Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. An Astrobiology Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25252.
This study is based on work supported by the Contract NNH17CB02B with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
Cover: Background photo is of the Milky Way over the Stirling Ranges in Western Australia. The photo was taken by Trevor Dobson on July 2, 2018, 400 km north of Perth, Australia. Original photo can be found online: https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevor_dobson_inefekt69/42428966514/.
Suggested Citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. An Astrobiology Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. https://doi.org/10.17226/25252.
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. It is an inherently interdisciplinary field that encompasses astronomy, biology, geology, heliophysics, and planetary science, including complementary laboratory activities and field studies conducted in a wide range of terrestrial environments. Combining inherent scientific interest and public appeal, the search for life in the solar system and beyond provides a scientific rationale for many current and future activities carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other national and international agencies and organizations.
In 2017, Congress directed NASA to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to develop a science strategy for astrobiology that would outline key scientific questions, identify the most promising research in the field, and indicate the extent to which the mission priorities in existing decadal surveys address the search for life's origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe (see Appendix A). In response to this congressional mandate, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate approached the Space Studies Board (SSB) with a request to carry out this study (see Appendix B). While retaining the core language of the law, the statement of task ultimately agreed upon between SSB and NASA incorporated additional tasks relating to the specific programmatic and scientific context of the agency's various astrobiology-related endeavors, which are most prominently detailed in the 2015 NASA Astrobiology Strategy.1 Indeed, both the SSB and NASA regarded the nature and timing of the request to be particularly fortuitous in that the results of the study would provide important input to the next decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics and planetary sciences, due to start in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Doubly fortuitous was the fact that the same congressional language also mandated that a similar strategy be developed for exoplanet exploration. Given close scientific ties between the astrobiology and exoplanet community, as well as the parallel timelines of the dual studies, the SSB and NASA agreed that the astrobiology and exoplanet committees should collaborate to the maximum degree feasible.
To address this statement of task, the National Academies formally established the Committee on Astrobiology Science Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe in the fall of 2017. The committee held its first meeting at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California, on January 16-18, 2018. Subsequent meetings were held in Washington, D.C., at the National Academy of Sciences and the Keck Center on March 6-8 and April 25-27, respectively.
In addition, the committee solicited community input in the form of white papers (see Appendix C). A total of 53 white papers originating from members of academia, employees of the federal government, and members of the general public were received and considered by the committee.
The astrobiology committee was able to have a significant degree of engagement and coordination with the exoplanet committee during the study. A co-chair of the exoplanet committee attended the first meeting of the astrobiology committee. Subsequently, a joint session of both committees was held on March 7, 2017, during the astrobiology committee's second and the exoplanet committee's first meeting. In addition, one member of the astrobiology committee also served as a member of the exoplanet committee, and SSB staff associated with the study attended the meetings of both committees. Furthermore, a working group composed of four members of each committee held three closed-session teleconferences to exchange ideas and review relevant parts of each report.
A complete draft of the committee's report was sent to external reviewers for comment on June 20. A revised draft was assembled in July and August and was approved for release by the National Academies on September 20, 2018.
Goddard Space Flight Center; John Rummel, SETI Institute; Gary Ruvkun, NAS/NAM,3 Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Norman H. Sleep, NAS, Stanford University.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Louis J. Lanzerotti, NAE,4 New Jersey Institute of Technology. He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
4 Member, National Academy of Engineering.


Known worldwide as the "Speedgoat", Karl is the winningest 100 Mile runner in the world. His victories span across two decades at the toughest races in the most challenging conditions.
Karl began wearing Drymax in 2008 after a challenging FKT attempt of the Appalachian Trail earlier in the year. Meltzer was sidelined with tendonitis  a direct result of altering his running stride to compensate for trench foot, which he developed in the wet conditions of Maine while wearing wool socks. After experiencing the benefits of drymax technology, blisters are now the furthest thing from his mind while running.


Where I can find a needed driver for my videocard AMD R7 M440 if it installs like old version R7 M340?
These videocards are equalleted but i won't keep calm while i have this driver because I can't believe that I bought a definitely that product which I want.
The driver is just using a generic Device ID string.
There is no issue and it has ZERO impact on your product.
amdmatt Please explain it to this guy.
Thanks to everybody but I found r7 m440 driver. Who have the same problem: you can just delete old driver and download this. And reboot, of course.
Unfortunately we cannot allow direct links to exe files which do not come directly from an AMD server.
Re: AMD Graphics R7 M260 but installs R5 M330 driver???


In order to make the burrs cut, it is necessary to install them in a variable speed, rotating motor of some kind. The burr is fastened into the motor using either a collet or a chuck system. I prefer the collet system since it holds the burr more securely and allows for a truer rotation. However the collet system can be more expensive and requires a bit more set up time when changing between burrs of different shaft diameters. Handpieces can be air driven, but I prefer the electrically powered, motor-driven models since there is no need for a compressor.
The most familiar rotating motor tool is the Dremel. It is small, cheap and usually comes with a variety of accessories useful for accomplishing any number of useful household chores. Some carvers use the Dremel as it comes, simply inserting the various burrs into the motor itself. While this works, it is not necessarily the most manoeuvrable solution and carving intricate patterns or accomplishing fine detail can prove difficult.
For an additional sum, the purchase of a Dremel Flexible Shaft can solve this problem. The burr is inserted into the handpiece on the end of the flexible shaft, which, in turn is attached to the motor. The motor is hung or mounted close to the carving, allowing the carver to manipulate the handpiece like a pencil or pen allowing for much greater control.
For beginner carvers, I would recommend the purchase of a Dremel, Flexible Shaft and few good burrs. The Dremel can accommodate burrs with shafts up to 1/8″. Downside of the Dremel is the quality of the machining in the handpiece. This results in a noticeable vibration which will reduce the ability to create fine detail since the burr will wobble slightly. Over an extended carving session, the vibration will cause your hands to go white and numb, also not pleasant.
I still have my first Dremel, and though I no longer use it for carving, it is very effective when performing sanding or polishing tasks which require torque but little precision.
The next motor a carver usually invests in is a Foredom. The Foredom is a powerful flexible shaft motor. It comes in a variety of configurations, but for carving the most useful Foredom is the S Series with a standard collet handpiece and foot pedal for controlling the speed. The Foredom S Series uses a 1/4 HP motor and is wonderful for roughing out a carving but is less useful for creating detail, since the large flexible shaft and handpiece are not easy to manipulate with finesse. The handpiece accommodates burrs with shaft diameters up to 1/4″.
Burrs of this size can remove a lot of material fast and need to be used with care. Burrs can 'run away' in certain circumstances, for example when they catch the grain of the antler, and can cause injury if they contact your unprotected hand or body. Always wear protection. Safe carving should be your motto! I sank a large burr into my thigh in an instant before I learned that a protective apron (leather preferred) is a must. I'll cover safety equipment in my next post.
In order to create stunning detail in a carving, the preferred tool is the micro-motor. The motor is small, as the name suggests and resides in the handpiece itself. The handpiece is wired to a control box, which controls the speed and direction of the rotation. Like the Dremel, these handpieces can accommodate burrs up to 1/8″ in shaft diameter. Unlike the Dremel, the micro-motor tool is a precision instrument, finely machined with no wobble and negligible vibration, making them a joy to use.
The king of micro-motor tools is the NSK Electer E-Max. NSK also makes dental grinders, so they know what they're doing. Other companies, such as RAM, make lower end micro-motor tools which still work exceptionally well, but are a little bulkier and less pleasing to work with compared to the NSK. If you plan to take up carving in a serious way, invest in an NSK if at all possible. It will return your investment both in sheer carving pleasure and in results that will most truly reflect your skill as a carver.
I'll go into greater detail about each of these tools and cover basic maintenance concerns in a future post. Happy carving!


text:
est le septième album studio du groupe américain Blondie, sorti le .

L'album est sorti 17 ans après le précédent, The Hunter.

Liste des titres

Musiciens

Blondie
Chris Stein : guitare, basse
Deborah Harry : chant
Clem Burke : batterie
James Destri : synthétiseurs

Musiciens additionnels
Leigh Foxx :  basse
Paul Carbonara : guitare

Classement

Notes et références

Album de Blondie
Album musical sorti en 1999
Album enregistré aux studios Electric Lady
Album produit par Craig Leon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Im learing php have been for a while and while i have kind of put this topicat the back of my head to move on i am still wondering , i dont see the massive use fullness of using classes in a web design. This being said there obviously is one because its what everybody does so i know I AM missing something. Its it all really just for the sake of making more modular code packets ?
If you do a web search on "object-oriented programming" you'll find many in-depth explanations of the reasons and methodologies -- probably more accurate than anything I would type up in a forum response.
It's not just for the sake of more modular code, but rather using that modularity and resulting separation and compartmentalization of concerns to create more robust, testable, reliable, and maintainable code.


Saturday 15 September 2018, marked the end of the three year transition period in which organisations certified to Standards ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 were required to transition to the new ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 Standards.
CCAS is delighted to announce that 97% of its ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 registered clients, successfully made the transition and are now operating to the revised Standards.
With the deadline date of 15 September having now passed, ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 are no longer valid and are therefore, obsolete.
There is still an opportunity however, for organisations which have not made the transition, still to do so. For further information, please contact a member of our certification team on 01543 509533 or email ukhq@ccas.org.uk.
This entry was posted in Industry News, ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015 Standards and tagged ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001:2015. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Blast in north China kills 22, injures at least 22
by Weida Li Nov 28, 2018 12:10 ENVIRONMENT TIANJIN CARS
An explosion near a chemical factory in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province on Wednesday has killed 22 people and injured at least 22 others. CNS
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An explosion near a chemical factory in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei Province on Wednesday has killed 22 people and injured at least 22 others.
According to a post by the local government on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, the incident occurred at 12.41 am near the Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Company in the city's Qiaodong district.
The Safety Production Supervision Administration Office of Zhangjiakou used the same website this morning to confirm that a vehicle transporting dangerous chemicals had exploded while waiting to enter the factory. The resulting fire then engulfed 38 lorries and 12 cars parked nearby.
Remembering the 2015 Tianjin Explosions
On the first anniversary of the 2015 Tianjin Explosions, we take a look at the events surrounding one of the worst industrial disasters in Chinese history.
Aug 11, 2016 11:35 environment Tianjin
Those injured have been taken to local hospitals for treatment. Search and rescue operations are underway, though the exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Chinese news portal The Paper reports that although the blast did not occur at Shenghua, production at the company has been shut down. Staff working for the company told reporters that the vehicle in question did not belong to the factory.
In August 2015, more than 170 people were killed in a chemical warehouse explosion in the port city of Tianjin. According to the official investigation, the disaster was caused by improperly or illegally stored hazardous materials.
Weida Li
HEBEI PROVINCE (85)
Sandro Wagner leaves Bayern Munich for Chinese Super League
Former Germany international footballer Sandro Wagner has completed his move from Bayern Munich to Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin TEDA.
by Craig Houston SPORTS TEAM SPORTS
China's Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket set for crucial July launch
China will resume launches of its Long March 5 rocket in July, a senior space official has said, with a follow up mission planned to collect Moon samples and bring them to Earth.
by GBTIMES TIANJIN MOON
China's Zhang Shuai wins women's doubles title at Australian Open with Australia's Samantha Stosur
China's Zhang Shuai and Australia's Samantha Stosur won the final match of women's doubles against Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France at the Australian Open....
by CGTN SPORTS TENNIS
Three international veterans leave Chinese Super League for European football
International players Demba Ba, John Obi Mikel and Jose Antonio Reyes have found new clubs in Europe after leaving Chinese football.
China vows to continue fight against air pollution in 2019
China will continue to implement the 2018-20 air pollution control plan in 2019 and enhance the management of diesel-powered trucks while further reducing industrial emissions.
by Weida Li ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION
Chinese New Year air traffic set to hit 73m flights, rail trips to surpass 406m
An estimated 73 million flights will be made in China during this year's Spring Festival travel rush, which lasts between January 21 and March 1, up 12 percent year-on-year.
by Weida Li TRAVEL CHINESE NEW YEAR

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Force of Evil (1948)
Not Rated | 79 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.
Joe Morse
Leo Morse
Marie Windsor
Edna Tucker
Howland Chamberlain
Freddie Bauer
(as Howland Chamberlin)
Roy Roberts
Ben Tucker
Paul Fix
Bill Ficco
Stanley Prager
Barry Kelley
Detective Egan
Paul McVey
Hobe Wheelock
Beatrice Pearson
Doris Lowry
Abraham Polonsky (screenplay), Ira Wolfert (screenplay), Ira Wolfert (novel)
23 January 2003 | kennethwright2612
Top Marx!
McCarthy blacklist victim Abraham Polonsky's angry and poetic film noir is perhaps the most candidly subversive picture ever made in a commercial genre, almost explicitly equating capitalism with crime in the metaphor of the numbers racket. It belongs on the face of it to the post-war-disillusionment school of American thrillers (eg The Blue Dahlia, Key Largo), in which the evils that ordinary Joes spent the war fighting turn out to be business as usual when they get back home. But what makes it so unusual is its insistence, contrary to the message of other social-comment crime thrillers of the 1940s, that it's a bad system, rather than bad people, that's to blame for the woes of the world. The fate of Mob lawyer John Garfield's decent, kind-hearted brother Thomas Gomez, a small-time policy banker, shows us what happens to good people who try to play straight in a crooked game. If the bad guys in the film turned good, Polonsky implies, they'd only get the same. Polonsky described the source novel, Tucker's People, as "an autopsy on capitalism".
Sermon over: none of the above gets in the way of a raging, doom-laden crime melo that, like a snowball, gets faster and weightier as it barrels along. Superb New York location photography, a vitriolic script, and committed, sincere performances lock our attention to every second of its 81 New York minutes. If it weren't for Gun Crazy (scripted under a front name by another dangerous pinko, Dalton Trumbo), Force of Evil would be the best film noir ever made.
The Big Combo
Secret Beyond the Door...
The Postman Always Rings Twice
He Ran All the Way
The Breaking Point
Letter from an Unknown Woman
The Reckless Moment
Pickup on South Street
Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 Greatest American Movies.
Sylvia Morse: Don't have anything to do with him, Leo. You're a businessman.
Leo Morse: Yes. I've been a businessman all my life. And honest - I don't know what a business is.
Sylvia Morse: Well, you had a garage... you had a real estate business.
Leo Morse: A lot you know. Real estate business... ...
During a climactic montage set at an East Coast racetrack on the Fourth of July, people in the stock footage crowd scenes are dressed in winter garments nobody would wear in the middle of summer.
All existing copies of the film are of the version that was cut by 10 minutes in order to fit into a double bill.
String Quartet opus 131, no. 14: Ist Movement
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Crime | Drama | Film-Noir
George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
07 November 2017 | Trailers from Hell
He Walked by Night
22 July 2017 | Trailers from Hell
05 June 2016 | Trailers from Hell
The Outfit
O', Brother, Sister, Who Art Thou?


Hill+Knowlton Strategies has announced a number of additions and promotions in both their Ottawa and Toronto office recently. In Ottawa, Jessica Turner has been hired as a Consultant, most recently worked for the Government of Canada, where she was responsible for media monitoring, developing quantitative and qualitative media summaries and event planning. She will work with the public and corporate affairs team.
Tristan Eclarin has been promoted to Senior Consultant, having joined over three years, and provides clients with strategic insight in developing meaningful ways to engage the public and stakeholders. Combined with his valuable analytical and writing skills, Tristan has proven to be a key asset for the delivery of in-person and online dialogues, particularly in working with public sector clients in a wide range of policy areas.
In their Toronto office, Cathleen Finlay has been hired as a consultant who comes from City Hall, where she supported Councillor Karen Stintz. Cathleen holds a diploma in journalism and was also a producer at Canada AM.
Lauren Frisch joins as an Assistant Consultant. Most recently, Lauren worked at a lifestyle communications agency in New York City as an account co-ordinator, responsible for media relations and community management for various brands.
H+K Toronto also welcomes Dominique Dorais who transferred from the firm's Montreal office. Dominique is a consultant with extensive customer service and communications experience. Her bilingual assets and results-driven approach to client work will continue to benefit H+K Toronto and its clients.


Browse citywide advertisements of Air Conditioning Contractors In LODI, CA for bad reignitor. Browse through cyber deals on home air conditioning, replacing Gas Furnace, troubleshooting ductless air heating cooling for repairs, ac heat unit maintenance and installation for a office, business, warehouse, home or commercial dwellings. You may also glance over online hvac forum pages to find help while you ask questions, use affordable cost calculation and request project quotes from accredited heating repair company in your area.


text:
Q: rendering markRaw based on a condition in vue3 so i have this conditions array that im looping through and im trying to change markRaw of a computed property based on a condition.
This is my template:
<template v-for="(condition, index) in currentPlan.conditions">

    <component
    v-bind="bottomSectionFields[key]"
        :is="bottomSectionFields[key]?.is"
    v-model="currentPlan.conditions[index][key]"
    :disabled="isDisabledConditionProperties(key, index)"
    :options="currentPlan.options[index][`${key}_options`]"
    @change="onChange($event, index, key)"
    @click="memberStore.conditionIndex = index"></component>

</template>

in this function, if event.value.input_type is "number" i want to change the computed property below as explained, and if it is "multi" again change it as i explained below.
function onChange(event, index, key) {
    if (key === "condition") {
        currentPlan.value.options[index].inputType = event.value.input_type;
        currentPlan.value.options[index].params_options = event.value.operators;
        currentPlan.value.options[index].values_options = event.value.values;
    }
}

This is the computed property, right here i want to change values.is to MultiSelect if i have values to set, or InputNumber if i have no values to set.
const bottomSectionFields = computed(() => {
    const condition = {
        is: markRaw(Dropdown),
        optionLabel: "name",
        class: "fieldWrapper",
    };
    const params = {
        is: markRaw(Dropdown),
        optionLabel: "name",
        class: "fieldWrapper",
    };
    const values = {
        key: "values",
        is: markRaw(MultiSelect),
        class: [],
        optionLabel: "name",
        class: "lastFieldWrapper",
    };

    return {
        condition,
        params,
        values,
    };
});

i would really appreciate your help, i tried to do it without success.
i tried to change bottomSectionFields.values.is to an input if i have no options and to an multiselect i have options.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This was initially a one-year research project funded by a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (award number, not yet known), from October 1999 to September 2000, with co-funding from an ESRC fellowship award. In September 2000 the project researcher transfered to the University of Northumbria, where the work was completed.
The NHS and Community Care Act (1990) emphasised the importance of meeting the health and social care needs of elderly and disabled people and their carers in ethnic minority communities. Community Care in the Next Decade and Beyond (DoH, 1990) identified the need for local authorities to make assessment procedures "accessible to people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds", and flagged up the need for some "services of a special type or kind (because) services geared to the requirements of the majority may not always be appropriate" (DoH, 1990: p.26). Subsequent practice guidance for managers and practitioners has been permeated with statements emphasising the importance of sensitivity to the diverse needs of different communities, through appropriate forms of information, assessment and care planning. Despite such overt rhetoric, the reality is that service provision continues to be largely euro-centric in nature.
Current understanding about the ways in which disabled people and their families from Asian communities wish to have their needs met is limited. Few studies have focused on the particular experience of service users from the Asian communities, although there has been an increasing amount of recent interest in this area. Although the number of studies assessing the incidence of impairment among black people has slowly grown over the last decade, much of this concentrates on the consequences of disability in old age. Consequently, research evidence on younger disabled people is relatively neglected.
At present there is much focus on measuring the outcomes of community care. This is reflected in Department of Health funded research on outcomes, based at the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) over the last few years. This has involved seeking the views of disabled and older service users. Whilst this work included a focus group of Asian elders in Bradford, the work on younger disabled people based in York attracted only one black ethnic minority service user (due to the relative lack of diversity in the local population). This project will seek to directly redress this imbalance.
The research was planned and implemented in collaboration with the Asian Disability Network and the Association of Blind Asians (two local user groups of disabled Asian people). The research is based in Leeds and Bradford, in order to target sampling in areas with significant Asian populations and to include people with a range of service experiences. Ayesha is also liasing with responsible officers in the relevant social services departments in order to access policy documents, and to ensure that dissemination of the research influences local service providers.
The primary data collection involved a series of focus group meetings with local disabled Asian people, with the option of individual interviews if prefered. The meetings centred around the following topics: current and past experience of service provision and desired outcomes from community care; rights and responsibilities in relation to culturally sensitive service provision; recommendations for policy, practice and dissemination.
We hope to produce policy guidelines and practice-based publications, as well as a research report. In addition, there will be local dissemination amongst disabled Asian people and two user-led seminars for local practitioners and service providers. The research is currently in its final phase.


text:
| Arts & Culture |
KC's Burgeoning Esports Scene Has A Moment
Get Inside and Play
Catherine Hoffman
choffman@flatlandkc.org
Published August 18th, 2021 at 6:00 AM
Above image credit: Mayor Quinton Lucas poses with members of the Kansas City Pioneers, Generation Esports, and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City. (Courtesy | KC Pioneers)
A look of shock flashed across the face of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas as a teenager brazenly accused him of murder. Lucas has been called many things, but this might be the first time anyone has attacked him for being "sus."
Last Saturday, Lucas joined the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City in kicking off the partnership between Generation Esports and premiere esports team the Kansas City Pioneers with a few passionate rounds of Among Us. (It's a space-themed online game in which players have to deduce who among them is an imposter trying to sabotage the team's mission.)
Mayor Quinton Lucas and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City President Dr. Dred Scott play Among Us, a space-themed online game in which players have to deduce who among them is an imposter trying to sabotage the team's mission. (Courtesy | Kansas City Pioneers Twitch)
Some parental figures may still crusade against video games for being time wasters or encouraging violence. Nevertheless, esports has grown into a billion dollar industry.
"Esports is everything that you would imagine a traditional sport like basketball or football or baseball would be, but with video games," said Douglas Martin.
Martin has become a household name in the esports world under his screen name Censor.
Martin won his first Call of Duty championship at age 17. The title came with a $50,000 prize.
"I thought, esports has no future," Martin said. "I'm just going to take this money and go to college."
That was nearly a decade ago.
Since then, Martin has helped usher in an era in which gaming is a booming industry with legitimate career opportunities. He recently signed on with the Kansas City Pioneers as a professional Call of Duty player.
Douglas Martin, aka Censor, has 211,000 followers on the streaming platform Twitch and 2.48 million YouTube subscribers. He recently signed on to the Kansas City Pioneers as a professional Call of Duty player. (Courtesy | Douglas Martin Twitch)
"You need coaches, you need a team, you have a team dynamic, you do things mostly in person," said Nehemiah Odior. "You're not really sitting in a dark room, just playing by yourself and wearing a hoodie. That perception isn't really realistic anymore."
Odior is the director of programs and partnerships at Generation Esports. He said that the organization is working to engage youth in the gaming industry, particularly in underserved communities.
Odior started gaming at a young age. Growing up in Texas, he was the self-proclaimed "top dog" when it came to fighting games. He took out every opponent in his neighborhood with ease.
Around age 18, he took his talents to his first gaming competition where he was swiftly crushed by a 12-year-old girl. (She went on to become a world champion, so Odior was able to maintain his dignity.)
Odior quickly learned to never underestimate an opponent when it comes to gaming. In esports there are typically no age or gender brackets, which lowers the barriers to entry for many young people.
The benefits of gaming for youth range from career opportunities in STEM to the invaluable feeling of belonging to a group.
"They're not really looking to be on the football team or the basketball team, but they would love to be a part of a Super Smash team and then have their friends come and cheer them on for a competition that they're a part of," Odior said.
KC Pioneers Rocket League player Courtney Johnson experienced this personally when her esports teammates stepped in to support her in one of the darker times of her life.
About three years ago, Johnson came out as transgender. Then the bullying began.
"I started transitioning to a woman and a lot of my friends really cut me off and I wasn't in the best place," Johnson said. "And then I met some of my best friends that year, all online."
She said that the atmosphere is exactly like her old baseball team. Gaming is her opportunity to push herself to be her best.
When she first started gaming five years ago, people thought that she was wasting her time. Now even her grandmother will poke her head in to watch Johnson crush the competition in Rocket League.
"Knowing that older generations are actually trying to understand — it's just a really cool feeling," she said.
Kansas City Pioneers founder Lorenzo (LJ) Browne is working hard to put Kansas City esports on the map.
Browne said that because the Midwest is generally slower to accept change, a lot of gamers stay quiet about their passion out of either fear of judgment or a lack of knowledge about the industry.
Lorenzo (LJ) Browne is the founder and chief gaming officer of Kansas City Pioneers at age 19. (Courtesy | Kansas City Pioneers)
"I'm an inner city kid, you know. There's inner city kids that probably come home and game every day and they don't even know they're good enough to win 100 bucks, 200 bucks here and there," Browne said. "I think that if we can help these kids and their parents understand that, more people will start appreciating what we actually do."
Through KC Pioneers, Browne is raising awareness and making gaming more accessible to those who might not be able to afford an expensive gaming system. With the help of Generation Esports, they will be helping to establish computer labs across the metro.
One of their partnerships is with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City. They are hoping to expose kids who already love gaming to the professional side of esports.
"Obviously young people across the world are interested in video games and esports, but we want to take that interest and really leverage it into professional opportunities and employment opportunities for kids," said local Boys and Girls Club president Dr. Dred Scott. "It's a great opportunity for them to take a passion and make it into a career."
Catherine Hoffman covers community affairs and culture for Kansas City PBS in cooperation with Report for America.
The Chiefs Have Enjoyed 5 Straight AFC Championships at Home. 'It's Nuts' for KC Businesses
The Kansas City Chiefs will host the the 5th straight AFC Championship held at Arrowhead Stadium — an NFL-record. It's a windfall for local businesses.
by Greg Echlin, KCUR 89.3 | 01-27-2023
Royals Declare 'Our Conclusion is Clear' on Downtown Ballpark
Private Funding for Bulk of $2 Billion Ballpark Village
by Kevin Collison | 12-14-2022
Q&A With Matt Besler: World Cup Preview, Remembering Ronaldo and Looking Ahead to 2026 in KC
One-in-Seven Worldwide Tuned In For 2018 Final
by Clarence Dennis | 11-18-2022
Royals Envision $2B Downtown Ballpark District, 'Largest Public-Private Investment in KC History'
'We Want to Construct a World-Class Experience'
Kansas Sports Betting Reveals Appeal of Online Apps — Even Among Missourians
Four State-owned Casinos Take Plunge, Tribal Casinos Likely to Follow
by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector | 09-12-2022
Who Loses – and How Much – With Legalized Sports Gambling in Kansas?
You Can Bet Losers Outnumber Winners
by Marco Schaden, The Beacon | 09-07-2022
Sports Betting Coming to Kansas Sept. 1, a Week Before the NFL Season
Place Your Bets Through Casinos and Online Apps
by Dylan Lysen, Kansas News Service | 08-19-2022
KC Filmmakers Tee Up Documentary on Black Golfers
Drive for Inclusion
by Catherine Hoffman | 07-08-2022
Summer Bummer: Lifeguard Shortage Keeping Some Public Pools Closed
Some Communities Suffer More than Others
by Yasmine Ferhat | 07-01-2022
Sound, Smoke and Fury: The Enduring Allure of the American Tractor Pull
Folks Still Flock for Horsepower Competitions
by Cami Koons | 06-16-2022
Tags: Kansas City Esports • Kansas City Pioneers • sports
Greater Downtown Population Jumps 29% in New Census Results
In Kansas City, Restaurant Revitalization Funds Flowed to Whiter, More Affluent Areas