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How does Ethereum work – Medium

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Introduction

Odds are youve heard about the Ethereum blockchain, whether or not you know what it is. Its been in the news a lot lately, including the cover of some major magazines, but reading those articles can be like gibberish if you dont have a foundation for what exactly Ethereum is. So what is it? In essence, a public database that keeps a permanent record of digital transactions. Importantly, this database doesnt require any central authority to maintain and secure it. Instead it operates as a trustless transactional systema framework in which individuals can make peer-to-peer transactions without needing to trust a third party OR one another.

Still confused? Thats where this post comes in. My aim is to explain how Ethereum functions at a technical level, without complex math or scary-looking formulas. Even if youre not a programmer, I hope youll walk away with at least better grasp of the tech. If some parts are too technical and difficult to grok, thats totally fine! Theres really no need to understand every little detail. I recommend just focusing on understanding things at a broad level.Many of the topics covered in this post are a breakdown of the concepts discussed in the yellow paper. Ive added my own explanations and diagrams to make understanding Ethereum easier. Those brave enough to take on the technical challenge can also read the Ethereum yellow paper.

Lets get started!

A blockchain is a cryptographically secure transactional singleton machine with shared-state. [1] Thats a mouthful, isnt it? Lets break it down.

Ethereum implements this blockchain paradigm.

The Ethereum blockchain is essentially a transaction-based state machine. In computer science, a state machine refers to something that will read a series of inputs and, based on those inputs, will transition to a new state.

With Ethereums state machine, we begin with a genesis state. This is analogous to a blank slate, before any transactions have happened on the network. When transactions are executed, this genesis state transitions into some final state. At any point in time, this final state represents the current state of Ethereum.

The state of Ethereum has millions of transactions. These transactions are grouped into blocks. A block contains a series of transactions, and each block is chained together with its previous block.

To cause a transition from one state to the next, a transaction must be valid. For a transaction to be considered valid, it must go through a validation process known as mining. Mining is when a group of nodes (i.e. computers) expend their compute resources to create a block of valid transactions.

Any node on the network that declares itself as a miner can attempt to create and validate a block. Lots of miners from around the world try to create and validate blocks at the same time. Each miner provides a mathematical proof when submitting a block to the blockchain, and this proof acts as a guarantee: if the proof exists, the block must be valid.

For a block to be added to the main blockchain, the miner must prove it faster than any other competitor miner. The process of validating each block by having a miner provide a mathematical proof is known as a proof of work.

A miner who validates a new block is rewarded with a certain amount of value for doing this work. What is that value? The Ethereum blockchain uses an intrinsic digital token called Ether. Every time a miner proves a block, new Ether tokens are generated and awarded.

You might wonder: what guarantees that everyone sticks to one chain of blocks? How can we be sure that there doesnt exist a subset of miners who will decide to create their own chain of blocks?

Earlier, we defined a blockchain as a transactional singleton machine with shared-state. Using this definition, we can understand the correct current state is a single global truth, which everyone must accept. Having multiple states (or chains) would ruin the whole system, because it would be impossible to agree on which state was the correct one. If the chains were to diverge, you might own 10 coins on one chain, 20 on another, and 40 on another. In this scenario, there would be no way to determine which chain was the most valid.

Whenever multiple paths are generated, a fork occurs. We typically want to avoid forks, because they disrupt the system and force people to choose which chain they believe in.

To determine which path is most valid and prevent multiple chains, Ethereum uses a mechanism called the GHOST protocol.

GHOST = Greedy Heaviest Observed Subtree

In simple terms, the GHOST protocol says we must pick the path that has had the most computation done upon it. One way to determine that path is to use the block number of the most recent block (the leaf block), which represents the total number of blocks in the current path (not counting the genesis block). The higher the block number, the longer the path and the greater the mining effort that must have gone into arriving at the leaf. Using this reasoning allows us to agree on the canonical version of the current state.

Now that youve gotten the 10,000-foot overview of what a blockchain is, lets dive deeper into the main components that the Ethereum system is comprised of:

One note before getting started: whenever I say hash of X, I am referring to the KECCAK-256 hash, which Ethereum uses.

The global shared-state of Ethereum is comprised of many small objects (accounts) that are able to interact with one another through a message-passing framework. Each account has a state associated with it and a 20-byte address. An address in Ethereum is a 160-bit identifier that is used to identify any account.

There are two types of accounts:

Its important to understand a fundamental difference between externally owned accounts and contract accounts. An externally owned account can send messages to other externally owned accounts OR to other contract accounts by creating and signing a transaction using its private key. A message between two externally owned accounts is simply a value transfer. But a message from an externally owned account to a contract account activates the contract accounts code, allowing it to perform various actions (e.g. transfer tokens, write to internal storage, mint new tokens, perform some calculation, create new contracts, etc.).

Unlike externally owned accounts, contract accounts cant initiate new transactions on their own. Instead, contract accounts can only fire transactions in response to other transactions they have received (from an externally owned account or from another contract account). Well learn more about contract-to-contract calls in the Transactions and Messages section.

Therefore, any action that occurs on the Ethereum blockchain is always set in motion by transactions fired from externally controlled accounts.

The account state consists of four components, which are present regardless of the type of account:

Okay, so we know that Ethereums global state consists of a mapping between account addresses and the account states. This mapping is stored in a data structure known as a Merkle Patricia tree.

A Merkle tree (or also referred as Merkle trie) is a type of binary tree composed of a set of nodes with:

The data at the bottom of the tree is generated by splitting the data that we want to store into chunks, then splitting the chunks into buckets, and then taking the hash of each bucket and repeating the same process until the total number of hashes remaining becomes only one: the root hash.

This tree is required to have a key for every value stored inside it. Beginning from the root node of the tree, the key should tell you which child node to follow to get to the corresponding value, which is stored in the leaf nodes. In Ethereums case, the key/value mapping for the state tree is between addresses and their associated accounts, including the balance, nonce, codeHash, and storageRoot for each account (where the storageRoot is itself a tree).

This same trie structure is used also to store transactions and receipts. More specifically, every block has a header which stores the hash of the root node of three different Merkle trie structures, including:

The ability to store all this information efficiently in Merkle tries is incredibly useful in Ethereum for what we call light clients or light nodes. Remember that a blockchain is maintained by a bunch of nodes. Broadly speaking, there are two types of nodes: full nodes and light nodes.

A full archive node synchronizes the blockchain by downloading the full chain, from the genesis block to the current head block, executing all of the transactions contained within. Typically, miners store the full archive node, because they are required to do so for the mining process. It is also possible to download a full node without executing every transaction. Regardless, any full node contains the entire chain.

But unless a node needs to execute every transaction or easily query historical data, theres really no need to store the entire chain. This is where the concept of a light node comes in. Instead of downloading and storing the full chain and executing all of the transactions, light nodes download only the chain of headers, from the genesis block to the current head, without executing any transactions or retrieving any associated state. Because light nodes have access to block headers, which contain hashes of three tries, they can still easily generate and receive verifiable answers about transactions, events, balances, etc.

The reason this works is because hashes in the Merkle tree propagate upwardif a malicious user attempts to swap a fake transaction into the bottom of a Merkle tree, this change will cause a change in the hash of the node above, which will change the hash of the node above that, and so on, until it eventually changes the root of the tree.

Any node that wants to verify a piece of data can use something called a Merkle proof to do so. A Merkle proof consists of:

Anyone reading the proof can verify that the hashing for that branch is consistent all the way up the tree, and therefore that the given chunk is actually at that position in the tree.

In summary, the benefit of using a Merkle Patricia tree is that the root node of this structure is cryptographically dependent on the data stored in the tree, and so the hash of the root node can be used as a secure identity for this data. Since the block header includes the root hash of the state, transactions, and receipts trees, any node can validate a small part of state of Ethereum without needing to store the entire state, which can be potentially unbounded in size.

One very important concept in Ethereum is the concept of fees. Every computation that occurs as a result of a transaction on the Ethereum network incurs a feetheres no free lunch! This fee is paid in a denomination called gas.

Gas is the unit used to measure the fees required for a particular computation. Gas price is the amount of Ether you are willing to spend on every unit of gas, and is measured in gwei. Wei is the smallest unit of Ether, where 1 Wei represents 1 Ether. One gwei is 1,000,000,000 Wei.

With every transaction, a sender sets a gas limit and gas price. The product of gas price and gas limit represents the maximum amount of Wei that the sender is willing to pay for executing a transaction.

For example, lets say the sender sets the gas limit to 50,000 and a gas price to 20 gwei. This implies that the sender is willing to spend at most 50,000 x 20 gwei = 1,000,000,000,000,000 Wei = 0.001 Ether to execute that transaction.

Remember that the gas limit represents the maximum gas the sender is willing to spend money on. If they have enough Ether in their account balance to cover this maximum, theyre good to go. The sender is refunded for any unused gas at the end of the transaction, exchanged at the original rate.

In the case that the sender does not provide the necessary gas to execute the transaction, the transaction runs out of gas and is considered invalid. In this case, the transaction processing aborts and any state changes that occurred are reversed, such that we end up back at the state of Ethereum prior to the transaction. Additionally, a record of the transaction failing gets recorded, showing what transaction was attempted and where it failed. And since the machine already expended effort to run the calculations before running out of gas, logically, none of the gas is refunded to the sender.

Where exactly does this gas money go? All the money spent on gas by the sender is sent to the beneficiary address, which is typically the miners address. Since miners are expending the effort to run computations and validate transactions, miners receive the gas fee as a reward.

Typically, the higher the gas price the sender is willing to pay, the greater the value the miner derives from the transaction. Thus, the more likely miners will be to select it. In this way, miners are free to choose which transactions they want to validate or ignore. In order to guide senders on what gas price to set, miners have the option of advertising the minimum gas price for which they will execute transactions.

Not only is gas used to pay for computation steps, it is also used to pay for storage usage. The total fee for storage is proportional to the smallest multiple of 32 bytes used.

Fees for storage have some nuanced aspects. For example, since increased storage increases the size of the Ethereum state database on all nodes, theres an incentive to keep the amount of data stored small. For this reason, if a transaction has a step that clears an entry in the storage, the fee for executing that operation of is waived, AND a refund is given for freeing up storage space.

One important aspect of the way the Ethereum works is that every single operation executed by the network is simultaneously effected by every full node. However, computational steps on the Ethereum Virtual Machine are very expensive. Therefore, Ethereum smart contracts are best used for simple tasks, like running simple business logic or verifying signatures and other cryptographic objects, rather than more complex uses, like file storage, email, or machine learning, which can put a strain on the network. Imposing fees prevents users from overtaxing the network.

Ethereum is a Turing complete language. (In short, a Turing machine is a machine that can simulate any computer algorithm (for those not familiar with Turing machines, check out this and this). This allows for loops and makes Ethereum susceptible to the halting problem, a problem in which you cannot determine whether or not a program will run infinitely. If there were no fees, a malicious actor could easily try to disrupt the network by executing an infinite loop within a transaction, without any repercussions. Thus, fees protect the network from deliberate attacks.

You might be thinking, why do we also have to pay for storage? Well, just like computation, storage on the Ethereum network is a cost that the entire network has to take the burden of.

We noted earlier that Ethereum is a transaction-based state machine. In other words, transactions occurring between different accounts are what move the global state of Ethereum from one state to the next.

In the most basic sense, a transaction is a cryptographically signed piece of instruction that is generated by an externally owned account, serialized, and then submitted to the blockchain.

There are two types of transactions: message calls and contract creations (i.e. transactions that create new Ethereum contracts).All transactions contain the following components, regardless of their type:

We learned in the Accounts section that transactionsboth message calls and contract-creating transactionsare always initiated by externally owned accounts and submitted to the blockchain. Another way to think about it is that transactions are what bridge the external world to the internal state of Ethereum.

But this doesnt mean that contracts cant talk to other contracts. Contracts that exist within the global scope of Ethereums state can talk to other contracts within that same scope. The way they do this is via messages or internal transactions to other contracts. We can think of messages or internal transactions as being similar to transactions, with the major difference that they are NOT generated by externally owned accounts. Instead, they are generated by contracts. They are virtual objects that, unlike transactions, are not serialized and only exist in the Ethereum execution environment.

When one contract sends an internal transaction to another contract, the associated code that exists on the recipient contract account is executed.

One important thing to note is that internal transactions or messages dont contain a gasLimit. This is because the gas limit is determined by the external creator of the original transaction (i.e. some externally owned account). The gas limit that the externally owned account sets must be high enough to carry out the transaction, including any sub-executions that occur as a result of that transaction, such as contract-to-contract messages. If, in the chain of transactions and messages, a particular message execution runs out of gas, then that messages execution will revert, along with any subsequent messages triggered by the execution. However, the parent execution does not need to revert.

All transactions are grouped together into blocks. A blockchain contains a series of such blocks that are chained together.

In Ethereum, a block consists of:

What the heck is an ommer? An ommer is a block whose parent is equal to the current blocks parents parent. Lets take a quick dive into what ommers are used for and why a block contains the block headers for ommers.

Because of the way Ethereum is built, block times are much lower (~15 seconds) than those of other blockchains, like Bitcoin (~10 minutes). This enables faster transaction processing. However, one of the downsides of shorter block times is that more competing block solutions are found by miners. These competing blocks are also referred to as orphaned blocks (i.e. mined blocks do not make it into the main chain).

The purpose of ommers is to help reward miners for including these orphaned blocks. The ommers that miners include must be valid, meaning within the sixth generation or smaller of the present block. After six children, stale orphaned blocks can no longer be referenced (because including older transactions would complicate things a bit).

Ommer blocks receive a smaller reward than a full block. Nonetheless, theres still some incentive for miners to include these orphaned blocks and reap a reward.

Lets get back to blocks for a moment. We mentioned previously that every block has a block header, but what exactly is this?A block header is a portion of the block consisting of:

Notice how every block header contains three trie structures for:

These trie structures are nothing but the Merkle Patricia tries we discussed earlier.

Additionally, there are a few terms from the above description that are worth clarifying. Lets take a look.

Ethereum allows for logs to make it possible to track various transactions and messages. A contract can explicitly generate a log by defining events that it wants to log.

A log entry contains:

Logs are stored in a bloom filter, which stores the endless log data in an efficient manner.

Logs stored in the header come from the log information contained in the transaction receipt. Just as you receive a receipt when you buy something at a store, Ethereum generates a receipt for every transaction. Like youd expect, each receipt contains certain information about the transaction. This receipt includes items like:

The difficulty of a block is used to enforce consistency in the time it takes to validate blocks. The genesis block has a difficulty of 131,072, and a special formula is used to calculate the difficulty of every block thereafter. If a certain block is validated more quickly than the previous block, the Ethereum protocol increases that blocks difficulty.

The difficulty of the block affects the nonce, which is a hash that must be calculated when mining a block, using the proof-of-work algorithm.

The relationship between the blocks difficulty and nonce is mathematically formalized as:

where Hd is the difficulty.

The only way to find a nonce that meets a difficulty threshold is to use the proof-of-work algorithm to enumerate all of the possibilities. The expected time to find a solution is proportional to the difficultythe higher the difficulty, the harder it becomes to find the nonce, and so the harder it is to validate the block, which in turn increases the time it takes to validate a new block. So, by adjusting the difficulty of a block, the protocol can adjust how long it takes to validate a block.

If, on the other hand, validation time is getting slower, the protocol decreases the difficulty. In this way, the validation time self-adjusts to maintain a constant rateon average, one block every 15 seconds.

Weve come to one of the most complex parts of the Ethereum protocol: the execution of a transaction. Say you send a transaction off into the Ethereum network to be processed. What happens to transition the state of Ethereum to include your transaction?

First, all transactions must meet an initial set of requirements in order to be executed. These include:

If the transaction meets all of the above requirements for validity, then we move onto the next step.

First, we deduct the upfront cost of execution from the senders balance, and increase the nonce of the senders account by 1 to account for the current transaction. At this point, we can calculate the gas remaining as the total gas limit for the transaction minus the intrinsic gas used.

Next, the transaction starts executing. Throughout the execution of a transaction, Ethereum keeps track of the substate. This substate is a way to record information accrued during the transaction that will be needed immediately after the transaction completes. Specifically, it contains:

Next, the various computations required by the transaction are processed.

Once all the steps required by the transaction have been processed, and assuming there is no invalid state, the state is finalized by determining the amount of unused gas to be refunded to the sender. In addition to the unused gas, the sender is also refunded some allowance from the refund balance that we described above.

Once the sender is refunded:

Finally, were left with the new state and a set of the logs created by the transaction.

Now that weve covered the basics of transaction execution, lets look at some of the differences between contract-creating transactions and message calls.

Recall that in Ethereum, there are two types of accounts: contract accounts and externally owned accounts. When we say a transaction is contract-creating, we mean that the purpose of the transaction is to create a new contract account.

In order to create a new contract account, we first declare the address of the new account using a special formula. Then we initialize the new account by:

Once we initialize the account, we can actually create the account, using the init code sent with the transaction (see the Transaction and messages section for a refresher on the init code). What happens during the execution of this init code is varied. Depending on the constructor of the contract, it might update the accounts storage, create other contract accounts, make other message calls, etc.

As the code to initialize a contract is executed, it uses gas. The transaction is not allowed to use up more gas than the remaining gas. If it does, the execution will hit an out-of-gas (OOG) exception and exit. If the transaction exits due to an out-of-gas exception, then the state is reverted to the point immediately prior to transaction. The sender is not refunded the gas that was spent before running out.

Boo hoo.

However, if the sender sent any Ether value with the transaction, the Ether value will be refunded even if the contract creation fails. Phew!

If the initialization code executes successfully, a final contract-creation cost is paid. This is a storage cost, and is proportional to the size of the created contracts code (again, no free lunch!) If theres not enough gas remaining to pay this final cost, then the transaction again declares an out-of-gas exception and aborts.

If all goes well and we make it this far without exceptions, then any remaining unused gas is refunded to the original sender of the transaction, and the altered state is now allowed to persist!

Hooray!

The execution of a message call is similar to that of a contract creation, with a few differences.

A message call execution does not include any init code, since no new accounts are being created. However, it can contain input data, if this data was provided by the transaction sender. Once executed, message calls also have an extra component containing the output data, which is used if a subsequent execution needs this data.

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How does Ethereum work - Medium

Kurzweil Claims That the Singularity Will Happen by 2045

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Kurzweils Predictions

Ray Kurzweil, Googles Director of Engineering, is a well-known futurist with a high-hitting track record for accurate predictions. Of his 147 predictions since the 1990s, Kurzweil claimsan 86 percent accuracy rate. At the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, Kurzweil made yet another prediction: the technological singularity will happen sometime in the next 30 years.

In a communication to Futurism, Kurzweil states:

2029 is the consistent date I have predicted for when an AI will pass a valid Turing test and therefore achieve human levels of intelligence. I have set the date 2045 for the Singularity which is when we will multiply our effective intelligence a billion fold by merging with the intelligence we have created.

By 2029, computers will have human-level intelligence, Kurzweil saidin an interview with SXSW.

The singularity is that point in time when all the advances in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), willlead to machines that are smarter than human beings. Kurzweilstimetable for the singularity is consistentwith other predictions, notably those of Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, who predicts that the dawn of super-intelligent machines will happen by 2047. But for Kurzweil, the process towards this singularity has already begun.

That leads to computers having human intelligence, our putting them inside our brains, connecting them to the cloud, expanding who we are. Today, thats not just a future scenario, Kurzweil said. Its here, in part, and its going to accelerate.

We all know it is coming sooner or later, but the question in the minds of almost everyone is: should humanity fear the singularity? Everyone knows that when machines become smarter than human beings, they tend to take over the world. Right? Many of the worlds science and technology bigwigs like Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and even Bill Gates warn about this kind of future.

Well, Kurzweil doesnt think so. In fact, he isnt particularly worried about the singularity. It would be more accurate to say that hes been looking forward to it. What science fiction depicts as the singularity at which point a single brilliant AI enslaves humanity is just that: fiction.

Thats not realistic, Kurzweil said during hisinterview with SXSW. We dont have one or two AIs in the world. Today we have billions.

For Kurzweil, the singularity is an opportunity for humankind to improve. He envisions the same technology that will make AIs more intelligent giving humans a boost as well.

Whats actually happening is [machines] are powering all of us, Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. Theyre making us smarter. They may not yet be inside our bodies, but, by the 2030s, we will connect our neocortex, the part of our brain where we do our thinking, to the cloud.

This idea is similar to Musks controversial neural laceand to XPRIZE Foundation chairman Peter Diamandis meta-intelligence concept.Kurzweil expounded on how this technology could improve human lives.

Were going to get more neocortex, were going to be funnier, were going to be better at music. Were going to be sexier, Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. Were really going to exemplify all the things that we value in humans to a greater degree.

To those who view this cybernetic society as more fantasy than future, Kurzweil pointing out that there are people with computers in their brains today Parkinsons patients. Thats how cybernetics is just getting its foot in the door, Kurzweil said.And, because its the nature of technology to improve, Kurzweil predicts that during the 2030s some technology will be invented that cango inside your brain and help your memory.

So, instead of the machines-taking-over-the-world vision of the singularity, Kurzweil thinks itll be a future of unparalleled human-machine synthesis.

Ultimately, it will affect everything, Kurzweil said during the SXSW interview. Were going to be able to meet the physical needs of all humans. Were going to expand our minds and exemplify these artistic qualities that we value.

Editors note: This article has been updated to correct errors. A previous version of this article stated that Kurzweil predicted the singularity by 2029, rather than the date an AI will pass a valid Turing test.

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Department of Physics and Astronomy – Department of …

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Our department is known for the global impact our students, faculty and alumni make with their research and cutting-edge international collaboration.We have ample hands-on research opportunities for all of our studentsfrom undergraduates to graduate students and post doctoral fellows.

In addition to ensuring you have a solid foundation in all central areas of physics, you'll also have the opportunity to take specialized experimental courses in order to tailor your studies to your own interests or goals. You can also explore our interdisciplinary program, engineering physics. This program will give you the practical problem solving skills that an engineering degree teaches backed up by the theory that physics offers.

As a physics student, we encourage you to take part in some of our many hands-on research opportunities. You have the option to either work with one of our internationally recognized faculty or to design your own research program. These opportunities will give you the skills and confidence to compete in the job market or to pursue a graduate degree.

Einstein, Black Holes, and Gravitational Waves

Public Lecture with Nobel laureate Dr. Barry Barish

Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 7:00pm

W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall

Darla Moore School of Business (Room #101)

Applications to the University of South Carolina are handled onlineand there are options for you to apply as an undergraduate or to graduate school.

Learn How to Apply

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The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say!

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The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! is the third studio album by American rapper Ice-T. The album was released on October 10, 1989, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album has an uncharacteristically gritty sound, featuring some of the darkest musical tracks that Ice-T ever released.

The album was released after Ice-T was encountering censorship problems on tour. In The Ice Opinion: Who Gives a Fuck? the rapper states that "People had already told me what I could not say onstage in Columbus, Georgia. You couldn't say anything they called a 'swear' word. You couldn't touch yourself. They were using the same tactics they used on everyone from Elvis and Jim Morrison to 2 Live Crew".[5]

The album's cover, featuring a B-boy with a shotgun shoved in his mouth, and two pistols pressed against each side of his head, reflected Ice-T's experiences with the concept of freedom of speech. "The concept of that picture is, 'Go ahead and say what you want. But here comes the government and here come the parents, and they are ready to destroy you when you open your mouth'".[5]

"The Iceberg" alternates between typical violent metaphor, outlandish boasts, and comical sexual situations involving other members of Ice's Rhyme Syndicate. "Lethal Weapon" tells listeners that the mind is the most powerful weapon:

"You Played Yourself" advises listeners to be smart and not let themselves "be played". "Peel Their Caps Back" is about committing a drive-by to avenge a slain friend. Unlike other songs where violence is a metaphor for the rapper's ability to defeat other rappers lyrically, this song is a stark depiction of what could lead to such an event. However, it contains two surprising elements: in the end, the main character is killed, and the whole event is written off by the media as just another gang killing.

In "The Girl Tried to Kill Me", Ice-T raps about an encounter with a dominatrix:

"Black and Decker" starts off with Rhyme Syndicate members complaining about the media's portrayal of their work as meaningless violence. Ice wonders aloud what it would sound like if you drilled into someone's head with a powerdrill. After some gory sound effects, Ice says "Probably sound like that." "Hit the Deck" offers sincere advice to wannabe-MCs:

"This One's for Me" offers Ice's take on the rap scene and music industry. "The Hunted Child" is a first-person account of a scared young gang-banger on the run. The busy, multi-layered composition, with its scratched sirens and staccato drums, samples Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise".[6]

"What Ya Wanna Do" is a 9-minute party song featuring several members of the Syndicate, including a young Everlast, who became famous as a member of House of Pain. "Freedom of Speech" was one of the first raps to focus on the First Amendment and in particular attacked Tipper Gore's PMRC with unmistakable venom:

The album ends with in "My Word Is Bond", featuring Syndicate members telling one exaggerated story after another against a looped sample of Slick Rick saying "Stop lying" from his song "La Di Da Di".[7]

Sample credits

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Litecoin Price Forecast: Charlie Lee Identifies the Real Problem with LTC Prices

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Daily Litecoin News Update
Cryptocurrency prices are in a free fall as the crypto mania takes its last breaths. The so-called “cryptocurrency bubble” has finally popped. Prices are now retracing their steps back to the pre-mania levels. Now that we've been nudged awake by reality, it's time to embrace it with open arms.

Look at it this way: in the midst of this chaos, Litecoin has managed to overcome one of its flaws.

It.

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Ripple Price Prediction: XRP Price Crash Looks Inevitable in Hindsight

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Ripple News Update
The main story this morning is Ripple’s dramatic fall below $1.00. It finally happened. And when it did, it inspired even more selling activity, leading XRP prices 30% lower against the U.S. dollar.

The XRP to USD exchange rate was around $0.656241 at the time of writing.

Ripple wasn’t the only one to drop beneath an important benchmark. Bitcoin fell below $10,000, Ethereum below $1,000, and NEM below $0.50. Almost every crypto trended down yesterday.
Ripple (XRP) Price Chart.

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Litecoin Price Prediction: Upcoming Litecoin Upgrade to Put LTC Ahead of BTC

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Daily Litecoin News Update
The bloodbath continues in the crypto world as cryptocurrencies edge lower for the fourth consecutive day. There are no second guesses that jumpy investors are, in fact, jumping ship.

But the disciplined investors who continue to “HODL” must find solace in the fact that Litecoin is inching closer to achieving its goals. We have our fingers crossed as we anxiously await the release of the impending Litecoin upgrade.

For readers unaware of the upcoming upgrade, Litecoin founder Charlie Lee announced that it.

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Ethereum Price Forecast: Bittrex Rules, Senate Hearings & ETH Price Strength

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Ethereum News Update
Given the ongoing slide in cryptocurrencies, it seems a terrible time for optimism. But I can’t help it. Ethereum prices are holding up better than some of the others, making it a safe-haven crypto asset during these troubled times.

This could lead to the fabled “flippening,” whereby Ethereum replaces Bitcoin as the market leader. It is a game-changing prospect. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s cover some of today’s leading stories.

Markets try to fix initial coin offerings (ICOs). One of the.

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What Is Litecoin? Here’s Everything You Need To Know …

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As much as bitcoin is the cryptocurrency that has the most mainstream attention, there are hundreds upon hundreds of alternative coins which have been created over the years since it was born. While some alternatives like Ethereum and ZCash have become vogue in only the past couple of years though, some cryptocurrencies have been around for much longer, like Litecoin.

But what is Litecoin? In a nutshell, its a cryptocurrency like many others, built on a similar framework and ideal as bitcoin itself. Created by an ex-Google employee a few years after the first cryptocurrency, its now one of the most commonly traded crypto-coins out there, with a market value in the billions.

If youve heard of Litecoin, youve heard of bitcoin and have a reasonable idea of what the whole cryptocurrency scene is all about, but it never hurts to have a quick refresher. Cryptocurrencies are entirely digital currencies. Think of them as the way you operate your online banking. Its not a real or physical currency, but it can have real value. That currency can be transferred between users all over the world with low fees and far faster than most traditional currencies.

One key difference between your online bank account and cryptocurrencies is that they are (for the most part) entirely decentralized. That is, they arent controlled by any one authority. The ledger, or blockchain, that records and confirms all transactions as valid is publicly viewable and editable by a large system of users all over the world.

In the case of Litecoin, those confirmations are created by a process known as mining. Thats a rather complicated topic in its own right, but suffice to say it involves performing complex mathematical calculations with powerful computing hardware. Miners who take part in it also create new Litecoins, which they are rewarded with for performing the service, along with a transaction fee.

Those calculations get more and more complicated as time goes on, limiting the influx of new Litecoin. There is also a hard limit of 84 billion Litecoin, which means there will come a day where no new tokens are created. Those factors create a scarcity which has helped drive up Litecoins value over the years, among other factors.

Launched in October 2011, just under three years after the debut of its inspiration, bitcoin, Litecoin was created by former Google employee, Charlie Lee. Described by its creator as the silver to bitcoins gold, Litecoin is based on the Bitcoin Core client. Litecoin was designed to emulate its predecessor, extolling the same virtues of decentralization but with a few key features that arguably make it a more nimble alternative.

While bitcoin blocks can only be processed every ten minutes part of the reason it has experienced longer confirmation times with the recent influx of users Litecoin reduced that to a targeted 2.5 minutes per block. While that hasnt always been possible throughout the cryptocurrencys history, it is the average that makes transactions faster and cheaper to confirm, or validate.

The other key difference Lee employed with Litecoins creation, was in his choice of hashing algorithm. All cryptocurrency mining employs complicated algorithms. Most are based on the same SHA-256 algorithm that bitcoin uses, but Litecoin leveraged the Scrypt algorithm instead. Easier to compute, lighter on the workload, its what enables the faster confirmation of Litecoin transactions. There is an argument to be made that its enabling of faster transactions is a security issue, since less thorough checks of the data are required, but it hasnt manifested in an obvious problem in the real world as of yet.

These two main differences from bitcoin make Litecoin very much its own cryptocurrency and more than just a pretender to the throne. Over the years it has garnered a base of thousands of owners all over the world, who between them trade millions of dollars worth of Litecoin every day.

Although cryptocurrencies (and the blockchain technology its built upon) could have serious potential for streamlining a variety of industries around the world especially when you factor in smart contracts they have two main functions as it stands. The first of those is in transactions.

Cryptocurrency, operating in the same manner as traditional, fiat, currencies can be used to pay for goods and services. Although cryptocurrencies have a reputation for being used on the darknet for drug transactions and facilitating ransomware attacks, a growing number of legitimate, legal outlets accept Litecoin as legal tender. Whether youre looking for jewelry, clothing, or even luxury cars, there are many places you can spend Litecoin.

Litecoin is also a great cryptocurrency for giving money to friends and family. Due to its shorter block time, fast confirmations and fees that rarely go north of a fraction of a dollar, Litecoin can be transferred to anyone quickly and cheaply if you have their wallet address.

Like some of the other alternative cryptocurrencies out there, interest in Litecoin as a transactional medium has increased in recent months thanks to bitcoins value spike and its escalating transaction fees. Although there is no guarantee that Litecoin wont bump up against such problems itself should it see a large influx of new owners, for now at least its a great medium for transferring wealth quickly online.

Although cryptocurrencies like Litecoin were originally intended to conduct transactions online, much like traditional currencies, their value does increase and decrease based on a number of market factors. Cryptocurrencies however, with their lack of governmental backing, tend to fluctuate far more thats why bitcoin and others have seen such an interest from mainstream investors in recent months.

Litecoin too has been on quite the tear and has made many people very wealthy in a relatively short period of time. Like many other cryptocurrencies in the past year, its value has increased exponentially. At the start of 2017 a single Litecoin was worth just $4. At its peak in December that same year it hit $371, correcting to $178 at the time of writing.

Thats an enormous increase that shows that just because bitcoins are worth thousands of dollars, that Litecoin cant also be a great store of value. Some, like its creator, would argue that Litecoin has a greater potential as a cryptocurrency because of its better transactional abilities. While that might not necessarily affect its value directly, it could make it more popular, which in turn creates its own potential for a value increase over time due to demand.

When Litecoin was first created, it was just one of a handful of cryptocurrencies. Today its one of many more than 1,300, with more being created every day. While it has greater name-recognition than most cryptocurrencies, its market cap of near $10 billion is far less than the biggest players and individual coins are worth much less too.

That shouldnt put people off it though. It truly shines as a regular transactional medium, with only bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple seeing a greater daily trade volume. There may be leaner coins and some with more advanced features than Litecoin today, but it has firmly cemented itself as one of the most important cryptocurrencies. It might not quite be the silver to bitcoins gold anymore, but it is one of the most precious digital metals we have, and it doesnt seem likely to fall from favor anytime soon.

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NSA Wa

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The Tentative schedule is posted on the tournament page. We will be filling in more dates as they are confirmed.

I wanted to give you a heads up on the dates of the tournaments that fill up fast.

TACOMA OPENER - March 17-18

ICE BREAKER - April 6-7-8 ( Tri Cities)

STERLING INVITE - May 26-27-28 ( Wenatchee)

NSA STATE - June 29-30 / 1 ( Tri Cities)

WINNING IS FOR TODAY, SPORTMANSHIP IS FOR A LIFE TIME.

Steve Jensen

NSA FP

State Director

.

NSAWA.com is your Washington State source

for Girl's Fastpitch Softball Tournaments.

Steve Jensen State Director

425-308-1024

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What is Bitcoin Cash?

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Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency, or digital money. A revolutionary invention as important as the internet. Bitcoin Cash can be used to buy/sell anything just like the USD. Bitcoin Cash is a global trusted computing network to transfer money/value.

Mining is how Bitcoin Cash (out of the possible 21 million) come into existence on a set schedule. People run specialized hardware that solves very difficult calculations that keep the network secure.

This process is required so that no one can cheat like trying to spend the same funds twice. All miners race to try to "solve" the equation so that they can win the reward, which is currently 12.5 Bitcoin Cash. There is a random winner awarded roughly every 10 minutes. All the transactions that took place in those 10 minutes get cemented into the Bitcoin Cash database, or more commonly referred to as the Blockchain.

We know this is safe because it is very very expensive to try to attack the Bitcoin network. The incentives have proven to work since 2009 and demonstrate it is more profitable to play by the rules than to try to attack the network.

It is the combination of scarcity and utility that makes crypto valuable. There will only ever be 21 million coins total and the user experience for sending cryptocurrency instantly is much better than dealing with banks. Crypto is to banking as Email is to the post office. Disruptive technologies are too important to ignore.

Finance is not taught, but it's super important to understand. Bitcoin Cash promotes savings over spending, which causes people to become a bit more disciplined and financially conscious. There are going to be many use-cases that were not possible before with old money. Owning some Bitcoin Cash acts as your ticket into this future economy. Many industries will be disrupted and long term holders are likely to see healthy gains in their wealth.

It's important to know you can own a fraction of Bitcoin Cash . They are divisible down to 8 digits and it is not a requirement to buy 1 full coin.

In the white paper, it is described as a "free open source peer-to-peer electroniccash system that is completely decentralized". This means being able to send money to anyone for cheap without a middleman being able to tell you no.

We have a permissionless way of accessing data called the internet. We needed a form of money that cannot be corrupted or controlled by bankers and politicians. By removing human manipulation from the equation, we have money that makes sense, is fair, censorship resistant, and reliable.

As it is still relatively early, the ecosystem is not as mature yet and arguably not mainstream ready.

The everyday user may still be overwhelmed or intimidated by this technology, but this continually improves over time.

Merchant adoption is increasing all the time, but there is a limited number of places to spend your crypto in retail locations at the moment.

The market value is likely to fluctuate in price very often until the ecosystem is much more mature. This may take years, but the overall trend is upwards in the long term compared to inflationary fiat currencies.

There are some people who are very threatened by Bitcoin Cash and seek to discredit it as much as possible.

Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym for the creator of bitcoin. Satoshi was likely a small group of individuals who each brought something to the table in order to make Bitcoin work. The original Bitcoin reached capacity many years ago and stopped functioning as originally intended. The situation was like google saying we have served X amount of searches today, sorry you can't use google. Except instead of google, it was a small group of well funded developers who wanted bitcoin to go in a different direction than Satoshi did.

Years of debate went by and no progress was made towards fixing Bitcoin. Many people began to lose hope that things would ever get better. A lot of developer talent and startup potential moved onto altcoins instead. Transactions were backlogged and fees rose to several dollars and priced many people out of using Bitcoin. The same developer team introduced the most radical change to Bitcoin to date which would fundamentally change the code forever. In order to preserve the proven track record of the way Satoshi envisioned Bitcoin to be, Bitcoin Cash was created. You can read the longer history here.

This site contains a Bitcoin Cash Faucet which can send you a small amount of Bitcoin Cash for free. No strings attached. All you need is a wallet to start receiving cryptocurrency.

The more common methods of obtaining Bitcoin Cash involve exchanges like Shapeshift, or Kraken. An exchange is a company that provides a platform to trade one currency for cryptocurrency, or vice versa. Read more on theResources page.

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Safety – How to Use Psychedelics

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The purpose of this site is to provide science-based information about how to safely use psychedelics. Following basic safety precautions dramatically reduces any risks.

Safety with psychedelics is important not just because these are powerful substances but also because creating a safe environment and approach will make treatment much more effective. Crucially, when psychedelics are used in a safe and comfortable setting, it becomes easier for people to relax and open themselves to the experience and gain the most benefit.

The most common psychedelics -- LSD, mushrooms, MDMA -- are far safer to their users and the people around them than drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and many prescription medicines. However, because of prohibition in many countries, there is far less available information and far more uncertainty about the sources and contents of psychedelic substances. Caution is very important.

We recommend psychedelics be taken only when you are in good health (unless you have decided to use it specifically to deal with an illness or in alleviating end of life anxiety). Those with heart problems should avoid psychedelics unless specifically discussed with a doctor. Pregnant women should not take psychedelics.

During a psychedelic experience, the mind/body connection is usually magnified. Any physical pain or discomfort (including something as small as hunger pangs) can affect the nature of the experience. Women should avoid tripping when experiencing menstrual cramps. If a woman typically experiences strong pre-menstrual symptoms (back aches, bloating, moodiness, headaches etc) its advisable to postpone the trip until they have subsided.

Entering a psychedelic journey with a comfortable and healthy body will help you toward a positive and meaningful experience.

For the advanced psychedelic user, a trip to deliberately investigate physical discomfort or pain may prove beneficial in understanding the mind/body connection and creating a deeper connection with your physical body.

Here are the some components of a safe psychedelic experience:

Setup the room that you will be in so that it feels cozy and pleasant. Have a comfortable place to sit or lie down, have pillows and decorations. You may want to have some music to listen to as well (music without words is recommended, as it is less likely to pull your thoughts away).

Keep in mind that going from place to place, being in a public setting, or dealing with logistical matters can be difficult while using psychedelics and can also be a source of anxiety. This is not recommended and can distract your focus.

When in doubt: be very cautious, don't rush, and start small.

Dont take a psychedelic for the first time without someone present who has experience with that substance. Make sure this is someone who you trust to help talk you through any stressful or confusing moments. Having trusted support is incredibly helpful for letting you feel safe and open to the experience. In addition, having someone around to help with practical needs (like getting you a glass of water) will let you focus on the process. Even if you have lots of experience with psychedelics, we recommend having a trusted person present (they don't need to be in the same room, just on hand).

We generally believe that psychedelics are most appropriate for people in their mid-20's and older. We don't know of research that has explored age-associated effects, but anecdotally, older individuals tend to take a more serious and intentional attitude towards psychedelic exploration.

If you have a dissociative psychological disorder, we do not recommend that you use psychedelics. Again, there is not good research on this topic and anecdotal reports are highly contradictory-- some people have had their conditions healed by use of psychedelics, others have found it has made their symptoms worse. We encourage you to err on the side of caution for these types of disorders.

Be sure to very carefully research any potential interactions with other prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements that you are taking. In particular, anti-depressants, SSRIs, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic medications are not safe to take with psychedelics.

Before using a particular psychedelic for the first time, you may want to gauge your sensitivity to it. Some people are much more sensitive to certain substances than others. One mushroom cap might feel strong for one person and very mild for another.

If it is your first time taking a substance, try to take a very small tester amount (less than 1/10th of a dose) a few days before your planned trip. You may not feel any effects, but you will be able to roughly judge your sensitivity if you do, and you may feel more comfortable when the time comes to take a standard dose.

Several companies make purity testing kits for various substances, including MDMA and LSD. These can be found easily on Amazon.com or with a Google search. If you are uncertain about the purity of a substance, it's always better to test and be safe.

Psychedelics have been misunderstood and misrepresented for decades. That's changing. Please help us share safe, responsible information on using psychedelics by sending this page to friends, and posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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Minerva Reefs – Surfer’s Path

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Lat: 23 deg 38S

Long: 178 deg 39W

We are sitting in the middle of the largest contrast any of us have ever experienced. There is no land in sight from horizon to horizon. In fact we had our last sight of land 3 days ago as we sailed away from Tongpatapu, the southernmost port in the kingdom on Tonga. The cabin of Khulula is filled with the sound of wavelets gently lapping against her side, juxtaposed against the muted roar of the Pacific Swell crashing on the reef around us. 3 miles in diameter, Minerva Reef is one of the most remarkable and stunningly beautiful places I have ever seen.

We are 25% of the way to New Zealand, partway through a passage that does not act kindly towards those who dawdle. We had no intention to stop at this place, but are compelled to as gales rage below us (further south). We have 780 miles to go, a mere hop skip and a jump compared to our distance traveled so far (over 6000miles), but this passage demands attention to detail weather and timing details. A daily analysis of the weather systems moving around us, and the careful positioning of our boat in relation to these systems will be the difference between a windy, stormy passage and a cruisy sunny one. Well take the latter, please!

Yesterday morning saw all four of us in the cockpit, watching the distance to Minerva field on the GPS slowly clock down. With nine miles to go, all we could see was deep blue Pacific Ocean. At seven miles to go, we could make out the mast of a boat seemingly sitting among the waves, but with no sail to be seen. At three miles to go we could make out the breakers around the reef and could see a slightly smaller mast next to the original one, also seemingly bobbing up and down on the waves with no sail up. At one mile to go we could see the turquoise center of Minerva Reef, as its associated flat water and perfect sandbank anchorage. The colour of the water was so vivid it looked like it had been Photoshopped.

Approaching a navigational hazard such as Minerva, we are reminded of a realization that we have had on multiple occasions during this voyage. We are WIMPS compared to the seafarers of old. Historically, during the days of wooden ships iron men there were no charts, no weather outlooks, and the sailor were in a boat that does not sail upwind. On many occasions we have adjusted our course in the middle of the night to avoid a reef or shoal, who to us only exists on a paper and electronic chart. We know exactly where we are, and know EXACLTY where the shoal is, as well as how large the shoal is and the best course of action to avoid it. The iron men on those wooden ships would have no idea! Spare a thought for the watch boy, sitting high up in the Crows Nest of a wooden galleon, trying to stay awake on night shift as strains his eyes searching and searching for breakers in the night. If he spots them (assuming no rain, no mist), the captain would have no idea whether it was a small reef, a 50-mile long reef (like Fakarava), or the lee shore of another continent for that matter! Had he come across Minerva Reef, and seen it in time, Captain Cook would not have known whether it was one of hundreds of atolls (like the Tuamotus) or the reality that is is just one of a pair of tiny reefs in the middle of millions of square miles of featureless Pacific Ocean. It is incredible.

We have decided that the seafarers of old were completely and utterly nuts! Here we were, glancing over the bow with trepidation, searching for a reef that we know is directly ahead, and less than 5 miles away! Our GPS gives us our position to within 3 feet, and there is no confusion as to what it what. The historical captain would maybe know his position to within 150 miles, and that is if the sun had been shining recently.

At two miles to go, everything happened at once: We were furling in our headsail (the forwardmost sail on the boat) to slow down and prepare for the transit of the reef pass. In the middle of this job there are sheets and lines (ropes) everywhere, a NZ airforce plane buzzes the atoll and starts demanding that everyone check in over the radio: This is the New Zealand Air Force, please state the name of your vessel, your intended destination, your ETA (if NZ), name of your skipper, number and names of crew, and declare any firearms or pets aboard. Just as other boats started answering, our fishing line got hit by a 30lb yellow fin Tuna WHAM! So here we are, trying to reduce sail, shoot a reef pass in the middle of nowhere, steer the boat, reel in a fantastic Tuna, and answer the call from a large aircraft doing passes just above our head demanding our attention on the VHF radio! Um, sorry for the delay, but we are a LITTLE busy here!! Needless to say, they did not hear a response back from s/v Khulula. All the other boats did check in though, I emailed NZ customs in the evening to file our report!

So, Minerva! Wow, anyone that gets a chance to visit this place should NOT miss out on it. Granted, it is a little out of the way, being 400 miles away from anything with an airport, having no dry land and all that, but IF you find yourself in a sailboat in this area, STOP, it is incredible. With no continents and associated alluvial runoff around, the water is completely absent of fines translation, CRYSTAL CLEAR! Looking over the bow of Khulula, we can see a giant sandbank all around us, 12m down. Sitting in the lagoon in flat water, watching waves explode on the reef around us, with not a scrap of land in sight is an experience none of us will ever forget. Also, as you can imagine, the reef is teeming with life such is the nature of a reef inaccessible to significant amounts of human population.

In the evening we went for a snorkel and scored a wonderful Minerva lobster. Last night we watched an amazing sunset while feasting on Yellow Fin sashimi and garlic steamed lobster tail. We are planning on leaving Minerva tomorrow morning (14th November 2007), and beeline it for NZ. It is time to take the jump. As wonderful as this place is, there are harrowing reminders in the lagoon (in the form of a couple of wrecked sailboats) of the perils of being anchored inside a submerged atoll during a storm. This ocean us unpredictable, and it is prudent to briefly enjoy the wonders of this remote place, and then move on. So, after a weather check in the early am, we begin out 780 mile passage to New Zealand and the end of the 1st year of the OceanGybe expedition. We have a HUGE amount of data to compile, and presentations to prepare, in line with our quest to continue to bring awareness to oceanic garbage.

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Minerva Reefs - Surfer's Path

Genetic engineering in science fiction – Wikipedia

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In literature and especially in science fiction, genetic engineering has been used as a theme or a plot device in many stories.[1][2]

In his 1924 essay Daedalus, or Science and the Future, J. B. S. Haldane predicted a day when biologists would invent new algae to feed the world and ectogenetic children would be created and modified using eugenic selection. Aldous Huxley developed these ideas in a satirical direction for his 1932 novel Brave New World, in which ectogenetic embryos were developed in selected environments to create children of an 'Alpha', 'Beta', or 'Gamma' type.[3]

The advent of large-scale genetic engineering has increased its presence in fiction.[4][5] Genetics research consortia, such as the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, have felt the need to distinguish genetic engineering fact from fiction in explaining their work to the public,[1] and have explored the role that genetic engineering has played in the public perception of programs, such as the Human Genome Project.[6]

Beyond the usual library catalog classifications,[7] the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute[1] and the NHGRI[6] have compiled catalogs of literature in various media with genetics and genetic engineering as a theme or plot device. Such compilations are also available at fan sites.[8]

In the 2000 television series Andromeda, the Nietzscheans (Homo sapiens invictus in Latin) are a race of genetically engineered humans who religiously follow the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, social Darwinism and Dawkinite genetic competitiveness. They claim to be physically perfect and are distinguished by bone blades protruding outwards from the wrist area.

In the book 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson, genetic engineering of humans, plants and animals and how that affects a society spread over the solar system is explored.

In the Animorphs book series, race of aliens known as the Hork-Bajir were engineered by a race known as the Arns. Another race, the Iskhoots, are another example of genetic engineering. The outer body, the Isk, was created by the Yoort, who also modify themselves to be symbotic to the Isk. Also, a being known as the Ellimist has made species such as the Pemalites by this method.

In the 1983 film Anna to the Infinite Power, the main character was one of seven genetically cloned humans created by Anna Zimmerman as a way to groom a perfect person in her image. After her death, her work was carried on by her successor Dr. Henry Jelliff, who had other plans for the project. But in the end we learn that her original genetic creation, Michaela Dupont, has already acquired her creator's abilities, including how to build a genetic replicator from scratch.

The 1996 video game series Resident Evil involves the creation of genetically engineered viruses which turn humans and animals into organisms such as zombies, the Tyrants or Hunters by a worldwide pharmaceutical company called the Umbrella Corporation.

In the video game series BioShock, most of the enemies in both BioShock and BioShock 2, referred to as "splicers", as well as the player, gain superpowers and enhance their physical and mental capabilities by means of genetically engineered plasmids, created by use of ADAM stem cells secreted by a species of sea slug.[9]

The novel Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress and its sequels are widely recognized by science fiction critics as among the most sophisticated fictional treatments of genetic engineering. They portray genetically-engineered characters whose abilities are far greater than those of ordinary humans (e.g. they are effectively immortal and they function without needing to sleep). At issue is what responsibility they have to use their abilities to help "normal" human beings. Kress explores libertarian and more collectivist philosophies, attempting to define the extent of people's mutual responsibility for each other's welfare.

In the Battletech science fiction series, the Clans have developed a genetic engineering program for their warriors, consisting of eugenics and the use of artificial wombs.

In The Champion Maker, a novel by Kevin Joseph, a track coach and a teenage phenom stumble upon a dark conspiracy involving genetic engineering while pursuing Olympic gold.

In the CoDominium series, the planet Sauron develops a supersoldier program. The result were the Sauron Cyborgs, and soldiers. The Cyborgs, who made up only a very small part of the population of Sauron, were part highly genetically engineered human, and part machine. Cyborgs held very high status in Sauron society.

Sauron soldiers, who made up the balance of the population, were the result of generations of genetic engineering. The Sauron soldiers had a variety of physical characteristics and abilities that made the soldiers the best in combat and survival in many hostile environments. For instance, their bones were stronger than unmodified humans. Their lungs extract oxygen more efficiently than normal unmodified humans, allowing them to exert themselves without getting short of breath, or function at high altitudes. Sauron soldiers also have the ability to change the focal length of their eyes, so that they can "zoom" in on a distant object, much like an eagle.

The alien Moties also have used genetic engineering.

In the science fiction series Crest of the Stars, the Abh are a race of genetically engineered humans, who continue to practice the technology. All Abh have been adapted to live in zero-gravity environments, with the same features such as beauty, long life, lifelong youthful appearance, blue hair, and a "space sensory organ".

In the 2000 TV series Dark Angel, the main character Max is one of a group of genetically engineered supersoldiers spliced with feline DNA.

In military science fiction 1993 television series Exosquad, the plot revolves around the conflict between Terrans (baseline humans) and Neosapiens, a race of genetically engineered sentient (and sterile) humanoids, who were originally bred for slave labour but revolted under the leadership of Phaeton and captured the Homeworlds (Earth, Venus and Mars). During the war, various sub-broods of Neosapiens were invented, such as, Neo Megas (intellectually superior to almost any being in the Solar System), Neo Warriors (cross-breeds with various animals) and Neo Lords (the ultimate supersoldiers).

Genetic modification is also found in the 2002 anime series Gundam SEED. It features enhanced humans called Coordinators who were created from ordinary humans through genetic modification.

In Marvel Comics, the 31st century adventurers called the Guardians of the Galaxy are genetically engineered residents of Mercury, Jupiter, and Pluto.

The 1997 film Gattaca deals with the idea of genetic engineering and eugenics as it projects what class relations would look like in a future society after a few generations of the possibility of genetic engineering.

In Marvel Comics, the Inhumans are the result of genetic engineering of early humans by the Kree alien race.

Rather than deliberate engineering, this 2017 novel by British author Steve Turnbull features a plague that carries genetic material across species, causing a wide variety of mutations. Human attempts to control this plague have resulted in a fascist dystopia.

In the Leviathan universe, a group known as the Darwinists use genetically engineered animals as weapons.

The 2000AD strip, Lobster Random features a former soldier-turned-torturer, who has been modified to not feel pain or need to sleep and has a pair of lobster claws grafted to his hips. This state has left him somewhat grouchy.

In Metal Gear Solid, the Genome Army were given gene therapy enhancements.

Also in the series, the Les Enfants Terribles project involved genetic engineering.

The Moreau series by S. Andrew Swann has as the central premise the proliferation of humanoid genetically-engineered animals. The name of the series (and of the creatures themselves) comes from the H. G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. In the W
ells novel, humanoid animals were created surgically, though this detail has been changed to be genetic manipulation in most film adaptations.

The Neanderthal Parallax novel by Robert J. Sawyer depicts a eugenic society that has benefitted immensely from the sterilization of dangerous criminals as well as preventing the 5% least intelligent from procreating for ten generations.

In the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, the character Rei Ayanami is implied to be a lab-created being combining human and angelic DNA. (compare to the Biblical Nephilim)

Genetic engineering (or something very like it) features prominently in Last and First Men, a 1930 novel by Olaf Stapledon.

Genetic engineering is depicted as widespread in the civilized world of Oryx and Crake. Prior to the apocalypse, though, its use among humans is not mentioned. Author Margaret Atwood describes many transgenic creatures such as Pigoons (though originally designed to be harvested for organs, post-apocalyptic-plague, they become more intelligent and vicious, traveling in packs), Snats (snake-rat hybrids who may or may not be extinct), wolvogs (wolf-dog hybrids), and the relatively harmless "rakunks" (skunk-raccoon hybrids, originally designed as pets with no scent glands).

In Plague, a 1978 film, a bacterium in an agricultural experiment accidentally escapes from a research laboratory in Canada, reaching the American Northeast and Great Britain.

Using a method similar to the DNA Resequencer from Stargate SG-1, and even called DNA Resequencing, the Operation Overdrive Power Rangers were given powers of superhuman strength, enhanced hearing, enhanced eyesight, super bouncing, super speed, and invisibility.

Quake II and Quake 4, released in 1997 and 2005, contain genetically-engineered Stroggs.

In the long-running 2006 series Rogue Trooper, the eponymous hero is a Genetic Infantryman, one of an elite group of supersoldiers genetically modified to resist the poisons left in the Nu-Earth atmosphere by decades of war. The original concept from the pages of 80s cult sci-fi comic 2000 AD (of Judge Dredd fame).

James Blish's The Seedling Stars (1956) is the classic story of controlled mutation for adaptability. In this novel (originally a series of short stories) the Adapted Men are reshaped human beings, designed for life on a variety of other planets. This is one of science fiction's most unreservedly optimistic accounts to date of technological efforts to reshape human beings.

In "The Man Who Grew Too Much" episode (2014), Sideshow Bob steals DNA from a GMO company, thus making himself the very first genetically engineered human, and attempts to combine his DNA with that of the smartest people ever to exist on Earth.

In Sleeper, a 1973 parody of many science fiction tropes, genetically modified crops are shown to grow gigantic.

The short-lived 1990s television series Space: Above and Beyond includes a race of genetically engineered and artificially gestated humans who are born at the physical age of 18, and are collectively known as InVitros or sometimes, derogatorily, "tanks" or "nipple-necks". At the time of the series storyline, this artificial human race was integrated with the parent species, but significant discrimination still occurred.

The Ultimate Life Form project that produced Shadow the Hedgehog and Biolizard in the Sonic the Hedgehog series was a genetic engineering project.

In the Star Trek universe, genetic engineering has featured in a couple of films, and a number of television episodes.

The Breen, the Dominion, Species 8472, the Xindi, and the Federation use technology with organic components.

Khan Noonien Singh, who appeared in Space Seed and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, was a product of genetic engineering. His physical structure was modified to make him stronger and to give him greater stamina than a regular human. His mind was also enhanced. However, the creation of Khan would have serious consequences because the superior abilities given to him created superior ambition. Along with other enhanced individuals, they tried to take over the planet. When they were reawakened by the Enterprise, Khan set himself to taking over the universe. Later, he became consumed by grief and rage, and set himself on the goal of destroying Kirk.

Others of these genetically enhanced augments wreaked havoc in the 22nd century, and eventually some of their enhanced DNA was blended with Klingon DNA, creating the human-looking Klingons of the early 23rd century (See Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence").

Because of the experiences with genetic engineering, the Federation had banned it except to correct genetic birth defects, but a number of parents still illegally subjected their children to genetic engineering for a variety of reasons. This often created brilliant but unstable individuals. Such children are not allowed to serve in Starfleet or practice medicine, though Julian Bashir is a notable exception to this. Despite the ban, the Federation allowed the Darwin station to conduct human genetic engineering, which resulted in a telepathic, telekentic humans with a very effective immune system.

In Attack of the Clones, the Kamino cloners who created the clone army for the Galactic Republic had used engineering to enhance their clones. They modified the genetic structure of all but one to accelerate their growth rate, make them less independent, and make them better suited to combat operations.

Later, the Yuuzhan Vong are a race who exclusively use organic technology and regard mechanical technology as heresy. Everything from starships to communications devices to weapons are bred and grown to suit their needs.

In the show Stargate SG-1, the DNA Resequencer was a device built by the Ancients, designed to make extreme upgrades to humans by realigning their DNA and upgrading their brain activity. The machine gave them superhuman abilities, such as telekensis, telepathy, precognition, superhuman senses, strength, and intellect, the power to heal at an incredible rate, and the power to heal others by touch.

In the futuristic tabletop and video game series, Warhammer 40,000, the Imperium of Man uses genetic engineering to enhance the abilities of various militant factions such as the Space Marines, the Grey Knights, and the Adeptus Custodes. A sample or a synthesized version of the gene seed, a "part" of the original Primarch's or leaders DNA is used in the transformation of these superhuman warriors.

At the same time, the Tau Empire uses a form of eugenic breeding to improve the physical and mental condition of its various castes.

In the e-book, Methuselah's Virus, an ageing pharmaceutical billionaire accidentally creates a contagious virus capable of infecting people with extreme longevity when his genetic engineering experiment goes wrong. The novel then examines the problem of what happens if Methuselah's Virus is at risk of spreading to everyone on the entire planet.

In World Hunger, author Brian Kenneth Swain paints the harrowing picture of a life sciences company that field tests a new strain of genetically modified crop, the unexpected side effect of which is the creation of several new species of large and very aggressive insects.

Genetic engineering is an essential theme of the illustrated book Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future by Dougal Dixon, where it is used to colonize other star systems and save the humans of Earth from extinction.

The Survival Gene e-book contains the author Artsun Akopyan's idea that people can't preserve nature as it is forever, so they'll have to change their own genetics in the future or die. In the novel, wave genetics is used to save humankind and all life on Earth.

A series of books by David Brin in which humans have encountered the Five Galazies, a multitude of sentient species which all practice Uplift raising species to sapience through genetic engineering. Humans, believing they have risen to sapience through evolution alone, are seen as
heretics. But they have some status because at the time of contact humans had already Uplifted two species chimpanzees and bottlenose dolphins.

Eugenics is a recurrent theme in science fiction, often with both dystopian and utopian elements. The two giant contributions in this field are the novel Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley, which describes a society where control of human biology by the state results in permanent social stratification.

There tends to be a eugenic undercurrent in the science fiction concept of the supersoldier. Several depictions of these supersoldiers usually have them bred for combat or genetically selected for attributes that are beneficial to modern or future combat.

The Brave New World theme also plays a role in the 1997 film Gattaca, whose plot turns around reprogenetics, genetic testing, and the social consequences of eugenics. Boris Vian (under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan) takes a more light-hearted approach in his novel Et on tuera tous les affreux ("And we'll kill all the ugly ones").

Other novels touching upon the subject include The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper and That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis. The Eugenics Wars are a significant part of the background story of the Star Trek universe (episodes "Space Seed", "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", "The Augments" and the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Eugenics also plays a significant role in the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy where eugenics-practicing Neanderthals from a near-utopian parallel world create a gateway to earth. Cowl by Neal Asher describes the collapse of western civilization due to dysgenics. Also Eugenics is the name for the medical company in La Foire aux immortels book by Enki Bilal and on the Immortel (Ad Vitam) movie by the same author.

In Frank Herbert's Dune series of novels, selective breeding programs form a significant theme. Early in the series, the Bene Gesserit religious order manipulates breeding patterns over many generations in order to create the Kwisatz Haderach. In God Emperor of Dune, the emperor Leto II again manipulates human breeding in order to achieve his own ends. The Bene Tleilaxu also employed genetic engineering to create human beings with specific genetic attributes. The Dune series ended with causal determinism playing a large role in the development of behavior, but the eugenics theme remained a crucial part of the story.

In Orson Scott Card's novel Ender's Game, Ender is only allowed to be conceived because of a special government exception due to his parent's high intelligence and the extraordinary performance of his siblings. In Ender's Shadow, Bean is a test-tube baby and the result of a failed eugenics experiment aimed at creating child geniuses.

In the novels Methuselah's Children and Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein, a large trust fund is created to give financial encouragement to marriage among people (the Howard Families) whose parents and grandparents were long lived. The result is a subset of Earth's population who has significantly above-average life spans. Members of this group appear in many of the works by the same author.

In the 1982 Robert Heinlein novel Friday, the main character has been genetically engineered from multiple sets of donors, including, as she finds out later her boss. These enhancements give her superior strength, speed, eyesight in addition to healing and other advanced attributes. Creations like her are considered to be AP's (Artificial Person).

In Eoin Colfer's book The Supernaturalist, Ditto is a Bartoli Baby, which is the name for a failed experiment of the famed Dr. Bartoli. Bartoli tried to create a superior race of humans, but they ended in arrested development, with mutations including extrasensory perception and healing hands.

In Larry Niven's Ringworld series, the character Teela Brown is a result of several generations of winners of the "Birthright Lottery", a system which attempts to encourage lucky people to breed, treating good luck as a genetic trait.

In season 2 of Dark Angel, the main 'bad guy' Ames White is a member of a cult known as the Conclave which has infiltrated various levels of society to breed super-humans. They are trying to exterminate all the Transgenics, including the main character Max Guevara, whom they view as being genetically unclean for having some animal DNA spliced with human.

In the movie Immortel (Ad Vitam), Director/Writer Enki Bilal titled the name of the evil corrupt organization specializing in genetic manipulation, and some very disturbing genetic "enhancement" eugenics. Eugenics has come to be a powerful organization and uses people and mutants of "lesser" genetic stock as guinea pigs. The movie is based on the Nikopol trilogy in Heavy Metal comic books.

In the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, a fictional character called Pastor Richards, a caricature of an extreme and insane televangelist, is featured as a guest on a discussion radio show about morality. On this show, he describes shooting people who do not agree with him and who are not "morally correct", which the show's host describes as "amateur eugenics".

In the 2006 Mike Judge film Idiocracy, a fictional character, pvt. Joe Bauers, aka Not Sure (played by Luke Wilson), awakens from a cryogenic stasis in the year 2505 into a world devastated by dysgenic degeneration. Bauers, who was chosen for his averageness, is discovered to be the smartest human alive and eventually becomes president of the United States.

The manga series Battle Angel Alita and its sequel Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (Gunnm and Gunnm: Last Order as it is known in Japan) by Yukito Kishiro, contains multiple references to the theme of eugenics. The most obvious is the sky city Tiphares (Salem in Japanese edition). Dr. Desty Nova, in the first series in Volume 9, reveals the eugenical nature of the city to Alita (Gally or Yoko) and it is further explored in the sequel series. A James Cameron movie based on the series is due for release on 2018.[10]

In the French 2000 police drama Crimson Rivers, inspectors Pierre Niemans (played by Jean Reno) and his colleague Max Kerkerian (Vincent Cassel) attempt to solve series of murders triggered by eugenics experiment that was going on for years in university town of Guernon.

In the Cosmic Era universe of the Gundam anime series (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED), war is fought between the normal human beings without genetic enhancements, also known as the Naturals, and the Coordinators, who are genetically enhanced. It explores the pros and cons as well as possible repercussions from Eugenics

The Khommites of planet Khomm practice this through the method of self-cloning, believing they are perfect.

The book Uglies, part of a four-book series by Scott Westerfeld, revolves around a girl named Tally who lives in a world where everyone at the age of sixteen receives extensive cosmetic surgery to turn into "Pretties" and join society. Although it deals with extreme cosmetic surgery, the utopian (or dystopian, depending on one's interpretation) ideals in the book are similar to those present in the books mentioned above.

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Yoga Pilates Nutrition Wellness | Roslyn NY | Practice Body …

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PRACTICEis now the Center for Wellness and Integrative Medicine

PRACTICE Body Mind Soul is an educational, wellness and retreat center in Roslyn, Long Island that was acquired by the Northwell Health System under Katz Institute for Womens Health this past July 2016.In 2017, PRACTICE will be renamed as Northwell Health's Center for Wellness and Integrative Medicine and become the first-ever wellness center for the Northwell Health System and on Long Island.

Basic Services will continue to include yoga for adults, Pilates, daily meditation sessions, mindfulness and 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, nutrition, medical wellness consultations, massage, Reiki, acupuncture, 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Vinyasa Teacher Trainings, and workshops. Specialized programs now include Cardiac Medical Yoga, Yoga for Infertility and Cancer, Kundalini Yoga, Personalized Fitness under Spencer Scalzetti and more.

Come sample our PRACTICE Everyday and Signature classes, workshops, seminars, and Master Teacher Trainings.

Warmly,Dr. Lucy Gade, Medical Director, and the PRACTICE Team

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Weiss Ratings Maybe Right On Ethereum But Not for Ripple XRP. Here’s Why

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Weiss Cryptocurrency Ratings
Weiss Ratings was all over the news last week for releasing the world's first cryptocurrency ratings. This adds to the list of many firsts achieved in the cryptocurrency world. However, Weiss Ratings' report has attracted its share of criticism and even cyberattacks since then. The agency says that this is the dawn of a cryptocurrency revolution and the blockchain technology powering Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most other cryptocurrencies could radically transform major aspects of our lives.

So, what went wrong?  

Weiss Ratings' crypto list included the top digital tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Dash, as well as 70 other.

The post Weiss Ratings Maybe Right On Ethereum But Not for Ripple XRP. Here’s Why appeared first on Profit Confidential.

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Weiss Ratings Maybe Right On Ethereum But Not for Ripple XRP. Here’s Why

Cyberpunk 2077 Teaser Trailer [HD] – YouTube

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CD Projekt RED studio released a brand new CG teaser trailer for their upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077.

The trailer shows a woman, who went rampage due to the amount of cybermodifications in her body and the Night City police try to intervene with the help of the elite Psychosquad.

Song from the Trailer by Archive -- "Bullets"

Developer: CD Projekt REDRelease: When it's ReadyGenre: ActionPlatform: PCPublisher: CD Projekt REDWebsite: http://cyberpunk.net/

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Cyberpunk 2077 Teaser Trailer [HD] - YouTube

Avera Medical Group Welcomes Neurology Associates

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SIOUX FALLS Avera Medical Group announces Neurology Associates, P.C., of Sioux Falls and its physicians will join Avera Medical Group, and the clinic will come under Avera ownership in June.

The physicians of Neurology Associates have been on the medical staff of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center for a number of years, and have served the neurology needs of Avera patients with high quality care, said David Flicek, Chief Administrative Officer for Avera Medical Group. We are proud to welcome them as members of Avera Medical Group. The neurology clinic is located in Plaza 2 on the Avera McKennan campus. The practice also has a Headache Center located at 6709 S. Minnesota Ave.

The name of the practice will change to Avera Medical Group Neurology. The physicians in the practice include Carol Nelson, MD; William Rossing, MD; Todd Zimprich, MD; Lisa Viola, DO; Karen Garnaas, MD; Jeffrey Boyle, MD, PhD; and Warren O.V. Opheim, MD. All are board certified in neurology. Several have advanced subspecialty education in such areas as epilepsy, headache medicine, movement disorders, neuromuscular disease and sleep. They also have special interest in Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other conditions that are difficult to diagnose. Together, they comprise the largest neurology practice in South Dakota.

This group of neurologists has been instrumental in the high quality of care delivered through the Avera Brain & Spine Institute, Flicek said. This includes the Stroke Center at Avera McKennan, which is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and is nationally recognized for excellence, a specialized neurosciences unit at Avera McKennan, Balance and Dizziness Center, and Autonomic Testing Lab. Now having the neurologists as part of Avera will bring an added measure of comprehensiveness and cohesiveness to our overall neurosciences program, Flicek said.

My colleagues and I have enjoyed close collaboration with Avera over the years, and we have appreciated their support in the development of advanced neuroscience care. We closely identify with the Avera sense of health ministry and mission, and are excited to become part of Avera Medical Group and the wider Avera family, said William Rossing, MD, Neurologist who also serves as director of the Stroke Center at Avera McKennan.

Avera Medical Group Neurology is the largest neurology practice in South Dakota. The 35 employees of Neurology Associates will become employees of Avera. We are looking forward to positioning both Avera and Neurology Associates for the changes that are coming through health care reform, Flicek added.

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Avera Medical Group Welcomes Neurology Associates

Why Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary read Ayn Rand

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Cuban is also a reader of Rand's work, but favors her 1943 novel "The Fountainhead."

He's read the book, "three complete times, and untold number of little snippets and segments," he tells C-Span in a 2006 interview. "I'll pick it up when I need motivation, but then if I read too far I get too much motivation, and I get too jittery so I have to put it down."

To him, the dedication of the characters to overcome challenges is encouraging.

"Anybody who started a business and built a business knows there's going to be lots of times when you feel beaten down, and you need some motivation, and that's when I turn to that book among others," Cuban continues.

"The Fountainhead" similarly explores topics of "rational selfishness," an ideology that later became known as objectivism. Cuban says he didn't read into the political message of Rand's work but found motivation in her characters.

"I didn't buy into her political philosophy, like 'all government is bad,' and pure libertarianism," Cuban explains on a 2017 episode of "The Jamie Weinstein Show" podcast.

"When you have a protagonist like Howard Roark, that just fired me up," Cuban says about the book, "He was true to himself. And to me, that was the message that I took home."

Don't miss: Mark Cuban: The 3 best tips to save more money in 2018

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Neurology Conferences 2018 | Neurology Congress 2018 …

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International Conference on Neurology and Brain Disorders 2017 Report:

Magnus Group takes a great pride in announcing the International Conference on Neurology and Brain Disorders (INBC 2017) which was held in Valencia, Spain, during 26-28 June, 2017.

Neurology Congress 2017 witnessed a combination of peerless speakers who enlightened the crowd with their knowledge and confabulated on various new fangled issues related to the field of Neurology. The extremely illustrious conference hosted by Magnus Group was marked with the attendance of young and brilliant researchers, business delegates and talented student communities representing their countries around the world.

For INBC 2017 Final Program: Click Here

The conference aimed with a theme Advancements and Challenges in Neurosciences & Brain Disorders. The summit engrossed a vicinity of sensible discussions on subjects like Neurodegenerative disorders, Behavioural Neurology, Neuropsychiatry, Paediatric Neurology, Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infections, Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders. The three days event implanted a firm relation of upcoming strategies in the field of Neurology, Neurodegenerative Disorders and Neurological Disorders and Stroke with the scientific community. The conceptual and valid knowledge shared, will also raise organizational collaborations to develop scientific accelerations.

For INBC 2017 Gallery: Click Here

Organizing Committee INBC 2017:

Giuseppe Scalabrino, University of Milan, Italy

Harry W.M. Steinbusch, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Pankaj Sharma, University of London, UK

Henry Bakunts, International Medical Centre STROKE, Republic of Armenia

Mira Rakacolli-Kapisyzi, President of Albanian Society of Neurology, Albania

Serhiy Forostyak, Charles University, Czech Republic

The Organizing Committee would like to thank the moderators Dr.Leonardo Pignataro, Columbia University-City University of New york-CSI, USA, Dr.Udai Pandey, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA,Michael Ugrumov, Institute of Development Biology RAS, Russia for their offerings which resulted in smooth functioning of the conference.

The conference was boarded with an opening ceremony followed by a series of lectures delivered by both Honorable Guests and members of the Keynote forum. The best Part of the conference were the keynote forum by prominent scientists, Sergi Ferre, National Institute on Drug Abuse(NID, NIH), USA; Marisela Morales, National Institute on Drug Abuse(NID, NIH), USA; Giuseppe Scalabrino, University of Milan, Italy; Harry W.M. Steinbusch, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Pankaj Sharma, University of London, UK; Mira Rakacolli-Kapisyzi, President of Albanian Society of Neurology, Albania; Henry Bakunts, International Medical Centre STROKE, Armenia; gave their profitable contributions in the form of highly enlightening presentations and made the conference a best notch one.

Recommended Conferences: Neurology Conferences 2018 | Neuroscience Conferences 2018 | Neurology Conferences | Neuroscience Conferences | Brain Conferences

Magnus Group is prerogative to thank the Organizing Committee Members, Keynote speakers, Chair and Co-chairs on engross the plenary sessions, workshops, and special sessions in an expanded manner to make this conference a privileged Summit.

INBC 2017 Speaker Line Up:

Day 1: Speakers

Michel Baudry, Western University of Health Sciences, USA

Miranda N. Reed, Auburn University, USA

Stephen Wren, University of Oxford, UK

KHIN MAUNG BO, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Mahmoud Kiaei, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, United States

Michael Ugrumov, Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Russian Federation

Kimiko Inoue, Toneyama National Hospital, Japan

Caroline Corbel, Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lome (IRDL), France

Jong Wook Chang, Samsung Medical Center, Korea

Nicole Hess, University of New England, Australia

Udai Pandey, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA

Gabriele Saretzki, Newcastle University, UK

Shinji Ohara, Matsumoto Medical Center, Japan

Cristine Alves da Costa, Institut de Pharmacologie Molculaire et Cellulaire, France

Leonardo Pignataro, Columbia University-City University of New York-CSI, USA

Sabine Cordes, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute/Mt Sinai Hospital, Canada

Jeffrey Liddell, University of Melbourne, Australia

Niall Finnerty, Maynooth University, Ireland

Debashis Mukhopadhyay, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, India

Gilles Guillemin, Macquarie University, Australia

Abigail Takyi, University of Brighton, UK

Day 2: Speakers

Medvedev Svyatoslav, N.P.Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation

Martin L. Pall, Washington State University, USA

Sergio Chieffi, Second University of Naples, Italy

Laura Calza, University of Bologna, Italy

Andrzej Pilc, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Razvana Stanciu, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium

Kathryn Commons, Childrens Hospital Boston-Harvard Medical School, USA

Caroline Lucke, Medical Campus University of Oldenburg, Germany

Sabrina Wang, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

Marta Nieto, Spanish National Research Council, Spain

Viviane Rostirola Elsner, IPA Methodist University, Brazil

K.L. Leenders, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Leah K. Light, Brainchild Institute, USA

Kenneth Gaines, Vanderbilt university Medical Center, USA

Bruno Gonzalez, Inserm - U1245 Team NeoVasc, France

Raquel Sofia Marques Neves, Amana Healthcare Medical and Rehabilitation Hospital, UAE

Marina Vladimirovna Zueva, Moscow Helmholtz Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Russia

Laehyun Kim, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea

Prokopenko Semen, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Russian Federation

Luyang Tao, Soochow University, China

Anna Bezdeneznykh, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Russian Federation

M.R. Graham, Llantarnam Health Care, UK

Serhiy Forostyak, Charles University, Czech Republic

Gladstone C McDowell, Integrated Pain Solutions, USA

Saema Ansar, Lund University, Sweden

Barbara R. Cardoso, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Hassan Ravari, Mashhad university of medical sciences, Iran

Day 3: Speakers

Lars Hakan Thorell, Linkoping University, Sweden

Martin Egerth, Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH, Germany

Munzberg Mathias, BG Klinik Ludwigshafen, Germany

Cecilia Montanez, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Mexico

Moataz Mohamed Talaat Mohamed Kamel El Semary, Cairo university, Egypt

Maria-Magdalena Georgescu, Louisiana State University, USA

Teruna J. Siahaan, The University of Kansas, USA

Toshiki Mizuno, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan

Katherine L Wisner, Northwestern University, USA

Meena Kumari, Kansas State University, USA

Magnus Gram, Lund University, Sweden

Joanna Czarzasta, University of Warmia and Mazury, Poland

Dennis J. Dlugos, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, USA

Lynda El-Hassar, Yale School of Medicine, USA

Hoi Ki Kate Lui, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hong Kong

Shuhei Yamaguchi, Shimane University, Japan

Victor Vvedensky, Kurchatov Inststute, Russian Federation

Michael Luedtke, Johnson & Johnson, USA

Fatimah Alqarni, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University hospital, Saudi Arabia

Bilgehan Atilgan ACAR, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey

Albekov Nurvadi, Chechen State University, Russia

Paul Chapple, Queen Mary University of London, UK

Turkan ACAR, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey

We once again thank all the participants for their wonderful involvement towards the event which helped us for successful execution of this event.

After the successful completion conference, we are exhilarated to announce our next upcoming 2ndEdition of International Conference on Neurology and Brain Disorders (INBC 2018) which is going to be held during June 04-06, 2018 in Rome, Italy.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming spectacular event; we are hoping to see you soon!

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Neurology Conferences 2018 | Neurology Congress 2018 ...