Category Archives: Evolution

Sep 11th 2021

FOR HUMANS, adapting to climate change will mostly be a matter of technology. More air conditioning, better-designed houses and bigger flood defences may help ameliorate the effects of a warmer world. Animals will have to rely on changing their bodies or their behaviour. In a paper published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, a team led by Sara Ryding, a PhD candidate at Deakin University, in Australia, shows that is already happening. Climate change is already altering the bodies of many animal species, giving them bigger beaks, limbs and ears.

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In some species of Australian parrot, for instance, beak size has increased by between 4% and 10% since 1871. Another study, this time in North American dark-eyed juncos, another bird, found the same pattern. Similar trends are seen in mammals, with species of mice, shrews and bats evolving bigger ears, tails, legs and wings.

All that dovetails nicely with evolutionary theory. Allens rule, named for Joel Asaph Allen, who suggested it in 1877, holds that warm-blooded animals in hot places tend to have larger appendages than those in temperate regions. Such adaptations boost an animals surface area relative to its body volume, helping it to shed excess heat. Being richly endowed with blood vessels, and not covered by insulating feathers, beaks make an ideal place for birds to dispose of heat. Fennec foxes, meanwhile, which are native to the Sahara desert, have strikingly large ears, especially compared with their Arctic cousins.

Ms Ryding examined museum specimens, comparing their bodies to those of their modern counterparts. She is not the first researcher to take that approach. But it is hard, when dealing with individual species, to prove that climate change was the cause of an anatomical alteration. All sorts of other factors, from changes in prey to the evolving reproductive preferences of males or females, might conceivably have been driving the changes.

Looking at the bigger picture makes the pattern clearer, says Ms Ryding. Her team combined data from different species in different places. Since they have little in common apart from living on a warming planet, she says, climate change is the most plausible explanation.

For now, at least, the increase is small, never much more than 10%. That may change as warming accelerates. Since any evolutionary adaptation comes with trade-offs, it is unclear how far the process might go. Bigger beaks might interfere with feeding, for instance. Larger wings are heavier, and bigger legs cost more energy to grow.

And there are other ways to adapt, too. Researchers have already seen changes in the geographical range of many species, from insects to fish. Another evolutionary rule-of-thumb, Bergmanns rule, holds that animals in hotter places tend to have smaller bodies, another way to boost the ratio between surface area and volume. Other animals may alter their behaviour as well as their bodies, such as by seeking shelter at hot times of the day.

Studying a broader range of animals will help firm up exactly what is happening. Much of Ms Rydings data concern birds, with less information available for other taxa. But it seems clear that the world of the future is not just going to be hotter than humans are used to. The animals living in it will look different, too.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "My, what a big beak you have"

Read the rest here:

The effects of a warmer world are visible in animals' bodies - The Economist

The 20th anniversary of September 11: Reflections on the evolution of enterprise security | 2021-09-10 | Security Magazine This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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The 20th anniversary of September 11: Reflections on the evolution of enterprise security - Security Magazine

The Taliban: then and now. The picture above shows the Taliban militants being trained in Afghanistan in the early 2000s. The picture below is of the Taliban after they took over the Kabul Presidential Palace on August 15, 2021. | Credits: Twitter; AP 

Following a twenty-year battle against US and NATO forces, the Taliban have risen once again, having carried out a sweeping offensive that saw them claim huge swaths of territory in mere days before ultimately seizing the presidential palace in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The hardline Islamist group has already announced an interim government to be led by Mullah Akhund and by some accounts, were originally planning to carry out their oath-taking ceremony today the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic 9/11 attacks in what was surely a bid to twist the knife in US wounds.

Images coming out of Afghanistan have shown that, upon repossessing American tactical weaponry and equipment, the Taliban seemed to have transformed into a potent military force a far cry from the 'rag-tag' bunch of untrained warriors seen between 1996 and 2001 when the group was last in power. But the group's evolution runs far deeper than just appearance.

Image Credits: Twitter

After their ousting in 2001, the group's members most of whom were Pashtun in origin scattered, with a majority of their leaders fleeing to Pakistan. The US occupation of Afghanistan provided the Taliban with an ideal anti-colonialist platform upon which they could ground their recruitment campaigns. Subsequent efforts to include individual members of the Taliban into the Afghan-rebuilding process came to nought.

Over time, the group began to carry out a revival from Afghanistan's 'dusty districts,' both aided and legitimised by rampant corruption in the Afghan government and the political exclusion of the Pashtun community.

In 2003, the Taliban's leader Mullah Omar formed a new leadership council to consolidate Taliban forces and within the next three years, the group proved itself to be a formidable insurgent force to be reckoned with, specifically in southern Afghanistan. They soon began expanding into the north and for the first time began increasing their influence among non-Pashtun communities.

In the aftermath of former US President Barack Obama's failed 'surge' strategy, the US changed tact, paving the way for the first series of talks 'Doha-1' between 2009 and 2014. In 2012, the Taliban's political office in Doha was set up. The commencement of the 'Doha-2' talks in 2018 effectively legitimised the Taliban as a key internal political actor in Afghanistan.

The Bamiyan Buddha intact (c. 1980s); right: The statue being blown up by the Taliban in March 2001. Image Credits: Twitter

When the US invaded Afghanistan, the Taliban was led by Mullah Mohammad Omar one of its founders and its military chief who went into hiding. In 2015, it was revealed that Omar had died in 2013.

In the years that followed the US invasion, the Taliban transformed from a predominantly military outfit into more of a political organisation with the chief objective of establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The group developed a vertical hierarchy with its leader (commander of the faithful), Hibatullah Akhundzada at the top.

Under him lies the Rahbari Shura (Leadership Council) which manages a range of commissions, not unlike the now-deposed Afghan government's ministries. These include a Military Commission and Political Commission. It has also established strong links with a range of informal networks, most notably the powerful Haqqani Network.

As its influence across Afghanistan grew, the Taliban also created a number of parallel government structures with individual military commanders tasked with exerting and maintaining control over designated territories.

The Taliban's new Badri 313 unit is, reportedly, tasked with securing the Afghan capital.ImageCredits:Twitter

According to a confidential NATO report obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty citing information disclosed by Mullah Yaqoob, the son of the late Taliban leader, Mohammad Omar, in the fiscal year ended March 2020, the Taliban's revenues touched US$ 1.6 billion. Compare this with Afghanistan's total budget in 2020 of $5.5 billion of which under 2 per cent was allocated as defence expenditure.

The United Nation's World Drug Report 2020 showed that between 2015 and 2020, Afghanistan was responsible for 84 per cent of the world's opium production. A huge chunk of these revenues flowed directly to the Taliban who maintain control of opium fields and the entire drug supply chain.

As per a 2008 report from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, the group is believed to set a 10 per cent levy at every stage of the drug production chain. The NATO report estimates that the group raked in $416 million in 2019-20 from the production and sale of narcotics.

Afghanistan is also a resource-rich country, and mining of marble, copper, gold, iron ore and other metals and minerals has proved lucrative for the Taliban. The Taliban's Stones and Mines Commission estimates that the insurgent outfit earned roughly $400 million from mining activities in 2019-20. NATO's estimates are even higher at $464 million.

As the Taliban's influence over Afghan territory grew, so did its 'tax' revenue. Reports indicate that taxed industries include mining, media, telecommunications and other infrastructural projects. Road taxes are also imposed on vehicles passing through Taliban-controlled regions, and brick-and-mortar shop owners are also required to pay the Taliban to do business. The NATO report states that these taxes that some would call revenues via extortion amounted to $160 million annually.

Over the years, the Taliban has attempted to limit its dependence on foreign contributions from anonymous donors and institutions worldwide. But the coffers have continued to swell from such donations.

Link:

20 years since 9/11 attacks: Tracing the evolution of the Taliban - Times Now

There's quite a bit going on in the Aquaman side of the DC Universe, as DC is exploring Jackson Hyde's transformation into the new Aquaman and Arthur and Mera's continuing saga as well. There's also a new spotlight on one of Aquaman's biggest enemies, Black Manta, courtesy of writer Chuck Brown and artist Valentine De Landro. The new series finds Manta attempting to discover the mysterious origins of an artifact that ends up being stolen from him, and he'll need to work with his right hand Gallous to figure out what its for and how to keep it from driving him crazy. ComicBook.com had the chance to ask Brown some questions about Manta's new series, and we wanted to start with what is perhaps most misunderstood about the character.

"Hmm. Good question. I definitely didn't want to take away the fact that he does have a villainousnature, but I want people to know that he doesn't have a black heart in the sense, a dark heart in a sense where he'll kill for the sake of killing," Brown said. "And I want to slowly take people away from that and show another side of him where, to show that people can change and people don't all have to be totally murderous and villainous all the time, and elevate the character beyond that, yet still maintaining his edge and his viciousness and his fury."

That's not always easy to pull off, especially with villains you love. "Not really. No. I love villains. I do love villains. And sometimes when I'm writing the scripts, I may go a little too far and then thank God for supporting characters. Because when you start writing those supporting characters, you put yourself in their shoes and they bring that part of Black man to back and bring me back from making things a little too raw and too dark in a sense. I think that's huge part of what Gallous and Torrid are about, how keeping that balance of the character," Brown said.

The issue also gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Manta and his son, Jackson, though the two never actually meet on the page.

"In the first issue, it's actually an open letter to Jackson Hyde, which is why he's questioning his whole life. He wants to be in his son's life more because you realize that he's dying. So he wants to make amends with his son," Brown said. "It won't be a direct correlation. He won't actually appear in the books, but it is a letter to his son in the opening of Issue one. And Aquaman and that relationship will also pop up as well as a theme in the book as well."

While Jackson isn't in the first issue, Manta's ally Gallous is, and she is a critical part of the ongoing story and Manta's evolution as a character throughout the series.

"She's like the daughter he never had. She's very aware that she is a pirate. She works for a super villain, she's his broker, but she's also aware that on some level Black man had saved her life and molded her to the person that she is. And almost on some level in her mind, she's trying to repay him by trying to keep him from the total edge of darkness," Brown said. "in the sense. I really love this character. She's so fun to write. It's great for a punchline. And I did not want her to be just a henchman to him. And I think he knows that as well. But yeah, she's definitely one of my favorite, favorite characters in the book."

There is a pull sometimes to transform a villain into a hero and redeem them in some way, but that will not be the case with Manta.

"No, I don't think it's a redemption story," Brown said. "I think it's just showing him, evolution. People can change. Change for the worse or change for the good or just new people come into your lives and it affects you in ways you had no idea it would. That's just real life. Again, like I said, I was fascinated with the character for a long time. I wasn't looking for just a villain to redeem, but it's more about reflection of our own lives. None of us are who we are and when we went on my journey on life. And that's kind of what I'm doing with Black man, just show that change and that pain. And what life can do and where it can take you."

Black Manta #1 is in comic stores now.

What did you think of Black Manta? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things comics with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

Continue reading here:

Black Manta Writer Breaks Down the Evolution of Manta, Fractured Relationship with Jackson Hyde, and More - ComicBook.com

INDIANAPOLIS Frank Reich, Marcus Brady and the rest of the Colts offensive staff have been tinkering with the offense for months now, preparing for the shift from Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz.

Four seasons in Indianapolis has given Reich plenty of experience far too much, some might say in adjusting his offense to a different quarterback. Four seasons into his time in charge of the Colts, and Wentz will be Reichs fourth opening-day starter.

Barring a setback withWentzs surgically-repaired foot this week, the Colts will unleash all of that work on Seattles defense Sunday afternoon.

Thats going to come up on a week-to-week scenario, how defenses decide to play us, Brady said. Were going to be who we are, its what we worked on through training camp, this offseason with Carson and the personnel we have here.

More: Insider: Colts' offense is about to find out how important practice is

More: 3 things to know from Colts unofficial depth chart at running back, corner, defensive end

More: Can Carson Wentz lead Colts back to playoffs? Insiders predict outcome of all 17 games

Indianapolis has worked hard to emphasize the parts of the offense that fit Wentzs skill set. Wentz is far more mobile than Rivers, and Reich has said that the Colts want to push the ball down the field more this season than they did last year, given the strength of the quarterbacks arm.

We already have a chance to kind of get a feel for what flavor, what emphasis our team is going to have with a new quarterback, Reich said. I think weve already been getting that flavor the whole offseason, talking to our team and projecting with our team: Heres who were going to be. Heres the things that dont change, heres the things that are going to slightly change. Always giving a vision for what we want to be, but then allowing it to work out organically.

That last part might be the key.

No matter how much work Reich and the rest of the Indianapolis offensive staff have done this offseason, the reality is that the offense the Colts debut against the Seahawks is likely just the beta test of what it will ultimately become with Wentz at the helm.

If the past three seasons are any indication, the Indianapolis offense is going to take a little bit of time to truly find its identity.

I think that happens naturally, anyway, year to year, Reich said. You never know how defenses are going to play you, and theres a lot of dynamics that go into it.

Dynamics that can change for a lot of different reasons. Injuries and uncertainty on the offensive line stunted the early growth of the Andrew Luck version of the offense; Indianapolis opened that season as a quick, high-percentage, high-volume throwing team with trouble running the football, then turned into a balanced, Run the Damn Ball and fire it downfield for big plays offense when the line solidified and Mack returned to the lineup.

A year ago, Philip Rivers had to learn to play within himself and stop taking so many chances, and Indianapolis had to adjust to the Septemberlosses of Marlon Mack and Parris Campbell, who'd both been expected to play critical roles. Five games into the season, an awful second half in Cleveland helped crystallize what the Colts should be, and the second-half development of Jonathan Taylor allowed Indianapolis to fully realize its vision.

In essence, those two seasons represent the trajectory Reich wants his offense to take.

We want to be growing and getting better on offense, figuring out how to be more productive, score more points, how to use our players strengths more, Reich said. To that end, it will take weeks, it will take a year. Hopefully were evolving through the whole year.

The only time the Colts havent been able to take that step was in 2019.

Forced to adjust the offense on the fly two weeks before the season due to Lucks retirement, Indianapolis got off to a 5-2 start with an offense that forced teams to pay attention to its running game, limited mistakes in the passing game and made a couple of plays here or there against secondaries geared up to stop the running game.

The adjustment that Colts team needed to make midway through the season was obvious; Indianapolis needed to produce more big plays in the passing game, especially against defenses that stacked the box week after week, essentially daring the Colts to go down the field.

Indianapolis knew what it needed to be. Jacoby Brissett simply couldnt get the Colts there.

The Colts are confident Wentz is a quarterback like Luck and Rivers, a passer with the ability to get them to the playoffs as the offense grows around them.

If he has to be Superman, he can do that, running back Nyheim Hines said. If he just has to turn around and hand the ball off, he can do that, too. I think with Carson, hes going to do whatever is required to win the game. Thats what we all feel about him; hes going to do whatever it takes.

Whatever it takes will likely change on a weekly basis, beginning with the season opener against the Seahawks.

And the more time the Colts have with Wentz under center, the more theyll know exactly what the offense needs to be.

Originally posted here:

Insider: Evolution of Carson Wentz version of Colts offense is likely only beginning - IndyStar

J Balvin has returned with his sixth studio album, Jose, which finds the Colombian superstar tapping into an intimate showing, delivering a new version of himself to fans at home.

The stacked 24-track effort features appearances from the usual suspects within the current pantheon of Latin stars including Sech, Ozuna, KAROL G, Nicky Jam, and Bad Bunny while dipping his toes stateside with the likes of Khalid, Dua Lipa, and Skrillex.

"This is like my own playlist of the types of songs I like to hear from me. And its my personal [taste], its the sound that I always wanted to do.Coloreswas a concept. Now, the concept in this album isme, Jose," Balvin told Remezclaabout the new project. "Its not even the artist. Its what I like to hear, what Jose likes to hear. Its like an album that I did, of course for my people and for the world, but it is going to be the first album that I can listen to as Jose being a fan of J Balvin."

Continued here:

J Balvin Issues His Evolution On "Jose" Album - HotNewHipHop

To define how the legal system in India works, the Bench of Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, while granting blanket bail to former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini Friday, referred to a story from the Panch Tantra regarding evolution of legal jurisprudence in India.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom, an ape (monkey) intruded into village population. The whole village including young, old, educated and uneducated gathered to shunt him out. The poor ape climbed a tall tree. As the crowd gathered, the ape had no idea as to what offence he had committed that everyone is running after his life. In the meantime, the village Sarpanch, carrying a stick (symbol of authority), came there and looking at the crowd and hearing their noise, enquired about the matter. A man came out of the crowd and said I am lambardar (headman) appointed by the King to shunt the ape out of the village. The sarpanch politely asked him as to what is the matter and why you want to shunt him out. The lambardar said I am the representative of King and you have no business to ask me. The sarpanch again asked you all are on one side?. The whole crowd said yes. The sarpanch again asked then who is on the side of ape, there was a pin drop silence. The lambardar said that how do you expect anyone to be on the side of the ape? The sarpanch smiled, raised his stick and said this is injustice, I stand for the ape and will not allow you to shunt him out unless you give plausible reasons, read the story, as per the order,

Justice Sangwan further said, This is how the legal system in India works where the court follows the principal of audi alteram partem, i.e. nobody should be condemned unheard. The plight of the petitioner appears to be similar to the story as this court protected the right of the petitioner by passing various orders, which will be referred in later part of this order.

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With tale from Panch Tantra, Punjab and Haryana HC bench details evolution of legal jurisprudence in India - The Indian Express

In the midst of a physically and mentally exhausting training camp where Joe Burrow entered the home stretch of a complicated rehab from knee surgery, another early, less-than-ideal camp practice came to a close.

As after most practices, Burrow and a smattering of others, nearly always including close friend, former LSU teammate and practice squad tight end Thad Moss, gathered and unpacked the days events.

JaMarr Chase knows about these conversations. The three former Tigers experienced many during their historical championship run in 2019.

The teammates noticed something different in Burrow.

Joe had powerful words when he was at LSU his last year, Chase said. I dont know if it was from the hit or wanting to be better, I definitely noticed once when we got here, he wasnt so vocal about the offense yet. And Thad told him.

As only a friend who knows you well can, the hard truth struck a chord.

He just asked me why I wasnt speaking up like I used to, Burrow said. I was like, You know what? Youre right. Why am I not doing that? I realized that I kind of when Im more vocal, it kind of gets me into a rhythm and I stop thinking about what I have to do and I start thinking about what everybody else has to do. It reverts back to muscle memory. I think that played a part in me starting to play really well.

Burrows voice always loomed large over the franchise. The entire fabric of its success hinges on his right arm (and left knee). Only now, with a nudge from a good friend, the voice shows up more often.

See the article here:

'Im voicing my opinion more': The evolution of Joe Burrows offensive ownership - The Athletic

Inkay and its evolved, powerful counterpart Malamar were very recently released during the Psychic Speculator event in Pokmon GO. The event began on September 8 and will end on September 13. They are dark and psychic-type Pokmon that can appear as one-star raid bosses during the event. They will also spawn more frequently in the wild. By the end of this guide, you will learn how to evolve Inkay into Malamar in Pokmon GO.

Inkay was introduced into Pokmon GO during the Psychic Spectacular event. You can mainly find Inkay in the wild, during one-star raids, and in photobombs. Inkay will also likely still be available after the event ends. Once you find Inkay and level it up to level 30, you will be a step closer to evolving it. Normally when you evolve a Pokmon, you must turn your phone upside down and press the evolve button. This will start the evolution process, turning your Pokmon into its evolved form. Inkay is the same, but there is an additional requirement. You must also obtain 50 Inkay Candy before you can evolve Inkay into Malamar.

To get Inkay Candy, you will need to feed wild Inkays a Pinap Berry. You will get Pinap Berries by leveling up. The higher level you are, the more opportunities you will have to get the berries among other rewards.

Another method to getting Inkay Candy is completing the Misunderstood Mischief research story quest. Upon completing Stage 5, you will receive 10 Inkay Candy as a reward. Through the Season of Mischief, stages are periodically released that you can complete for items. Stage 5 also gives rewards such as 15 Great Balls, encounters with Abra and Wobbuffet, and 10 Revives. To finish Stage 5, however, you will need to progress through the first four stages!

Good luck with evolving Inkay into Malamar in Pokmon GO!

Pokmon GOis available on iOS and Android.

Originally posted here:

Pokmon GO: How to Evolve Inkay - The Nerd Stash

Evolution

Type of site

Evolution was a darknet market operating on the Tor network. The site was founded by an individual known as 'Verto' who also founded the now defunct Tor Carding Forum.[4]

Launched January 14, 2014, it saw rapid growth within its first several months, helped in part by law enforcement seizures of some of its competitors during the six-month-long investigation codenamed Operation Onymous.[5] Speaking about why Evolution was not part of Operation Onymous, the head of the European police cybercrimes division said it was "because there's only so much we can do on one day."[6] Wired estimated that as of November2014[update] it was one of the two largest drug markets.[7][8]

Evolution was similar to other darknet markets in its prohibitions, disallowing "child pornography, services related to murder/assassination/terrorism, prostitution, ponzi schemes, and lotteries".[8] Where it most prominently differed was in its more lax rules concerning stolen credit cards and others kinds of fraud, permitting, for example, the wholesaling of credit card data.[8][9]

In mid-March 2015, administrators froze its users escrow accounts, disallowing withdrawals, citing technical difficulties.[10] Evolution had earned a reputation not just for its security, but also for its professionalism and reliability, with an uptime rate much higher than its competition.[11][10] Partly for that reason, when the site went offline a few days later, on March 18, the user community panicked.[10] The shut down was discovered to be an exit scam, with the operators of the site shutting down abruptly in order to steal the approximately $12 million in bitcoins it was holding as escrow.[12][13]

Read the original here:

Evolution (marketplace) - Wikipedia