theguardianuk--2019-08-31--Fears for Britains standing in world of science as students shun chemistry degrees

Fears for Britain’s standing in world of science as students shun chemistry degrees

Numbers of UK students applying to study chemistry at university have plunged by more than 20% over the past three years, new figures show.  The fall has alarmed business leaders, who say homegrown talent is needed to run Britain’s chemistry industry, which is worth more than £50bn a year to the UK economy.  As a result, an open letter – signed by companies such as drugs maker AstraZeneca and chemicals group BASF – has been sent to the government, calling for urgent action to encourage school leavers and students to follow careers in chemistry.  “This is a matter of significant concern for a number of sectors deemed crucial to the country’s economy,” the letter states. “From finding solutions to climate change and decarbonising transport to finding new drugs or even creating novel materials, chemistry is too important to let slide.  “What is urgently needed is a clear strategy and action plan to articulate the diversity and excitement of a career in chemistry as well as the wider science community to our young people.”  According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, figures show the number of UK students applying to study the subject dropped by 21% between 2015 and 2018, despite an increase in students sitting A-level chemistry.  “It is concerning that some A-level students may not understand the opportunities chemistry can offer them, at a point where they’re making crucial career decisions,” said Danièle Gibney, the society’s education policy manager. “The UK’s problem appears to be our inability to provide enough careers advice to help them make informed choices about their further education and career aspirations.”  Gibney added that chemistry was key to tackling the world’s most pressing problems, from pollution to antibiotic resistance. “In an era where young people aspire to influence the world, chemistry offers the opportunity to do so in a meaningful and important way.”


eveningstandard--2019-01-30--Astrophysics professor Jo Dunkley on the complexities of the universe and her mission to to get wome

Astrophysics professor Jo Dunkley on the complexities of the universe and her mission to to get women into science

The short answer to my question “is physics sexist?” is yes, says Jo Dunkley, with a good-natured laugh.  Dunkley, who at 39 must be one of the youngest and brainiest female astrophysics professors on the planet, is talking about cosmology, our place in the universe and the unconscious bias that women still face in Stem subjects [science, technology, engineering and mathematics], to promote her new book, Our Universe: An Astronomer’s Guide.  As Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, Dunkley researches the history of the universe, how space is changing, what stars are made of and the nature of dark matter. Her book is an attempt to simplify this enormously complex subject and, written in a style not unlike Carlo Rovelli’s bestselling Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, there are no equations, no maths and relatively little jargon.  Borrowing language from Nasa educators, she also, for example, likens planets to flecks of flour or peppercorns and places them in basketball courts and so on, to help readers grasp the sheer scale and numbers involved. She admits that not even cosmologists can easily comprehend concepts such as the universe being nearly 14 billion years old or stars being 100,000 light years away.  Elsewhere she describes ants walking on stretchy elastic bands and asks us to imagine falling into a black hole feet first, with the gravity inside it stretching us out “like spaghetti”, which does make it easier to understand but only up to a point. She also raises bigger questions in the book such as what happened before the Big Bang, whether space has always existed, how much it weighs, and whether space is finite or infinite. We still don’t know. Describing black holes as “truly mysterious beasts”, she says that at their centre “even our laws of physics break down”.  The most recent observations from distant galactic superclusters suggest Einstein’s theory of gravity might need what she calls a bit of tuning.  “There are these enormous, unsolved problems which suggest that we might have some really big paradigm shift coming soon. Many of us are asking whether we’re already seeing a hint of a problem in our model of the universe and whether we need some new physics.”  While she has won a string of awards and prizes for her work, including an OBE, unlike Stephen Hawking (who attended her seminars in Cambridge and was “awesome”), she has no interest in flying to the Moon or anywhere else since she’s claustrophobic: “So the idea of being shut up in an enclosed space horrifies me.”  And while commercial near-space travel is more or less upon us, going through a wormhole into another galaxy like Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway did in Interstellar remains improbable. “One of the things I want people to appreciate is just how unlikely it is that we’ll get far beyond our solar system — it’s just too big.”  Astronomy has moved away from space travel towards the field of big telescopes. Dunkley thinks most of us are unaware of this. It’s true; we all know about the Large Hadron Collider but few people will have heard of the Square Kilometre Array, a huge multi-radio-telescope project in South Africa and Australia that is due for completion by 2030, or the Extremely Large Telescope — being built in the Atacama desert in northern Chile. Manned by huge teams, these humungous wonders will enable cosmologists like Dunkley to see further in to space than ever before.  They’re a far cry from just over a century ago when Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as an astronomer at Harvard, where she studied photographic plates of stars and, despite not being allowed to operate telescopes because she was a woman, discovered a new way to measure the distance to faraway galaxies, now known as Leavitt’s Law.  Leavitt is one of Dunkley’s heroines, and as much as her book addresses the big questions, it is also a manifesto to encourage more girls and women to go into science. “Men and women’s brains are more similar than people think and women are just as able and interested in doing sciences. One of the most compelling statistics is that a girl is almost three times more likely to study physics A-level if she’s at an all-girls school, which means that if you put the same people in different environments they will make different choices.  “At an all-girls school, all subjects get an equal footing, but in a co-ed environment girls receive messages — from boys and teachers — that this [science] is not a thing girls do. It’s unconscious bias. I do it. You do it. We all do it. If we could take away the biases I don’t know how many women would be doing physics, but it would certainly be more than it is now.”  Not surprisingly, she vigorously rebuts the ideas of theoretical physicist Professor Alessandro Strumia, who asserted at a seminar at CERN’s first workshop on “High Energy Theory and Gender” last September, that “physics [was] invented and built by men, it’s not by invitation”. Dunkley says: “Frankly he was talking nonsense and pulled out the stats to suit his arguments.” Strumia was subsequently suspended.  In any case, for Dunkley, being a “good” scientist requires many skills. “Yes I need to be able to solve equations and write computer code to analyse data. But I also need to be able to run a team, mentor students, manage big projects and write proposals to bring in funding. In other words, I need to be pretty good at multi-tasking. And you might say, ‘Are these women’s attributes?’ Maybe, maybe not. But by having in our heads a fixed idea of what a good physicist is, we’re missing out.”  While her own experience at work “has almost entirely not been sexist”, she almost gave up physics at university because “louder boys asked all the questions and made me feel I wasn’t as clever as I thought”.  As it happens, Dunkley went to an all-girls school — North London Collegiate, before studying science at Cambridge. Her father left school at 15 and her mother trained as a primary school teacher, but stayed at home to look after Dunkley and her sister. “So I haven’t come from a family of scientists or people who’ve done significant higher education. My parents wanted to give us the opportunities they hadn’t had.”  She is married to a historian, Faramerz Dabhoiwala, who also teaches at Princeton, and has two teenage stepdaughters and two daughters of her own, aged one and five. “I do worry about them with all the biases out there. At home we show them examples of how to be a strong and successful woman and to see a partnership of two people with equal jobs. We change the words in children’s books to make the stories less sexist, like princesses being rescued by knights on horses or the father going out to work while the mum stays at home. We call it out. Ultimately, I feel we can best arm them against these things by me just being me and my husband being him.”  Our Universe: An Astronomer’s Guide (Pelican Books) is published tomorrow, £20


freedombunker--2019-06-02--Louis Pasteur The Father of Microbiology Who Pioneered Vaccine Science

Louis Pasteur: "The Father of Microbiology" Who Pioneered Vaccine Science

Today’s Hero of Progress is Louis Pasteur, a 19th century French scientist, who is commonly dubbed the “father of microbiology.” Pasteur is renowned for developing the germ theory of disease, creating the process of pasteurization (which prevents the spoiling of many food products), and for changing the way that scientists create vaccines.  Louis Pasteur was born to a poor Catholic family in Jura, France, on December 27, 1827. In 1839, Pasteur enrolled at the Royal College of Besançon, the same city in which he had attended secondary school. Within a year, Pasteur had earned his Bachelor of Letters.  In 1842, he graduated with a degree in science. A year later, he started studying at the École Normale Supérieure, a graduate school in Paris. In 1848, Pasteur was appointed professor of chemistry at the University of Strasbourg.  Pasteur's first successful test was completed on April 20, 1862, and the process he developed came to be known as pasteurization.  In Strasbourg, Pasteur met his wife Marie. The pair married in 1849 and had five children. However, only two of those children survived to adulthood, while the rest died of typhoid. It is said that the death of his three children motivated Pasteur to study infections and vaccinations.  In 1856, when he was the dean of the faculty of sciences at the University of Lille, Pasteur started to study fermentation to help a local wine manufacturer overcome the problem of alcohol souring.  Before Pasteur, people believed in a doctrine of “spontaneous generation,” which held that life spontaneously appeared from non-living matter. That faulty reasoning was used to explain why food spoiled and how infections developed.  To disprove the theory of spontaneous generation, Pasteur “exposed freshly boiled broth to air in vessels that contained a filter to stop all particles passing through to the growth medium, and even with no filter at all, with air being admitted via a long tortuous tube that would not pass dust particles. Nothing grew in the broths: therefore the living organisms that grew in such broths came from outside, as spores on dust, rather than being generated within the broth.”  Furthermore, Pasteur found that heating of beverages to a temperature ranging from 140F to 212F (60°C-100°C) killed the bacteria in those liquids. His first successful test was completed on April 20, 1862, and the process he developed came to be known as pasteurization. Pasteur patented his discovery in 1865.  The work of Pasteur fundamentally changed the world we live in. The proof he provided for the existence of the germ theory of disease revolutionized the way we think about human health.  Pasteur then turned his attention to the development of vaccines. He and his colleagues injected chickens with cultured cholera microbes. After many experiments, the team discovered that if the birds were injected with live cholera microbes after they had already been injected with a weaker strain of cholera, the chickens would remain healthy.  Pasteur thus became the first scientist to use artificially weakened viruses as vaccines. Pasteur then went on to develop a vaccine for anthrax in 1881. In 1885, Pasteur successfully developed a rabies vaccine.  In 1888, Pasteur had received enough donations to open the Pasteur Institute – a private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. He remained director of his institute until he died on September 28, 1895.  Pasteur became the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1878. He received dozens of honorary awards and today there are some 30 institutes, and several hospitals, schools and streets named after him. When he died, Pasteur was given a state funeral in the Cathedral of Notre Dame and his body was interred in a vault beneath his institute, where it still lays today.  The work of Louis Pasteur fundamentally changed the world we live in. The proof he provided for the existence of the germ theory of disease revolutionized the way we think about human health. Pasteurization enabled us to preserve beverages and canned foods far longer than was previously thought possible. And, finally, Pasteur revolutionized the development of vaccines.  Much of modern science rests on Pasteur’s work. Without him, it is likely that hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people would not be alive today. For that reason, Louis Pasteur is our 19th Hero of Progress.  This Human Progress article was republished with permission.


bbc--2019-10-08--Planets and Big Bang win Nobel physics prize

Three scientists have been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for "ground-breaking" discoveries about the Universe.  James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz were announced as this year's winners at a ceremony in Stockholm.  Peebles was honoured for work on the evolution of the Universe, while Mayor and Queloz won for their discovery of a planet around a Sun-like star.  The winners will share the prize money of nine million kronor (£738,000).  Reacting to the news, Prof Queloz told BBC News: "It's unbelievable," adding: "Since the discovery 25 years ago, everyone kept telling me: 'It's a Nobel Prize discovery'. And I say: 'Oh yeah, yeah, maybe, whatever.'"  But in the intervening years, he more-or-less "forgot" about the discovery: "I don't even think about it," he said. "So frankly, yes, it came as a surprise to me. I understand the impact of the discovery, but there's such great physics being done in the world, I thought, it's not for us, we will never have it.  "I'm a bit shocked right now, I'm still trying to digest what it means."  Ulf Danielsson, a member of the Nobel Committee, commented: "Both these prizes... tell us something essential, something existential about our place in the Universe."  "The first one, tracing the history back to an unknown origin, is so fascinating. The other one tries to answer these questions about: 'are we alone - is there life anywhere else in the Universe?'"  Winnipeg, Canada-born James Peebles was honoured for his contributions to the understanding of the evolution of the Universe and Earth's place in the cosmos.  With others, he predicted the existence of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, the so-called afterglow of the Big Bang.  By studying the CMB, scientists have been able to determine the age, shape and contents of the Universe.  "Cosmic background radiation was discovered in 1965, and turned out to be a goldmine for our understanding of how the Universe developed from its early childhood to the present day," said Mats Larsson, chair of the Nobel physics prize committee.  "Were it not for the theoretical discoveries of James Peebles, the wonderful high-precision measurements of this radiation over the last 20 years would have told us almost nothing."  The 84-year-old cosmologist, who is now based at Princeton University in New Jersey, US, also made major contributions to the theory of dark matter and dark energy, the mysterious components which together make up some 95% of the Universe.  In addition, he helped develop the theoretical framework of structure formation - which describes how galaxies and other large structures emerged from earlier density fluctuations in the Universe.  Asked what he considered his most important contribution, Prof Peebles said he was "hard-pressed to say", adding that his work had been collaborative.  "It's a life's work," he told the news conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.  Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz were awarded the prize for finding 51 Pegasi b, a gas giant orbiting a star 50 light-years away.  It was the first exoplanet to be discovered orbiting a star like our own.  They used the pioneering radial velocity technique. This detects distant worlds indirectly, by measuring how a parent star "wobbles" when it is tugged on by the gravity of an orbiting planet.  The astronomers were working at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, when the discovery was made. Mayor, 77, is still there as a professor emeritus; Queloz, 53, now holds positions at Geneva and at the University of Cambridge, UK.  Michael Moloney, chief executive officer of the American Institute of Physics, said: "[The laureates'] groundbreaking work on discovering the fundamental nature of the Universe and new worlds in distant solar systems has opened up whole new areas of research in cosmology and exoplanet science.  "The discovery of a planet orbiting a star outside our own system has changed our perceptions of our place in the Universe - a Universe that still holds many mysteries to solve."  Previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics  2018 - Donna Strickland, Arthur Ashkin and Gerard Mourou were awarded the prize for their discoveries in the field of laser physics.  2017 - Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Barry Barish earned the award for the detection of gravitational waves.  2016 - David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz shared the award for their work on rare phases of matter.  2015 - Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald were awarded the prize the discovery that neutrinos switch between different "flavours".  2014 - Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura won the physics Nobel for developing the first blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs).  2013 - Francois Englert and Peter Higgs shared the spoils for formulating the theory of the Higgs boson particle.  2012 - Serge Haroche and David J Wineland were awarded the prize for their work with light and matter.


france24--2019-10-08--Swiss scientists Mayor and Queloz, Canadian-American Peebles win 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics

Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP | Members of the Nobel Committee for Physics as 2019 winners Peebles, Mayor and Queloz are announced at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on October 8, 2019.  Three scientists won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for their work in understanding how the universe has evolved, and the Earth’s place in it.  The prize was given to James Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology,” and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star,” said Prof. Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that chooses the laureates.  An exoplanet is a planet outside the solar system.  Hansson credited the three for their “contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe, and Earth’s place in the cosmos.”  The prize comes with a 9-million kronor ($918,000) cash award to be shared a gold medal and a diploma. The laureates receive them at an elegant ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of prize founder Alfred Nobel in 1896, together with five other Nobel winners. The sixth one, the peace prize, is handed out in Oslo, Norway on the same day.  This was the 113th Nobel Prize in Physics awarded since 1901, of which 47 awards have been given to a single laureate. Only three women have been awarded it so far: Marie Curie in 1903, Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963 and Donna Strickland in 2018, according to the Nobel website.  On Monday, Americans William G. Kaelin Jr. and Gregg L. Semenza and Britain’s Peter J. Ratcliffe won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine, for discovering details of how the body’s cells sense and react to low oxygen levels, providing a foothold for developing new treatments for anemia, cancer and other diseases.  Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and the inventor of dynamite, decided the physics, chemistry, medicine and literature prizes should be awarded in Stockholm, and the peace prize in Oslo.  The Nobel Prize for Chemistry will be announced Wednesday, two Literature Prizes will be awarded on Thursday, and the Peace Prize comes Friday. This year will see two literature Prizes handed out because the one last year was suspended after a scandal rocked the Swedish Academy.


sottnet--2019-03-17--Nobel prize physicist attempting to merge physics and the paranormal

In 1962, Brian D. Josephson, a 22-year-old graduate student at England's Cambridge University, born on January 4, 1940, in Cardiff, Wales, predicted that electrical current would flow, or tunnel, between two superconducting materials - things that at low temperatures lack electrical resistance, even when they are separated by a non-superconductor, or insulator.In quantum physics, matter can be described as both waves and particles. Emerging from this is the phenomenon of tunnelling, which sees particles pass through barriers that according to classic physics should be impassable.Josephson's tunnelling theory was later confirmed, and in 1973 he was one of three scientists who shared the Nobel Prize in physics. (The others were Leo Esaki and Ivar Giaever)This tunnelling phenomenon is today known as the "Josephson effect", an important piece of evidence in the ongoing development of superconductivity.He went on to make several other discoveries, including those leading to the development of the "Josephson junction switch", which allows extreme high-speed switching on the molecular level. The junctions are the key components in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), widely used to make extremely sensitive measurements of magnetic fields.As an example of Josephson's unique character, in a January 2013 article in the Cambridge University publication CavMag, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his tunnelling discovery, colleague John Waldran recalled: "In 1973 Brian was awarded his Nobel Prize, and of course we asked him what he was planning to do with the money. He thought for a little while and said he planned to upgrade his bicycle."He became director of the Mind-Matter Unification Project of the Theory of Condensed Matter Group at the Cavendish Laboratory, within Cambridge University. Josephson's homepage describes it as "a project concerned primarily with the attempt to understand, from the viewpoint of the theoretical physicist, what may loosely be characterised as intelligent processes in nature, associated with brain function or with some other natural process".He told an interviewer from the Physics World journal in 2002 that, "physicists have an emotional response when they hear anything connected with parapsychology.He'd started to think about how the brain works and found this more fascinating than anything in physics at the time. He became interested in Eastern mysticism and parapsychology."I began to sense that conventional science is inadequate for situations where the mind is involved, and the task of clarification became a major concern of mine," he said.Josephson's vocal support for many fringe theories - such as cold fusion and the idea that water possesses memory - has seen him shunned by many other scientists. In 2010 organisers withdrew an invitation for him to attend a conference on the de Broglie-Bohm theory, an approach to quantum physics. However, it was soon reinstated after several other attendees complained.He continues to be very active, and defiant. On his university homepage he describes his work as "concerned primarily with the attempt to understand, from the viewpoint of the theoretical physicist, what may loosely be characterised as intelligent processes in nature, associated with brain function or with some other natural process."


sputnik--2019-10-08--Peebles, Mayor and Queloz Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for Cosmology Work and Exoplanet Discovery

Canadian-American physicist James Peebles has been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology”, while Swiss astrophysicist Michel Mayor and his colleague, astronomer Didier Queloz jointly share the prize “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.”  BREAKING NEWS:  The 2019 #NobelPrize in Physics has been awarded with one half to James Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology” and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.” pic.twitter.com/BwwMTwtRFv — The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2019  The scientists will share a $918,000 cash award, a gold medal and a diploma they are set to receive at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December.


tass--2019-10-08--Nobel Prize in Physics 2019 awarded for contribution to study of the universe

STOCKHOLM, October 8. /TASS/. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Canadian scientist James Peebles "for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology" and Swiss researchers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz "for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star", the Nobel Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences informed on Tuesday.  "This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics rewards new understanding of the universe’s structure and history, and the first discovery of a planet orbiting a solar-type star outside our solar system," the press release informs. "This year’s Laureates have transformed our ideas about the cosmos."


theweekuk--2019-10-08--Trio win Nobel physics prize for work to understand cosmos

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cnn--2019-11-12--New York Times: EPA plans to limit scientific research used in writing public health regulations

A draft of the EPA's proposal obtained by the Times would require scientists to disclose their raw data, including confidential medical records, in order for the agency to consider a study's conclusions. The move would complicate the enactment of new clean air and water regulations, which are largely rooted in academic studies that rely on confidentiality agreements because of personal health disclosures.  to a separate EPA memo viewed by the Times. The draft proposal obtained by the Times expands on a previous version championed by then-Administrator Scott Pruitt, who lost his job last year amid a lengthy list of ethics controversies. But unlike the earlier draft, the new plan would apply retroactively, halting the further use of studies already cited by the EPA that don't comply with the new proposal, accordingto a separate EPA memo viewed by the Times.  While publishing data is common in many branches of science, health-related scientists are subject to patient privacy restrictions and may not publish the raw data.  The EPA said in a statement to CNN on Monday that the agency "is committed to science transparency and is working to finalize the supplemental in 2020."  "Under The Trump Administration, EPA is focused on providing certainty to the American public on the science being used in developing rules and regulations," the agency said. In another statement late Monday, the EPA told CNN that The New York Times' reporting "has numerous errors" but did not specify what is inaccurate. The Times story, the agency said, "is based on a leaked preliminary draft version of the Supplemental, not the actual text submitted to the [Office of Management and Budget]." The statement said the EPA would issue a final rule in 2020 that would "take into account the comments received in response to both the 2018 proposed rule and this supplemental [federal register notice] as well as those submitted by the Science Advisory Board." that the original draft of the proposal would require agency employees "to put on blinders and only see the science that they want them to see." that the original draft of the proposal would require agency employees "to put on blinders and only see the science that they want them to see." The Union of Concerned Scientists said last year that the original draft of the proposal would require agency employees "to put on blinders and only see the science that they want them to see." found that the EPA had "exceeded" its goals in cutting back environmental regulations during the first two years of the Trump administration. found that the EPA had "exceeded" its goals in cutting back environmental regulations during the first two years of the Trump administration. An internal watchdog report released in September found that the EPA had "exceeded" its goals in cutting back environmental regulations during the first two years of the Trump administration. In the past two years, the watchdog report said, the EPA has changed which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act , rolled back an Obama-era plan that would have reduced carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants and proposed a rule that would allow fewer restrictions on hazardous air pollutants, among other changes. The EPA cut 26 regulations, saving the agency more than $96 million, and created four new regulations -- far more than the 2-to-1 ratio the White House had requested, according to the report.


humansarefree--2019-02-03--Most Scientific Research of Western Medicine Untrustable Fraudulent Say Insiders and Experts

Most Scientific Research of Western Medicine Untrustable & Fraudulent, Say Insiders and Experts

Fraudulent scientific research is rife throughout the world due to the power of monetary influence wielded by Big Pharma, the giant cartel of multinational pharmaceutical corporations started over 100 years ago by the Rockefellers . This fraudulent scientific research is now so widespread and pervasive it is become an open secret.  Everyone Knows How the “Game” Works  Don’t Fall for Appeals to “Scientific” or “Clinical” Research when Fraudulent Scientific Research is So Rife


collectiveevolution--2019-01-04--Renowned Scientist Explains How The Earth Is Not A Perfect Sphere But Its Not Flat Either

Renowned Scientist Explains How The Earth Is Not A Perfect Sphere – But It’s Not Flat Either

What a time to be alive, isn’t it? Over the past few years, the birth of social media gave way to an explosion of information. Sure, some of it may be fake, but a lot of this ‘fake news’ narrative was created by the government and corporations in order to attack several alternative media websites. The ‘fake news’ problem cannot be solved by more censorship, it can only be solved through more information. Readers today need to start examining sources instead of just reading headlines. That being said, anything that goes against the narrative of the global elite, no matter how credible, is always demonized and ridiculed by mainstream media.  One topic that’s grabbed the attention of ‘conspiracy theorists’ is the idea that the Earth may be flat. Personally, I find this extremely hard to believe, given the fact that multiple whistleblowers have risked their lives to let the world know about what’s really happening in space. Our black budget world is extremely technologically advanced, and I encourage all ‘flat Earthers’ to look into the black budget when doing their research.  By suggesting the Earth is flat, one is saying that every single space agency from every single nation and all military pilots and astronauts are involved in some sort of cover-up. Those in support of the flat Earth theory believe that we’ve put no technology into space, that we’ve never received any pictures from space, and that all videos and photos from space agencies are fake. This is a significant issue within the flat Earth community. Instead of a proper rebuttal with factual evidence, many simply reply with, “It’s all fake.”  If you actually look at some of the points being made by the flat Earth community, there are some interesting arguments, and it’s been an ongoing debate for thousands of years. At the same time, there are some points that seem to be rather ghastly. For example, flat Earthers have argued that if you fly a helicopter 100 feet in the air, you should not land on the same spot because the globe is spinning. Believing that the Earth is flat implies that those who have claimed to voyage around the world are simply lying.  Then again, many of us still look to ancient wisdom for truths. If we look at different civilizations throughout history, including various indigenous cultures, they were said to have believed that the Earth was flat with a round dome around it … But did they really believe this? (We will cover that later on in the article.)  This interpretation is interesting because they seem to have depicted other celestial bodies and their movements quite accurately. And the ancients had many novel ideas about the shape of the Earth, in addition to it just being flat. The Babylonians thought the Earth was hollow to provide space for their underworld. The Egyptians thought the Earth was a square with mountains at the edge to support the vault of the sky.  I’m not going to go into the points made by the flat Earth community; instead, I’d like to present the perspective of Isaac Asimov, a writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. He was a legendary researcher within these fields, and had a large thirst for knowledge and information in all areas.  I came across an article written by him titled “The Relativity of Wrong,” published in The Skeptical Inquirer in fall of 1989. It was inspired by a handwritten letter he had received from an English literature major who, Asimov says, “felt he needed to teach me science.” What Asimov writes next shows you just how humble and ‘awake’ he was.  Asimov then brings up the flat Earth theory in response to the letter, stating that, “When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.”  I was very intrigued by that statement as well as the next where he emphasizes that people think “right” and “wrong” are absolute, and that everything that isn’t perfectly and completely right is totally and equally wrong.  In the early days, most people thought the Earth was flat. It wasn’t because they were stupid, Asimov explains, or because they wanted to believe in silly things. They were simply interpreting the world around them with the knowledge they had.  He mentions that today, we are taught that the flat Earth theory is entirely wrong, but he emphasizes how it actually isn’t.  How interesting is that? I did not know that the curvature of the Earth is nearly 0 per mile. That explains a lot, including why we cannot perceive Earth as a round figure from the ground nor from a plane. To see that kind of curvature, you would have to be higher than any commercial air-liner is capable of going. Given the size of the Earth, you would have to be very high up in our atmosphere to see any curvature.  In ancient Greece, there were flat Earth supporters, but it became an unsatisfactory theory at approximately 350 B.C.. Aristotle shared his belief that the Earth is not flat by noticing certain stars disappearing beyond the Southern Hemisphere when travelling north, and beyond the Northern Hemisphere when travelling south. He also used the Earth’s shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse as a reference, given the fact that it’s always shaped in the arc of a circle. Furthermore, ships disappearing beyond the horizon hull in any direction they travel.  All three observations could not be reasonably explained if the Earth’s surface is flat, but could be explained by assuming the Earth is a sphere.  It’s also interesting to note that many philosophers, like Socrates, a pupil of Aristotle, opposed the aristocracy and the religion they were ushering in. As a result, they formed secret societies to study and gain knowledge and information. Those who were caught were vilified by the aristocracy, which is why Socrates was put do death, for questioning the authority, their view of the world and for “corrupting the youth.”  A century later, a Greek philosopher used the sun as an example to argue the spherical perception, pointing to the fact that the sun casts a shadow of different lengths at different latitudes. Asimov states that “all the shadows would be the same length if the Earth’s surface were flat. Eratosthenes calculated the size of the Earthly sphere from the difference in shadow length, and his calculations turned out to be 25,000 in circumference — exactly what it is today. How astonishing is that?  It turns out, the Earth is not a sphere because it does not have the mathematical properties of a sphere. Several diameters differ in length. If it were a sphere, the Earth would require the following:  No, it is not a sphere; not in the strict mathematical sense. A sphere has certain mathematical properties – for instance, all diameters (that is, all straight lines that pass from one point on its surface, through the center, to another point on its surface) have the same length. It definitely looks like one to the naked eye, as do all of the other planets.  I’m going to post the rest of Asimov’s article below. What’s really interesting is that he notes the Earth is flattened in some areas.  What gave people the notion the earth wasn’t a true sphere? To begin with, the sun and the moon have outlines that are perfect circles within the limits of measurement in the early days of the telescope. This is consistent with the supposition that the sun and the moon are perfectly spherical in shape. However, when Jupiter and Saturn were observed by the first telescopic observers, it became quickly apparent that the outlines of those planets were not circles, but distinct ellipses. That meant that Jupiter and Saturn were not true spheres. Isaac Newton, toward the end of the seventeenth century, showed that a massive body would form a sphere under the pull of gravitational forces (exactly as Aristotle had argued), but only if it were not rotating. If it were rotating, a centrifugal effect would be set up that would lift the body’s substance against gravity, and this effect would be greater the closer to the equator you progressed. The effect would also be greater the more rapidly a spherical object rotated, and Jupiter and Saturn rotated very rapidly indeed. The earth rotated much more slowly than Jupiter or Saturn so the effect should be smaller, but it should still be there. Actual measurements of the curvature of the earth were carried out in the eighteenth century and Newton was proved correct. The earth has an equatorial bulge, in other words. It is flattened at the poles. It is an “oblate spheroid” rather than a sphere. This means that the various diameters of the earth differ in length. The longest diameters are any of those that stretch from one point on the equator to an opposite point on the equator. This “equatorial diameter” is 12,755 kilometers (7,927 miles). The shortest diameter is from the North Pole to the South Pole and this “polar diameter” is 12,711 kilometers (7,900 miles). The difference between the longest and shortest diameters is 44 kilometers (27 miles), and that means that the “oblateness” of the earth (its departure from true sphericity) is 44/12755, or 0.0034. This amounts to l/3 of 1 percent. To put it another way, on a flat surface, curvature is 0 per mile everywhere. On the earth’s spherical surface, curvature is 0.000126 per mile everywhere (or 8 inches per mile). On the earth’s oblate spheroidal surface, the curvature varies from 7.973 inches to the mile to 8.027 inches to the mile. The correction in going from spherical to oblate spheroidal is much smaller than going from flat to spherical. Therefore, although the notion of the earth as a sphere is wrong, strictly speaking, it is not as wrong as the notion of the earth as flat. Even the oblate-spheroidal notion of the earth is wrong, strictly speaking. In 1958, when the satellite Vanguard I was put into orbit about the earth, it was able to measure the local gravitational pull of the earth–and therefore its shape–with unprecedented precision. It turned out that the equatorial bulge south of the equator was slightly bulgier than the bulge north of the equator, and that the South Pole sea level was slightly nearer the center of the earth than the North Pole sea level was. There seemed no other way of describing this than by saying the earth was pear-shaped, and at once many people decided that the earth was nothing like a sphere but was shaped like a Bartlett pear dangling in space. Actually, the pear-like deviation from oblate-spheroid perfect was a matter of yards rather than miles, and the adjustment of curvature was in the millionths of an inch per mile. In short, my English Lit friend, living in a mental world of absolute rights and wrongs, may be imagining that because all theories are wrong, the earth may be thought spherical now, but cubical next century, and a hollow icosahedron the next, and a doughnut shape the one after. What actually happens is that once scientists get hold of a good concept they gradually refine and extend it with greater and greater subtlety as their instruments of measurement improve. Theories are not so much wrong as incomplete. This can be pointed out in many cases other than just the shape of the earth. Even when a new theory seems to represent a revolution, it usually arises out of small refinements. If something more than a small refinement were needed, then the old theory would never have endured. Copernicus switched from an earth-centered planetary system to a sun-centered one. In doing so, he switched from something that was obvious to something that was apparently ridiculous. However, it was a matter of finding better ways of calculating the motion of the planets in the sky, and eventually the geocentric theory was just left behind. It was precisely because the old theory gave results that were fairly good by the measurement standards of the time that kept it in being so long. Again, it is because the geological formations of the earth change so slowly and the living things upon it evolve so slowly that it seemed reasonable at first to suppose that there was no change and that the earth and life always existed as they do today. If that were so, it would make no difference whether the earth and life were billions of years old or thousands. Thousands were easier to grasp. But when careful observation showed that the earth and life were changing at a rate that was very tiny but not zero, then it became clear that the earth and life had to be very old. Modern geology came into being, and so did the notion of biological evolution. If the rate of change were more rapid, geology and evolution would have reached their modern state in ancient times. It is only because the difference between the rate of change in a static universe and the rate of change in an evolutionary one is that between zero and very nearly zero that the creationists can continue propagating their folly. Since the refinements in theory grow smaller and smaller, even quite ancient theories must have been sufficiently right to allow advances to be made; advances that were not wiped out by subsequent refinements. The Greeks introduced the notion of latitude and longitude, for instance, and made reasonable maps of the Mediterranean basin even without taking sphericity into account, and we still use latitude and longitude today. The Sumerians were probably the first to establish the principle that planetary movements in the sky exhibit regularity and can be predicted, and they proceeded to work out ways of doing so even though they assumed the earth to be the center of the universe. Their measurements have been enormously refined but the principle remains. Naturally, the theories we now have might be considered wrong in the simplistic sense of my English Lit correspondent, but in a much truer and subtler sense, they need only be considered incomplete.  A lot of flat Earth supporters point to the fact that many ancient cultures believed the Earth was flat, and they’re correct. But not all cultures agreed on this, and those who believed it was flat may have been speaking about the spiritual realms. Take the Maya, for example, they had a flat depiction of the Earth with a circular dome around it. Perhaps looking at it from another dimension, one would see it as flat?  A study published in the Journal of Social Archaeology makes my point more clear.  This is a huge problem with the modern interpretation of ancient depictions of the Earth. If we look at the Anishinaabe, who make up multiple indigenous groups in Canada, their creation legends tell a story of Earth on a turtle’s back who is floating in a sea of water. This interpretation has been taken by flat Earthers and used as such. You will find multiple pictures around the internet like the one below, but they are not a true representation, and they don’t come from any credible sources.  What does the creation legend really say? And how is it really depicted? Well, the legends clearly suggest that the Earth is a ball. You can read their entire creation story here. The ball is being carried on the turtles back.  This story is known as the creation of Turtle Island (Earth), and below is a real depiction of the creation myths. See source. As you can see, Earth is enclosed within the back as a ball, along with the cosmos kept inside another outer shell. This is our physical domain.  It’s interesting to note that the Anishinaabe have models of creation that’ve been depicted elsewhere. As you can see below, this could easily be interpreted as a flat Earth model, despite the fact that the story of creation clearly states a round ball. This is why I believe these are spiritual realms. The model below is also seen throughout many cultures, and has been interpreted as a flat Earth model. Again, as we can see from above, that’s not true. The picture below is also from the same indigenous group.  Now, look at the next picture.  Here is another depiction from the Mohawk, another indigenous group found in Canada. As you can see, spheres are used still in the realm of the flat surface with the dome around it. Again, this is a common depiction by flat Earthers, who believe the Earth is flat with a dome around it that encompasses the sun, moon and stars. This is why I believe this model is a depiction of the spiritual realms, not our physical realm. The dome is perhaps covering all of physical reality as we know it, not the Earth.  This type of model is also similar to other artworks depicting some sort of dome around the Earth. Below is a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, a Dutch/Netherlandish draughtsman and painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. It was a picture presented to the Pope by Leonardo DiCaprio, stating that when he was younger he did not know what it meant, but does now. I found that interesting and still don’t know what that means. (source)  Is this also a metaphorical painting, like the depictions above, taken as physically literal?  The list of examples go on, but those who use indigenous examples portraying that the earth is flat should look deeper into the subject, especially if they believe most of the proof for round Earth today is completely fake.  We can see this with the indigenous examples above as well.  A lot of flat Earth lore gets into religion, especially Christianity. It is said that as Christianity became more popular, all of the ancient teachings were taken and stored by the church, which are now allegedly in the Vatican. It’s crucial that we do not confuse scientific texts with religious texts, especially when it comes to trying to further understand this planet.  It’s important to note that many flat Earth supporters believe the Earth is at the center of the universe. Those who challenged this view were killed and condemned by the church, like Galileo Galilei.  When it comes to this topic, the truth is that you cannot prove the Earth is flat. Though many flat Earth supporters refuse to accept it, there is substantial evidence in support of the Earth being round including photos, the technology we’ve sent into space, and the points listed above.  Please note that I have not presented many of the points in support of the flat Earth theory, this is simply a discussion and a presentation of other works and beliefs that support a spherical model. I do believe we’ve travelled amongst the stars for several reasons, and given all of the information I’ve reviewed on quantum mechanics, the flat Earth theory does not seem plausible. Furthermore, we can see out into space with the technology we’ve developed, and we can see the other planets with a telescope, which are all round.  At the end of the day, there are so many more important issues surrounding the planet than arguing over what the shape of the Earth is. We need to clean up our planet, introduce clean energy technology, and provide everyone with their basic needs. And although we have made some progress, we still have a lot to do and a lot to fix. If anything, the flat Earth theory seems like a distraction from what matters most.  At the end of the day, if you really want to know. Travel to the end of flat Earth and see for yourself, or simply take a telescope and view the ice wall that supposedly surrounds it, as well as every other major city in the world. You should be able to see it.  I believe it’s also important to mention Pic Gaspard, a 443 Km landscape photograph and a world record of Earth. Given the curvature per mile, that pic also posits a round Earth, in my opinion.


collectiveevolution--2019-01-23--Scientist Explains How Cows Milk Leeches Calcium From Your Bones Makes Them Weaker

Scientist Explains How Cow’s Milk Leeches Calcium From Your Bones & Makes Them Weaker

It’s remarkable to analyze why many of us believe that milk, which is designed to help calves develop, is also suitable for human beings. We are the only species on the planet that consumes the milk of another animal. Furthermore, we are the only species on the planet who continues to drink milk after weaning. Even for cows, this would be a no-no. There are multiple studies showing that drinking milk for a cow leads to an increased mortality rate and actually makes bones more prone to fracturing, not less. One example would be this giant study from researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.  But not only are we starting to become aware that our milk-drinking habit is one of the main sources of multiple health ailments and chronic disease; let’s not forget about the fact that 80 percent of Amazon rainforest destruction is the result of grazing animals for meat and dairy. It’s one of the main sources of environmental degradation and pollution.  And when we support the dairy industry we also support animal torture, suffering and heartache. Cows are forcefully impregnated so they can lactate, and when their babies are born they are ripped from their mothers and head straight for the slaughter house. Animal agriculture represents one of the biggest genocides on the planet today, and it shows how much we’ve lost our connection to all that is.  But back to consumer health concerns. If we look at all other animals who don’t consume the milk of another animal or after weaning, it is because they do not have the enzymes to break down the sugar found in milk. We are no different, and this explains why in some ethnic populations around the world, lactose intolerance is present in 90 percent of the population. A staggering 70 percent of the world’s population has some degree of lactose intolerance.  That being said, some people might have evolved and developed a cows milk just fine, which is why this information may not apply to everybody but overall, it definitely appears we are doing something unnatural.  This is explainable by science. Humans actually never had this enzyme, and to digest the sugar in milk, a cow’s milk at that, we had to develop the LTC gene, which was acquired by mutation. This is the lactase gene, which allows us to process lactose as adults. Clearly, we are not doing what is natural and in accordance with our bodies. I first came across this information from Katherine S. Pollard, a PhD at the University of California, San Francisco, in this lecture.  One of the most important points people are becoming aware of  is the fact that animal protein may in fact be harmful for human consumption, and that plant protein is a much better option. I go more in-depth on this in my article Plant-Based Protein VS. Protein From Meat: Which One Is Better For Your Body?  One thing animal protein does is trigger metabolic acidosis. This happens when the body produces too much acid and becomes very acidic, which can be caused by multiple things, including the absorption of casein found in animal protein. Casein makes up almost 90 percent of the protein in a cow’s milk. When the body experiences this type of acidosis, it actually forces the body to compensate by leaching calcium from the bones to help neutralize the increased acidity. Over time, all of this can have severe and detrimental effects on bone health, and studies have shown this.  Science tells us that nations with high instances of hip fracture and osteoporosis also have a very high calcium intake. Given this correlation, and the fact that animal protein causes metabolic acidosis, sucking the calcium out of the bones — in direct contrast to what the dairy industry would have us believe — it’s easy to see that we have been misled.  Studies have also shown that animal protein can “turn on cancer.” This mainly comes from the work of Dr. Colin Campbell, an American biochemist who specializes in the effect of nutrition on long term health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. Scholars like Campbell are vital to the world, because they are among the few who actually examine and study nutrition and health, something that our modern day medical industry completely ignores. How ironic is it that medical doctors don’t learn anything about nutrition? How does that make any sense? It’s because modern day medicine puts profits before health.  The China Study has become known as one of the most comprehensive studies of nutrition ever conducted. It has huge implications for diet, weight loss and longer-term health. It implicates animal protein in various ways that most people aren’t ready to accept.  Below is a clip from the Forks Over Knives documentary.  The big takeaway here is to realize that we have been misled by the food industry in various realms. Products that have been pushed as healthy, like milk for example, are clearly not healthy and responsible for multiple diseases. Mass marketing and food propaganda, together with the pharmaceutical industry, completely control what we believe to be real when it comes to our health. They even falsify science, to counter claims by actual impartial science which strongly opposes what is put out by these industries. It’s not easy to let go of what we’ve been programmed to believe for so long, but the bottom line is when it comes to food and nutrition, critical thinking and independent research is far more valuable that relying on our medical associations and textbooks for information. Don’t be afraid to think for yourself, do your own research and listen to your body through experience.  Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat  Internal Medicine Physician Shares What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Eating Meat  Plant-Based Protein VS. Protein From Meat: Which One Is Better For Your Body?  Disturbing Aerial Photos Show What Killing Billions of Animals For Meat Is Doing To The Environment


collectiveevolution--2019-04-25--Multiple Scientists Explain How A Diet High In Protein Is NOT Good For Us Even After Working Out

Multiple Scientists Explain How A Diet High In Protein Is NOT Good For Us – Even After Working Out

A question that’s become more prominent within mainstream scientific circles is whether or not the mind can affect matter.  The connection between human consciousness or factors associated with human consciousness such as intention, thoughts, feelings and emotions, and the physical realm is fascinating. This is precisely why nearly all of the founding fathers of quantum physics were so preoccupied with learning more about consciousness and “non-material” science in general. For instance, the theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, Max Planck regarded “consciousness as fundamental” and matter as a “derivative from consciousness.” Eugene Wigner, another famous theoretical physicist and mathematician, also emphasized how “it was not possible to formulate the laws of quantum mechanics in a fully consistent way without reference to consciousness.”  A paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Physics Essays by Dean Radin, PhD explains how this experiment has been used multiple times to explore the role of consciousness in shaping the nature of physical reality. The paper showed that meditators were able to collapse quantum systems at a distance through intention alone.  “Observations not only disturb what has to be measured, they produce it… We compel [the electron] to assume a definite position… We ourselves produce the results of the measurement.”  There are literally countless studies within the realms of parapsychology and quantum physics that make it quite clear that human thought, intention, and overall human consciousness has some sort of relationship with our physical material world. That is not what’s in question, what’s in question is the nature of that relationship and how strong this effect is. There is still so much to discover.  Beyond peer-reviewed published studies, there are also some very reputable sources showing that mind influencing matter goes well beyond the quantum scale, but we’ll get to that a little later.  Now, a fairly recent study published in SAG Journals  entitled Transcriptional Changes In Cancer Cells Induced By Exposure To A Healing Method has examined the effect that healing intention can have on cancer cells in vitro. The goal of the study was to assess if stored or recorded energy has an impact on breast cancer cells by using energy-charged cotton and electromagnetic recording of healers practicing the method.  When it comes to healing, the study points out:  This type of healing has been practiced in various cultures throughout human history, especially in Buddhism. Ancient texts in this area are full of stories of people with exceptional abilities, but what’s even more exciting is that we actually have real-world examples today that can’t really be debunked.  For example,  when talking about modern-day research, one of the pioneers in this area was a biologist by the name of Bernard Grad of McGill University. In controlled experiments, he discovered that certain people could actually influence the germination of plant seeds, make plants grow at a faster rate, and influence the curing of seeds that had been shocked by saline solution. Furthermore, he was able to measure the ability of healers to reduce goiter and stimulate wound healing in mice. (source) (source)(source)  What’s interesting about that particular study is that it wasn’t the only one. A study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, as seen in the US National Library of Medicine, demonstrated that a woman with special abilities was able to accelerate the germination of seeds for the purposes of developing a more robust seed stock.  Her name was Chulin Sun, and she entered into a deep trance-like state, which sprouted dry seeds in 20 minutes, compared to the normal 3 to 4 days. You can read more about her and access that study here.  The cancer study mentioned above goes on to provide more examples:  Scientists used energy-charged cotton to store healing intention from several self-proclaimed “healers,” and they discovered that, of the cells that were exposed to an electromagnetic recording, 37 genes of the 167 tested showed a statistically significant change compared to the control, and 68 genes showed statistically significant fold changes.  When it was all said and done, the study clearly indicated that there is at least some biological response that has been stimulated by the healer as well as the recording of the healing energy. No matter how small, the effect was there in this study and it has huge implications.  The key takeaway points and conclusions that can be drawn from the study are as follows:  2. Healing intention can be captured and released, thereby potentially allowing the phenomenon to be more widely disseminated.  3.  Hands-on delivery of the healing intention is stronger than the recording used in this study, suggesting the possibility that the recording did not fully capture the healing potential.  In 1987, researchers at the Institute of Space-Medico Engineering, as mentioned in the CIA document earlier in the article, publicized a fraction of their work in the form of a film showcasing their work and what they had accomplished.  The film showed a medicine pill moving through an irreversibly sealed glass vial, which occurred in three frames of a 400 frame per second film. (source)  Another release (about Zhang) from the CIA (Research Into Paranormal Ability To Break Through Spatial Barriers) states:  The CIA document linked above provides more examples.  According to Eric Davis, Ph.D, FBIS, from a declassified US Air Force document obtained via the Federation of American Scientists, Shuhuang reported that ‘gifted children’ were responsible for the teleportation of small, physical objects from one place to another. (source)  These are just a few examples of mind/matter interaction that go beyond the lab that never really seem to be acknowledged in mainstream publications.  Below is a clip from an interview we recently conducted with Dr. Natalie Leigh Trent, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, where she investigates the mind-body practices of yoga and mindfulness for health and wellbeing. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto in 2006 and her Doctorate in neuroscience from Queen’s University in 2012.  In this part of the interview, we discuss the ancient healing art of Reiki, a healing modality that has been practiced and taught around the world for thousands of years. As Dr. Trent shares in the interview, it’s a relatively new field of science and medicine that’s continually growing, with approximately 80 studies that’ve been published so far.  The popularity of this particular practice is exemplified by the fact that, as of 2000, there were more ‘distant healers’ in the United Kingdom than therapists practicing any other form of complementary or alternative medicine, and the same goes for the United States. (Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. Adv Data. 2004. May 27;(343):1–19. [PubMed])  You can watch the full interview HERE on CETV, a platform we created to help combat the censorship we are and have been experiencing. Our revenue streams have been taken away and thus this is what we came up with to help us continue to keep doing what we do. Thank you for your support!  “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” ― Nikola Tesla  A great quote that I’ve used multiple times as to why this type of science is still greeted with a frown:  The implications of these findings, that our consciousness can and does have an effect on our physical material world, are huge. This is proof that we live in a very spiritual world that has yet to be properly acknowledged. We still have a long way to go.


collectiveevolution--2019-06-04--Glyphosate Autism Scientist Explains The Indisputable Link Foods That Reverse Autism Symptoms

Glyphosate & Autism: Scientist Explains The Indisputable Link & Foods That Reverse Autism Symptoms

The list of concerns is quite large when it comes to the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Perhaps even more concerning is the censorship media outlets and even scientists are experiencing for simply asking questions and having a discussion. When that happens you know we’re straying far from science and that something is up. Despite big media’s efforts, who receive large amounts of funding from corporations and governments, to censor and shape the vaccine safety dialogue, information is still coming out. What gives big media away even more is their constant attack on those questioning vaccine safety, labelling them as “anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists” and ridiculing them instead of actually addressing the concerns they have and countering them with information. Why wouldn’t they just do that?  No doubt, the “brainwashers” will also categorize a company called CORVELVA as “anti-vaccine,” despite the fact that it’s made up of numerous reputable scientists and has been in operation since 1993. Its mission is to encourage the free choice of vaccinations as well as preaching the importance of sharing scientific research related to the effectiveness of vaccinations and the possible adverse reactions to certain vaccines.   They are a very influential group based out of Italy, so much so that they made a lot of noise after the highly regarded National Order of Biologists in Italy made a  €10,000 donation to the group, as explained in an article published in Nature, International Journal of Science titled “Italian scientists protest funding for vaccine-safety investigation.” The Nature article points out that “Some scientists in Italy are up in arms over a donation from the organization that oversees the nation’s professional biology qualification to an advocacy group that opposes the country’s policy of mandatory childhood vaccination.” This part is confusing: Why would any group or any scientist oppose more safety studies regarding vaccinations? Wouldn’t professionals on both sides of the coin be in support of as much vaccine safety testing as possible?  My last article on the vaccine safety awareness group was on their testing of the Infanrix Hexa vaccine. It’s a six-in-one vaccine that’s manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that’s supposed to contain the following antigens: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis toxoids; inactivated poliomyelitis viral strains 1-2-3; and hepatitis B surface antigen. CORVELVA discovered that none of these antigens were actually in the vaccine, which means it had zero antibodies to the intended antigens to be created. This was a huge shock, and in addition they found much more, including 65 contaminants that shouldn’t be in there. You can read more about that story here.  The ridicule vaccine safety studies are subjected to reminds me of Dr. Christopher Exley, the world’s leading authority on aluminum toxicology who was recently denied funding from scientific authorities to study aluminum in vaccines. His GoFundMe page was also shut down. A number of studies in the past few years have emphasized how injected aluminum doesn’t exit the body and travels to distant organs and the brain. This sparked Exley to open up the brains of multiple autistic people where he found some of the highest brain aluminum content ever measured, so he wanted to do some more research. You can read more about that and access those studies here.  When it comes to the Gardasil vaccine, it contains heavy amounts of aluminum compared to other vaccines on the market. The Gardasil 9 vaccine was the most recent one examined by CORVELVA. What they discovered was quite disturbing:  From what we could see the problems were, under the metagenomic profile, the presence of adventitious genetic material presents such as bacteria, human and mouse DNA, adventitious viruses like phages and retroviruses and yeasts. What most impressed us was the presence of L1 fragments of the genome of papillomavirus. These fragments should not be present in the vaccine because the papillomavirus is carcinogenic and their presence together with the aluminum adjuvant is believed to be the cause of some of the serious adverse reactions in the injured. The same chemical analysis, even if shocking due to the number of potential non-residual contaminants found, had left a huge question mark. The analysis with the technology used in the laboratories we identified, gave us 338 signals of which only 22% are known. What has seemed to many unbelievable, that is the list of the probably identified compounds, in reality, to us, it created enormous interest the remaining 78% not known. A study of this unknown 78% started a further study and, after repeated analysis carried out in two different laboratories and with two different instruments, we can now tell you that a signal we found, compared to three databases consulted, leads us to determine that in some lots of Gardasil 9, especially in lot R009338, there is a contamination corresponding to an amazing drug called APDB. Currently, it has been impossible to determine with absolute certainty that the signal is just the APDB amphetamine because of the current regulations our laboratories could not buy the certified analytical standard as it was a drug and could not be acquired by subjects not provided with the appropriate authorization, however, the correspondence of the fragmentation spectra in several databases with this molecule gives us a very high degree of probability. (source)  The group filed a complaint with the Carabineer Command for Health Protection in Italy to verify their results, the report was filed in August of 2018 at the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Rome, and you can access it HERE.  Doctor Explains How The HPV Vaccine Is Linked To A Rise In Cervical Cancer Rates  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Explains Dangers of the HPV Vaccine & How It Could Give You Cancer  A Strong Association Has Been Found Between The HPV Vaccine & Infertility  Sacrificial Virgins” – A Must-See Film About Young Girls Being Severely Damaged By HPV Gardasil Vaccines  Colton Berrett Dies After Being Unable To Cope With His Gardasil HPV Vaccine Injuries  On a recent episode of CETV, we discussed the mainstream media and the way they fear monger and blame the unvaccinated without addressing important facts. We talked about the history of measles outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations, provided multiple clips from scientists and doctors sharing information related to the above, and cited examples of fraud, specifically with regards to the MMR vaccination and the CDC.  Below you can watch part of our discussion, but to see the whole thing you have to become a member on CETV. We created this platform because we were demonetized on Youtube and our reach on Facebook was dramatically reduced simply for sharing information like what you’ve read in this article. We had to create it in order to keep doing what we do, and we are barely hanging on, but we will continue to do our work regardless of our financial situation. We thank you for your support if you are already a supporter!  A number of safety concerns exist when it comes to vaccines, yet the mainstream continues to ignore them and ridicule those who question vaccine safety. The medical establishment continues to claim that vaccines are completely safe when they cannot provide any evidence themselves. Why are vaccine safety studies being shut down, like the aluminum example mentioned in this article? What is going on here? It’s OK to question vaccines, do your own research, and think for yourself. It’s our right and obligation to defend our freedom of choice.  The demand for Collective Evolution's content is bigger than ever, except ad agencies and social media keep cutting our revenues. This is making it hard for us to continue. In order to stay truly independent, we need your help. We are not going to put up paywalls on this website, as we want to get our info out far and wide. For as little as $3 a month, you can help keep CE alive!


collectiveevolution--2019-11-01--Anthropologists & Scientists Explain How Ancient Humans Were Predominantly Vegan

There are many experts in the fields of anthropology, biology and all other sciences who have been creating awareness about the fact that ancient humans were not big meat eaters as they’ve been portrayed to be by mainstream education. This begs the question, where did this idea come from? Sure, sharp stone tools and canines like the ones found on a Gorilla, who by the way is vegan, may have led to assumptions that have perpetuated for many years, but in my opinion the answer is quite clear: big food marketing. Big food companies, like big pharmaceutical companies, have tremendous amounts of power, especially over our federal health regulatory agencies. As a result, we’ve literally been brainwashed into thinking our current recommended food guides are actually healthy and backed by science and history. Perhaps we’ve been misled, and new information and methods of testing are helping to shatter these assumptions that have been ingrained into human consciousness for a long time.  Recent advances in technology and science have discovered that microscopic fossils of plant foods are abundant at various sites of ancient humans, indicating a vegan diet. Furthermore, dental, bone, DNA, and ancient human fecal analysis have shown considerable evidence that many of these people ate mostly plants.  One of these experts is Dr. Christina Warinner (seen in the picture above), who earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2010 and received her postdoctoral training at the University of Zurich (2010-2012) and the University of Oklahoma (2012-2014). She became a Presidential Research Professor and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma in 2014, and is currently a Leader in Microbiome Sciences at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.  Her work has led to some very interesting findings and conclusions:  She goes deeper in her presentation at the 2016 International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine. She brings up various points, going into her research analysis of ancient gut micro-biomes and more. She also brings up the fact that our digestive systems are clearly constructed to digest plants and fibres that require a longer processing time, not meat. They are much longer than those of meat-eating animals, and the fact that no adaptations exist within our digestive system to consume animal flesh is a crucial point.  There are many facts that Dr. Warinner points to in her research, like how humans cannot produce their own vitamin C, which is one of many factors indicating just how reliant we are on plant foods for certain vitamins. There is nothing essential within meat that cannot be found within plant foods. Some may point towards vitamin B12, but B12 isn’t made by animals.  B12 is made by bacteria that all animals consume. It’s found in the soil and in water. It’s the same as protein, as all protein originates from plant sources, which is how the animals that people eat actually acquire their protein in the first place. Before industrial farming, humans and animals got their B12 from the traces of dirt found on plant foods or by drinking water from freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams. As a result of pesticides polluting our waterways, forcing us to chlorinate our water among other things, the B12 bacteria originally in water has been killed off for the most part. Even farm animals are required to take B12 supplements. Both meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans are commonly found to be low in B12–it has nothing to do with eating meat.  Another common argument is that we need to eat meat for essential amino acids. This is simply false, as there are multiple plant sources where we can get all of our required amino acids.  Gradual increases in brain sizes of early humans have also been attributed to meat, but research is showing that “because there is not a very strong match between meat consumption and gradual increases in brain size, scientists have looked to other options. And given that plant foods are such an important part of modern humans that hunt and gather foods, the money is on plant foods and shift in the kinds of plant foods as being the major driving factor in increasing brain size.” – Nathaniel J. Dominy  Just looking and studying human anatomy, again, it seems we are built to eat plants, and “substantial evidence shows that the ancestral lineage that led to humans had a plant-based diet.” (source)  The bottom line is that most ancient humans, and human-like creatures, were predominately vegan. Some ate meat, but many didn’t. For example, Neanderthals in Spain ate no meat at all, according to a study published by Nature.  That being said, even if some did eat meat, there were none that had a diet that was predominate in meat. One group of researchers published a study in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology which stated:  An article by Rob Dunn written for Scientific American titled “Human Ancestors Were Nearly All Vegetarians” goes into greater detail about this issue, from an evolutionary perspective, bringing up multiple points about how our guts evolved to stick to a vegetarian diet.  A great article I like to point people towards comes from University of Utah geochemist Thure Cerling, who spearheaded a set of fairly recent new studies that show how early humans and their ancestors and relatives made a surprising dietary switch some 3.5 million years ago, changing from an ape-like diet of mostly leaves and fruits and shrubs to a grass-based diet of grasses and sedges. He gives a great timeline and overview, which you can read here.  I’m just trying to hammer home the fact that it’s been strongly established in scientific literature that ancient human-like ‘ancestors’ predominately ate plant-based diets.  SEE our articles and take on the theory of evolution.  Another Reason We Are Not Designed To Eat Meat: The Health Consequences of Doing So  Take milk, for example. The majority of people on the planet are lactose intolerant for a reason. In some parts of the world, lactose intolerance is as high as 90 to 100 percent of the population. (source) Humans are the only species to drink milk after weaning and the only species to drink the milk of another animal. Have we been fooled by big food marketing? Why are global food guides changing to a more plant-based foundation? It’s because things are changing.  A recent study conducted by researchers in California and France found that meat protein is associated with a very sharp increased risk of heart disease, while protein from nuts and seeds is actually beneficial for the human heart.  The study is titled “Patterns of plant and animal protein intake are strongly associated with cardiovascular mortality: The Adventist Health Study-2 cohort.” It was a joint project between researchers from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California and AgroParisTech and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris, France.  It was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The researchers found that people who ate large amounts of meat protein, which is a daily norm for many people, represented a portion of the human population that would experience a 60 percent increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), while people who consumed large amounts of protein from nuts and seeds actually experienced a 40 percent reduction in CVD.  81,000 participants were analyzed for this study. The authors emphasized that they, as well as their colleagues, have long suspected that the protein from nuts and seeds protects against heart and vascular disease, while protein from meat, especially red meats, increases your risk. They were right.  While underconsumption of protein is harmful to the body, overconsumption comes with risks as well. In the United States, the average omnivore gets more than 1.5 times the optimal amount of protein, and most of that protein is from animal sources. This is bad news because excess protein is often stored as fat. This stored animal protein contributes to weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. But again, this is only from animal protein.  A 2015 study published in Cell Metabolism is one of multiple studies that points out:  Increases in 1GF1, which also goes way down during fasting, is correlated with a number of diseases. Again, protein increases it, but, as the study above states, “these associations were either abolished or attenuated if the source of proteins was plant-based.”  Multiple studies have shown the difference between animal protein and plant protein. Another great example comes from Colin Campbell, a Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, whose experiments on laboratory rats showed cancer cell growth can be turned on or off by simply varying the amount of animal protein included in their diet. This was an enormous discovery, with implications to the diets of millions of people. His results, from what’s known as the “China Study,” have proven to be replicable.  This trend is gaining more scientific inquiry as popularity grows. At least 542,000 people in Britain now follow a vegan diet – up from 150,000 in 2006 – and another 521,000 vegetarians hope to reduce their consumption of animal products. It is evident that veganism has become one of the fastest growing lifestyle choices. (Source #2)  A more recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital followed more than 130,000 people for 36 years, monitoring illnesses, lifestyles, diets and mortality rates. They found that substituting between 15g and 19g of animal protein, the equivalent of a single sausage, for legumes, pulses, nuts and other planet protein, significantly decreased the risk of early death.  In America alone, approximately 40% of the population is pre-diabetic. This translates to millions of people. Multiple studies have shown that red and processed meats (also recently linked to cancer by the WHO), as well as animal protein in general, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. In omnivore populations, the risk of diabetes is doubled compared with vegans. Another study found that eating meat once a week or more over a 17-year period increased the risk of diabetes by a startling 74%. A follow up study was conducted and found that increasing red meat intake by more than just half a serving per day was closely associated with an almost 50% increased risk of contracting diabetes over four years.  Eating meat specifically increases your chances of having elevated levels of inflammation in your body, which can lead to a number of short-term and long-term health consequences.  Chronic inflammation has been linked to atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, among other problems.  Plant-based diets, on the other hand, are naturally anti-inflammatory. This is because they offer lower inflammatory triggers (versus the saturated fat, endotoxins, and other toxins released from bacteria found in animal foods). Multiple studies have shown that those who switch to a plant-based diet can dramatically lower their level of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation in the body.  Another big risk factor for heart problems is high blood cholesterol. Saturated fat, primarily found in meat, cheese, poultry, and various other animal products, dramatically influences our blood cholesterol levels. Yet when people switch to plant-based diets, their blood cholesterol drops significantly, as several studies have shown.  Studies have confirmed that plant foods help shape a healthy intestinal microbiome. This is just another reason (out of many) why scientists and health professionals are becoming big advocates for plant-based diets. The fibre found in plant foods helps promote the good bacteria that’s needed in our guts. Dairy, eggs, and meat, on the other hand, help foster the growth of disease-causing bacteria.  “Landmark studies have shown that when omnivores eat choline or carnitine (found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy), gut bacteria make a substance that is converted by our liver to a toxic product called TMAO. TMAO leads to worsening cholesterol plaques in our blood vessels and escalates the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Interestingly, people eating plant-based diets make little or no TMAO after a meat-containing meal, because they have a totally different gut microbiome. It takes only a few days for our gut bacterial patterns to change – the benefits of a plant-based diet start quickly!”  The information presented in this article is only a fraction of the knowledge out there. It’s quite clear that the majority of people who roamed the Earth before us ate a lot of plants, and for some reason that’s been left out of history. It’s also quite clear that the dominating consensus with regards to overall human health is that a plant-based diet is best, especially for combating multiple diseases, while animal-based diets do the exact opposite, not to mention destroy our planet. Furthermore, many animals are suffering, it’s an industry that’s completely devoid of compassion and empathy, factors that need to return to Earth.  At the end of the day this is just information ,and in some cases, when it comes to diet, many people can have a strong reaction, especially if the information goes against what they’ve believed for many years. It’s best to keep an open mind.


sputnik--2019-01-27--Earths Oldest Known Rock Found on Moon - Scientists Explain How It Got There

Earth’s Oldest Known Rock Found on Moon - Scientists Explain How It Got There

The rock is presumed to be the oldest known rock, formed around the same time our planet was formed, according to an analysis in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Until this discovery, the oldest known rocks were around 2 billion years old. This rock was formed between 4 and 4.1 billion years ago, about 12.4 miles beneath the Earth’s crust, yet the most curious thing about it that it was found far beyond our planet’s surface – on the Moon.  The rock was among the samples discovered by the Apollo 14 crew. The Apollo missions brought back a whole bunch of rock samples, and scientists have been methodically analyzing them ever since. This particular rock was at the end of the list, yet it appeared to be the most interesting.  NASA’s Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE) have identified this small specimen as terrestrial due to it containing a number of various minerals like quartz and feldspar, which are common on Earth but rare on the Moon. It was possible to determine how deep beneath the earth the rock had been with the use of molecular analysis.  There is a possibility that this rock could have formed on the Moon, but it is very low. The rock, unlike other Moon rock samples, is made of an extremely high amount of earth minerals and an extremely low amount of minerals commonly found on our planet’s natural satellite. Moreover, it would have to have been formed in the Moon’s core and then somehow appear on the surface.  Before the discovery, there were only guesses as to what the early Earth’s rocks looked like, but now scientists have something to work with. And there is a good chance that this is not the only part of our Earth on the moon’s surface.  David Kring, CLSE principal investigator and a senior author of the recently published journal article, said that the next step is to look for similar mineral signatures in lunar samples to find more relics from the younger Earth.  “It is an extraordinary find that helps paint a better picture of early Earth and the bombardment that modified our planet during the dawn of life,” Kring said in a statement, cited by Vice.


sputnik--2019-08-10--How to Predict Volcanic Eruptions Italian Scientist Explains

How to Predict Volcanic Eruptions? Italian Scientist Explains

Sputnik spoke to Mauro Di Vito, a volcanologist and researcher at the “Vesuvius Observatory” (“Osservatorio vesuviano”) section of the INGV (the world’s oldest volcano observatory), to find out how the discovery will help those living in highest-risk volcanic areas.  Sputnik: What is the new study about?  Mauro Di Vito: The objective of the study was to create a model that will consider all the changes to a caldera that influence the position of eruptive vents. In large volcanoes, such as the Campi Flegrei caldera, eruptions don’t always occur in the central mouth, but can occur along the sides of the caldera or in areas other than the previous ones.  The model that we’ve created takes into account the changes in the volcano’s structure over time, as well as previous eruptions. The important thing is to understand how this affects the position of new eruptive vents.  Sputnik: Why is it so difficult to predict an eruption?  Mauro Di Vito: The model we are talking about doesn’t predict volcanic eruptions, but determines the position of eruptive vents. There are other systems to study the moment when the eruption takes place. Our model serves to predict where a future eruption can occur in a volcano.  Let’s take the example of the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) – there are so many eruptions there; the magma could rise in different parts of the volcano. If the volcano were uninhabited, there would be no danger. But part of it is in Naples, with some areas located on the volcano.  Sputnik: Your study was initially based on the Phlegraean Fields situation. What is the current situation in this dangerous volcanic area? Has any evacuation plan been developed?  Mauro Di Vito: An emergency plan has been developed and in October there will be a civil defence drill that will include an evacuation from the municipality of Pozzuoli, which is located in the centre of the volcano. It means that the scientific community is able to react to a possible eruption and warn people about it. The authorities should be able to implement all measures to reduce the risk to the population. Even though it will be an emergency training exercise, it will help understand where the main problems are and what elements of the plan should be modified. After all, we are talking about 350,000 inhabitants.  Sputnik: What are the next steps in your study?  Mauro Di Vito: We want to create hazard maps for all volcanoes, where we’ll mark the opening of eruptive vents. Let’s take Etna – understanding where the eruption will occur means better prediction of the course of the lava flow or better understanding where an explosive eruption will originate. We want to obtain the most reliable hazard maps possible with all the parameters taken into consideration.  The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mauro Di Vito and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.


sputnik--2019-11-18--Scientists Reveal Link Between Dark Matter and Antimatter That Could Explain Existence of Universe

An experiment led by the Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory at Japanese research institution Riken has explored whether dark matter, itself a mystery in cosmology, could be the cause of the dominance of matter over antimatter.  Dark matter is a form of mass and energy that doesn’t interact with light while existing almost everywhere in our universe, making it undetectable in astronomical observations. Hypothetically, if dark matter interacts differently with matter and antimatter, it could produce the imbalance between the two, creating the right conditions for matter to exist without being annihilated by antimatter – this is the theory deduced by collaborators from the international BASE project (Baryon Antibaryon Symmetry Experiment).  The scientists designed an experiment to detect interactions between antimatter and a hypothetical axion particle, which is one of many proposed candidates for what dark matter is made of, publishing their findings on Wednesday in Nature. Using a specially designed device, researchers trapped a single antiproton (the antiparticle of the photon, the particle form of light) and kept it isolated to avoid annihilation through interacting with a photon. They measured a property of the antiproton which should be constant, postulating that observed fluctuations could be the result of dark matter axions. Axions were originally proposed to explain a different asymmetry problem in particle physics, and later also suggested as a potential candidate for dark matter.  Although the expected axion effect on the antiproton was not observed, Christian Smorra, lead author of the study and researcher at Riken Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, said the experiment nonetheless made progress in determining what dark matter-antimatter interactions might look like.  Despite the doubts that axions are the best candidate for dark matter, they could potentially explain other mysteries in physics, like antimatter/matter asymmetry, and have a large part to play in which theory of dark matter scientists choose to explore.  If axions were to interact differently with matter and antimatter, Morrissey said, it would violate an important law of physics called CPT symmetry (charge, parity, and time reversal symmetry). An alternative theory is “Asymmetric Dark Matter," Morrissey said, which preserves CPT symmetry and also explains the dominance of matter over antimatter as a consequence of dark matter interactions. But instead of the same dark matter having different effects on matter and antimatter, it proposes two types of dark matter: dark matter and anti-dark matter. The theory also predicts an excess of dark matter over anti-dark matter in the universe.  However, according to Morrissey, the Riken experiment is still world-leading irrespective of whether it reveals anything about axion-antimatter interactions.


adobochronicles--2019-02-27--Pope Francis On Feminism Babae Ako Movement

Pope Francis On Feminism, ‘Babae Ako’ Movement

THE VATICAN (The Adobo Chronicls, Rome Bureau) – Pope Francis was quoted today as saying that feminism is “machismo with a skirt.”  The Pontiff’s comment didn’t sit well with Mae Paner, a.k.a. Juana Change who was among the poster girls in the “Babae Ako” movement launched last year.  The Babae Ako movement (  I’m a Woman movement; stylized as #BabaeAko) is a women’s rights movement in the Philippines. It was launched on May 20, 2018 as a social media campaign when twelve women of various political persuasions got together to launch a public campaign calling out what they perceived as anti-women remarks made by President Duterte. The social media campaign eventually took the form of live protests later held under the movement. The founders of the movement were included among the “25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2018” list by Time Magazine.  When informed about Paner’s displeasure and shown photos of the Philippine movement, Pope Francis, through an interpreter, said that based on the photos he’s seen, the “Babae Ako” movement should be renamed “Mukhang Lalake Kami” movement.


bbc--2019-01-06--Pope Francis urges end to migrant boat deadlock

Pope Francis has appealed to European leaders to show "concrete solidarity" and allow 49 migrants aboard two ships in the Mediterranean to land.  Issuing a "heartfelt appeal" in a public address in the Vatican, the Pope said the migrants needed "a safe port".  Both Italy and Malta have refused to allow the two ships to land.  Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said it could set a "precedent", while Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio called on Malta to "do its part".  "I make a heartfelt appeal to European leaders to show concrete solidarity for these people," the Pope told about 60,000 people in the Vatican's St Peter's Square in an Epiphany feast day address.  The Dutch-registered vessel Sea-Watch 3, operated by a German humanitarian group, picked up 32 of the migrants off Libya on 22 December while Sea-Eye - a second ship run by a different German charity - rescued another 17 people on 29 December.  Malta has allowed the two ships to enter its waters for supplies and to shelter from bad weather, but refused to let them dock.  "This is an issue that might set a precedent and we should be vigilant about it," Prime Minster Muscat said before the Pope's appeal, accusing critics of acting as "the Christmas saint" while refusing to take in the migrants themselves.  Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Di Maio meanwhile said Italy had been taking in migrants for years and the time had come for Malta to take in some ships.  The country's new populist government has cracked down on immigration, passing a decree to make it easier to deport migrants and strip them of Italian citizenship in September.  Italy has refused private humanitarian ships to dock in the past, including the Doctors Without Borders vessel Aquarius.  The country's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, of the right-wing League party, has demanded more help from other EU countries to tackle the issue.  Charities and UN agencies have called on European leaders to take in the vessels as they wait in the Mediterranean.  The UN's refugee agency has tweeted that it is concerned for the safety of those who try dangerous sea crossings when there are "limited" legal routes for them to take.