Category Archives: Evolution

Louisianas top school board is poised to rewrite the states two-decades-old science standards for public schools, after a debate that veered into disagreements over evolution.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, known as BESE, gave preliminary support Tuesday to the standards, which were drawn up by a review committee packed largely with local educators.

With a 9-0 vote, a panel of nearly all BESE members agreed to the standards revisions. But support came only after language was added to remind educators about a Louisiana law that allows public school science teachers to use supplemental materials in their classrooms.

Supporters of the addition wanted the language included as a way to encourage teachers to challenge evolution in their science classrooms.

If you really believe we should teach the controversy, why is that not included in the standards? asked Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray.

Amedee was among several speakers who wanted the standards tweaked to raise questions about evolution. Gene Mills, president of the conservative Louisiana Family Forum, said evolution is referenced 25 times in the standards, but with no mention of opposing theories.

Teachers, like the test, will follow the standards, Mills said.

Science teachers urged the education board to adopt the rewritten benchmarks without language challenging evolution.

These standards are not based on biased opinions, but are supported by years and years of scientific research, said Kyle Duhon, a science teacher at Jennings High School who helped work on the standards revamp.

In response to concerns about evolutionary teaching, BESE members added a provision in the standards referencing a 2008 state law called the Louisiana Science Education Act.

The law allows public school teachers to use supplemental materials to promote critical thinking skills in areas like evolution and global warming. Critics call the law a backdoor way to introduce creationism into science classes, which supporters of the law deny.

BESE members voted 7-2 to include information from the state law in the standards, before the committee then approved the full package without dissent. The board is expected to give final passage to the standards Wednesday.

But the transition to the new teaching benchmarks wont be immediate.

The upcoming 2017-18 year will include teacher training and field testing, according to the education department, with the standards fully phased in by the 2018-19 school year.

The classroom standards set guideposts for what students from kindergarten through 12th grade should know in basic science, physical science, physics, biology, chemistry, earth science and other scientific fields by the end of each grade.

The current standards were written in 1997. The education department says only two states, New Mexico and Wisconsin, use older science standards. The rewrite was aimed at better preparing students for jobs in STEM fields science, technology, engineering and math.

Louisiana ranks poorly in national comparisons of science testing results.

To sign up for free CityBusiness Daily Updates, click here.

Read the original post:

Science standards rewrite wins support, with evolution tweak - New Orleans CityBusiness (blog)

PLATTSBURGH The true definition of aging, according toPlattsburgh State Associate Biology Professor Dr. Joel Parker,is determined by a populations overall mortality rate.

Humans develop as children, then the mortality rate flatlines in their 20s and 30s.

This age is as mortal as you are ever going to get," Parker shared inDeath and Darwin: Why Evolution Does Not Save Us From Agingat the firstScience@30City event of the season at the Champlain Wine Company in Plattsburgh.

Once a human sees his or her 30s, they begin the aging process, he later explained.

I dont think everyone knows that really, lecture attendee Dina Hurwitz said. They didnt even here, so I thought that was pretty interesting.

Parker, who was there to discussthe impacts genetics and evolution have on aging,began his talk by stumping the audience with questions about the aging process. He presented a time-lapsed photo of a child changing into a middle-aged and then elderly woman, asking the audience at which stage of the photos the aging process began.

Parker aScience@30Cityco-founder continued his talk by outlining the different elements of aging and the impact of studies perfected by Charles Darwin, such as natural selection. Parker said the selection process only works on the living.

Something is going to get you, he said of inevitable death; human civilization has moved the selective shadow, but evolution has not yet caught up.

He also demonstrated geologic time, or the clock analogy by creating a proportional timeline of Earths lifespan relative to the development of civilization. Of the 316 miles from the present day Champlain Wine Company to the beginning of time, Ellis Island humans only developed, relative to the timeline, a few blocks away on Oak Street.

Parker discussed various theories on aging and evolution as well, such as the free radical theory, which Parker claimed has ironically died, or been proven inaccurate, and the Telomere Theory of Aging, which explains the shortening and dividing of telomeres found in DNA.

I kicked this off with aging last year, and I think its something that happens to everybody, so it relates to people and so I thought it was a really good one, Parker said of the lecture.

Science@30City is a series of scientific lectures open to the local community; thisfirst lecture of the spring sessions attracted around two-dozen local residents and students of various ages.

The program began in fall 2015after Parker and friend and Champlain Wine Company co-owner Colin Read noticed a disconnect between the SUNY Plattsburgh campus and the city. Parker said these lectures are beneficial for both the college and surrounding area because it brings them together for real conversations in an off-campus environment.

The project turned into a collaborative effort between Parker, his wife, Karen, and Read and his wife, Natalie Peck.

Peck, who co-owns Champlain Wine Company, said the crowds have been more interested in listening to and speaking at the lectures since the series began.

As a part of our community focus at the Champlain Wine Company, its something that weve really been looking to do to bring not just people from the college but other experts in the area in and just talk about things that they know about for interested people."

IF YOU GO

Each lecture is free and open to the public. Sessions are held at 30 City Hall Place. Most sessions are on the first and third Monday of each month. All begin at 5:30 p.m.

The next four sessions this semester are:

Monday, March 20: Astronomy and Cosmology at 30 City with Herb Carpenter, lecturer in the School of Business and Economics.

Monday, April 3: Danger and Research in a Mexican Sulfur Cave, with Dr. Kathleen Lavoie, professor, biological sciences.

Monday, April 17: How the Sioux Holy Man Black Elk Taught the Science of Electromagnetism, with Jeff Cochran.

Monday, May 1: Dementia Caregiver Support in the North Country, with Dr. Richard Durant, director, Center for Neurobehavioral Health.

For more information, contact Dr. Joel Parker, associate professor of biology, at 564-5279 or joel.parker@plattsburgh.edu.

View original post here:

Evolution and aging - Plattsburgh Press Republican

Dimple Yadav had a faltered entry in politics. Her first scripted speech in Lok Sabha was such a disaster that it went viral on YouTube as Dimple Yadavs hilarious mistakes in Parliament.

Dimple fumbled a dozen times, apparently for her inexperience in public speaking. BJP leader Rajeev Pratap Rudy, sitting behind her, chuckled but stood up to appreciate her and congratulate Mulayam Singh Yadavji for his bahus speech.

But thats history.

The 2017 assembly election is Uttar Pradesh has seen Dimple emerge as the star campaigner of Samajwadi Party. She has also commanded more spotlight than many seasoned leaders across political parties.

Now, she draws more crowd than me, more applause than me, her husband and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said. He is not exaggerating.

Read more

Dimple, 39, wasnt just the top woman campaigner, leaving former CM and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati behind in election tours and rallies. She also took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and turned Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shahs metaphorical Kasab, an acronym for the Hindi pronunciation of Congress-SP-BSP, on its head.

Her version of Kasab, underlining peaceful coexistence, prevented Shah from using it often while Akhilesh borrowed it for his rallies.

Admirers say Dimple doesnt read out anymore. At every rally venue, she spoke eloquently and impromptu, using her hand gestures and eye movements to good effect.

Her evolution has not escaped YouTube, which is now flooded with videos that show her as a skilled politician, drawing cheers, claps and slogans such as Dimple bhabhi, jeet ki chabhi (Sister-in-law Dimple is the key to victory).

Dimple hasnt had the best of starts in politics. In 2009, she lost the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Akhilesh, to Congress Raj Babbar. But she won the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat, also vacated by Akhilesh, without a contest in 2012.

Today, she has virtually made the red SP cap a fashion statement after putting it on for the first time during the release of the party manifesto for 2017.

Dimple Rawat and Akhilesh Yadav met at a party in 1995 and love blossomed. This was shortly before Akhilesh left for Australia for higher technical studies. They married in November 1999.

Months after, Akhilesh won his first Lok Sabha election, a by-poll for the Kannauj seat. Dimple chose to be a genteel Yadav bahu as Akhileshs stature in the party rose.

Read more

Till February 8, 2017, Dimple had campaigned only for herself first in Firozabad and then in Kannauj in 2012 and never addressed an election rally. She came out after Akhilesh won the family feud and overshadowed party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. She addressed about 55 rallies from the very first of the seven-phase polls.

Her first campaign for a party candidate, on February 8, was meticulously planned. Akhilesh made party MP Jaya Bachchan introduce Dimple at a rally for Anshu Rani Nishad, the partys candidate for Bah (Agra). Dimple took over after Bachchan said: Dimple is your daughter-in-law, and gift her victory.

Her campaign ended with a special appearance during Akhilesh-Rahul Gandhis joint rath yatra through the streets of Varanasi. She turned out to be the main crowd-puller, this quality attributed to her charisma and refined vocabulary.

Go here to read the rest:

Dimple 2.0: Evolution of a bahu into a star campaigner - Hindustan Times

This time around, the controversy over climate change was thrown in.

BESE created an 86-person volunteer committee to revise Louisiana science standards for the first time in 20 years. The committees plan would begin implementation during the 2018-2019 school year.

The standards proved a source of contentious debate among a score of witnesses particularly regarding the committees acceptance of evolution and climate change as scientific facts.

In accordance with the Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008, which allows public school teachers to use supplemental materials in the classroom that are critical of the evolutionary theories, several witnesses aired concerns about the new standards.

State Rep. Beryl Amadee, R-Houma, expressed fears of inherent bias toward evolution and climate change within the recommendations.

If you really embrace the idea that we teach the controversy, why isnt it reflected in the proposed standards? Why would you not want students to recognize other standards? Amadee asked.

Proponents of the renewed standards, however, staunchly defended the language in the original document.

Cathi Cox-Boniol, who led the standards committee, maintained the updated standards have fewer topics and more depth, which the committee believed would better expose Louisiana students to global institutionalized science.

We took everything else out of the equation and thought about the student, Cox-Boniol said, noting the committee members logged some 10,000 collective hours on the project.

Of the 86 volunteers on the committee, only one member dissented on presenting the standards package to BESEWade Warren, a biology professor at Louisiana College.

Warren said he was concerned about what he perceived as the standards apparent dogmatic presentation of Darwinian philosophy and exclusion of alternative theories.

He said he suggested adding the sentence results may differ depending on theory to one of the standards, which was rejected by fellow committee members.

The writers of the science standards did not include any of my suggested edits, Warren complained

William C. Deese, a chemistry professor at Louisiana Tech University, argued that introducing alternative theories into the science classroom would diminish students understanding of science as an institution. There is absolutely no controversy within institutionalized science about evolution and global warming, he said.

State Superintendent John White argued students deserve standards based on the latest scientific research and knowledge.

In developing Louisiana Student Standards for Science, Louisiana educators have set ambitious expectations for students who will soon be the leaders of our state and its economy, White said.

BESE approved the updated standards, with curriculum reviews set to launch as early as spring 2017. Field test assessments will be given in spring 2018.

See the rest here:

BESE accepts updated content standards on evolution, climate change - bestofneworleans.com

The Upbeats are widelylooked upon as cornerstones of modern bass music. Their caliber of production may not be as influential as that ofNoisia, who have been able to single-handedly set trends and shape modern DnB with each passing album. Yet, The Upbeats have been at the forefront of the genre for over a decade, and show no signs of slowing their momentum. TheUpbeats havereleased over 15 albums and EPs combined, with each one further cementing their status as one of the best acts bass music has to offer.

Each of The Upbeatsalbums has offered listeners a genial experience, and a fresh perspective on the scope of their genre the hallmark of an act on top of its game. The groupslegendary collaboration with Noisia on theDead Limit EP is still regarded by many to be the best DnB releaseof 2015.

The Upbeats latest work, the De-evolution series (part one of which was initially released in April 2016), has been one of the main talking points in DnB over the pastyear, due to its ingenuity. The three-part series has finally come to its conclusion as the final six pieces of the puzzle are releasedon Vision Recordings.

Each EP has had its own unique story, taking listeners on a sonic journey throughout the various sub-genres of DnB, from serene, calming liquid, to the mind-numbing neurofunk sounds they have helped pioneer throughout their illustrious careers.

While parts one and two of the series are straight out of The Upbeats vast musical playbook, De-evolution Part IIIdeals mostly with a side of DnB not generally touched upon by the duo. Taking this factor into consideration, listening to the EP becomes a much more immersive and enjoyable experience. Thesongs on De-evolution Part IIIhavesplit personalities they can be looked upon simply as extremely well made DnB, but they also expose a much more fragile aspect. Close scrutiny reveals the finely balanced concoction of various sonic elements that definethe collection.

Eachsong in this EP is an individual masterpiece, and the entire collectioncomfortably stands head and shoulders above any other DnB release this year. De-evolutionPart IIIfalls perfectly into place with its two previous iterations, resulting in one of the New Zealanders best works yet.

The EP starts off in typical Upbeats fashion with Cauldron (Feat. Agressor Bunks). The hard-hitting neurofunk single is asensory assault, coercing listeners into a submissive trance. The trackssawing bass, growling synths, and ferocious drumsmake Cauldrona perfect selection for hardcore head-bangingthat provides an ideal foundation for the rest of the EP.

The next song Prism, shares very little common stylistic ground withthe aforementioned track. The energetic tempo of Cauldron is replaced with a thick, grimy tone in the second piece from the collection. Atmospheric vocals are scattered throughout Prism, which would be perfectly at home as a standalone Division recordings release. The impeccablydesigned bass growls, gurgles and splutters culminate in a fantastic tune, ably complemented by its subtlerelements.

If the prior two tracks provided a launch pad for the EP, Veiled and De-Evolution easily take the releaseto another level. Veiled, as previously mentioned, is easily one of the groupsbest liquid singles to date. Words can hardlydo justice to the feeling this masterstrokearouses in listeners.

De-evolution, named after the series itself, is the undoubtedly the climax of the three part project. With the titular track, The Upbeats have gone all out to create ajuggernaut that stands out above the rest of the songs on the EP. The song is a mix of two contrasting styles the first being The Upbeats signature ferocity, and the second being a showcase of their capabilities to manipulate more refined, subtler elements. The two contrasting halves of the song signify the recent change in the duosproduction technique and serve as tipping points in both the EP and The Upbeats careers.

The songs at the tail-end of the EP lean heavily towards the new, ambient style which defines the secondary portion of its eponymous track. A Place For You barely classifies as a traditional DnB song. It transcends genres, typified by the serene vocals and ethereal chord progressions. The final song, Streetlight has a starkly minimalist vibe when compared to other songson the EP a fact that it embraces with lachrymose beauty. Each component of the track mourns the ending of this gorgeous series and the track passes on this gloom to listeners with outstanding ease.

The De-evolution series has been unsurprisingly brilliant. The marathon venture is a brief reflection of The Upbeats storied voyage through the music industry. De-evolutionPart IIIis the perfect ending to this gargantuan project, undertaken by one of the staple acts of modern DnB. To fully appreciate the EP, it is imperative to look upon its insinuation, rather than just the music it encapsulates. The De-evolution series is groundbreaking, genre-defining and utterly spellbinding.

Read More:

Noisia announce release date for 20-track Outer Edges remix album

Black Sun Empire & Noisia The Veil (Original Mix)

TOP TRENDING MUSIC

See the original post here:

'De-evolution Part III' is a stunning conclusion to The Upbeats' EP trilogy - Dancing Astronaut

S&P Intelligence report ranked 19 top publicly-listed gold companies according to all-in-sustaining costs (AISC)

One of the effects of the hit the gold price took after soaring to $1,900 an ounce in September 2011, was a concentrated effort on the part of producers to cut costs.

For years big gold mining companies kept on spending, on exploration, salaries, and big acquisitions, confident that the good times would keep rolling with the ever-advancing gold price. Those companies were in for a rude awakening when shareholders dumped them in droves following the gold price retracement of 2012-15. Suddenlyacquisitions were put on hold, exploration spending dried up, and the mantra became: find ways to cut costs.

S&P Global Market Intelligence took a look at 19 publicly-listed, major gold companies in the last quarter of 2016, and found that for most of them, austerity continues to be key,especially with the gold price trending lower in Q4. Recall that gold bears were predicting that Donald Trump's plans for fiscal stimulus, including a $500 billion infrastructure spending program, would lead to strong U.S. economic expansion, ergo, higher interest rates the nemesis of gold.

According toSNL Metals & Mining database, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, the top 19 public gold companies produced gold at a weighted-average cost of US$868/oz, which is slightly lower than US$889/oz reported in the third quarter.

The lowest-cost producer, Centerra Gold (TSX:CG), mines gold at $586 an ounce, while the second-lowest in the group, ASX-listed Evolution Mining (ASX-EVN), produces at $674/oz. Barrick Gold(TSX, NYSE:ABX), the world's most valuable producer of the precious metal, was third on the list at $732 an ounce. Barrick's costs have dropped 12% in 2016, compared to 2015.

Topping the higher-cost end of the spectrum was Harmony Gold Mining (NYSE:HMY), which weighed in at$1,129/oz, followed byDetour Gold (TSX:DGF) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU), which had AISCs of $1,124/oz and US$1,047/oz, respectively.

Some highlights fromSNL Metals & Mining:

According to Scott Perry, Centerra's CEO, the company's favorable cost performance during 2016 can be attributed to the higher mill production and lower unit costs at the company's flagship Kumtor mine, compared with the previous year.

The acquisition of an economic interest in the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine in Queensland in November 2016 improved [Evolution Mining's]quarterly production by adding 14,257 oz of gold at AISC of A$114/oz. The acquisition is expected to further revamp the group's asset portfolio and improve its cost profile.

[Barrick] continued to strengthen its balance sheet, cutting debt and executing business development initiatives throughout the year. Continuing the trend, the company recently announced that it was consolidating its main assets in Nevada and expects to reduce gold production costs at its operations by US$100/oz.

According to Harmony's CEO, Peter Steenkamp, the 14% increase in all-in-sustaining costs (AISC) can be attributed to the labor cost increase under a three-year wage deal and to the winter tariffs during the period.

Read the full report here

Related: 10 mines still makinggood money if the gold price falls 50%

Excerpt from:

Centerra Gold, Evolution Mining were lowest-cost gold producers in Q4 - MINING.com

Add to favorites

Ciscos head of data centres for UK&I discusses data centre evolution and the transformation of the digital core.

Cisco is more well-placed than most to chart the evolution of networking. The giant of networking first burst onto the scene in 1984, launching the now humble router to revolutionise the networking world.

From those humble beginnings in routers, the networking giant today boasts full portfolios in all of the major market segments IoT, Cloud, IT and more. Sitting at the core of todays networking is the powerhouse that is the data centre a key piece of IT infrastructure which Cisco has seen, and helped, evolve.

Data centres of old, born from huge computer rooms, were comprised of early computer systems systems which were complex to maintain and needing a special environment in which to operate. The 1980s internet boom saw computers spring up everywhere and, coupled with the rise of Unix and Linux-compatible PC operating systems, saw the term data centre enter the colloquial language of nearly every big IT department.

However, the data centre of today is an entirely different beast;

Data centres are not just big bricks building, it can be that but its also evolving and I would talk about it more as a digital core which is kind of moving away from that physical entity data centre, Joachim Mason, Head of Data centres at Cisco UK&I, told CBR.

Digital core can be everything that you need from network, compute, storage, software and cloud which is all part of what youre doing to deliver applications and data for customers today.

Indeed, this may be the latest linguistic evolution of the data centre. The dot-com bubble saw the rise of the Internet data centre, then we had the cloud data centre, with each variation of the data centre term becoming more and more blurred until we reached todays ubiquitous data centre.

This latest iteration of the data centre, or digital core as Mr Mason calls it, also calls upon the organisation operating the data centre to evolve, with Cisco a case in point. Where once the networking giant was focussed on hardware, todays customers have different demands.

Its a constantly evolving thing and as technology has changed, so too has the mix of technology changed and what they are actually doing for people changes, said Mr Mason.

Things are evolving and changing and Cisco evolves and changes as we need to. Fundamentally what were most concerned with is solving the problems that our customers have which are technology based, so as their demands grow and their amount of data is growing they need an IT and data centre environment that can scale to fit with that and also be agile enough to be flexible with the demands.

Customer demand is driven by the IT buzzwords of today Cloud, Internet of Things, Big Data and Security. Each area is complex take the IoT for example. Gartner forecasts that 8.4 billion connected things will be in use across the world in 2017. That is a staggering 31% increase on 2016 numbers and nearly half way to the research firms 20.4 billion connected things forecast for 2020.

The old way of processing the data would see the backhauling of a data feed to a data centre, then pushing the processed data back out to the edge platform. However this way of processing comes up short when you take into account how important speed is for todays business. This has given rise to intelligence at the edge, which pushes the processing as close as possible to the source. This is just one way which data centre demand, network demand, has changed. Another area is security;

Where do you need security on your networks, as it is a thing that touches absolutely everything. It has a role as a platform, as an enforcer, as a sensor in security space and it also has the role of delivering applications and services out to all. So whether youre in front of a laptop or walking around outside, its the network thats giving you [security].

Cloud, big data, IoT all the buzzwords merge in working towards one common goal in the enterprise, Digital transformation. Digital is changing everything, as the UK data centre chief told CBR:

The term digitisation for one is used widely, its real and its happening leading to a lot of change for all industries including our own, so with that youre talking about changing processes mentally, making them more digital and agile in response to being intuitive.

It used to be that the only thing that happened during IT happened in IT organisations and its now at a point where were all much more savvy with technology than we were 10-20 years ago so we can access it from wherever we like without having to seek permission from someone.

This, for Cisco has changed the networking, and data centre, game. The focus now is keeping customers switched on, providing visibility, quick and easy deployment and always-on availability.

The software front end is what customers care about and what they need is for it to be there and connected quick, intuitive and all those things. The minute its not there the whole thing kind of goes to port so thats what we fundamentally care about.

As case in point, Cisco started the year with a new Tetration Analytics offering to deliver various deployment options. For instance, Ciscos ASAP (Analyse, Simplify, Automate and Protect) data centre gives organisations the ability to modernise their data centre and IT infrastructure with a hybrid IT solution.

It enables organisations to gain complete visibility across everything in the data centre in real time. This being part of its aim to also deliver a 100 percent customer visibility offering for network and software-defined network solutions.

Mason said: The delivery of applications will come from different places, so it might come from quite a traditional start with major players like SAP, Oracle and Microsoft that weve all grown up with in the industry and are built on a fairly traditional landscape

Whereas new sorts of applications, web scale and cloud native are kind of built and developed architecture in a different way, scaled in a different way and theres lots of applications that you can use on your phone that have kind of become common practice and natural for you to use. The reality is youve got to find a balance to how you deliver to customers.

Increasing amounts of data combined with a cloud-first approach for many organisations continues to further the evolution of the data centre. As some data centre providers sell up and get out of the business, the likes of Cisco continue to thrive due to its ability to embrace change.

While new technologies and the IT buzzwords will tend to steal the headlines, it is the sometimes unattractive infrastructure piece that makes all of this possible. As new technologies come along itll require continued agility from tech giants like Cisco to evolve the data centre, or digital core, powering future business.

More here:

The evolution of the data centre according to Cisco - Computer Business Review

INDIANAPOLIS After repeatedly failing to get creationism through the front door of Hoosier science classes, the Indiana Senate has instead decided to encourage individual educators who take the initiative to teach religious beliefs as fact.

The chamber voted 40-9 last month to adopt Senate Resolution 17, praising educators who "teach a diverse curriculum" and specifically citing those who present alternatives to biological evolution.

State Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Centerville, the sponsor, insisted the resolution only is a recommendation that teachers be allowed to address competing theories on the origin of life if questioned by students about the subject.

"It's not endorsing, necessarily, teaching creationism, or that global warming isn't true. But it is recommending that teachers wouldn't be crucified if they answered a student and conversation ensued in the classroom," Raatz said.

Raatz acknowleged there have been no incidents that he's aware of where an Indiana elementary or high school teacher has gotten in trouble for answering student questions.

Nevertheless, Raatz believes the resolution which does not have the force of law sends an important message to teachers who critique scientific norms that state senators support their efforts.

"There's no requirement in this thing; it's simply making a statement," Raatz said. "You don't have to be afraid of answering questions in the classroom."

Every Senate Republican, except state Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, supported the measure; it was uniformly opposed by Senate Democrats.

State Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, argued that the resolution actually undermines Indiana's efforts to promote science education and get students to pursue careers in technological fields.

"When I read it, it sounds like we are authorizing teachers to teach creationism in a science class," Stoops said.

State Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, pointed out that the broad wording of the resolution also seemingly opens the door for teachers to promote any controversial belief in the classroom, be it the benefits of illegal drug use or the need for the United States to adopt communism.

"It's a big danger," Mrvan said. "They could be talking about anything in the world and they won't be responsible for it."

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Merrillville, said he saw the resolution as unnecessary, because there's nothing currently preventing teachers from answering student questions in any way they see fit.

Raatz and state Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, co-sponsor of the resolution and Senate Education Committee chairman, have a history of promoting "teach the controversy" legislation concerning evolution.

In 2012, the Indiana Senate voted 28-22 for a Kruse plan authorizing schools to educate students on "various theories of the origin of life."

That measure died in the House when lawmakers realized all religious origin stories would have to be treated with equal reverence to comply with federal standards.

Kruse and Raatz also worked together in 2015 on an unsuccessful proposal that would have had students review "the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing conclusions and theories," particularly relating to human development.

Original post:

Indiana Senate declares support for educators who teach evolution alternatives - nwitimes.com

March 6, 2017 by Jon Tennant, Plos Blogs Credit: P. Rschli

One of the unique and most iconic features of many modern turtles is that they can withdraw their neck and head to hide and protect them within their shells. The group name of species which do this, Cryptodira, even means 'hidden-necked turtles' to reflect this unusual adaptation.

Turtles and their ancestors have been around for more than 200 million years now, and are a remarkable evolutionary success story. We know that by studying their fossils, the earliest turtle ancestors had rigid necks though, and were unable to retract them as modern species do.

New research from Jrmy Anquetin and colleagues has provided insight now into the reason this bizarre act evolved in turtles, showing that actually it occurred twice in their long history.

The team investigated a fossil turtle known as Platychelys from the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago, of Europe. Europe at this time was completely different to now it was more like an island archipelago, with warm shallow seas inhabited by a range of unusual and now extinct turtle species.

Intriguingly, the neck morphology of Platychelys was remarkably similar to its modern cryptodire relatives, indicating that it was at least partially capable of retracting its neck. It is able to do this by folding the neck muscles vertically, causing the neck to move inwards towards the torso, but apparently not quite enough to actually be of any use for protection.

Although the muscles of Platychelys are not preserved, the researchers were able to infer this based on the broad shape of the neck, or cervical, vertebrae, and the wide spacing between the parts of the bones that the muscles attached to. Cryptodires also have a double articulation on their neck vertebrae, a feature worth pointing out here only because the condition has the awesome name of 'ginglymoidy'.

As well as partially retracting its neck, it also seems that Platychelys was able to shoot it back out again. This is a method to ambush and capture its prey underwater, like some modern turtles are capable of doing, and especially useful to catch rapidly darting fish. This means that neck retraction for protection might even have evolved as a sort of additional, non-intentional function driven by the evolution of this mode of feeding in Platychelys.

As we see this sort of behaviour in modern turtles that are distantly related to Platychelys and separated by around 150 million years, this is an example of what is known as 'convergent evolution'. This is where different species have similar adaptations to their environment or ecology that are acquired independently but for the same purposes. In this case, neck retraction seems to have evolved multiple times to make capturing prey even easier, and originally had absolutely nothing to do with protection, as is commonly thought.

This adds an additional layer of complexity to our understanding of the early evolution of turtles, and the team will investigate this in more detail in the future by examining more fossils and trying to work out their feeding habits.

The article finishes by saying "We hope that this study will inspire other to continue exploring the evolution of cervical vertebrae in early crown group turtles."

Explore further: New insights into the family tree of modern turtles

More information: Jrmy Anquetin et al. A Jurassic stem pleurodire sheds light on the functional origin of neck retraction in turtles, Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/srep42376

Journal reference: Scientific Reports

Provided by: PLOS Blogs

This story is republished courtesy of PLOS Blogs: blogs.plos.org.

Animals need to measure the time of year so that they can anticipate and adapt to the arrival of a new season to align reproduction, as well as other vital functions critical for survival. A new study, conducted at the University ...

Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University and biomedical researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Magee-Womens Research Institute have established a framework for understanding the mechanics that underlie vesicle formation. ...

A small team of researchers with members from the University of California and the University of Michigan has found that some personality traits unique to a queen wasp are passed down to her offspring, the worker wasps. In ...

A new computational method can improve the accuracy of gene expression analyses, which are increasingly used to diagnose and monitor cancers and are a major tool for basic biological research.

Three species and three genera of birdeater spiders are described as new to science in a paper recently published in the open access journal ZooKeys. In their study, the Brazilian spider experts, Drs. Caroline Fukushima and ...

One of the unique and most iconic features of many modern turtles is that they can withdraw their neck and head to hide and protect them within their shells. The group name of species which do this, Cryptodira, even means ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

View original post here:

The evolution of turtle neck retraction - Phys.Org

Monday morning the White House rolled out the latest version of President Trumps immigration policy, with the president signing the revised executive order. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly detailed the revised language, which limited immigration from six majority-Muslim countries and dropped the exception carved out for religious minorities, which was seen by opponents as representing an unconstitutional form of religious discrimination.

The lineage of the order can be traced back to 2015 and the Republican primary, where in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, then-candidate Trump called for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. Below is a timeline of the travel bans evolution, from campaign promise to executive order to appeals court to todays revised version.

Dec. 7, 2015: At a campaign event in South Carolina, Trump announces his plans for a ban on Muslims traveling to the United States. By some interpretations, that could have covered not just immigrants but legal residents, even citizens. The statement read, Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on.

Without looking at the various polling data,the statement continued, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.

July 21, 2016: During his address at the Republican National Convention, Trump said, We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place.

When asked whether that quote meant a slight rollback from his original ban promise on Meet the Press three days later, Trump replied: I dont think so. I actually dont think its a rollback. In fact, you could say its an expansion. Im looking now at territories. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you cant use the word Muslim. Remember this. And Im OKwith that, because Im talking territory instead of Muslim.

Jan. 27, 2017: Late on his first full Friday in the White House, Trump signs an executive order entitled Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. The order indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) for 90 days.

Jan. 28:A series of protests at airports across the country take place, including a temporary halt in taxi service from JFK Airport in New York City. The ACLU wins an emergency stay on the ban in a New York federal court. Hameed Khalid Darweesh, an Iraqi interpreter who worked with U.S. military forces and had a Special Immigrant Visa, was initially detained at JFK but then released.

Its not a Muslim ban, but we were totally prepared. Its working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over, said Trump when asked about how the order was working.

Jan. 29: The Department of Homeland Security releases a statement saying that green card holders would be exempt from the ban. The White House had initially said that they would be subject to additional screening.

In an interview with Fox News, former New York City mayor and Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani said that Trump had asked him about how to legally implement a Muslim ban.

Jan. 30: Acting Attorney General Sally Yates is fired by Trump for refusing to defend the order. At present, wrote Yates in a letter to Justice Department lawyers, I am not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the Executive Order is lawful. Consequently, for as long as I am the Acting Attorney General, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the Executive Order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so.

Read More

Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration, read the White House statement announcing her termination. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country.

It was later reported that Yates had also advised the White House about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynns contact with Russian officials.

Trump tweets, If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the bad would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad dudes out there!

The revised order signed Monday doesnt go into effect for 10days.

Former President Barack Obamas office releases a statement:

President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said. In his final official speech as president, he spoke about the important role of citizens and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy not just during an election but every day.

Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. With regard to comparisons to President Obamas foreign policy decisions, as weve heard before, the president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.

The state of Washington announcesit is suing Trump over the ban, attempting to have it declared unconstitutional and asking for a temporary restraining order against its enforcement. It is joined by Minnesota.

Jan. 31: White House press secretarySean Spicer argues at a White House press briefing that the order is not a ban.

I think the president has talked about extreme vetting and the need to keep America safe for a very, very long time. At the same time, hes also made very clear that this is not a Muslim ban. Its not a travel ban. Its a vetting system to keep America safe. Thats it plain and simple, and all of the facts, and a reading of it, clearly show that thats what it is, Spicer said.

Yahoo News pointedout that Giuliani did not say the ban was based on religion, but instead suggested that it arose as a result of a desire for a Muslim ban.

Then you should ask Mayor Giuliani, Spicer replied. Thats thats his opinion. Im just telling you what the president has said, and what the president has done has been to focus on making sure that we keep the country safe and that the executive order that was drafted does just that.

Feb. 3:Federal Judge James Robart rules in favor of the states of Washington and Minnesotain a national halt of the executive order. The executive order adversely affects the states residents in areas of employment, education, business, family relations and freedom to travel, Robart, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. These harms are significant and ongoing.

The White House responded with a written statement: At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate. The presidents order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.

The White House later issued a revised statement without the word outrageous.

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned! said Trump via Twitter.

What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.? continued Trump. Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision. The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy!

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton rules in favor of the ban in a suit filed by the ACLU of Massachusetts, refusing to issue the stay because he believed the administration was likely to prevail, on the grounds that the president has broad powers over immigration.

Feb. 9: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rules 3-0 to uphold Robarts stay. The three judges said the states had shown that even temporary reinstatement of the ban would cause harm and that the U.S. government had not offered any evidence of national security concerns to justify banning travel from the seven countries.

Trump responded by tweeting, SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!

Feb. 10: At a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump is asked about how he would respond to the Ninth Circuit ruling against his order: Well be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. Youll be seeing that sometime next week. In addition, we will continue to go through the court process, and ultimately I have no doubt that well win that particular case.

Feb. 16:In a press conference, Trump says that hell institute a new immigration order, backing away from attempting to take the original immigration ban case to the Supreme Court.

Rather than continuing this litigation, the President intends in the near future to rescind the Order and replace it with a new, substantially revised Executive Order to eliminate what the panel erroneously thought were constitutional concerns, wrote Justice Department lawyers. In so doing, the President will clear the way for immediately protecting the country rather than pursuing further, potentially time-consuming litigation.

Feb.21: In a town hall on Fox News, White House policy adviser Stephen Miller says that the new immigration order will be fundamentally the same as the original order.

One of the big differences that you are going to see in the executive order is that it is going to be responsive to the judicial ruling which didnt exist previously, said Miller. And so these are mostly minor, technical differences. Fundamentally, you are still going to have the same, basic policy outcome for the country.

March 1: Plans to sign the executive order are pushed back following Trumps joint address to Congress. A senior administration official told CNN, We want the [executive order] to have its own moment.

March 6: Trump signs the revised immigration ban, which includes the original seven countries except for Iraq. The order goes into effect March 16 and revokes the Jan. 27 order.

See the article here:

Timeline: The evolution of Trump's travel ban - Yahoo News