text:
Quantum-coherent energy transfer: implications for biology and new energy technologies
Kavli Royal Society Centre, Chicheley Hall, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ
Organised by Dr Alexandra Olaya-Castro, Dr Ahsan Nazir and Professor Graham Fleming FRS
Evidence that photosynthetic systems are capable of supporting quantum-coherent energy transport at high temperatures has generated controversy over the implications of such phenomena for biology and applications. This meeting will bring together leading scientists from photosynthesis, quantum information, and organic-polymer based research to discuss far-reaching consequences of these quantum effects in the design of novel, robust and efficient energy technologies.
Download the programme here
Biographies and audio recordings are available below.
Select an organiser for more information
Professor Alexandra Olaya-Castro, University College London (UCL), UK
Dr Ahsan Nazir, Imperial College London, UK
Professor Graham Fleming FRS, University of California Berkeley, USA
Membership status unknown
No primary institution
Alexandra Olaya-Castro earned a DPhil in Physics from the University of Oxford in 2006 and subsequently obtained a Junior Research Fellowship at Trinity College, University of Oxford. In 2008 she moved to University College London with an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellowship. She became a Lecturer in 2011, was promoted to Reader in 2015 and became a Professor of Physics in 2018. Her research interests are focused on theoretical approaches to bridge quantum science and biophysics. She is a leading expert in the area of quantum effects in biomolecules and her theoretical contributions to this field made her the recipient of the 2016 Maxwell Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics in London.
Ahsan Nazir is an Imperial College Junior Research Fellow in the Quantum Information Theory Group at Imperial College London. His primary research interests are based around understanding the delicate interplay of quantum coherence and noise in open quantum systems. In particular, he has developed and applied open system models in a number of areas, including both solid-state quantum information processing and quantum biology. He received his D.Phil in 2004 from the University of Oxford, for theoretical work on schemes for quantum information processing in semiconductor nanostructures. He then held Research Fellowships at Griffith University, Brisbane, and University College London, before joining Imperial College in January 2011. Back to list
Graham Fleming is Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a leading expert in Ultrafast Spectroscopy and its application to chemical, biological and material systems. He has had an extensive career in administrative positions including Vice Chancellor for Research (UC Berkeley) and Deputy Laboratory Director (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). He has published more than 525 papers, is a member of the National Academy of Science, the American Philosophical Society, a fellow of the Royal Society, the American Academy of Arts and Science and a Foreign fellow of the Indian National Science Academy.
Schedule of talks
5 talks Show detail Hide detail
Show speakers
Coherence effects in photosynthetic light harvesting
Audio recording (mp3)
Charge generation from excitons in molecular semiconductors
Professor Sir Richard Friend FREng FRS, University of Cambridge, UK
Richard Friend holds the Cavendish Professorship of Physics at the University of Cambridge. His research encompasses the physics, materials science and engineering of carbon-based semiconductors, particularly polymers. His research advances have shown that these have significant applications in LEDs, solar cells and FETs. These findings have been important both for fundamental science, because they reveal new regimes and models for semiconductor behaviour, and for real applications that have been developed and exploited through a number of university spin-off companies. The first of these, Cambridge Display Technology, now part of the Sumitomo Chemical Company, developed fully printable organic LEDs for use in high resolution displays that are now commercialized and used in current OLED displays. His current research interests are directed to novel schemes – including ideas inspired by recent insights into Nature's light harvesting – that seek to understand and improve the performance and cost of solar cells.
Fundamental aspects of electronic energy transfer
Professor Robert Silbey, MIT, USA
Bob Silbey is the Class of '42 Professor of Chemistry at MIT, where he has taught and done research for the past 44 years. He did his Ph.D. research at the University of Chicago, a postdoctoral year at the University of Wisconsin before joining the MIT faculty. Silbey's theoretical research has been concerned with problems having to do with electronic energy transport in solids: exciton energy levels, transport, spectral lineshapes, and phonon scattering. In the past decade, he has also been interested in the description of both single molecule spectroscopy and ultra-fast spectroscopy. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the Royal Society of Chemistry. For recreation, he sails his 34' sailboat in the waters off Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
Quantum Information science meets Biology
Professor Martin Plenio, Ulm, Germany
Martin Plenio, born in 1968, received his Diploma and Doctorate in Physics from the Göttingen University in 1992 and 1994 respectively. In 1995 he moved to the group of Prof. Sir Peter Knight FRS at Imperial College London as a Feodor Lynen Fellow of the Humboldt Foundation, became a Lecturer at Imperial College in 1998 and a Full Professor there in 2003. In 2009 he accepted the award of an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship to move to Ulm University, Germany. In 2012 he received an ERC Synergy grant to conduct research Diamond Quantum Devices and Biology. His research covers quantum information and quantum technology, quantum optics and the application of these methods to the exploration of quantum effects in biology.
Understanding excited state dynamics using quantum control tools
Professor Valeria Kleiman, University of Florida, USA
Biography not yet available
Coherent multidimensional optical spectroscopy of excitons with classical fields and entangled photons
Professor Shaul Mukamel, University of California Irvine, USA
Shaul Mukamel, currently the Chancellor Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, received his Ph.D. in 1976 from Tel Aviv University. Following postdoctoral appointments at MIT and the University of California, Berkeley, he has held faculty positions at Rice University, the Weizmann Institute, and the University of Rochester. He is the recipient of the Sloan, Dreyfus, Guggenheim, and Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist award, the OSA Lippincort Award and the APS Plyler Award for Molecular Spectroscopy. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America. His interests focus on developing computational techniques for the design of novel ultrafast laser pulse sequences for probing electronic and vibrational dynamics in molecules. Biophysical applications include folding and dynamical fluctuations in proteins, hydrogen bonding, long-range electron and energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes, and signatures of chirality. Other areas are attosecond x-ray spectroscopy, excitons in semiconductor nanostructures, many-body effects in quantum optics. He is the author of over 650 publications in scientific journals and the textbook, Principles of Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy (Oxford University Press, 1995).
Photosynthesis and how to convert solar energy into fuels
Professor Richard Cogdell FRS, University of Glasgow, UK
Professor Richard Cogdell FRS is the Hooker Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, where he is also Deputy Head of The College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. He has worked in the area of photosynthesis research for more than 30 years and is an expert on the light reactions of photosynthesis.
Quantum coherence and quantum transport in photosynthetic antenna complexes
Professor Greg Engel, University of Chicago, USA
Greg Engel received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1999 and completed his doctoral work at Harvard University in 2004. At Harvard, he studied atmospheric chemistry with Professor Jim Anderson. In 2005, he moved to UC Berkeley at a Miller Postdoctoral Fellow and worked with Graham Fleming's group to study ultrafast dynamics of photosynthetic energy transport. In collaboration with the Fleming group, Engel worked on the initial experiments demonstrating quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems. In 2007, Engel moved to the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor where his group studies the dynamics and control of excited state reactivity.
Theory of energy transfer beyond perturbative treatments
Professor Yoshitaka Tanimura, Kyoto University, Japan
Yoshitaka Tanimura received his Ph.D. under the guidance of Professor Ryogo Kubo at Department of Physics from Keio University in 1989. He was at the University of Illinois and the University of Rochester as a postdoctoral fellow of Professor Peter G. Wolynes and Professor Shaul Mukamel, respectively. Then he spent nine years as associate professor at the Institute for Molecular Science before joining the faculty at Kyoto University in 2003. Research in his group is broadly concerned with the dynamic theory of processes of chemical interest in condensed matter. He developed theoretical descriptions and simulation methods based on the reduced hierarchy equations of motion and path integral formulation to investigate tunneling phenomena, electron transfer reactions, and ultrafast nonlinear optical spectroscopy of molecular system in condensed-phase and biological systems. Based upon one of his expressions, he proposed high order multidimensional vibrational spectroscopy in 1993. This spectroscopy gives direct information on the anharmonic motions of molecules and provides a unique probe of quantum dynamics in condensed phase. This work stimulated an entirely new field of spectroscopy.
Transport and entanglement in model systems of photosynthesis
Dr Markus Tiersch, University of Innsbruck, Austria
The quantum Goldilocks principle
Professor Seth Lloyd, MIT, USA
Seth Lloyd was the first person to develop a realizable model for quantum computation and is working with a variety of groups to construct and operate quantum computers and quantum communication systems. Dr. Lloyd's interests include the application of information theory to physical systems, quantum coherence in photosynthesis, and the characterization of complex systems. He is the author of over a hundred scientific papers, and of `Programming the Universe,' (Knopf, 2004). Dr. Lloyd is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, and an adjunct faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute. He is currently the director of the W.M. Keck Center for Extreme Quantum Information Theory (xQIT) at MIT.
Excitation dynamics in polymers
Professor Laura Herz, University of Oxford, UK
Laura Herz is a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow at Brasenose College. She received her PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge in 2002 and was a Research Fellow at St John's College Cambridge from 2001 to 2003 after which she moved to Oxford. Her research interests lie in the area of organic and organic/inorganic hybrid semiconductors including aspects such as self-assembly, nano-scale effects, energy-transfer and light-harvesting for solar energy conversion.
The role of electronic couplings in excitation energy transfer processes of various molecular assemblies
Professor Dongho Kim, Yonsei University, Korea
Dongho Kim received his B.S. (1980) from Seoul National University and Ph.D. (1984) from Washington University. After postdoctoral research at Princeton University, he joined the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (1986). In 2000, he moved to Yonsei University as a Professor of Chemistry. He received the Scientist of the Month Award (1999), the Sigma-Aldrich Award (2005), the Korea Science Award in Chemistry (2006), and the Star Faculty Award (2006) and was selected as the Underwood Professor at Yonsei University (2007). Since 2002, he has been a fellow of The Korea Academy of Science and Technology. Currently, he is leading the Center for Smart Nano-Conjugates through the World Class University Program. His research activity is focused on the experimental investigation of pi-conjugated molecular systems such as porphyrin, pyrene, perylenebisimide, thiophene, and their assemblies with particular interest in excitation dynamics both in ensemble and at single-molecule level. He has coauthored more than 300 articles and about 15 reviews in journals and book publication.
Lessons from nature about solar light-harvesting
Professor Gregory Scholes, University of Toronto, Canada
Greg Scholes is the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University and Director of the Energy Frontier Research Center BioLEC (Bio-inspired Light-Escalated Chemistry). Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he later undertook postdoctoral training at Imperial College London and University of California Berkeley. He started his independent career at the University of Toronto (2000 - 2014) where he was the D.J. LeRoy Distinguished Professor Dr Scholes is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Interim Director the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research programme Bioinspired Solar Energy, Adjunct Professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology, and a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Dr Scholes was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2019 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009.
Overview Discussion
Quantum-coherent energy transfer: implications for biology and new energy technologies https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2011/quantum-coherent-energy/
Theo Murphy international scientific meeting organised by Dr Alexandra Olaya-Castro, Dr Ahsan Nazir and Professor Graham Fleming FRS.
Kavli Royal Society Centre, Chicheley Hall Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire MK16 9JJ
Thank you for your feedback. Please help us improve this page by taking our short survey.


text:
This article summarizes the hypothesis that the universe comprises a countably infinite array of cubes.
Following George Stoney's work in the 1870's, Max Plank, in 1899, invented a system of units which, as he argued, "would not depend on the choice of special bodies or substances and would be valid for all epochs and all cultures including extra-terrestrial and extra-human ones and could therefore serve as natural units of measurements." These units are:
VALUE (SI)
Planck Length l=[(hG)/c3]1/2 1.61625×10-35 m
Planck Mass m=[(hc)/G]1/2 2.17644×10-8 kg
Planck Time t=[(hG)/c5]1/2 5.39124×10-44 s
Planck Charge q=(4πε0hc)1/2 1.87554×10-18 C
Planck Temperature T=[(hc5)/(GkB2)]1/2 1.41678×1032 K
where h is the reduced Plank's Constant, c is the velocity of light, G is the gravitational constant and kB is Boltzmann's constant; the Plank Charge was added later. These units have largely been ignored by the engineering community because they are not particularly useful for engineering computations. But the community of scientists has not completely abandoned them. In string theory, for example, the Planck Length roughly corresponds to the size of strings which comprise all particles in the Standard Model. The Planck Length is also a crucial component of the equation that describes entropy in Black Holes. How odd that a century old curiosity should keep popping up in cosmology and particle physics.
In our everyday experience space and time seem very different. We are forced to progress through time in a specific way yet we can move through space at will. Even so, all contemporary models of fundamental physics claim that reality comprises a space-time continuum. Time appears merely as a fourth dimension just like the three ordinary dimensions of space. But some scientists have proposed that this view of reality is intrinsically false. They claim space is not a continuum and neither is time.
Hundreds of pages have been written on this subject most recently by Stephen Wolfram in A New Kind of Science. The basic building blocks of space, which cannot be subdivided, may be called pixels, voxels, cells, nodes or something else. Voxel, for volume element, will be used in this paper.
A filling of space or tessellation can be accomplished with many polyhedra but none are simpler than a cube. Selecting a cubic voxel and incorporating the Plank Length suggests the universe is constructed around a cubic lattice such that the smallest identifiable physical entity is bounded by eight vertices, twelve edges each equal to the Plank Length and six flat faces. The universe would thereby be divided into an ordered (numbered), countably infinite array of volumes. The volume enclosed by an un-deformed voxel would be [1.6 x10-35]3 m3. If a voxel can be deformed by some stimulus, the eight vertices would retain their identities but may slightly change their positions, the twelve edges would remain straight but each may slightly change its length and each of the six flat faces would either remain flat or possibly deform into a minimal surface with zero mean curvature (e.g. soap film); in general, four points do not define a plane. 13.7 billion years after the beginning, the deformable cubic lattice may no be longer perfect but may contain line and surface defects analogous to dislocations and stacking faults.
The "state" of a particular voxel would not be a continuous property; the number of allowable discrete states would probably be small with many values of energy, spin, etc. associated with a given state. The state of every voxel in the universe would be updated at successive time intervals equal to the Plank Time (5.4x10-44 sec). Other scenarios of updating are possible but this is the simplest. What are some justifications and consequences for this hypothetical universe of voxels?
Motion, as we understand it, would not exist. Nothing would move through the cubic lattice from one voxel to another. Individual voxels would simply change their state at Planck time intervals. Think of watching a gymnast on a television screen. The gymnast appears to be moving on the screen. But no part of the screen is moving!
The maximum speed would be the speed of light. (Plank Length)/(Plank Time) = c. This would apply to all directions and not just the lattice axes. For example, even a simple rule of time transformation specifying that a voxel should transform if exactly 2 of its 26 neighbors had transformed on the previous step yields a nearly spherical wave front.
Because any scientific observer and associated detection instrumentation would be transforming in sync with the property being observed, no evidence of voxels or voxels being updated at successive time intervals could be detected.
Why would the one true God, existing as three distinct, transcendent, immanent, infinite, eternal and immutable persons, create such a system? One reason might be that it would give God the ability to fast forward and slow motion the universe without leaving any evidence detectible by us. For example, if God decided to increase the velocity of light by a factor of say 100, the length of the basic time interval would be smaller by a factor of 100,000. To a transcendent observer, the universe would be changing 100,000 times faster but no entity inside the universe would sense a difference because the other Planck Units would have changed accordingly.
Small groups of voxels (i.e. three groups of three contiguous voxels) might be the fundamental particles of String Theory.
The concept of space-time continuum is an integral component of General Relativity which examines the universe on a grand scale. Quantum Mechanics, Bohmian Mechanics, and String Theory study the universe on much smaller scales of space and time which are, nevertheless, many orders of magnitude larger than the Plank Length and Planck Time. A definitive experiment has not been devised to determine whether space and time are continuous or discrete.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Mercury Prize is probably the only music award series, let alone British & Irish music award series, that I actually pay attention or give any credence to. Whereas you can generally predict the albums that will make its way onto other award series i.e. The Killers' / Coldplay's / Kings of Leon's latest offering which all have their place, the shortlist for the Mercury Prize acts as home for those albums of the year you felt deserved better recognition and airplay than they did upon release. Not only are the shortlists generically eclectic, but the winners over the years are not always the most expected to win, for instance Portishead's Dummy was not expected to win in 1995 but it rightly did anyway.
Described by Jon Hopkins as a soundtrack to his 'romanticised version of Fife', Diamond Mine is the outcome of a seven year collaborative effort between soundtrack and ambient sound wizard Hopkins and one of Scotland's finest and most prolific songwriters Kenny 'King Creosote' Anderson. Trawling through Anderson's extensive songbook, the pair worked at rearranging and dissembling songs to their skeletal frames and rebuilding them with subtle instrumentation and recorded samples of the Fife area (which I'm informed is a style called 'Musique Concrète'. Go figure). From the album's opening clatter of dishes and tearoom patter on 'First Watch' to the gentle exit of Anderson's delicate falsetto vocals on 'Your Young Voice', Hopkins' indelible use of samples seems to quite literally breathe life into Anderson's songbook. It truly sounds like a respiring entity, in the same way that even in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere there is a perceptible 'living' quality to the silence. Along with the sober Anderson on startlingly good form, this is the sound of Fife as if it were preserved like lightning in a bottle.
Gwilym Simcock's latest offering is the dark horse of the competition by virtue of not only being a jazz record, not the most prominent musical genre today, but also a purely instrumental venture. Recorded in a single day at Schloss Elmau and consisting solely of Simcock's dynamic piano playing and percussive slaps, Good Days At Schloss Elmau offers a collection of eclectic and exciting jazz/classical arrangements. Simcock fully exhibits the adaptability and range of the grand piano and it is fascinating how an instrumental piece can convey narratives and emotions effectively without a single word uttered. Those who state that jazz is boring or outdated should listen to this accessible and captivating album.
Obaro Ejimiwe A.K.A. Ghostpoet has been termed, among other things, a 'dub poet' which I feel is an apt term. Ejimiwe's lyrics and music have quite a bit in common with the works of beat poets, particularly the late Gil Scott-Heron's last album I'm New Here, and the songs here feel incredibly modern. Recorded and pieced together during Ejimiwe's University degree at Coventry Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam is a truly contemporary album, mixing together elements of dub, dance, trip hop and rap music all tied together by Ejimiwe's wonderfully narcotic and woozy vocal delivery. Besides the tongue in cheek title, Ejimiwe exemplifies himself as a witty writer (proclaiming 'It's my United Kingdom of Whatever!' on 'I Ain't Finished') and capable of standing believably in the shoes of anyone he chooses. From detailing the morning school rush on 'Longing For The Night' to depicting the monotony of being stuck in a dead end job on 'Gaaasp', Ghostpoet is an astute observer of modern living, addressing the issues of our everyday existence with a realistic optimism that pulls you through into tomorrow. Album closer 'Liiines' is an uplifting anthem that Ejimiwe describes as, 'Sort of a slap in the face to myself to wake up and get on with it', and in these too often oppressively dreary times we can always use a bit of that.
If you want to listen to these albums and find out more I highly recommend you check out BBC 6 Musics recent series, 'The Complete Mercurys', where the artists themselves offer insight into the making and inspiration of their albums track by track. Check it out here.
Bon Iver and James Blake are artists of very different styles, but both are in possession of adventurous and visionary spirits. A chance encounter at Austin, TX based festival SXSW in March between Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and long time admirer Blake sparked the embers for collaboration. Now the London based Blake is on the brink of possibly more critical acclaim (his eponymous debut has been nominated for the imminent Mercury Awards) and while Vernon tours and basks in the critical recognition for Bon Iver's second album (reviewed here), the first fruit of this collaborative effort has revealed itself to the world in the form of 'Fall Creek Boys Choir'.
The song introduces itself with Vernon's recognisable vocals before Blake's reverberating, dissonant piano chords make their entrance and are joined by Blake's stark percussion and sonar-like samples. The bulk of the track's influence is definitely made up of Blake's music and production, sounding similar to 'Lindisfarne II' or 'Unluck'. However, Vernon's always heartfelt vocals bring warmth that contrasts with Blake's vocals which at times can sound a tad cold or distant. As the track progresses Vernon's multilayered choral vocal melodies soar above Blake's melancholic instrumentation and lift the song to more profound heights.
The postscript beneath the featured Youtube video enigmatically states 'Enough Thunder – Oct 2011', hinting at more to come. Hopefully a future effort will be more balanced between the two artists and feature both Blake and Vernon duetting as their vocal talents would complement one another nicely in the right setting. However, for now 'Fall Creek Boys Choir' has plenty of potential and shows ample promise for what may, with any luck, propagate into a full album. Stay tuned.
'Fall Creek Boys Choir' is available for download from Amazon and iTunes now.


text:
Horse And Donkey
Camels and llamas
The welfare of livestock
Livestock is a collective term for domesticated animals that are kept, mostly for meat, milk, wool, or other products. The most common species are cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and chickens. The term is not used in reference to animals that are kept as pets or companions.
Livestock are domesticated species, which have been genetically modified over time through the artificial selection of desirable traits by humans, with a view to increasing the docility of the animals, their size and productivity, their quality as agricultural products, and other culturally desired features. Some species of
livestock no longer occur in their original, nondomesticated, free-living form, and they are totally dependent on humans for their continued existence. However, humans are also substantially dependent on their livestock for sustenance and other purposes. Consequently, the symbiotic relationship between humans and their domestic livestock could be termed a mutualism, that is, a mutually beneficial relationship between two species.
Some of the domesticated species of livestock have become enormously abundant in cultivation. The world's population of sheep and goats has been estimated at about 1.7 billion, while there are some 1.3 billion cows, 0.85 billion pigs, 0.12 billion horses, and 0.16 billion camels and water buffalo. Some smaller species of livestock are even more abundant, including an estimated 10-11 billion fowl, mostly chickens. In comparison, the total population of humans is about 5.8 billion individuals. The populations of species of both livestock and humans are growing quite rapidly, in the case of humans at about 1.7% per year or 93 million people per year.
Cows are large animals in the family Bovidae that are kept as sources of meat, hides, and milk. Cows are grazing animals, eating grasses and other types of herbaceous plants.
The domestic cow or ox (Bos taurus ) is a massive animal with a heavy body, a short neck with a dewlap hanging beneath, two hollow horns, and a long tufted tail. The natural tendency of these animals is to live in herds of mature females and their calves, led by a mature bull. One calf is usually born after a nine-month gestation, and these feed on their mother's milk for six months, after which they are weaned.
Some races of domestic cattle may be descended in part from the golden ox or aurochs (Bos primigenius ) of Europe, which became extinct in the wild in the seventeenth century. Domestic cows are also partly descended from the zebu (B. indicus ) and the Indian ox (B. namadicus ).
The zebu, brahman, or oriental domestic cow is a tropical species of cow with a distinctive, fatty-humped back, and a pronounced dewlap. Relatively minor, domesticated species are the gayal (Bos frontinalis ) of southern Asia, and the banteng (B. sondaicus ) of Southeast Asia.
The domestic cow, however, is by far the most abundant cow in agriculture. This species can be used as a draft animal, in which case they are referred to as oxen. These animals are very strong and are capable of hauling heavy loads or plowing soil. There are various races of domestic cows, which vary in the length and shape of their horns, body size and shape, body color, and other characteristics. The black-and-white blotched Holstein is a familiar variety, as is the uniformly light-brown Jersey.
In modern North American agriculture, beef cattle are born and initially raised on rangelands. They are then herded together and transported to feedlots closer to their markets, where they are fed nutritious foods, and gain a great deal of weight prior to being slaughtered at a central facility. The carcass is dissected into various products, ranging from high-value steaks and roasts, to lower grades of meat that are ground into a composite product known as hamburger. Especially fatty meats, internal organs, blood, and other tissues are generally used to manufacture sausages and hot dogs. The hide is used to make leather. Remarkably little of the carcass is wasted.
Veal is a specialty meat that is produced from young animals that are kept in very close confinement for their entire lives. The highest-quality, epicurean veal is pale-colored and very tender. To achieve this product grade, veal calves are tethered and confined closely so they cannot move very much, and they are fed a diet that is highly deficient in iron, which helps to lighten the color of their flesh. They are also removed from their mothers before they are fully weaned, because a milk diet also promotes the development of a less tender, red-colored flesh.
Dairy cattle are raised for their milk, which is a nutritious fluid rich in sugar, protein, and fat. Dairy cattle are usually kept under relatively confined conditions, although when the weather is suitable they are usually allowed to forage in local pastures. Cow's milk can be consumed by humans (after pasteurization to kill bacterial pathogens that may be present), or used to manufacture butter, cream, cheese, and other foods. When their milk production starts to decline significantly as they age, dairy cows are typically slaughtered for their meat.
Domestic sheep and goats are horned species of livestock that are commonly raised around the world.
The domestic sheep (Ovis aries ) is an ancient domesticated species, probably native to southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. However, the domestic sheep has been widely kept as livestock for thousands of years, and its exact lineage is not known. Sheep are very hardy animals in alpine, boreal, and temperate environments, and they are most commonly cultivated for their wool, meat (known as mutton), hides, and milk. Sheep are usually kept in relatively open pastures, where they forage on grasses and other herbaceous plants.
Many varieties of sheep have been bred to suit particular climates, or to yield particular types of products. Probably the most widely cultivated variety is the Merino sheep, which is raised for its fine wool, and is well suited to relatively dry climates. This variety is the most common sheep raised in Australia, which is the world's leading producer of sheep and their products.
The domestic goat (Capra hircus ) is descended from wild goats of the mountains of Asia Minor. The domestic goat is a very hardy animal, capable of finding forage in seemingly barren and arid places, and is resistant to many types of diseases. Goats are raised for their meat, milk, and hides.
There are numerous varieties of domesticated goats. The Swiss or alpine goat is a common breed which is often raised for its milk, which can be consumed directly, or used to make butter or cheese. The Kashmir and angora goats are long-haired varieties that are raised for their long "wool," which can be woven into warm soft garments.
The yak (Poephagus grunniens ) is a sheep like animal that is kept as livestock on highland plateaus of the Himalayas. This animal is a source of an extremely fine wool, as well as hides, meat, and milk. The related musk ox (Ovibos moschatus ) is a minor species of livestock that is in the initial stages of domestication for its extremely light and fine wool and its gamey meat.
The domestic pig or boar (Sus scrofa ) is descended from the wild boar of Eurasia. It an ancient domesticate and has been bred for thousands of years from the tropics to the temperate zones. Pigs, raised as a source of meat, are an extremely productive type of livestock because they have large litters (as many as 12 piglets at a time), and are quite efficient in converting their feed into body mass.
There are many varieties of pigs, adapted for various climates, cultural conditions, and uses. The white Yorkshire is a commonly cultivated, light-colored, rapidly growing variety, with erect ears.
The domestic horse (Equus caballus ) is descended from the wild horses of the Eurasian steppes. Horses are mostly used for riding and as draft animals, and they are also eaten in some countries.
There are many varieties of horses. The Arabian has been bred for great speed, and is the most common type of riding and racing horse. Although quite fleet, this breed does not have great endurance, and cannot maintain a fast pace for very long. Other horses, such as the Hackney and the American Standard, have been bred to haul lightweight carriages and racing harnesses. Horses bred as draft animals are much larger, and include the Clydesdale, Percheron, and Belgian breeds.
The domestic donkey (Equus asinus ) is derived from the wild ass of Africa. This animal is mostly used for riding and as a beast of burden, but it is also eaten and used as a source of milk. The mule is a hybrid between a male donkey and a female horse, and is highly prized as a draft and riding animal. However, mules are infertile, and the only way to produce them is to keep crossing horses and donkeys.
The dromedary, or Arabian one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius ) is a species native to the deserts of Asia and northern Africa, although today it only occurs in domestication. This species has a single large fatty hump on its back, and it can tolerate extremely dry conditions. Dromedaries are used as pack and riding animals, and as sources of meat, milk, and hides.
The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus ) is a species native to central Asia, where some wild herds still roam the desert. The Bactrian camel is distinguished by the two large fatty humps on its back and its shaggy pelage. This animal is commonly kept for riding and carrying cargo, and as a source of meat, milk, and leather.
Llamas are closely related to camels, but they are smaller and lack humps. Llamas are found in the highland plateaus and pampas of South America. There are two wild species, the guanaco or huanaco (Llama huanacos ) and the vicunña (L. vicugna ). The domesticated llama is believed to have been derived from the guanaco. These animals are ridden and used as beasts of burden, and they also produce other useful products. A variety known as the alpaca produces an especially fine, highly prized wool.
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis ), also known as the old-world buffalo or domestic buffalo, is a common species of livestock in tropical countries. The water buffalo is commonly used as a draft animal, particularly for plowing wet fields, for example, in the cultivation of paddy rice. This species is also utilized for its meat and for milk.
The bison or American buffalo (Bison bison ) is also kept as livestock, although this is a relatively recent phenomenon, and the species is not as yet intensively domesticated. Bison are generally reared on ranches, and utilized mostly for their meat and hide.
The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus ) has long been herded by northern peoples of Eurasia, such as the Lapps of Scandinavia. This animal is mostly raised for its meat, milk, and hides. In recent years, a strong market developed for the reindeer antlers, especially when they are still covered with fur or "in velvet." These antlers are sold to countries in eastern Asia, especially China and Korea, where they are powdered and used as an ingredient in traditional medicines.
Other deer species are increasingly kept as livestock, often on so-called "game ranches." Most commonly kept in this way are the American elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis ) and the Eurasian red deer (C. elaphus ). Both species are in the early stages of domestication, and they may be more important as livestock in the future.
The domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus ) has been derived from the old-world or European rabbit. The domestic rabbit is mostly raised as a source of meat, and for its fur, although the latter is of relatively poor quality.
By far the most abundant species of cultivated fowl is the chicken (Gallus gallus ), derived from the red jungle fowl of the tropical forests of Asia. The chicken has been domesticated for thousands of years, and may today be the world's most abundant bird, albeit in cultivation. Billions of chickens are eaten each year by people around the world, as are even larger numbers of chicken eggs.
Several species of ducks have been domesticated for agricultural purposes. The most commonly cultivated duck is derived from the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos ), which was domesticated in China about 2,000 years ago. The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is less common, and was domesticated by South Americans prior to the European colonization of the Americas.
Two commonly raised species of domesticated goose are derived from the greyleg goose (Anser anser ) of Eurasia. This goose may have been domesticated about 4,000 years ago; it now occurs in various agricultural races, most of which are white in color. A less common, domesticated species is the swan goose (A. cygnoides ).
The common turkey (Meleagris gallopavo ), native to North America and Mexico, was first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, long before the Spanish conquest. Domestic turkeys are typically white, although some varieties are black. Domestic turkeys are raised for their meat, and for this reason have been selected to have large breast muscles.
Other birds raised as food include the domestic pigeon (Columba livia ), and the domestic Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris ), among others.
In modern times, livestock is raised using various systems of husbandry, which can vary greatly in their intensity of management. The oldest and simplest systems involve free-ranging animals that are penned in large fenced areas, or return to shelter each evening. Whenever these animals are required as food, for milking, or to sell for cash, individual or small numbers of animals are killed or taken to the market, while the breeding nucleus remains conserved. Raising livestock in these relatively simple ways is common in subsistence agricultural systems, especially in poorer regions of the world.
Of course, systems used in modern, industrial agriculture involve much more intensive management of livestock than is practiced by subsistence farmers.
Domestication —The breeding of an animal or plant species to develop varieties that are compatible with living with humans, either under cultivation, or as pets.
Draft animal —A large animal that is used to pull a load, often hitched to a wheeled vehicle, or used to plow a field.
Husbandry —The science of propagating and raising domestic animals, especially in agriculture.
Mutualism —A mutually beneficial relationship between species.
Animals raised on "factory farms" are typically bred with great attention to pedigrees, often using artificial insemination to control the stud line, and embryo implantation to control the maternal lineage.
Industrial farms also keep their animals indoors much or all of the time, usually under quite crowded conditions. The animals are fed a carefully designed diet that is designed to optimize their growth rates. The disposal of sewage wastes is a major problem on factory farms, and animals commonly are kept in rather unsanitary, crowded conditions, standing in fecal materials and urine. Along with the social stresses of crowding, this makes the livestock susceptible to diseases and infections. Close attention must be paid to the health of the animals on industrial farms, and regular inoculations and treatments with antibiotics may be required.
The intensively managed systems by which livestock are raised in industrial agriculture are criticized by ethicists, who complain about the morality of forcing animals such as cows, pigs, and chickens to live under unnatural and difficult conditions.
Serious environmental damage is also associated with many types of industrial husbandry of livestock. For example, serious ecological damage may be caused by the disposal of sewage and other wastes, and by the use of pesticides and other cultural practices to grow the enormous quantities of fodder required as food by the livestock.
The ethical and environmental dimensions of modern systems of raising livestock are increasingly becoming important issues in the debate concerning the relationships of humans with other species, and with ecosystems more broadly.
Blatz, C.V., ed. Ethics in Agriculture. Bozeman, Idaho: Idaho University Press, 1991.
Cole, D.J.A., and G.C. Brander. Bioindustrial Ecosystems. New York: Elsevier, 1986.
Curtis, S. Environmental Management in Animal Agriculture. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1994.
Francis, C.A., C.B. Flora, and L.D. King, eds. Sustainable Agriculture in the Humid Tropics. New York: Wiley and Sons, 1990.
Grzimek, B., ed. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. London: McGraw Hill, 1990.
Nowak, R. M., ed. Walker's Mammals of the World. 5th ed. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1991.
Wilson, D.E., and D. Reeder (comp.). Mammal Species of the World. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993.
Virginia Tech, Virginia Cooperative Extension. "Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy" <http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-lpd> (accessed December 2, 2006).
Bill Freedman
The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
"Livestock ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Livestock ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 13, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/livestock
"Livestock ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Retrieved January 13, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/livestock
Pigs , Pigs Pigs, hogs, or swine consist of about eight species of mammals in the family Suidae, which is part of the order Artiodactyla, the cloven-hoofed… Domestication , The domestication of plants and animals marked the beginnings of effective food production by man, a stage in human sociocultural development that ha… Herding , Herding HERDING. Domestication of animals for food began about 10,000 years ago in the Near East, in the western part of the Fertile Crescent. This c… Swine , swine, name for any of the cloven-hoofed mammals of the family Suidae, native to the Old World. A swine has a rather long, mobile snout, a heavy, rel… Rabbit , rabbit, name for herbivorous mammals of the family Leporidae, which also includes the hare and the pika. Rabbits and hares have large front teeth, sh… Lagomorphs , Lagomorphs are herbivorous mammals such as rabbits, hares, and pikas, in the order Lagomorpha. Because they exploit similar ecological niches, lagomo…
Mammals and Humans: Domestication and Commensals
Ungulate Domestication
Livestock of the Early Farmers
Guinea Pigs and Cavies
Cultures and Animals
Livesey, James 1963-
Livesay, Dorothy (1909–1996)
Lives of Girls and Women
liverymen
Livery Stable Keepers
livery stable
Livery of Seisin
livery and maintenance
liverworts
Liverpudlian
Liverpool, diocese of
Liverpool Slave Trade
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Livermore, Mary A. (1820–1905)
Livermore, Mary (Ashton) Rice
Livermore, Harriet (1788–1868)
Livermore, Harriet
liverish
Liveright, Horace Brisbin
Livestock Manager
Livestock Production
Livestock, Trade in
livetin
Livia (fl. 100 BCE)
Livia Drusilla (58 BCE–29 CE)
Livia Orestilla (fl. 32 CE)
Liviabella, Lino
Livilla (c. 14/11 BCE–c. 31 CE)
Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story
Livin' Large
Living & Dying
Living and Learning Center Residence Halls
Living Arrangements of the Older Population
Living Arrangements: Roman Houses and Apartments
Living Church Movement
Living Constitution
Living Forensics


Brazilian ace unsettled in France?
Rumours over Neymar's future continue to abound ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's crunch clash with Monaco on Sunday.
The ex-Barcelona forward is said to be surprised by the general lack of quality from opposition sides in Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, it was claimed the £198m star skipped a game against Angers in order to be fit for Brazil during the international break.
And with speculation over a possible move to Real Madrid not going away anytime soon, it appears the 25-year-old will have to put up with questions about his future for a little while yet.
However, this weekend he'll be focused on PSG's match with Monaco on Sunday.
Les Parisiens have won 17 out of their last 19 matches, including their last five in all competitions.
They're 4/7 to pick up three points against a Monaco side unbeaten at home in Ligue 1 since December of last year. You can get the hosts at 4/1 for the win, while the draw is available at 17/5.
Of course, the big story of the evening will be Kylian Mbappe coming up against the club where he made his name last season.
Mbappe is still technically employed by Monaco, but is currently on-loan at PSG and looks set to play on Sunday night.
He's 11/10 to score on his return to the Stade Louis II. You can get him at 4/1 to bag the first goal in the contest, while it's 22/1 for the 18-year-old to score a hat-trick.
For the hosts, the onus will undoubtedly fall upon Radamel Falcao.
The 31-year-old has scored in all but two of Monaco's Ligue 1 games so far this season. He's a highly-tempting 23/20 to net Anytime in the match.
And with goals expected in what should be a high-scoring contest, there's plenty to get stuck into in the various goals markets.
We like the look of PSG to Win and Both Teams to Score at 6/4.
Meanwhile, it's an equally enticing 9/5 for PSG to collect all three points and for there to be Over 3.5 Goals in the contest.
Click here for the latest Monaco v Paris Saint-Germain odds.


text:
Topics Map > Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) > 2019-2020 > 06. December
Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 11-21-2019
Approved 12/5/19
ASEC Minutes
2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, November 21, 2019
Members Present: Donna Cole; Jenny Dahlberg, chair; Tim Dalby; Stephanie Elkins; Mallory Musolf; Leslie Petty; Deb Shapiro; Lindsey Stoddard Cameron; Bill Tishler
Guests: Diane Blaskowski, Russell Dimond, Jaimee Gilford, Rachel Jeris, Barb Lanser, Mari Magler, Matt Mayrl, Karl Scholz, Mark Walters
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m.
The minutes of November 7 and November 14, 2019 were approved with corrections.
Guests: Jaimee Gilford, Rachel Jeris, Barb Lanser, Mari Magler (Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policies)
The Emotional Support Animal Policy has been expanded. Previously it was applicable only to University Housing, but it is now campus-wide to ensure compliance with federal law. The Service Animal Policy is largely reflective of our responsibilities under federal law, while also updating and clarifying practices. The updates have been distributed to the various governance groups for their thoughts. Interviews are currently in progress for a full-time ADA coordinator role.
Guest: Karl Scholz, Provost
Provost Scholz announced that Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Steve Hahn would be leaving the university in late January. There will be an academic staff majority on the search and screen committee, comprised of members of the Registrar's Office, Admissions and Recruitment, and Financial Aid.
Provost Scholz discussed the instances of hostile and intimidating behavior in the College of Engineering that had been reported in the news recently. Engineering has taken several steps to address this behavior, including creating an Assistant Dean for Graduate Students position. There are requirements for faculty to take the Breaking the Bias Habit Training through WISELI, and there have also been conversations within units about a civil workplace. There is also an online assessment tool that graduate students are filling out once a semester, and rules are now in place that allow students to transfer to another research group without jeopardizing their funding support. Provost Scholz discussed the concept of establishing and agreeing upon norms in areas of interaction like meetings, emails, seminars, and others.
General Reports
Jenny Dahlberg, ASEC chair, reported that ASEC had reached out to the University Staff Central Committee about collaborating on an ad hoc committee on staff diversity. Tim Dalby attended the public comments portion of the Central Committee's agenda to discuss this issue and requested nominations by the end of the calendar year. Jenny also reported that she, Tim, Mallory and Heather met with Mark Walters and Diane Blaskowski regarding TTC and other OHR matters. They discussed inconsistencies in mapping between exempt and non-exempt positions. Mark and Diane indicated that they would look into these job summaries that were mapping differently.
Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff, reported that the Assembly will be meeting in B10 Ingraham Hall for its series of spring meetings. The Worklife Survey group sent some survey data to HR to inform the TTC process, and Heather will share this with ASEC as well. Heather also reported that she had data from HR on fixed-term terminal appointments and was summarizing that data for the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee. She also received layoff data and will present a summary of that data for ASEC. In contrast to previous years when these data were available, this data set reflects the number of people who actually lost jobs as opposed to how many received a notice of layoff.
Liaison Reports
Deb Shapiro reported that the Librarians Assembly had been considering changing their name, but they are tabling this for now.
Tim Dalby reported on the latest ASM meeting. Tim and Jenny will meet with members of ASM to discuss one of their most recent resolutions.
Stephanie Elkins reported that the Wisconsin Public Media CASI will hold elections in the first two weeks of December.
Bill Tishler reported that the Division of Continuing Studies CASI will be reconvening in 2020, and that the University Committee met with the Campus Diversity and Climate Committee and Jeff Russell.
Jenny Dahlberg met with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences CASI to give an overview of governance.
Guest: Matt Mayrl, Chief of Staff, Office of the Chancellor
Matt reported that the current campus strategic plan goes through the end of this calendar year. The Chancellor's Office is engaging in a process to refresh this document, and Matt shared the draft of the new plan with ASEC. The Chancellor has received feedback from executive teams and is now getting feedback from governance. The refreshed plan will be released to campus in January.
• December Assembly Agenda
ASEC reviewed the resolutions for the December agenda. Motion to approve the December Assembly agenda (Dalby). Seconded. Approved.
• January Assembly Agenda
ASEC reviewed a draft agenda for a January meeting. There are no current business items pending to indicate that a meeting should be held in January.
Guests: Diane Blaskowski and Mark Walters, Office of Human Resources (Title and Total Compensation Project)
Diane and Mark discussed the notion of a shift to biweekly payroll cycle for faculty and academic staff. A date for this change has not been decided yet. It will depend on developments to HRS. There will be communications and financial counseling as needed. There is a group that will be convening to look at potential stumbling blocks to this shift.
Regarding the change to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the new threshold salary level is $35,568. Divisions are looking at approximately 1500 individuals that won't meet that threshold and determining what to do. Forums will take place in the first two weeks of December for those employees who might change from exempt to non-exempt. There will be supervisor forums as well as employee forums.
On the TTC front, mapping was due on Friday. 82% of employees are mapped to their new title/SJD. With regard to the other 18%, one full job group has been overhauled, so mapping is on hold for that group until December 6. Most of the 18% fall into this job group, though there are some stragglers as well. On December 6, there will be a mass upload of new titles/SJDs. Diane and Mark also discussed the quality assurance, which included reviews of consistency of bullet points and summaries for titles and alignment sessions with divisional HR. From Tuesday through the end of year, they will be looking at 1-title-to-1-title mapping in terms of FLSA changes, followed by 1-title-to-many-titles, and then "universal titles" (e.g. administrative program specialist. There will be an audit of 15% of titles across the board. If discrepancies are found, then more auditing will take place. Chief and director titles will all be audited. There will also be divisional alignment workshops to look at mapping consistencies and review unused titles. QA will also happen during manager/employee conversations.
Meeting adjourned at 4:48 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Deputy Secretary of the Academic Staff
ASEC Minutes Suggest keywords


AUTO DEALERSHIP | East Coast Business Brokers LLC.
This is a great opportunity to own a Dealership that has had a reputation for honesty and integrity for more than 34 years. Located on the perfect spot with a major intersection for maximum exposure. The business owner has prided himself in offering high quality vehicles and have financing for the purchase within reach for any customer. The real estate is offered with the business sale if wanted. This is prime real estate and would only continue to be a major asset for any buyer.
This dealership is located on a main street, next to a main intersection of highways going north / south & east / west. The 2048 square foot building has a sales office, and a bay for auto repairs & auto detailing, and is located on 1.48 acres of prime real estate.
The ever expanding area within a 10 mile radius has had major construction both commercial and residential. This means an ever expanding market for the used and new car industry making this an excellent opportunity.
If you are interested in a six figure income year after year with an established business, and perks of all kinds with any vehicle you want at your fingertips then this is the business for you !


Ward Lumber offers Forage Testing as a free service available to our feed customers and prospects. Testing is conducted through Poulin Grain and Green Mountain Laboratory.
Taking forage samples from your hay is an easy process, and we can even do it during a feed delivery or a farm call! Next, we send the sample to the lab at Poulin, where they generate a forage analysis. The results from the analysis can be used to balance proper diets for horses, using the Equi-Balance program. The test results will show what the hay is providing for nutrition and a grain/feed diet can be determined to balance the hay for a complete diet. The balancing of diets is important, as it can save the expense of overfeeding and potentially adding unwanted weight to horses during low work periods.
Poulin Grain collaborates with Cumberland Valley Analytical Services Laboratory (CVAS) to operate Green Mountain Labs in Newport, VT. CVAS is a leader in analytical services, providing the most sophisticated feed analysis to date. New updates to Green Mountain Labs in 2014 allowed them to expand their services and improve the quality of each analysis. These extensive analyses are used to support the intense quality demands for their products, as well as being directly utilized to make the proper nutritional recommendations based on your feeds and your animals' needs.
Equi-Balance Equine Diet Evaluation Software is a precision tool developed by Performance Horse Nutrition, used by all Poulin Grain nutrition consultants to formulate diets meeting the specific exercise, growth, gestation or lactation requirements for your horses.


When Barack Obama heads for the stand where he'll take the oath of office Tuesday, he'll do it in a brand spanking new limousine.
It's an ultra-tricked-out Caddy, dubbed "Cadillac One."
Finding out details about the special car hasn't been easy, but CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier has done some digging.
Details about the new limo have been closely guarded. It's been kept under wraps -- literally -- and will be until it's shown to the world sometime this week.
"It's a new look. It's a refreshing, kind of expressive, more vibrant new look," says Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell.
The outside will look different. But what else has changed from the last Caddy-in-Chief?
The folks at Cadillac and the Secret Service won't say much. All they tell Dozier is that the windows on the new car are bigger and the seats are made of hand-sewn leather.
"The technical aspects of the vehicle and its functions," notes Caldwell, "are things that are done very much in secret, and private, and they shall remain so. In fact, I can't even tell you some of the materials that have been used on previous presidential limos!"
The first presidential limousines actually came straight off the factory floor, with little or no modification, points out presidential limo historian Gregg D. Merksamer. "The only thing that would have made them different from a limousine that anybody else could buy is there would have been a presidential seal on the door," Merksamer says.
The Kennedy assassination changed all that, Dozier adds -- a moment of tragedy that transformed how presidents traveled for good.
"The president's car went from being a parade vehicle, an open car, to being a protective conveyance -- something that was armored," Merksamer observes.
Think "luxury tank," made to withstand any number of scenarios, Dozier suggests.
Auto experts say safety features include rocket-resistant armor, six-inch-thick glass and run-flat tires. The rest is anybody's best guess.


text:
The Watts Towers
http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/the_watts_towers_20141114/
By Paul Von Blum
The Watts Towers in Watts, Los Angeles. Photo by IsabelleAcatauassu (CC BY 2.0)
To see long excerpts from "Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts" at Google Books, click here.
"Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts: Art, Migrations, Development"
A book edited by Luisa Del Giudice
I first saw Sabato (Simon) Rodia's majestic towers when I was a young civil rights worker in Watts in 1964. Between organizing and demonstrations, I wandered over to the towers several times, mesmerized by their rich detail, vibrant color and overall imagination. In subsequent years, especially after moving to Los Angeles in 1979, I have returned to the Watts Towers frequently, often as a tour guide for my UCLA students.
They share my pleasure in seeing Rodia's fantastic city consisting of several interconnected towers, a gazebo and a boat, constructed of junk sculpture and mosaic tiling, wrapped in wire mesh, a remarkable feat of both art and engineering. They see, with wonder and awe, what Rodia called "Nuestro Puebloâ€ン(Our Town in Spanish). They also understand that one trip alone to the Towers is hardly adequate. Many subsequent visits are necessary to see and appreciate the stunning way that Rodia used found objects such as soda bottles, ceramic tiles, shells, pieces of glass and other fragments that he embedded in concrete throughout the work.
Despite these gratifying field trips, I have been disheartened that so few of my students have ever seen this iconic work by one of the most creative and eccentric artists of the 20th century. Most of them have lived in Southern California their entire lives and have usually heard of the Watts Towers. But they share the typical bias of white (and other) people in Los Angeles: Watts is a dangerous, off-limits area and should be avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, after many educational trips to the Towers and the adjacent Watts Towers Arts Center, I can happily report that no one has been robbed, assaulted or otherwise harmed, and that many students have been exposed to one of the most magnificent works of public art in the world.
Still, a distressing lack of knowledge about both Rodia and his magnificent creation remains the norm in Southern California and elsewhere. That has the potential to change with the recent publication of "Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts." Scholar Luisa Del Giudice has assembled an extensive collection of articles and essays that detail everything about Rodia and his work. The book covers, among many other themes, the Towers' cultural and art historical context and legacy, their contested and controversial status as a public site in Los Angeles, and their future in a city still struggling with massive economic problems where preservation of a quirky historical landmark may not necessarily be a major political priority for many resident taxpayers.
Several of the volume's essays have specific appeal to specialized scholars. For them, this book is simply indispensible; Del Giudice has done remarkable work in compiling diverse works of scholarship from multiple sources. It is likely that "Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts" will be the definitive academic reference on the topic for decades to come.
It is useful, for example, to understand the significance of Rodia's Italian heritage and how his life and work fit into the broader pattern of Italian migration and identity. Del Giudice herself and several of her fellow scholars reinvigorate a vision of Italian and Italian American history and culture. This theme has been neglected even in an age of multiculturalism, when Asian-American, Latino and African-American visions have largely dominated educational, journalistic and public discourse.
Likewise, it is fruitful to locate the Watts Towers in a broad art historical perspective. This volume situates Rodia's monumental work in a broader tradition of "folk" or "vernacular" art. It contains intriguing material, for example, about Antoni Gaudi's visionary works in Catalonia, Francisco Gonzalez Gragera's and Justo Gallego Martinez's constructions in Spain, and Litto Damonte's Hubcap Ranch in California's Napa Valley, among many others.
Sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, city planners and other urban specialists may also take special interest in the book's section on the contested conservation, guardianship, racial and ethnic politics, and cultural heritage of the Watts Towers. Many of the readings detail the highly contentious struggles in Los Angeles for many decades around these issues; they are still far from fully resolved. An understanding of these problems and controversies go beyond the Towers and Los Angeles themselves. They have considerable relevance to many other cities in the United States and elsewhere grappling with ownership, community control, and preservation of large-scale public artworks.
Beyond its research utility for scholars and academics, this book has more general value for many lay readers. Several of the readings lead them to discover how Rodia actually implemented his fervent desire to "do something big" from 1921 to 1954. Even repeat visitors to the Watts Towers regularly wonder how one man managed to produce such a magnificent work. Sarah Schrank's article, taken from an earlier source, provides some answers.
Rodia, who called himself a "steel man," had worked for a tile company and collected pieces of tile from homes throughout Los Angeles. He gathered the broken glass, shells and other objects from the neighborhood and the beach. He used steel rebar that he bent into shape by placing it under nearby railroad tracks and then bending it with his body. The shaped rebar was overlapped with heavy wire, wrapped with another layer of chicken wire. He created his own brand of cement to encase the entire wire-wrapped joint and pressed broken glass, tiles and other found objects into the mortar.
Rodia did all of this without power tools or scaffolding, using only ladders and pulleys to ease his movements during the construction—a truly remarkable one-man accomplishment. And then, his lifework completed, he gave away his property and left Watts, never seeing his towers again. He died in 1965 in Northern California, a month before the Watts Riots.
Of even greater interest to contemporary readers is the close linkage of the Watts Towers to the African-American community in today's Los Angeles. Although the demography of Watts is changing from almost exclusively African-American to substantially Latino, in the public's eye, Watts remains a black neighborhood. "Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts" provides an especially useful perspective on the close linkage of the Watts Towers and its surrounding black community.
A key component is the role of the Watts Towers Arts Center, which presently oversees the Towers as a constituent part of the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Operating as a community arts center, it offers classes to young people, mounts exhibitions, often of African-American artists, and generally serves as a powerful and effective social institution in Watts. It provides low-cost informative tours of the Watts Towers conducted by extremely well-informed guides. Its longtime director, Rosie Lee Hooks, is passionately dedicated to the Towers and their preservation.
Many of the African-American visual artists who have been associated with the Watts Towers Arts Center have themselves been powerfully influenced by Rodia's masterpiece. This volume details that story effectively. For example, it offers commentary by iconic artists Betye Saar, Judson Powell, John Outterbridge and Charles Dickson on their role as assemblage artists working with found objects in the Rodia tradition. It also focuses extensively on the pioneering efforts of Noah Purifoy, the first director of the Watts Towers Arts Center and the key black artist in Los Angeles to initiate that pioneering assemblage tradition in which black artists turned trash into treasure. One of the initial examples was the iconic exhibition "66 Signs of Neon," organized by Purifoy and Powell, which used artifacts and detritus from the Watts Riots in a series of engaging and provocative political artworks.
This book invites readers to develop an appreciation for the nontraditional art that Simon Rodia's Towers so heroically represents. Americans are inundated with overt and subtle messages that only elite art, represented in mainstream museums and commercial galleries, is truly worthwhile. Visual works from ethnic communities and especially works that are whimsical and created by eccentrics (like Rodia) are, perhaps, mildly interesting curiosities, but well beyond truly serious consideration. With a few conspicuous exceptions, that message is reinforced in university art history curricula and texts, mainstream newspapers and art journals, and certainly by major cultural institutions themselves.
In Los Angeles, however, people can see the Latino and African-American murals in East and South Los Angeles as well as many other examples of nontraditional artworks in ethnic communities—if they are willing to stretch their imaginations and abandon their stereotypical visions of crime and danger associated with neighborhoods with large populations of color. This book can also encourage visitors and residents alike to broaden their entertainment choices from the "imagineered" and (outrageously expensive) attractions of Disneyland and the like to the free and lost cost alternatives like the Watts Towers and other creative options.
Above all, beyond its scholarly and informative impact, this book can inspire a broader vision of human creativity. Throughout the world, women and men like Simon Rodia single-mindedly and relentlessly pursue their dreams of producing something unique. Too many of their contemporaries dismiss them as quirky, bizarre or even mentally unbalanced. Instead, we should welcome their efforts, even when few of them reach the stellar heights of the Watts Towers. Their spark and drive make us fully human.


text:
Dorcadia qinghaiensis är en loppart som beskrevs av Zhahn Xinru, Wu Wenzhen et Cai Liyun 1991. Dorcadia qinghaiensis ingår i släktet Dorcadia och familjen grävlingloppor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Grävlingloppor
qinghaiensis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia