Category Archives: Evolution

Artistic impression of the background hum of gravitational waves permeating the Universe. Credit: Carl Knox, OzGrav/Swinburne University of Technology

Every year, 2 million black hole mergers are missed Australian scientists work out how to detect them, revealing a lost 8 billion light-years of Universe evolution.

Last year, the Advanced LIGO-VIRGO gravitational-wave detector network recorded data from 35 merging black holes and neutron stars. A great result but what did they miss? According to Dr. Rory Smith from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Gravitational Wave Discovery at Monash University in Australia its likely there are another 2 million gravitational wave events from merging black holes, a pair of merging black holes every 200 seconds and a pair of merging neutron stars every 15 seconds that scientists are not picking up.

Dr. Smith and his colleagues, also at Monash University, have developed a method to detect the presence of these weak or background events that to date have gone unnoticed, without having to detect each one individually. The method which is currently being test driven by the LIGO community means that we may be able to look more than 8 billion light-years further than we are currently observing, Dr. Smith said.

This will give us a snapshot of what the early universe looked like while providing insights into the evolution of the universe.

The paper, recently published in the Royal Astronomical Society journal, details how researchers will measure the properties of a background of gravitational waves from the millions of unresolved black hole mergers.

Artistic impression of the background hum of gravitational waves permeating the Universe. Credit: Carl Knox, OzGrav/Swinburne University of Technology

Binary black hole mergers release huge amounts of energy in the form of gravitational waves and are now routinely being detected by the Advanced LIGO-Virgo detector network. According to co-author, Eric Thrane from OzGrav-Monash, these gravitational waves generated by individual binary mergers carry information about spacetime and nuclear matter in the most extreme environments in the Universe. Individual observations of gravitational waves trace the evolution of stars, star clusters, and galaxies, he said.

By piecing together information from many merger events, we can begin to understand the environments in which stars live and evolve, and what causes their eventual fate as black holes. The further away we see the gravitational waves from these mergers, the younger the Universe was when they formed. We can trace the evolution of stars and galaxies throughout cosmic time, back to when the Universe was a fraction of its current age.

The researchers measure population properties of binary black hole mergers, such as the distribution of black hole masses. The vast majority of compact binary mergers produce gravitational waves that are too weak to yield unambiguous detections so vast amounts of information is currently missed by our observatories.

Moreover, inferences made about the black hole population may be susceptible to a selection bias due to the fact that we only see a handful of the loudest, most nearby systems. Selection bias means we might only be getting a snapshot of black holes, rather than the full picture, Dr. Smith warned.

The analysis developed by Smith and Thrane is being tested using real world observations from the LIGO-VIRGO detectors with the program expected to be fully operational within a few years, according to Dr. Smith.

Reference: Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves by Rory J E Smith, Colm Talbot, Francisco Hernandez Vivanco and Eric Thrane, 10 June 2020, Royal Astronomical Society.DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa1642

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Lost 8 Billion Light Years of Universe Evolution Revealed by Gravitational Waves - SciTechDaily

As we shelter behind closed doors, the Sars-CoV-2 virus causing Covid-19 has spread like no other disease before. In just a few months, from its identification in December 2019, more than a third of humanity was living under some form of lockdown. It is, to use the clich of 2020, unprecedented.

The Covid-19 pandemic has undeniably and dramatically exposed many weaknesses in human society. But it has also revealed that, despite the enormous advances we have made in medical science and technology, humans are just as vulnerable as any other organism to a novel disease. We are equipped with a very effective immune system that keeps us all alive, but that system has to learn to identify new invaders, and to react appropriately. Our naive immune system renders us all vulnerable to Covid-19, and in some people the overreaction of the immune system in response to the virus, a cytokine storm, can be fatal.

Our immune system, in all its complexity, is an evolved feature. It is an adaptation that, through natural selection, has been shaped and refined to combat disease. But there are subtler aspects of our evolutionary heritage at play during this pandemic. In the modern world of our own creation some of these aspects, so central to our global dominance as a species, can also conspire against us.

Evolution has equipped humans with large and complex brains capable of abstract thought, innovation, language and qualities we term intelligence. The evolved structure of our brain and the thought processes it allows also help us to be social, living and working collectively. Together, these features have allowed humans to achieve truly incredible things. At the same time, some of these features have rendered us horribly and uniquely vulnerable topandemics.

Social behaviour was essential during our evolutionary past, when our ancestors were far more likely to be the hunted than the hunter. Grouping for defence, and using the power of groups to keep safe and extend our diet, went hand-in-hand with evolutionary changes, and larger social units became possible. This accelerated greatly when we latched onto the idea of agriculture. Released to some extent from a foraging existence, human societies expanded, our skulls, dentition and metabolism evolved, technological advances flowed and ever larger settlements became possible. The supercity of the modern world is the culmination of this simultaneous expansion and concentration of humanity. Technology, arising from our unparalleled ability for innovation allows for such control over our environment that sometimes tens of millions of people are able to live a high-rise, high-density lifestyle, literally on top of each other. But high-density urban living provides the perfect conditions for a disease to spread.

The modern lifestyle hugely increases the number of people we have contact with, both socially and when we are crammed together in offices, streets and train carriages. Our social behaviour is now a threat, our conversations a liability. The primary defensive strategy in the face of Covid-19 is to actively and continually oppose our evolutionary heritage and, rather than group together for defence, we must defend ourselves by isolation.

Social distancing is affecting most parts of our daily lives at a local level, but we have also distanced globally. Our large and innovative brains dreamed of flight long before we invented the jet engine and shrank the world. The problem is that our ability to fly is also shared by any diseases we carry with us.

Gathering together people from far and wide for long periods in cramped airports and flying them all over the world is a wonderful dispersal mechanism for a virus like Sars-Cov-2. It is evolution that gave us all the innovative power of our brain, and it is our brain that has allowed us to create a globalised, interconnected world. If viruses had hands they would be have been rubbing them together in anticipatory glee when the Wright brothers took to the air.

Our cerebral evolutionary legacy laid the track for this pandemic but evolved aspects of our bodies arent always helping either. We have a wonderful ability to lay down fatty reserves, and for many of us the modern world is a landscape of caloric potency and opportunity.

Obesity is a major health risk any way you look at it, but it is also emerging as a risk factor for complications arising from Covid-19. The simple evolutionary story of obesity, often repeated, is that we are famine-adapted creatures living in a world of feast. The thrifty gene hypothesis as it is known is a seductive and popular idea, not least because of the implication that getting fat is somehow not our fault.

But it has proved difficult to support. Thrifty genes have been identified, in South Pacific islanders for example, but globally the evidence suggests that obesity cannot be put down to a Boy Scout metabolism, always prepared for famine.

Another evolutionary explanation is that, a few million years ago, the predation risk to our ancestors decreased. Evolved upper limits to fat storage were no longer so restrained by having to run away and they changed upwards not by natural selection but by a process called genetic drift (the drifty gene hypothesis). Whether we are thrifty or drifty, echoes of the mismatch between our evolutionary past and the calorie-filled modern world we have created are being heard.

Beneath our thin veneer of civilisation, far away from the dazzle and glare of our achievements, humans are vulnerable animals. Covid-19 has changed that. It has found itself the perfect host, a species with a powerful evolutionary double-hit of highly social behaviour and an innovative brain, leading to dense urban living and global travel.

The very nature of the modern world, building as it does on our evolutionary heritage, is our weakness in this pandemic. But just as our brain power helped us to get into this, it will also be our way out.

Unfit for Purpose: When Human Evolution Collides with the Modern World by Adam Hart (Bloomsbury Sigma, 16.99) is out now

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Evolution of the immune system and modern lifestyle have left us vulnerable to coronavirus - iNews

This months edition tells the story of how mowing the lawn evolved from a task for an expert scythe-man to an amusing, useful and healthy exercise for everyone.

In recent days, the scope for an engineer, even an eccentric one, to roam far and wide has been somewhat curtailed, so weve had to look for engineering where we can find it in the shed. With little to do other than mow the lawn, weve had time to ponder that most useful of machines, the lawnmower.

Were this the 18th century, popping out to mow the lawn would have also accounted for our daily if not weekly exercise allowance. Lawns were cut by hand with a scythe, so the large garden sward could only really be considered by those who could afford scythe-men. These were the professional lawn-cutters of their day, using made-to-measure scythes that fitted their height. Adjustments to the height of grass were made by strapping blocks of wood to the soles of their boots, rather than by trying to adjust the height at which they swung the blade, as the very finely honed edges were instantly blunted if they hit the ground by accident.

Such labour-intensive work was clearly in need of a hero, and one was found in 1830 in a textile mill in Thrupp, Gloucestershire. Foundryman Edwin Beard Budding had established an ironworks in 1827 to provide parts for John Ferrabees nearby Phoenix textile mill, and it was here that he saw an ingenious machine for shaving the nap of the cloth used for Guardsmens uniforms to make it smooth.

Inspired by this debobbling machine, Budding wondered if it could be put to any other use. After much tinkering, he and Ferrabee went into business manufacturing their first lawn-mower, or as the 1830 patent puts it: ...machinery for the purpose of cropping or shearing the vegetable surface of Lawns, Grass-plats and Pleasure Grounds.

This patent must have caused the heart of many a scythe-man to sink, but the lawnmower was not so much putting scythe-men out of business as creating the demand for lawns. So expensive was scything lawns that few places had them and even parks relied on sheep to graze grass down rather than having it cut. As Budding also points out in his specification, his machine was considerably more reliable that the most expert scythe-man and with his cut: ...the eye will never be offended by those circular scars, inequalities, and bare places, so commonly made by the best mowers with the scythe, and which continue visible for several days.

Buddings mower consisted of a series of curved blades around a cylinder set in a cast-iron frame with a handle for pushing from behind (or later pulling from in front). A system of 16:1 gears powered by a rear roller turned the blades and brought them against a rigid knife-bar on the underside of the machine where cutting took place. Another roller behind the cutting cylinder adjusted the height of the cut. The cuttings were thrown up and caught in a collection tray.

Under their agreement, Budding was responsible for the technical work and Ferrabee provided money for development, patenting and production. After costs, the profits were then shared equally between the two. Ferrabee was an astute businessman and in these early days of patenting, he decided to license the design to other agricultural manufacturers rather than wait for them to pirate it. In 1832 Ransomes, Sims, and Jeffries of Ipswich acquired the rights to produce the machines and one of the great names in lawn-mowing was born.

The lawnmower democratised grass-growing, once the preserve of the extremely wealthy. The mechanical lawnmower allowed municipal parks to manage large lawns, and one of the earliest machines was sold to the London Zoological Gardens. Oxford and Cambridge colleges also snapped them up, and rave reviews appeared in the Gardeners Magazine for 1831. For larger lawns, horse-drawn versions were produced including pony boots leather overshoes for the horses to prevent their hoof marks spoiling the finish.

The lawnmower also democratised sport, allowing local teams to maintain a proper playing surface for the first time and leading to the codification of many sports including cricket, bowls and lawn tennis.

Budding himself would go on inventing, holding several more patents including the screw adjustable spanner, but it would be another 60 years before the first (steam) powered mowers appeared. The personal mower remained a luxury well into the 20th century, but the British love of a finely cut lawn had been kindled. We can all agree with Budding that, in troubled times, Country gentlemen may find in using my machine themselves an amusing, useful and healthy exercise.

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The eccentric engineer: the evolution of the lawnmower - E&T Magazine

In 1996, there were over 8,000 public companies listed on exchanges in the United States. Fast forward to 2020 and there are only approximately 4,400 a drop of 46% despite the fact that the S&P 500 quadrupled in value. Conventional wisdom would lead readers to think they are looking at a misprint. This paradox has led to efforts from both the public and private sectors to help jump-start initial public offerings. Unfortunately, legislation like the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS, has not had the desired impact, and companies have instead elected to stay private longer than they once did. While we could chalk this up to capital being freely available via private equity and venture funds, the simple fact is that, for smaller companies, the benefits do not currently outweigh the burden and expense of going public.

Legislation like Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or SOX, the additional scrutiny that comes with being a public company, and byzantine U.S. equity market structure are all partially to blame. Fortunately, the pace of formation of private companies is at a record high and entrepreneurism is alive and well in the U.S. There has been a 106% growth in the number of private equity-backed companies from 4,000 in 2006 to more than 8,000 in 2017. While we champion the formation of new innovative companies, the shift from public to private ownership has had the negative side effect of locking out most public investors from the rewards of ownership. AOL, Microsoft, Intel, Facebook and many other successful companies went public early in their evolution. Now, with large companies going public later, private investors reap most of the financial gains by the timeshares that are available on a listed exchange.

Secondary equity market trading has been transformed by technology, but capital raising on public markets is stuck in the past.

Technological innovations have so far not significantly improved the process of going public on an exchange. Transformational tech companies are going public in an almost identical fashion as did their grandfathers rail and industrial companies decades ago. However, there are green shoots to be seen in fintech today that could help the financial markets evolve and improve the path to becoming a public company. Novel technologies such as blockchain are starting to be embraced by stakeholders in financial industries. One application of blockchain technology that has been getting particular notice is security token exchanges.

Security token exchanges would allow blockchain technology to simplify the complexities of custody, clearing and trading. The outcome is a simple exchange listing venue with price discovery that has the potential to encourage more issuers to go public to reach new investors. In turn, investors would benefit by gaining access to previously closely held assets a virtuous circle for capital markets.

New token exchanges would comply with traditional regulated public exchange processes but have the benefits of the computer programmability features of smart contracts. Compliance processes, ownership restrictions, contractual terms and conditions would be automatically implemented and embedded via a distributed network of computers that maintain a shared source of immutable information.

In Canada and Europe, there are options, namely the TSX Venture Exchange and the AIM Market, respectively, for small to mid-sized companies to access public markets. Currently, there is no U.S. venture market equivalent. In the U.S., if a company is considering public routes for capital raising and attracting new investors, their options are limited to:

All of these options need improvement one way or another. However, regulated security token exchanges have the potential to improve on all the current incumbent options and offer price discovery, corporate governance and investor protection. In addition, security token exchanges can also offer a less complex path to an IPO. These are the central functions that regulated exchanges do well for large-cap issuers. Furthermore, a security token exchange is not limited to just accredited and institutional investors but is open to all participants thereby providing issuers exposure to a greater number and variety of investors.

Prospectuses and earnings reports are used by investors to gauge the risk factors involved in investing in companies listed on a public exchange. Regulated security token exchanges will be equal to the incumbent exchanges by imposing high corporate governance standards and investor protections as part of their responsibilities as regulated listing venues.

Security token exchanges will follow the same rules that govern the trading of companies on incumbent exchanges. They will also have a responsibility to maintain fair and orderly markets and provide oversight and surveillance. Security token exchanges will take a role in helping corporate issuers understand their disclosure and regulatory requirements of being a publicly-traded company, and all listing candidates will undergo a comprehensive review to ensure they meet the listing standards of the security token exchanges.

Mid-sized companies looking for a quicker route to access and receiving funding from the public market may also find the direct listing of a token on a security token exchange to be the more efficient path when compared to a traditional IPO process.

For starters, listing on a security token exchange costs less, as there are lower frictional costs involved. Costly registration fees that are charged by the incumbent exchanges for IPOs are avoided on a security token exchange, and listing fees are logically based on market capitalization rather than public share count. This results in lower costs for equity tokens versus traditional listings. A token offering would provide a more streamlined process at a lower cost for a mid-sized startup that is looking to raise money, create monetization opportunities for early investors and employees, restructure a cap table, or take the next step to go public.

From the public investor standpoint, being able to buy and trade security tokens on an exchange opens up access to a new universe of assets that were previously closely held and traded. Ownership limitations of closely held assets have primarily benefited sophisticated institutions and accredited investors.

Furthermore, a token can represent ownership not only of traditional listed equity and debt securities but also securitized assets, such as real estate, income streams, art and wine. Tokenization can enable difficult-to-hold assets to be divided into smaller units, which, in turn, allows investors a chance to own a share of the underlying assets previously unavailable to the investing public.

Security token exchanges would allow secondary trading of tokens through a transparent and regulated platform. This would streamline the process to boost liquidity and provide exit options for investors who might have otherwise had to go through a more complicated route to liquidate their investment.

Through owning a token, which would represent vested interest in a security, disposing of an investment would take the form of a traditional clearing process with a potentially quicker settlement process.

From a regulatory perspective, a security token exchange gives greater transparency on asset ownership throughout its lifecycle since records are maintained on a decentralized network of computers that share the same source of information. Trust is further enabled, as data is stored in a cryptographic algorithm that ensures immutability of data.

Moreover, since records are shared, there is no need for reconciliation among network participants. This, coupled with the higher degree of automation that exists in smart contracts, could remove the need for registrars and nominees, which could shorten overall settlement times and increase the efficiency of financial markets in general.

In the future, tokenization could introduce a new option for raising capital, improve liquidity for issuers and their employees and investors, speed up settlement times, and lower costs overall for both the listed company and market participants.

Security tokens and the exchanges on which they operate could prove to be the next phase in finance as they are technologically more efficient, safe and transparent all of which are qualities that are embraced by stakeholders in the industry who range from investors to regulators.

Although the concept of tokenization will need to be socialized to the many participants in capital markets, they hold promise to jump-start the IPO process where other efforts have faltered. Security token exchanges could be the future for small to mid-cap companies and the inevitable securitization of closely held assets.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Jay Fraser is the director of strategic partnerships at BOX Digital Markets and BSTX. Prior to joining BOX, Jay was the head of business development and listings at IEX Group a national securities exchange and the head of Deutsche Banks Autobahn Americas the first app-based electronic distribution system in the financial services industry. A graduate of Emory University, Jay began his career in equity trading at Lehman Brothers before holding roles at ITG and Citadel Investment Group.

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Security Token Exchanges May be the Next Phase in the Finance Evolution - Cointelegraph

Aftera week of intense activity,Demo Day at the Ed-Tech Evolution acceleration program arriveson Friday, June 19, with the participating startup teams presenting the projects theyve been workingon.

Selected from 40 startups representing 17 countries, the participants have developed tools that help teachers and students, from small children to adult professionals, to learn and to organise the process of learning and teaching.

Project areas range from gamefication of studies to robotic platforms and virtual coaching. Ed-Tech Evolution is tech worlds response to Covid-19 crisis, which presents a challenge to society, but also an excellent opportunity for technological breakthroughs. The week-long, all-online program brought together tech gurus, investors, educational institutions and government officials from Nordic and Baltic region.

The COVID-19 crisis came as a "black swan"event for educational sector, prompting schools and universities to move online and redesign their curriculum accordingly. It will make a lasting impact on how we think about teaching and learning, according to organizers of the five-day event.

Prototype or fully-designed tools and platforms scrutinised as part of the program are more than likely to find a way into school and university classes in Europe and beyond in the future.

You can watch a livestream of the Demo Day event below at 16:00 (GMT+3)featuring 11 pitches fromstartups, where they will be presenting their products, the goals they reached during the accelerator week and their future plans.In turn, a total of 7 prizes will be awarded.

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Ed-Tech Evolution week wraps up with Demo Day - Eng.Lsm.lv

The pre- and post-COVID-19 eras are drastically different. The way of life before the pandemic set in now seems so far removed. Many things that were part of everyday life, such as restaurants, shopping places, stadia, and more, are all shuttered, and thus a lot of people are bereft of employment.

The crisis has massively altered how work is done, which has, among others, had a bearing on the work of HR professionals. There is no longer a question of whether work can be done remotely, because as has been seen across verticals, most are operable on a remote basis with employees not congregating at a single workplace. There has also been some discussion on whether and for how long this will continue, and if and when operations will revert to the old way.

What HR leaders must realize is that the way of work does not imply a binary choice either remote or onsite. There is clearly no one right, possible way, even though history may suggest otherwise. Looking ahead, the wise choice would be to combine both options in a balance that is tailored to the particular needs of each employee. Work from home could be the norm, but then again, people could be allowed to work from office if that suits them better.

In the course of their HR careers, professionals will also see that though often the value of work has been seen to lie in personalized advice to clients often offered in face-to-face interactions, digital environments are also conducive to letting such relationships thrive. Technology can facilitate and has facilitated creative ways of staying in touch with clients, with advantages that may be hard to let go of if at all things return to the way they were.

Undoubtedly, this will lead to the evolution of workplace culture to very different forms, with marked improvements. The different changes are explained below:

Work and home life cannot be strictly separated

Tradition may suggest otherwise, but work and home life are very closely connected. Team video calls often see unplanned interruptions from either background noise, inadvertent entry of family members, or other factors. These may detract from a 100% smooth flow of work, but HR professionals must realize they help team members know each other better, and thus such interactions should be encouraged.

Employers must show more empathy

The crisis has shown HR leaders even more closely that employee lives outside office matter, and significantly so. There is a need to support those aspects of their lives, so that they can discharge professional responsibilities even better. This could include flexible work schedules, enabling work from home for more employees, mental health support, and care for children and elder family members.

There is a new dynamic of trust between employer and employee

Work from home has become a necessity, and along with this, the workforce has become multi-generational, comprising Generations X, Y, and Z, among others. Different factors drive and motivate different generations within the same workforce, and as part of their HR careers, professionals must facilitate the discarding of preconceived notions and the establishment of new lines of communication and reporting. And because all such options could not be tested before implementation, employees will need to be trusted to get the job done.

This also implies employers must be trusted to provide all requisite support to employees. This would include different aspects of their well being, their job security, and other considerations. Well-settled employees are critical for both company and individual success, and they are intrinsic to the right business output.

Appreciate what was taken for granted

With the new normal settling in, there are no more face-to-face interactions with office colleagues, no jovial office atmosphere, and no feeling of possibility that would come about with multiple minds working together in the same office space. HR leaders must recognize the true pluses of office environments, and arrive at a prejudice-free viewpoint on work from home vs at office.

Focus on the purpose

Authenticity and purpose have been key focus areas for companies. HR professionals have had to contribute to aligning the brand and values of the company with those of individual employees. In the current situation, there is also newfound appreciation for public health workers and for communities coming together to fight the crisis. The purpose for companies and individuals now also encompasses perhaps most importantly surviving the COVID-19 crisis with minimal scarring. Working together toward this end will ensure a stronger relationship between the two.

The future is dynamic

There can be no certainty in defining the future, which is why HR leaders must work hard to bring together a multi-generational workforce when marching in the direction of common purposes. The new virtual workplace still requires conversations, creativity, ideas, and inspiration, and regular, clear communication plays an indelible part in facilitating and attaining these goals.

The aforementioned considerations imply multiple demands upon those working on their HR careers. A great way to bring skills and know how up to speed with these is to pick one of the best HR and talent management certifications. A certification shows that the candidate possesses the most current knowledge in the field, and also is able and desirous of growing in his or her career.

Want to make your startup journey smooth? YS Education brings a comprehensive Funding Course, where you also get a chance to pitch your business plan to top investors. Click here to know more.

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The Evolution of Workplace Culture in the COVID-19 era - YourStory

Viruses walk a fine line between severity and transmissibility. If they are too virulent, they kill or incapacitate their hosts; this limits their ability to infect new hosts. Conversely, viruses that cause little harm may not be generating enough copies of themselves to be infectious.

But SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease, sidesteps this evolutionary trade-off. Symptoms often dont appear until after infected people have been spreading the virus for several days. One study of SARS-CoV-2 estimated that the highest rate of viral shedding, and therefore transmissibility, was one to two days before the person infected begins to show symptoms.

Put simply, you only feel ill once the virus has accomplished its evolutionary goal: to spread.

Viruses that are good at making copies of themselves, and then getting those copies inside new hosts, are more successful and become more prevalent until host immunity or public health efforts restrain them.

As professors who study evolutionary medicine, we know the trade-off between virulence and transmissibility helps keep a pathogen in check. The very destructiveness of a virus keeps it from spreading too much. This has been the case with other pandemic pathogens, including Marburg, Ebola and the original coronavirus responsible for SARS. Outbreaks that consistently cause severe symptoms are more easily corralled by public health measures because infected individuals are easy to identify. SARS-CoV-2, however, can invade communities stealthily, because many infected individuals have no symptoms at all.

Looking at it this way, COVID-19 resembles a sexually transmitted disease. The infected person continues to look and feel fine while spreading the illness to new hosts. HIV and syphilis, for example, are relatively asymptomatic for much of the time they are contagious. With SARS-CoV-2, recent research suggests that 40-45% of people infected remain asymptomatic. And those carriers seem able to transmit the virus for a longer period.

COVID-19 has another similarity to many sexually transmitted diseases. Its severity is not the same across hosts, and often its dramatically different. There is evidence that the ability to fight the infection differs among people. The severity among strains of the virus might also differ, though there is no solid evidence of this yet.

Even for a single strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus can affect people in different ways, which could facilitate its spread. The SARS-CoV-2 virus or any other pathogen is not deliberately changing what it does in order to exploit us and use our bodies as vehicles for transmission, but pathogens can evolve to look like they are playing games with us.

Studies show pathogens can express conditional virulence meaning that they can be highly virulent in some individuals and less virulent in others depending on host characteristics, like age, the presence of other infections and an individuals immune response. This might explain how SARS-CoV-2 escapes the trade-off. In some individuals, virulence is maximized, such as in older hosts. In others, transmissibility is maximized.

Age, so far, seems the critical factor. Older people tend to get highly destructive infections, while younger hosts, although just as infectious, remain largely unscathed. This might be because different hosts have different immune responses. Another explanation is that as we get older, we are more likely to develop other illnesses, such as obesity and hypertension, which can make us more susceptible to harm from SARS-CoV-2.

Regardless of the mechanism, this age-based pattern permits SARS-CoV-2 to have its evolutionary cake and eat it too: ravaging older individuals with high virulence, yet maintaining younger individuals as vehicles for transmission. Some studies suggest younger people are more likely to be asymptomatic. Both presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers can transmit the virus.

What do we know about the evolution of SARS-CoV-2? Unfortunately, not much yet. There is some evidence that the virus may be adapting to us as its new hosts, but so far no evidence shows that these mutations are causing changes in the virulence or transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2. And because SARS-CoV-2 may be able to circumvent the typical trade-off between virulence and transmissibility, there may be little evolutionary pressure to become less severe as it spreads.

For all the mysteries surrounding COVID-19, one thing is certain: We cannot be lulled into a false sense of security. As Sun Tzu warned in The Art of War, know your enemy. There is a great deal more to know about SARS-CoV-2 before we claim any victories.

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How the coronavirus escapes an evolutionary trade-off that helps keep other pathogens in check - The Conversation US

The first video in our Intelligent Design YouTube Festival, The Information Enigma, consolidates the research and writing of Stephen Meyer and Douglas Axe into a 21-minute video. The presentation demonstrates how the information present in life points unambiguously to intelligent design. This topic is central to intelligent design arguments and the ID research program. Here I will flesh out in greater detail the concept of biological information, and I will explain why significant quantities of it cannot be generated through natural processes.

A pioneer in the field of information theory was Claude Shannon who connected the concept of information to the reduction in uncertainty and to probability. As an example, knowing the five-digit ZIP Code for an address eliminates uncertainty about a buildings location. And, the four-digit extension to the ZIP Code provides additional information that reduces the uncertainty even further. Conversely, randomly generating the correct five-digit ZIP Code corresponds to a probability of 1 in 100,000, while generating the correct nine-digit ZIP Code corresponds to a probability of 1 in a billion. The latter is much less probable, so the nine-digit code contains more information.

Shannon quantified the amount of information in a pattern in what he defined as the Shannon measure of information. In the simplest case, the quantity is proportional to the log of 1/p, where p is the probability of a pattern occurring by chance. For the five-digit code, p would be 1/100,000, and 1/p would be 100,000. This measure can be thought of as the minimal number of answers to Yes-No questions that would be required to identify 1 out of N choices. To illustrate, imagine attempting to identify a pre-chosen famous actor out of eight possible people. If the answer to each question about the mystery individual eliminated half of the options, the correct answer could be determined with three questions. Therefore, learning the answer corresponds to acquiring 3 bits of information. Note that 2 to the power of 3 is 8, or conversely, log (base 2) of 8 is 3.

Information theory has been applied to biology by such figures as Hubert Yockey. In this context, Shannons definition had to be modified to distinguish between arbitrary patterns and those that performed some function. Shannons measure was modified to quantify functional information. The measure of functional information corresponds to the probability of a random pattern achieving some target goal. For instance, if 1 in 1024 amino acid sequences formed a structure that accelerated a specific reaction, the functional information associated with that sequence would equate to 10 bits since 10 Yes-No questions would have to be asked to select 1 entity out of 1024 possibilities. Mathematically, 2 to the power of 10 is 1024, or log (base 2) of 1024 is 10. More advanced measures for functional information have been developed including algorithmic specified complexity and the more generalized canonical specified complexity. They follow the same basic logic. These measures help relate the information content of biological molecules and structures to their functional capacities.

The information content of a proteins amino acid sequence directly relates to its ability to control chemical reactions or other processes. In general, the higher the information content, the higher the level of fine-grained control over outcomes and the greater the capacity for elaborate molecular manipulations. For amino acid sequences with higher information content are more specified, so they can fold into three-dimensional shapes of greater precision and complexity. In turn, the higher specificity requirement corresponds to proteins being more susceptible to mutations a few amino acid changes will often completely disable them. Functional sequences are consequently less probable, which is another signature of greater information content. This connection between information, sequence rarity, and complexity of function has profound implications for Doug Axes protein research.

Axe demonstrated that the probability for a random amino acid sequence to fold into one section (domain) of a functional -lactamase protein is far too small for it to ever occur by chance. Therefore, the information content is too great to originate through a random search. Yet -lactamase performs the relatively simple task of breaking apart an antibiotic molecule. In contrast, many of the proteins required for the origin of life perform much more complex operations (see here, here, and here). The same holds true for many proteins required in the construction of new groups of organisms (e.g., animal phyla). Therefore, these proteins information content must be even greater. So the probability of their originating through a random search is even smaller.

This conclusion is deeply problematic for evolutionary theory since no natural process can generate quantities of information substantially larger than what could result from a random search. The limitation results from No Free Lunch theorems as demonstrated by the research of Robert J. Marks, Winston Ewert, and William Dembski (see here and here). It is further supported by theorems derived from research in computer science. For instance, computer scientist Leonid Levin demonstrated the conservation of independence in information-bearing systems. He stated the following:

The information I(x:y) has a remarkable invariance; it cannot be increased by random or deterministic (recursive) processing of x or y. This is natural, since if x contains no information about y then there is little hope to find out something about y by processing x. (Torturing an uninformed witness cannot give information about the crime!)

The conservation law simply means that the information, I(x:y), present in one system, x, coinciding with another, y, cannot increase through any natural process. A nearly identical conclusion comes from information theory in what is known as the data processing inequality. It states that the information content of a signal cannot be increased by any local physical operation.

In terms of evolution, the first system (the signal) could be a duplicated gene or a nonfunctional section of DNA freely mutating, and the second could be any functional protein sequence into which the gene/section could potentially evolve. The theorems mandate that a DNA sequence (x) could never appreciably increase in functional information, such as more greatly resembling a new enzyme (y). This constraint makes the evolution of most novel proteins entirely implausible.

In the video, Stephen Meyer explains how information points to intelligent design by the same logic used in the historical sciences. In addition, the information processing machinery of life demonstrates unmistakable evidence of foresight, coordination, and goal direction. And, these signatures unambiguously point to intelligent agency. The same arguments hold true to an even greater degree for the origin of life. The only pressing question is to what extent critics can continue to allow their philosophical bias to override biological informations clear design implications.

Image: A scene from The Information Enigma, via Discovery Institute.

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The Information Enigma: A Closer Look - Discovery Institute

Where in the universe can life evolve? When scientists discuss this question, theyre usually talking about what kinds of planets might support Alien life.But some researchers are thinking bigger.

In recent years, astronomers have been investigating whether some types of galaxies are more hospitable to life than others. Unsurprisingly, most researchers think large spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way might be good candidates for life. But in a recent paper, one research team proposes that some dwarf galaxies may be another category of habitable galaxies. Though studies of galactic habitability are in their infancy, as the studys authors note, this research poses fundamental questions about how life in the universe comes to be.

Its almost [a] completely new field, terra incognita, so to speak, study author Milan irkovi of the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade said via email. Such things are always exciting.

Large spiral galaxies are one galaxy type that researchers think may be good for developing life. Our own planet is the only known example of life arising in such a galaxy, but spirals pack relatively high amounts of the heavy elements needed to form rocky planets.

However,Alien life life in a spiral galaxy can have its downsides, too. These galaxies form new stars more actively and have more dangerous cosmic events, like supernova explosions, compared to other galaxies. Those kinds of disasters can spew harmful radiation into nearby space and potentially destroy planets biospheres.

So, perhaps galaxies with less active star formation, and fewer cosmic explosions, might be calmer, safer places that allow planets more time to develop life.

irkovi and his team tested this idea by studying more than 100,000 galaxies that other astronomers created in simulations. They found that small galaxies, or dwarf galaxies, with relatively high amounts of heavy elements may be promising candidates for habitability.

For example, the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way, is one example of a high-metallicity dwarf galaxy. These galaxies have plenty of heavy elements for creating rocky planets and tend to be calmer environments with fewer explosions to disrupt the formation of life.

Its a kind of sweet spot in the galactic zoo of all the different galaxies, irkovi wrote.

The researchers published their paper in the journalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. A version of the paper is accessible on the pre-print sitearxiv.org.

Originally Publish at: https://www.discovermagazine.com/

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Which Galaxies are Best Suited for the Evolution of Alien Life - - Technology Times Pakistan

LOS ANGELES, United States: The global Visual Field Analyzer market is carefully researched in the report while largely concentrating on top players and their business tactics, geographical expansion, market segments, competitive landscape, manufacturing, and pricing and cost structures. Each section of the research study is specially prepared to explore key aspects of the global Visual Field Analyzer market. For instance, the market dynamics section digs deep into the drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities of the global Visual Field Analyzer market. With qualitative and quantitative analysis, we help you with thorough and comprehensive research on the global Visual Field Analyzer market. We have also focused on SWOT, PESTLE, and Porters Five Forces analyses of the global Visual Field Analyzer market.

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Leading players of the global Visual Field Analyzer market are analyzed taking into account their market share, recent developments, new product launches, partnerships, mergers or acquisitions, and markets served. We also provide an exhaustive analysis of their product portfolios to explore the products and applications they concentrate on when operating in the global Visual Field Analyzer market. Furthermore, the report offers two separate market forecasts one for the production side and another for the consumption side of the global Visual Field Analyzer market. It also provides useful recommendations for new as well as established players of the global Visual Field Analyzer market.

Key Players Mentioned in the Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Research Report:

Carl Zeiss, OCULUS, Topcon Corporation, Chongqing Vision Star Optical, Haag-Streit AG

Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Segmentation by Product:Electronic TypeMechanical Type

Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Segmentation by Application:Hospitals & ClinicsHomecareAmbulatory Care Center

The global Visual Field Analyzer market is segmented to allow the readers to gain a detailed perspective of the important elements of the market. The products, technologies, and applications of the market are discussed in great depth. Analysts have studied the factors that are expected to help certain segments flourish while restraining the others. Technological advancements, increasing investments, and innovative approaches have also been discussed in the Visual Field Analyzer research report.

Regional segmentation is an essential part of the Visual Field Analyzer research report. It analyzes the various regions that the market is segmented on the basis of and evaluates the various influencers. Changing political scenarios, impact of national budgets, governing polices, and importance given to global policies by certain regions and countries has also been discussed in this part of the Visual Field Analyzer research report.

Report Objectives Analyzing the size of the global Visual Field Analyzer market on the basis of value and volume Accurately calculating the market shares, consumption, and other vital factors of different segments of the global Visual Field Analyzer market Exploring key dynamics of the global Visual Field Analyzer market Highlighting important trends of the global Visual Field Analyzer market in terms of production, revenue, and sales Deeply profiling top players of the global Visual Field Analyzer market and showing how they compete in the industry Studying manufacturing processes and costs, product pricing, and various trends related to them Showing the performance of different regions and countries in the global Visual Field Analyzer market Forecasting the market size and share of all segments, regions, and the global market.

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Table of Content

1 Study Coverage1.1 Visual Field Analyzer Product Introduction1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered: Ranking of Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Revenue in 20191.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Electronic Type1.4.3 Mechanical Type1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Hospitals & Clinics1.5.3 Homecare1.5.4 Ambulatory Care Center1.6 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Visual Field Analyzer Industry Impact1.6.1 How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Visual Field Analyzer Industry1.6.1.1 Visual Field Analyzer Business Impact Assessment Covid-191.6.1.2 Supply Chain Challenges1.6.1.3 COVID-19s Impact On Crude Oil and Refined Products1.6.2 Market Trends and Visual Field Analyzer Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape1.6.3 Measures / Proposal against Covid-191.6.3.1 Government Measures to Combat Covid-19 Impact1.6.3.2 Proposal for Visual Field Analyzer Players to Combat Covid-19 Impact1.7 Study Objectives1.8 Years Considered

2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Size Estimates and Forecasts2.1.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Revenue Estimates and Forecasts 2015-20262.1.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Production Capacity Estimates and Forecasts 2015-20262.1.3 Global Visual Field Analyzer Production Estimates and Forecasts 2015-20262.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Size by Producing Regions: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20262.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3)2.3.3 Global Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers Geographical Distribution2.4 Key Trends for Visual Field Analyzer Markets & Products2.5 Primary Interviews with Key Visual Field Analyzer Players (Opinion Leaders)

3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Production Capacity3.1.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Production Capacity (2015-2020)3.1.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Production (2015-2020)3.1.3 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers Market Share by Production3.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Revenue3.2.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers by Revenue (2015-2020)3.2.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Manufacturers Market Share by Revenue (2015-2020)3.2.3 Global Top 10 and Top 5 Companies by Visual Field Analyzer Revenue in 20193.3 Global Visual Field Analyzer Price by Manufacturers3.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

4 Visual Field Analyzer Production by Regions4.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Historic Market Facts & Figures by Regions4.1.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions by Production (2015-2020)4.1.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions by Revenue (2015-2020)4.2 North America4.2.1 North America Visual Field Analyzer Production (2015-2020)4.2.2 North America Visual Field Analyzer Revenue (2015-2020)4.2.3 Key Players in North America4.2.4 North America Visual Field Analyzer Import & Export (2015-2020)4.3 Europe4.3.1 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Production (2015-2020)4.3.2 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Revenue (2015-2020)4.3.3 Key Players in Europe4.3.4 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Import & Export (2015-2020)4.4 China4.4.1 China Visual Field Analyzer Production (2015-2020)4.4.2 China Visual Field Analyzer Revenue (2015-2020)4.4.3 Key Players in China4.4.4 China Visual Field Analyzer Import & Export (2015-2020)4.5 Japan4.5.1 Japan Visual Field Analyzer Production (2015-2020)4.5.2 Japan Visual Field Analyzer Revenue (2015-2020)4.5.3 Key Players in Japan4.5.4 Japan Visual Field Analyzer Import & Export (2015-2020)

5 Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Region5.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions by Consumption5.1.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions by Consumption (2015-2020)5.1.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions Market Share by Consumption (2015-2020)5.2 North America5.2.1 North America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Application5.2.2 North America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Countries5.2.3 U.S.5.2.4 Canada5.3 Europe5.3.1 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Application5.3.2 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Countries5.3.3 Germany5.3.4 France5.3.5 U.K.5.3.6 Italy5.3.7 Russia5.4 Asia Pacific5.4.1 Asia Pacific Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Application5.4.2 Asia Pacific Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Regions5.4.3 China5.4.4 Japan5.4.5 South Korea5.4.6 India5.4.7 Australia5.4.8 Taiwan5.4.9 Indonesia5.4.10 Thailand5.4.11 Malaysia5.4.12 Philippines5.4.13 Vietnam5.5 Central & South America5.5.1 Central & South America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Application5.5.2 Central & South America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Country5.5.3 Mexico5.5.3 Brazil5.5.3 Argentina5.6 Middle East and Africa5.6.1 Middle East and Africa Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Application5.6.2 Middle East and Africa Visual Field Analyzer Consumption by Countries5.6.3 Turkey5.6.4 Saudi Arabia5.6.5 U.A.E

6 Market Size by Type (2015-2026)6.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Size by Type (2015-2020)6.1.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Production by Type (2015-2020)6.1.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Revenue by Type (2015-2020)6.1.3 Visual Field Analyzer Price by Type (2015-2020)6.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Forecast by Type (2021-2026)6.2.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Production Forecast by Type (2021-2026)6.2.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Revenue Forecast by Type (2021-2026)6.2.3 Global Visual Field Analyzer Price Forecast by Type (2021-2026)6.3 Global Visual Field Analyzer Market Share by Price Tier (2015-2020): Low-End, Mid-Range and High-End

7 Market Size by Application (2015-2026)7.2.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Historic Breakdown by Application (2015-2020)7.2.2 Global Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Application (2021-2026)

8 Corporate Profiles8.1 Carl Zeiss8.1.1 Carl Zeiss Corporation Information8.1.2 Carl Zeiss Overview and Its Total Revenue8.1.3 Carl Zeiss Production Capacity and Supply, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin (2015-2020)8.1.4 Carl Zeiss Product Description8.1.5 Carl Zeiss Recent Development8.2 OCULUS8.2.1 OCULUS Corporation Information8.2.2 OCULUS Overview and Its Total Revenue8.2.3 OCULUS Production Capacity and Supply, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin (2015-2020)8.2.4 OCULUS Product Description8.2.5 OCULUS Recent Development8.3 Topcon Corporation8.3.1 Topcon Corporation Corporation Information8.3.2 Topcon Corporation Overview and Its Total Revenue8.3.3 Topcon Corporation Production Capacity and Supply, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin (2015-2020)8.3.4 Topcon Corporation Product Description8.3.5 Topcon Corporation Recent Development8.4 Chongqing Vision Star Optical8.4.1 Chongqing Vision Star Optical Corporation Information8.4.2 Chongqing Vision Star Optical Overview and Its Total Revenue8.4.3 Chongqing Vision Star Optical Production Capacity and Supply, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin (2015-2020)8.4.4 Chongqing Vision Star Optical Product Description8.4.5 Chongqing Vision Star Optical Recent Development8.5 Haag-Streit AG8.5.1 Haag-Streit AG Corporation Information8.5.2 Haag-Streit AG Overview and Its Total Revenue8.5.3 Haag-Streit AG Production Capacity and Supply, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin (2015-2020)8.5.4 Haag-Streit AG Product Description8.5.5 Haag-Streit AG Recent Development

9 Production Forecasts by Regions9.1 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions Forecast by Revenue (2021-2026)9.2 Global Top Visual Field Analyzer Regions Forecast by Production (2021-2026)9.3 Key Visual Field Analyzer Production Regions Forecast9.3.1 North America9.3.2 Europe9.3.3 China9.3.4 Japan

10 Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region10.1 Global Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)10.2 North America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)10.3 Europe Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)10.4 Asia Pacific Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)10.5 Latin America Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)10.6 Middle East and Africa Visual Field Analyzer Consumption Forecast by Region (2021-2026)11 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis11.1 Value Chain Analysis11.2 Sales Channels Analysis11.2.1 Visual Field Analyzer Sales Channels11.2.2 Visual Field Analyzer Distributors11.3 Visual Field Analyzer Customers12 Market Opportunities & Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis12.1 Market Opportunities and Drivers12.2 Market Challenges12.3 Market Risks/Restraints12.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis13 Key Finding in The Global Visual Field Analyzer Study14 Appendix14.1 Research Methodology14.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach14.1.2 Data Source14.2 Author Details14.3 Disclaimer

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Visual Field Analyzer Market Size, Segment, Evolution Rate by Type and Application And Forecast 2020-2026| Carl Zeiss, OCULUS, Topcon Corporation,...