calming affect, keen and eager children who are now focused and enthusiastic about attending school. Speech and language improvement, knowledge and understanding of all living things. Improvement with reading abilities. Parents linking theiir childs improvement in learning with working alongside Teazel. I could go on and on. Teazel makes you smile and when the children see her they instantly beam, she and her owner Gail are a very important part of our school and the work achieved so far has been astonishing. On a daily basis I work alongside children who have many issues it could be behavioural or emotional and at times these children can be quite distressed but bring in Teazel and you see an instant change in their face in their emotions and how they act. The dogs have an awesome calming effect and really make the kids feel great.
Four years on and I now have my own dog Honey a Goldendoodle, she comes into work with me three times a week. Our school saw the impact Teazel being in the school for just an hour a week had and we decided that we could offer more intervention to more children having a dog who attends school more often. Honey is currently doing her training with DHK so does not work in group sessions as yet but works with me on a 1-1 basis. Honey has been in school since she was 4months old so has grown up with the children and as the school as her secound home. She is now 14months old and has passed all training to date.
My name is Lucia and I am the SENCo at Kirkstone House Junior School in LIncolnshire. At present we do not offer animal therapy or animal care courses in school, however I do bring my dogs into school to see the pupils. They are standard size long-haired Chihuahuas – Rufus and Milo.
I have noticed that one child in particular who has severe difficulties with self-regulation of emotions can remain calm and peaceful when Rufus sits on her lap. Another child has a speech impediment and is reluctant to read aloud. I asked to read to Milo last week and she appeared less self-conscious.
We have a high number of children in school with ASD and I have decided to informally introduce the dogs (on the curriculum) on a weekly basis and start a new reading programme to see if our slower readers become more fluent.
I am the Lead Teacher at Hope House, a school for children and young people with autism. Last summer we opened our Animal Unit where we provide animal care courses and animal therapies for our students. We recently began trialing 'reading to dogs', which has been extremely successful with students of all ages.
One 15 year old boy, who refused to engage with books, now reads regularly to Honey, our resident Labrador. He often reads for 40 minutes at a time and his confidence, fluency and enthusiasm for books has improved dramatically. He also has the benefit of extra sensory feedback therapy as the dog insists on draping herself over the boy's legs as he reads!
Most of our students, who can display very challenging behaviour, spend their transition time at the start of each day in the Animal Unit where they feed, muck out , groom, or sometimes just sit and interact with a dog. The routines and interactions lead to a very calm, ordered start to their school day. If a student becomes anxious or has a behavioural 'wobble', then we often use the Animal Unit as a distraction. After spending some time stroking a guinea pig or grooming a donkey, their anxiety levels reduce and they are able then to carry on with their learning.
Our Animal Unit has made a major impact on the lives and learning of many of our students, a fact that was recognised and praised by OFSTED!
Poppet a labradoodle has been coming into our school since she was 6 months old. She is a friendly face for all the students, inspiration for others and a calming influence for some with behavioral challenges. Poppet also works as an effective distraction with pupils not realising activities around her is often also work!
We have had 'Poppet', a labradooddle coming to into school everyday since she was 6 months old. She is a friendly face for all the students and provides inspiration for some and a calming influence for others with behavioral challenges. Poppet also works as a distraction so many pupils do not realise activities around Poppet is work!


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Photographer Miro Švolík is a pivotal figure of so called Slovak new wave, which was a photographic movement, that stormed Prague photographic scene in the eighties. The resolution with which they entered photographic field was mainly related to a change of perception of photographic medium influenced by post-modernistic era. Post modernism was preceded by strong currents of documentary and conceptual work that addressed social and political reality of normalisation period. Post modernistic photography of the eighties is stripping of all it's predecessor political commentary. It's opposing seventies' photography in both content and formula. Simply said; photography wanted to become something different at that point. Being different meant not to comment tangible reality around us but to create it's own world full of stories, myths, ideas and visions.


Visual Studio Code>Extension Packs>Griko Nibras Extension PackNew to Visual Studio Code? Get it now.
All my installed VS Code extension, now available as an extension pack.
View settings.json for using my configuration. Or view package.json for the full list.


text:
FrogHeart
Commentary about nanotech, science policy and communication, society, and the arts
Acknowledging the folks who supported my S.NET 2012 work
Donations and thank yous
Tag Archives: The Conversation France
May/June 2017 scienceish events in Canada (mostly in Vancouver)
I have five* events for this posting
(1) Science and You (Montréal)
The latest iteration of the Science and You conference took place May 4 – 6, 2017 at McGill University (Montréal, Québec). That's the sad news, the good news is that they have recorded and released the sessions onto YouTube. (This is the first time the conference has been held outside of Europe, in fact, it's usually held in France.) Here's why you might be interested (from the 2017 conference page),
The animator of the conference will be Véronique Morin:
Véronique Morin is science journalist and communicator, first president of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) and serves as judge for science communication awards. She worked for a science program on Quebec's public TV network, CBCRadio-Canada, TVOntario, and as a freelancer is also a contributor to -among others- The Canadian Medical Journal, University Affairs magazine, NewsDeeply, while pursuing documentary projects.
Let's talk about S …
Holding the attention of an audience full of teenagers may seem impossible… particularly on topics that might be seen as boring, like sciences! Yet, it's essential to demistify science in order to make it accessible, even appealing in the eyes of futur citizens.
How can we encourage young adults to ask themselves questions about the surrounding world, nature and science? How can we make them discover sciences with and without digital tools?
Find out tips and tricks used by our speakers Kristin Alford and Amanda Tyndall.
Kristin Alford
Dr Kristin Alford is a futurist and the inaugural Director of MOD., a futuristic museum of discovery at the University of South Australia. Her mind is presently occupied by the future of work and provoking young adults to ask questions about the role of science at the intersection of art and innovation.
Internet Website
Amanda Tyndall
Over 20 years of science communication experience with organisations such as Café Scientifique, The Royal Institution of Great Britain (and Australia's Science Exchange), the Science Museum in London and now with the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Particularly interested in engaging new audiences through linkages with the arts and digital/creative industries.
A troll in the room
Increasingly used by politicians, social media can reach thousand of people in few seconds. Relayed to infinity, the message seems truthful, but is it really? At a time of fake news and alternative facts, how can we, as a communicator or a journalist, take up the challenge of disinformation?
Discover the traps and tricks of disinformation in the age of digital technologies with our two fact-checking experts, Shawn Otto and Vanessa Schipani, who will offer concrete solutions to unravel the true from the false..
Shawn Otto
Shawn Otto was awarded the IEEE-USA ("I-Triple-E") National Distinguished Public Service Award for his work elevating science in America's national public dialogue. He is cofounder and producer of the US presidential science debates at ScienceDebate.org. He is also an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, best known for writing and co-producing the Academy Award-nominated movie House of Sand and Fog.
Vanessa Schipani
Vanessa is a science journalist at FactCheck.org, which monitors U.S. politicians' claims for accuracy. Previously, she wrote for outlets in the U.S., Europe and Japan, covering topics from quantum mechanics to neuroscience. She has bachelor's degrees in zoology and philosophy and a master's in the history and philosophy of science.
At 20,000 clicks from the extreme
Sharing living from a space station, ship or submarine. The examples of social media use in extreme conditions are multiplying and the public is asking for more. How to use public tools to highlight practices and discoveries? How to manage the use of social networks of a large organisation? What pitfalls to avoid? What does this mean for citizens and researchers?
Find out with Phillipe Archambault and Leslie Elliott experts in extrem conditions.
Philippe Archambault
Professor Philippe Archambault is a marine ecologist at Laval University, the director of the Notre Golfe network and president of the 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity. His research on the influence of global changes on biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems has led him to work in all four corners of our oceans from the Arctic to the Antarctic, through Papua New Guinea and the French Polynesia.
Leslie Elliott
Leslie Elliott leads a team of communicators at Ocean Networks Canada in Victoria, British Columbia, home to Canada's world-leading ocean observatories in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Audiences can join robots equipped with high definition cameras via #livedive to discover more about our ocean.
Science is not a joke!
Science and humor are two disciplines that might seem incompatible … and yet, like the ig-Nobels, humour can prove to be an excellent way to communicate a scientific message. This, however, can prove to be quite challenging since one needs to ensure they employ the right tone and language to both captivate the audience while simultaneously communicating complex topics.
Patrick Baud and Brian Malow, both well-renowned scientific communicators, will give you with the tools you need to capture your audience and also convey a proper scientific message. You will be surprised how, even in Science, a good dose of humour can make you laugh and think.
Patrick Baud is a French author who was born on June 30, 1979, in Avignon. He has been sharing for many years his passion for tales of fantasy, and the marvels and curiosities of the world, through different media: radio, web, novels, comic strips, conferences, and videos. His YouTube channel "Axolot", was created in 2013, and now has over 420,000 followers.
Brian Malow
Brian Malow is Earth's Premier Science Comedian (self-proclaimed). Brian has made science videos for Time Magazine and contributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson's radio show. He worked in science communications at a museum, blogged for Scientific American, and trains scientists to be better communicators.
I don't think they've managed to get everything up on YouTube yet but the material I've found has been subtitled (into French or English, depending on which language the speaker used).
Here are the opening day's talks on YouTube with English subtitles or French subtitles when appropriate. You can also find some abstracts for the panel presentations here. I was particularly in this panel (S3 – The Importance of Reaching Out to Adults in Scientific Culture), Note: I have searched out the French language descriptions for those unavailable in English,
Organized by Coeur des sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Animator: Valérie Borde, Freelance Science Journalist
Anouk Gingras, Musée de la civilisation, Québec
Text not available in English
[La science au Musée de la civilisation c'est :
• Une cinquantaine d'expositions et espaces découvertes
• Des thèmes d'actualité, liés à des enjeux sociaux, pour des exposition souvent destinées aux adultes
• Un potentiel de nouveaux publics en lien avec les autres thématiques présentes au Musée (souvent non scientifiques)
L'exposition Nanotechnologies : l'invisible révolution :
• Un thème d'actualité suscitant une réflexion
• Un sujet sensible menant à la création d'un parcours d'exposition polarisé : choix entre « oui » ou « non » au développement des nanotechnologies pour l'avenir
• L'utilisation de divers éléments pour rapprocher le sujet du visiteur
Les nanotechnologies dans la science-fiction
Les objets du quotidien contenant des nanoparticules
Les objets anciens qui utilisant les nanotechnologies
Divers microscopes retraçant l'histoire des nanotechnologies
• Une forme d'interaction suscitant la réflexion du visiteur via un objet sympatique : le canard de plastique jaune, muni d'une puce RFID
Sept stations de consultation qui incitent le visiteur à se prononcer et à réfléchir sur des questions éthiques liées au développement des nanotechnologies
Une compilation des données en temps réel
Une livraison des résultats personnalisée
Une mesure des visiteurs dont l'opinion s'est modifiée à la suite de la visite de l'exposition
Résultats de fréquentation :
• Public de jeunes adultes rejoint (51%)
• Plus d'hommes que de femmes ont visité l'exposition
• Parcours avec canard: incite à la réflexion et augmente l'attention
• 3 visiteurs sur 4 prennent le canard; 92% font l'activité en entier]
Marie Lambert-Chan, Québec Science
Capting the attention of adult readership : challenging mission, possible mission
Since 1962, Québec Science Magazine is the only science magazine aimed at an adult readership in Québec. Our mission : covering topical subjects related to science and technology, as well as social issues from a scientific point of view. Each year, we print eight issues, with a circulation of 22,000 copies. Furthermore, the magazine has received several awards and accolades. In 2017, Québec Science Magazine was honored by the Canadian Magazine Awards/Grands Prix du Magazine and was named Best Magazine in Science, Business and Politics category.
Although we have maintained a solid reputation among scientists and the media industry, our magazine is still relatively unknown to the general public. Why is that ? How is it that, through all those years, we haven't found the right angle to engage a broader readership ?
We are still searching for definitive answers, but here are our observations :
Speaking science to adults is much more challenging than it is with children, who can marvel endlessly at the smallest things. Unfortunately, adults lose this capacity to marvel and wonder for various reasons : they have specific interests, they failed high-school science, they don't feel competent enough to understand scientific phenomena. How do we bring the wonder back ? This is our mission. Not impossible, and hopefully soon to be accomplished. One noticible example is the number of reknown scientists interviewed during the popular talk-show Tout le monde en parle, leading us to believe the general public may have an interest in science.
However, to accomplish our mission, we have to recount science. According to the Bulgarian writer and blogger Maria Popova, great science writing should explain, elucidate and enchant . To explain : to make the information clear and comprehensible. To elucidate : to reveal all the interconnections between the pieces of information. To enchant : to go beyond the scientific terms and information and tell a story, thus giving a kaleidoscopic vision of the subject. This is how we intend to capture our readership's attention.
Our team aims to accomplish this challenge. Although, to be perfectly honest, it would be much easier if we had more resources, financial-wise or human-wise. However, we don't lack ideas. We dream of major scientific investigations, conferences organized around themes from the magazine's issues, Web documentaries, podcasts… Such initiatives would give us the visibility we desperately crave.
That said, even in the best conditions, would be have more subscribers ? Perhaps. But it isn't assured. Even if our magazine is aimed at adult readership, we are convinced that childhood and science go hand in hand, and is even decisive for the children's future. At the moment, school programs are not in place for continuous scientific development. It is possible to develop an interest for scientific culture as adults, but it is much easier to achieve this level of curiosity if it was previously fostered.
Robert Lamontagne, Université de Montréal
Since the beginning of my career as an astrophysicist, I have been interested in scientific communication to non-specialist audiences. I have presented hundreds of lectures describing the phenomena of the cosmos. Initially, these were mainly offered in amateur astronomers' clubs or in high-schools and Cégeps. Over the last few years, I have migrated to more general adult audiences in the context of cultural activities such as the "Festival des Laurentides", the Arts, Culture and Society activities in Repentigny and, the Université du troisième âge (UTA) or Senior's University.
The Quebec branch of the UTA, sponsored by the Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS), exists since 1976. Seniors universities, created in Toulouse, France, are part of a worldwide movement. The UdeS and its senior's university antennas are members of the International Association of the Universities of the Third Age (AIUTA). The UTA is made up of 28 antennas located in 10 regions and reaches more than 10,000 people per year. Antenna volunteers prepare educational programming by drawing on a catalog of courses, seminars and lectures, covering a diverse range of subjects ranging from history and politics to health, science, or the environment.
The UTA is aimed at people aged 50 and over who wish to continue their training and learn throughout their lives. It is an attentive, inquisitive, educated public and, given the demographics in Canada, its number is growing rapidly. This segment of the population is often well off and very involved in society.
I usually use a two-prong approach.
• While remaining rigorous, the content is articulated around a few ideas, avoiding analytical expressions in favor of a qualitative description.
• The narrative framework, the story, which allows to contextualize the scientific content and to forge links with the audience.
Sophie Malavoy, Coeur des sciences – UQAM
Many obstacles need to be overcome in order to reach out to adults, especially those who aren't in principle interested in science.
• Competing against cultural activities such as theater, movies, etc.
• The idea that science is complex and dull
• A feeling of incompetence. « I've always been bad in math and physics»
• Funding shortfall for activities which target adults
How to reach out to those adults?
• To put science into perspective. To bring its relevance out by making links with current events and big issues (economic, heath, environment, politic). To promote a transdisciplinary approach which includes humanities and social sciences.
• To stake on originality by offering uncommon and ludic experiences (scientific walks in the city, street performances, etc.)
• To bridge between science and popular activities to the public (science/music; science/dance; science/theater; science/sports; science/gastronomy; science/literature)
• To reach people with emotions without sensationalism. To boost their curiosity and ability to wonder.
• To put a human face on science, by insisting not only on the results of a research but on its process. To share the adventure lived by researchers.
• To liven up people's feeling of competence. To insist on the scientific method.
• To invite non-scientists (citizens groups, communities, consumers, etc.) to the reflections on science issues (debate, etc.). To move from dissemination of science to dialog
Didier Pourquery, The Conversation France
[Depuis son lancement en septembre 2015 la plateforme The Conversation France (2 millions de pages vues par mois) n'a cessé de faire progresser son audience. Selon une étude menée un an après le lancement, la structure de lectorat était la suivante
Pour accrocher les adultes et les ainés deux axes sont intéressants ; nous les utilisons autant sur notre site que sur notre newsletter quotidienne – 26.000 abonnés- ou notre page Facebook (11500 suiveurs):
1/ expliquer l'actualité : donner les clefs pour comprendre les débats scientifiques qui animent la société ; mettre de la science dans les discussions (la mission du site est de « nourrir le débat citoyen avec de l'expertise universitaire et de la recherche »). L'idée est de poser des questions de compréhension simple au moment où elles apparaissent dans le débat (en période électorale par exemple : qu'est-ce que le populisme ? Expliqué par des chercheurs de Sciences Po incontestables.)
Exemples : comprendre les conférences climat -COP21, COP22 – ; comprendre les débats de société (Gestation pour autrui); comprendre l'économie (revenu universel); comprendre les maladies neurodégénératives (Alzheimer) etc.
2/ piquer la curiosité : utiliser les formules classiques (le saviez-vous ?) appliquées à des sujets surprenants (par exemple : « Que voit un chien quand il regarde la télé ? » a eu 96.000 pages vues) ; puis jouer avec ces articles sur les réseaux sociaux. Poser des questions simples et surprenantes. Par exemple : ressemblez-vous à votre prénom ? Cet article académique très sérieux a comptabilisé 95.000 pages vues en français et 171.000 en anglais.
3/ Susciter l'engagement : faire de la science participative simple et utile. Par exemple : appeler nos lecteurs à surveiller l'invasion de moustiques tigres partout sur le territoire. Cet article a eu 112.000 pages vues et a été republié largement sur d'autres sites. Autre exemple : appeler les lecteurs à photographier les punaises de leur environnement.]
Here are my very brief and very rough translations. (1) Anouk Gingras is focused largely on a nanotechnology exhibit and whether or not visitors went through it and participated in various activities. She doesn't seem specifically focused on science communication for adults but they are doing some very interesting and related work at Québec's Museum of Civilization. (2) Didier Pourquery is describing an online initiative known as 'The Conversation France' (strange—why not La conversation France?). Moving on, there's a website with a daily newsletter (blog?) and a Facebook page. They have two main projects, one is a discussion of current science issues in society, which is informed with and by experts but is not exclusive to experts, and more curiosity-based science questions and discussion such as What does a dog see when it watches television?
Serendipity! I hadn't stumbled across this conference when I posted my May 12, 2017 piece on the 'insanity' of science outreach in Canada. It's good to see I'm not the only one focused on science outreach for adults and that there is some action, although seems to be a Québec-only effort.
(2) Ingenious—a book launch in Vancouver
The book will be launched on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at the Vancouver Public Library's Central Branch (from the Ingenious: An Evening of Canadian Innovation event page)
Ingenious: An Evening of Canadian Innovation
Thursday, June 1, 2017 (6:30 pm – 8:00 pm)
Gov. Gen. David Johnston and OpenText Corp. chair Tom Jenkins discuss Canadian innovation and their book Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier and Happier.
Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
INGENIOUS : HOW CANADIAN INNOVATORS MADE THE WORLD SMARTER, SMALLER, KINDER, SAFER, HEALTHIER, WEALTHIER, AND HAPPIER
350 West Georgia St.
VancouverV6B 6B1
Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level
I do have a few more details about the authors and their book. First, there's this from the Ottawa Writer's Festival March 28, 2017 event page,
To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, Governor General David Johnston and Tom Jenkins have crafted a richly illustrated volume of brilliant Canadian innovations whose widespread adoption has made the world a better place. From Bovril to BlackBerrys, lightbulbs to liquid helium, peanut butter to Pablum, this is a surprising and incredibly varied collection to make Canadians proud, and to our unique entrepreneurial spirit.
Successful innovation is always inspired by at least one of three forces — insight, necessity, and simple luck. Ingenious moves through history to explore what circumstances, incidents, coincidences, and collaborations motivated each great Canadian idea, and what twist of fate then brought that idea into public acceptance. Above all, the book explores what goes on in the mind of an innovator, and maps the incredible spectrum of personalities that have struggled to improve the lot of their neighbours, their fellow citizens, and their species.
From the marvels of aboriginal invention such as the canoe, snowshoe, igloo, dogsled, lifejacket, and bunk bed to the latest pioneering advances in medicine, education, philanthropy, science, engineering, community development, business, the arts, and the media, Canadians have improvised and collaborated their way to international admiration. …
Then, there's this April 5, 2017 item on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) news online,
From peanut butter to the electric wheelchair, the stories behind numerous life-changing Canadian innovations are detailed in a new book.
Gov. Gen. David Johnston and Tom Jenkins, chair of the National Research Council and former CEO of OpenText, are the authors of Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier and Happier. The authors hope their book reinforces and extends the culture of innovation in Canada.
Test your knowledge of these life-changing Canadian inventions
"We started wanting to tell 50 stories of Canadian innovators, and what has amazed Tom and myself is how many there are," Johnston told The Homestretch on Wednesday. The duo ultimately chronicled 297 innovations in the book, including the pacemaker, life jacket and chocolate bars.
"Innovations are not just technological, not just business, but they're social innovations as well," Johnston said.
Many of those innovations, and the stories behind them, are not well known.
"We're sort of a humble people," Jenkins said. "We're pretty quiet. We don't brag, we don't talk about ourselves very much, and so we then lead ourselves to believe as a culture that we're not really good inventors, the Americans are. And yet we knew that Canadians were actually great inventors and innovators."
'Opportunities and challenges'
For Johnston, his favourite story in the book is on the light bulb.
"It's such a symbol of both our opportunities and challenges," he said. "The light bulb was invented in Canada, not the United States. It was two inventors back in the 1870s that realized that if you passed an electric current through a resistant metal it would glow, and they patented that, but then they didn't have the money to commercialize it."
American inventor Thomas Edison went on to purchase that patent and made changes to the original design.
Johnston and Jenkins are also inviting readers to share their own innovation stories, on the book's website.
I'm looking forward to the talk and wondering if they've included the botox and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) stories to the book. BTW, Tom Jenkins was the chair of a panel examining Canadian research and development and lead author of the panel's report (Innovation Canada: A Call to Action) for the then Conservative government (it's also known as the Jenkins report). You can find out more about in my Oct. 21, 2011 posting.
(3) Made in Canada (Vancouver)
This is either fortuitous or there's some very high level planning involved in the 'Made in Canada; Inspiring Creativity and Innovation' show which runs from April 21 – Sept. 4, 2017 at Vancouver's Science World (also known as the Telus World of Science). From the Made in Canada; Inspiring Creativity and Innovation exhibition page,
Celebrate Canadian creativity and innovation, with Science World's original exhibition, Made in Canada, presented by YVR [Vancouver International Airport] — where you drive the creative process! Get hands-on and build the fastest bobsled, construct a stunning piece of Vancouver architecture and create your own Canadian sound mashup, to share with friends.
Vote for your favourite Canadian inventions and test fly a plane of your design. Discover famous (and not-so-famous, but super neat) Canadian inventions. Learn about amazing, local innovations like robots that teach themselves, one-person electric cars and a computer that uses parallel universes.
Imagine what you can create here, eh!!
You can find more information here.
One quick question, why would Vancouver International Airport be presenting this show? I asked that question of Science World's Communications Coordinator, Jason Bosher, and received this response,
YVR is the presenting sponsor. They donated money to the exhibition and they also contributed an exhibit for the "We Move" themed zone in the Made in Canada exhibition. The YVR exhibit details the history of the YVR airport, it's geographic advantage and some of the planes they have seen there.
I also asked if there was any connection between this show and the 'Ingenious' book launch,
Some folks here are aware of the book launch. It has to do with the Canada 150 initiative and nothing to do with the Made in Canada exhibition, which was developed here at Science World. It is our own original exhibition.
So there you have it.
(4) Robotics, AI, and the future of work (Ottawa)
I'm glad to finally stumble across a Canadian event focusing on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the future of work. Sadly (for me), this is taking place in Ottawa. Here are more details from the May 25, 2017 notice (received via email) from the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC),
CSPC is Partnering with CIFAR {Canadian Institute for Advanced Research]
The Second Annual David Dodge Lecture
Join CIFAR and Senior Fellow Daron Acemoglu for
the Second Annual David Dodge CIFAR Lecture in Ottawa on June 13.
June 13, 2017 | 12 – 2 PM [emphasis mine]
Fairmont Château Laurier, Drawing Room | 1 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON
Along with the backlash against globalization and the outsourcing of jobs, concern is also growing about the effect that robotics and artificial intelligence will have on the labour force in advanced industrial nations. World-renowned economist Acemoglu, author of the best-selling book Why Nations Fail, will discuss how technology is changing the face of work and the composition of labour markets. Drawing on decades of data, Acemoglu explores the effects of widespread automation on manufacturing jobs, the changes we can expect from artificial intelligence technologies, and what responses to these changes might look like. This timely discussion will provide valuable insights for current and future leaders across government, civil society, and the private sector.
Daron Acemoglu is a Senior Fellow in CIFAR's Insitutions, Organizations & Growth program, and the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Tickets: $15 (A light lunch will be served.)
You can find a registration link here. Also, if you're interested in the Canadian efforts in the field of artificial intelligence you can find more in my March 24, 2017 posting (scroll down about 25% of the way and then about 40% of the way) on the 2017 Canadian federal budget and science where I first noted the $93.7M allocated to CIFAR for launching a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
(5) June 2017 edition of the Curiosity Collider Café (Vancouver)
This is an art/science (also known called art/sci and SciArt) that has taken place in Vancouver every few months since April 2015. Here's more about the June 2017 edition (from the Curiosity Collider events page),
Collider Cafe
8:00pm on Wednesday, June 21st, 2017. Door opens at 7:30pm.
Café Deux Soleils. 2096 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC (Google Map).
$5.00-10.00 cover at the door (sliding scale). Proceeds will be used to cover the cost of running this event, and to fund future Curiosity Collider events. Curiosity Collider is a registered BC non-profit organization.
#ColliderCafe is a space for artists, scientists, makers, and anyone interested in art+science. Meet, discover, connect, create. How do you explore curiosity in your life? Join us and discover how our speakers explore their own curiosity at the intersection of art & science.
Ela Kurowska (photographer and biochemist)
Dave Ng (geneticist, science literacy academic, and faculty at UBC)
Wesley Raley (candymaker at Wishing Treats, food industry consultant)
Germana Barata (science communication researcher)
Vincent van Haaff (multimedia artist)
The event will start promptly at 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm). $5.00-10.00 (sliding scale) cover at the door. Proceeds will be used to cover the cost of running this event, and to fund future Curiosity Collider events. Curiosity Collider is a registered BC non-profit organization.
*I changed 'three' events to 'five' events and added a number to each event for greater reading ease on May 31, 2017.
This entry was posted in innovation, robots, science communication, Technology, Vancouver and tagged aboriginal invention, AI, Amanda Tyndall, Anouk Gingras, art/sci, art/science, artificial intelligence, Axolot, BlackBerrys, Bovril, Brian Malow, bunk bed, Canada, Canadian Institute of Advanced Research, Canadian Science Policy Centre, canoe, chocolate bars, CIFAR, CNC, Coeur des sciences, Collider Cafe, CSPC, Curiosity Collider, Curiosity Collider Cafe, Daron Acemoglu, Dave Ng, David Johnston, Didier Pourquery, dogsled, Edinburgh International Science Festival, Ela Kurowska, electric wheelchair, FactCheck.org, Germana Barata, Henry Woodward, humor, igloo, Ingenious, Ingenious: An Evening of Canadian Innovation, Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter Smaller Kinder Safer Healthier Wealthier and Happier, International Conference on Science Communication 2017, Internationales de la Culture Scientifique Technique et Industrielle 2017, Jason Bosher, Kristin Alford, L'exposition Nanotechnologies : l'invisible révolution, labour force, Laval University, Leslie Elliott, lifejacket, Lightbulbs, liquid helium, Made in Canada, Made in Canada; Inspiring Creativity and Innovation, Maria Popova, Marie Lambert-Chan, Mathew Evans, McGill University, MOD., MOD. futuristic museum of discovery Australia, Montréal, Musée de la civilisation (Québec), Notre Golfe network, Ocean Networks Canada, OpenText, Ottawa, Pablum, pacemaker, Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Patrick Baud, peanut butter, Phillipe Archambault, Quebec, Québec Science, Québec Science Magazine, Robert Lamontagne, robotics, SciArt, Science & You, Science and You, Science World, Science World at Telus World of Science, ScienceDebate.org, Second Annual David Dodge Lecture, Senior's University, Shawn Otto, snowshoe, Sophie Malavoy, The Conversation France, Thomas Edison, Tom Jenkins, Universite de Montreal, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Université du troisième âge (UTA), University of South Australia, Valérie Borde, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Vanessa Schipani, Véronique Morin:, Vincent van Haaff, Wesley Raley, Why Nations Fail, Wishing Treats on May 30, 2017 by Maryse de la Giroday.
The Conversation: Australia's highly successful academic news blog comes to Canada
Since it was launched in Australia in 2011, The Conversation.com, an academic blog that's all dressed up, has enjoyed rising success. The writing is crisp and strives to interest and educate its audience without bogging down in extraneous detail or jargon. (I am glad to note that they have decided to be more open with copyright than they were initially. These days their essays have creative commons licences.) After launching a number of offshoots (The Conversation Africa, The Conversation France, The Conversation UK, and the The Conversation UK), Canada joins the crew.
From a Sept. 9, 2016 University of British Columbia (UBC) news release (received via email; Note: Links have been removed),
UBC journalism professors have been awarded approximately $200,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to support the launch of a national version of the globally successful non-profit academic journalism site, TheConversation.com.
Alfred Hermida and Mary Lynn Young, both former journalists, are working with the Melbourne-based media organization to develop The Conversation Canada with funding from SSHRC's highly competitive Partnership Development Grant. This new national media outlet will unlock the expertise of the Canadian research sector and share it with the widest possible audience.
Since its 2011 launch in Australia, The Conversation has expanded to an increasingly global knowledge network, with editions in the UK [the UK is comprised of four countries, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England], the US, France and Africa [this is a continent with somewhere between 54 and 56 countries depending on who's counting]. [Note: This pedantic segue will seem more relevant in a subsequent paragraph.] The Conversation has a monthly audience of 3.3 million unique visitors, with a reach of 35 million.
"Scholars at Canadian universities have a lot to contribute globally through The Conversation network," said Alfred Hermida, director of the UBC School of Journalism and a former BBC journalist of 16 years. "News organizations around the country are under intense financial pressure and we believe Canadians, the university sector and the media can all benefit from a new national source of expert analysis."
Written by 40,000 academics and researchers worldwide and edited by 90 experienced journalists, The Conversation offers informed, insightful and independent analysis and commentary, as well as breaking news from scholars and researchers. The site is published under Creative Commons licensing, which allows mainstream media outlets like The Washington Post, CNN, The Guardian, Macleans, ABC (Australia), BBC and others to re-publish its content.
"We are looking forward to the launch of the new Canadian service, which will be our sixth [?] country [emphasis mine] to launch," said The Conversation's editor-in-chief, Andrew Jaspan. "The Conversation's independent, trusted content service will, I hope, play an important role in providing informed content to support better public debate and decision-making."
There are 333 Canadian scholars currently registered with The Conversation's global network, with Canada representing The Conversation's fourth-largest readership. Currently, though, Canadian users mostly visit The Conversation's U.S. edition as to date there is no Canadian site.
The Canadian team includes veteran science journalist Penny Park [emphasis mine] and Zoe Tennant who has a background in both journalism and academic research. The team is working on securing the support of Canada's major universities to partner on the launch of an English-language version of The Conversation Canada.
They have joined forces with The Conversation France to facilitate the participation of Francophone scholars in Canada, and are working on a longer-term strategy to support the development of a French-language version of The Conversation Canada.
I'm mildly surprised to see Penny Park associated with this project since she seemed hesitant about blogs when I spoke to her in 2012. She was and is the executive director of the Science Media Centre of Canada. (I had been invited to join [remotely] a press conference for the Council of Canadian Academies' report 'The State of Science and Technology in Canada 2012' being hosted by the Science Media Centre of Canada [SMCC] which refused to give me access. At the time she agreed to give me credentials [I think being credentialed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science worked in my favour] for the SMCC and I would have been the first blogger to achieve that status. In the end, I did get access to that one press conference but never did get credentialed by the SMCC.)
You can find the The Conversation (Australia) here and the Science Media Centre of Canada here. I wish The Conversation Canada venture good luck!
This entry was posted in science communication and tagged Alfred Hermida, Andrew Jaspan, Canada Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Mary Lynn Young, Penny Park, SSHRC, The Conversation, The Conversation Africa, The Conversation Canada, The Conversation France, The Conversation UK, The Conversation US, UBC, Unvierstiy of British Columbia, Zoe Tennant on October 12, 2016 by Maryse de la Giroday.
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You still watch & enjoy 'Heroes'? They ruined that show a long time ago in my and a lot of people's minds. It's a shame.
^ Yes sir. Yes sir indeed. Love Cheryl.
Guess the writers took my advice and got rid of the rest of the family.
an episode about road head.
^ Hahaha, that was fantastic!!!
People love Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer!
HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm saw their best ratings in 5 years after drawing in 1.6 million viewers for the fake Seinfeld "reunion." If you include the replay at 10 p.m., they had 2.6 million viewers for the whole night.
The episode featured Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards playing themselves as Larry David plans a Seinfeld reunion show for NBC. You know, the whole "show-within-a-show" concept.
good eps these past few weeks.
they still have, it they ask if larry started writing it.
Man, I've been seriously lagging on the new season. I've recorded the past two new episodes, but have yet to see them for some reason. I need to get my Larry David fix going again.
& also, whether Larry admits it or not, he is a Laker fan. He goes to a ton of games. Here's just one pic of him at one with Spike.
I've only seen I think the first 4 episodes so far...I need to catch up as well!
Larry David was on the George Lopez 'Lopez Tonight' show the other night and it was revealed that he was 63% European (Jewish), but 37% Native American and it's no joke. I never would've thought that.
By the way, I thought they did a great job the other day with the Kramer (Michael Richards) mockery of the racist tirade thing.
Here is possibly the best news I can imagine seeing on a rainy Monday morning: At a recent Curb Your Enthusiasm panel, Reuters reports that Larry David said "I think there's a pretty good chance" he'll do another season of his HBO series. "Not definite yet, but we're working on some stuff," he added. It's never a sure thing that LD will decide to keep going with Curb — and if he'd wanted to end on the Costanzan high note of last year's brilliant season 7, I wouldn't have blamed him. But this is so much better.
LD is pure genius! So glad it's back. I hope it never ends, but sadly, someday it will. I love that quote by the way, LD, hilarious as always.
Curb has got to be my fave comedy show of all time ! Someone needs to make a smiley of the larry david eye stare thing he does.


Global investment manager Cohen and Steers renovated their headquarters at 280 Park Avenue. The project included their boardroom, client meeting rooms, video teleconference rooms, and reception area. The project team, headed by LB Architects, included several members who previously worked on Cohen and Steers' office fit-out, including the partners of Longman Lindsey whose acoustical expertise was requested.
Our work included a survey of the existing acoustical environment—designed by the same project team a decade ago—and used the results to develop design criteria for the renovated space. The inclusion of new technology was discussed in conjunction with the Cohen and Steers' privacy and aesthetic goals to arrive at suitable design solutions. Our services included reviewing renovation plans with regards to partitions, door details, and finishes. We also reviewed plans for mechanical systems and equipment and HVAC equipment to provide a suitably quiet environment for the boardroom and meeting room spaces.


text:
Q: How to downgrade base with cabal? I'm trying to install a program called clanki on Windows 10. In it's installation doc it says to use 'cabal install clanki'. I downloaded cabal, then ghc. Now I run into a version problem for the package base.
$ cabal install clanki
Resolving dependencies...
cabal.exe: Could not resolve dependencies:
trying: clanki-1.2.7 (user goal)
next goal: base (dependency of clanki-1.2.7)
rejecting: base-4.9.0.0/installed-4.9... (conflict: clanki => base<=4.9.0)
rejecting: base-4.9.0.0, base-4.8.2.0, base-4.8.1.0, base-4.8.0.0,
base-4.7.0.2, base-4.7.0.1, base-4.7.0.0, base-4.6.0.1, base-4.6.0.0,
base-4.5.1.0, base-4.5.0.0, base-4.4.1.0, base-4.4.0.0, base-4.3.1.0,
base-4.3.0.0, base-4.2.0.2, base-4.2.0.1, base-4.2.0.0, base-4.1.0.0,
base-4.0.0.0, base-3.0.3.2, base-3.0.3.1 (constraint from non-upgradeable
package requires installed instance)
Dependency tree exhaustively searched.

So clanki requires base to be older than 4.9 (stack says this more clearly than cabal), and I then would like to downgrade base to 4.8.2.0. When I try ghc-pkg unregister base, it doesn't allow me. Not even with --force:
$ ghc-pkg unregister base --force
unregistering would break the following packages: xhtml-3000.2.1 Win32-2.3.1.1 transformers-0.5.2.0 time-1.6.0.1 template-haskell-2.11.0.0 process-1.4.2.0 pretty-1.1.3.3 hpc-0.6.0.3 hoopl-3.10.2.1 haskeline-0.7.2.3 ghci-8.0.1 ghc-boot-th-8.0.1 ghc-boot-8.0.1 ghc-8.0.1 filepath-1.4.1.0 directory-1.2.6.2 deepseq-1.4.2.0 containers-0.5.7.1 Cabal-1.24.0.0 bytestring-0.10.8.1 binary-0.8.3.0 array-0.5.1.1 (ignoring)

As I mentioned, I tried also with stack, but in the end it also comes down to the wrong version of base. How can I downgrade this package?

A: You can't. base is fixed to the GHC install; the only way to get a different version is to install an older compiler, i.e. GHC-7.10. stack would automatically do that for you, but I wouldn't be sure if that's the best solution.
Likely enough, the package will actually work with GHC-8.0; in fact the constraint base <= 4.9.0 indicates that it should. That constraint doesn't make a lot of sense since it only allows the pre-first subrevision; it should probably really be base < 4.10.
So the best thing would be to download the source from github, where base does in fact not have the upper bound, and install it from the local folder with cabal install. If that works, notify the author to relax the bound on Hackage.
If it doesn't compile in GHC-8.0, again the best thing would be to make it work by editing the source and then file a pull request.
Alternatively, I'd then resort to stack for installing the package with an older GHC. To do this, get the source code with the base < 4.9 constraint (you need to insert that in the github code), and run stack setup, stack init and stack install.

A: According to @leftroundabout's answer, the upper bound on base in this package is bogus. In such a case, or simply if you feel bold, you can instruct cabal to ignore upper bounds on dependencies with the appropriate option:
cabal install clanki --allow-newer=base

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