Category Archives: Life Extension

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Renee Threlfall's research and extension focuses on processing and postharvest storage of specialty crops (wine grapes, muscadine grapes, table grapes, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, hops, etc.) and value-added processing of horticultural crops.

Renee Threlfall, a research scientist in enology and viticulture at the U of A, has been named winner of the Julian Miller Sr. Distinguished Researcher Award.

The award is presented by the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. It recognizes an outstanding record in research on one or more horticultural crops and in one or more areas of horticultural research for a period of 10 or more years.

Threlfall is a member of the faculty in the Department of Food Science in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. She is also a researcher and scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment State, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

Threlfall has been in the department more than 30 years, and has a split appointment between research, extension and teaching.

Her research and extension focuses on processing and postharvest storage of specialty crops (wine grapes, muscadine grapes, table grapes, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, hops, etc.) and value-added processing of horticultural crops. She has more than 40 refereed journal publications.

Threlfall teaches an introduction enology and viticulture class, Uncorked: Vines to Wines, each fall, and teaches enology, viticulture and sensory topics for grape and wine production in other food science classes.

She is a member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), ASEV-Eastern Section, American Wine Society, American Society for Horticultural Science, North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association and American Society of Brewing Chemists. She is on the Extension and Outreach Committee for the National Grape Research Alliance, is a member of the Arkansas Association of Grape Growers and serves on the Arkansas Wine Producers Council. She is also director of the Arkansas Quality Wine Program.

ASHS represents a broad cross-section of the horticultural community - scientists, educators, students, landscape and turf managers, government, extension agents and industry professionals. Members focus on practices and problems in horticulture: breeding, propagation, production and management, harvesting, handling and storage, processing, marketing and use of horticultural plants and products.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

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Food Scientist Threlfall Named ASHS Southern Region Distinguished Researcher - University of Arkansas Newswire

Zinc is an essential mineral found in almost all of your cells. You need it for growth, healing, and a healthy immune system. According to medical experts, zinc could even help protect you from respiratory viruses.

Often, youll get enough zinc from foods like meat, seafood, and whole grains, and deficiencies are rare in the United States.

That said, if youre pregnant, breastfeeding or chestfeeding, following a meat-free diet, have a medical condition like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you may benefit from boosting your zinc levels with a supplement.

But not all zinc supplements are created equal. So if youre zinc-ing of adding a supplement to your daily routine, this roundup spills the tea on some of the best.

We consulted nutritional therapist, Julie Stewart for some expert advice to create our list of the best zinc supplements.

With so many zinc supplements available, choosing the right one can be challenging. However, these zinc supplements stand above the rest.

Thorne is a science brand developing products at its own dedicated research and lab facilities. Each product goes through four rounds of testing, which is better than most.

That commitment has helped its supplements earn certification from NSF International and Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). It also meets standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Thornes efforts make its zinc picolinate one of the best overall zinc supplements available, and a deserving top pick. Plus, because it contains zinc picolinate, the body can absorb it more easily than the zinc some other supplement brands use.

Its also free from gluten, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial preservatives, substances banned by major athletic groups, and allergens. So keeping those fillers out makes Thorne Zinc Picolinate suitable for most people.

Each capsule contains 30 mg of zinc picolinate. Take one capsule daily or follow your doctors advice. The capsules are easy to swallow and have helped some users improve their skin. However, as they can make you drowsy, its a good idea to take them at night.

Those who follow a vegan diet have to be careful of zinc supplements, as many brands seal their products in gelatin capsules. If youre steering clear of animal products, then our top vegan choice is a great option. Its made without gelatin and other animal products, so you can enjoy the benefits guilt-free. Theyre also organic, gluten-free, and free from GMOs.

Take two capsules for 30 mg of zinc derived from brown rice chelate. Each dose also includes 60 mg of raw vitamin C from a blend of raw fruits and veggies. The addition of probiotics and enzymes may improve digestion.

Most users say these pills are easy to swallow and can be taken with or without food. However, you can also open them up and stir them into water, juice, or a smoothie. According to satisfied users and research, zinc helps with clear skin and better immune health.

There are several gluten-free zinc supplements on the market, but if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, MegaFood Zinc is one of the best.

People who avoid gluten often need to avoid other ingredients like dairy and soy. MegaFood Zinc is free of all these common irritants. Its also so kind on tummies that you can take it with or without food.

Its ingredients are also kosher, non-GMO, and certified vegan, so they suit various dietary requirements. However, it does get its 22.5 mg of zinc from S. Cerevisiae, which is a type of yeast. That means its unsuitable for anyone with a yeast allergy and may cause similar symptoms as a gluten flare.

Along with the yeast, MegaFood Zinc capsules contain a blend of veggies like spinach, carrot, broccoli, and beets. Unlike many brands, a single capsule is your daily dose. Some people say the capsules have improved their immune systems and energy levels.

NutriGold Zinc Gold is certified by the United States Department of Agricultures National Organic Program, so you can trust its ingredients are at least 95 percent organic.

Its zinc comes from organic, non-GMO sprouted whole foods. The blend of guava leaves, lentil sprouts, and bean sprouts gives each capsule 15 mg of zinc. NutriGold claims these ingredients make its single-dose capsules kinder on tummies.

It might seem like a small thing, but NutriGolds glass jars get a big tick from us. Using glass instead of plastic, even BPA-free plastic, helps keep your supplements pure and chemical-free. When you buy organic, its good to know your supplements are free of contaminants.

If you want a pure zinc supplement free of chemicals and other nasties, NutriGold Zinc Gold is a great choice. However, it doesnt have the added vitamins of many brands.

If you prefer a zinc boost when you need it rather than a daily supplement, Life Extension Enhanced Zinc Lozenges could be a match made in heaven.

Suck on these peppermint-flavored lozenges for 18.75 mg of zinc acetate.

Life Extension claims its lozenges deliver positively charged zinc ions to your immune system. Try them when you first notice cold symptoms and you could get back on your feet sooner. Yep, a 2020 analysis found zinc supplements may reduce the duration of a cold by 2.25 days.

Many people claim they do the job well, but their large size and strong flavor are barriers for some. Some people also experience minor side effects, including dry mouth and stomach cramps.

If you can handle them, though, you may appreciate Life Extensions commitment to quality ingredients. The lozenges use vegetarian ingredients that are free from GMOs and gluten. Take them once a cold takes hold or as the seasons change to boost your immunity.

If you dont love capsules, Metagenics Zinc Drink may suit you better. Each teaspoon dose contains 15 mg of zinc sulfate and deionized water. In addition, its free from additives, preservatives, GMOs, gluten, and meat ingredients.

This is one of the more expensive zinc supplements on the market. You get what you pay for, though, with each batch tested to ensure it makes the grade. As with all Metagenics products, this zinc drink meets NSF and TGA regulations. Its also verified by United States Pharmacopeia (USP).

Most users say this zinc drink is tasteless and odorless, so you can take it on its own. If you prefer, you can also mix it into a glass of water or juice. Satisfied users say it effectively shortens their cold symptoms, including sore throats and fevers. The research agrees that zinc can shorten the duration of colds.

NOW Foods Zinc Glycinate Softgels use a chelating agent to aid absorption and effectiveness. Some users agree with their effectiveness. However, others have still reported upset stomachs after taking them.

They might not be a silver bullet, but if your systems sensitive, these softgels may work for you. Each softgel has 30 mg of zinc glycinate and 250 mg of pumpkin seed oil. They have a neutral taste, and most users say they go down easily. They do contain gelatin and beeswax, too, so look elsewhere if youre vegetarian or vegan.

NOW Foods takes quality seriously, so its supplements are certified by Underwriters Laboratories. It also follows good manufacturing practices (GMP) to ensure every batch is up to scratch. NOW Foods Zinc Glycinate Softgels are also more affordable than many zinc supplements.

Everyones different, so the zinc supplement your friends love might not necessarily be the best choice for you. These tips can help you find the zinc supplement thats optimal for your needs.

Zinc supplements are available online and over the counter but getting medical advice on them is still a good idea. Your doctor knows your medical history, so they can suggest how much zinc you need. They may suggest a supplement with the recommended daily allowance of zinc or suggest more if you have a certain medical condition that impacts zinc absorption, or youre eating a meat-free diet, pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Your dietary needs impact everything you put in your mouth, including your supplements. If you have allergies or intolerances to ingredients such as gluten or yeast, look for supplements free from that stuff. If youre following a vegetarian or vegan diet, look for supplements labeled for these diets. Browse the ingredients list to make sure theyre suitable for you.

Zinc supplements are available in a variety of forms. Tablets and capsules are the most common, but some peeps find liquids easier to swallow. There are also lozenges that you can suck like candy. Choose a supplement you can take easily.

Most online stores show unbiased ratings and comments from users. Read them to decide whether the supplement gets the results you want. The comments can also alert you to any potential side effects. This preliminary research can help you feel confident in your choice.

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The 7 Best Zinc Supplements of 2022: Reviews and Advice - Greatist

AMES, Iowa Candy, cards or flowers may bring smiles on Valentines Day, but developing a healthy relationship takes more effort than a once-a-year tradition, according to Danielle Day, human sciences specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Februarys focus on relationships makes it a great time to reconnect with your partner. Those strong relationships not only make you healthier, but they also are the basis for strong families all year long, said Day, who specializes in family wellbeing.

The quality of a couple relationship, regardless of the family structure, directly affects the children. The research is clear: healthy relationships, and resulting family stability, promote the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of adults and children, Day said.

Couples can explore how to focus on the positive and strengthen their connection by participating in Elevate: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level, a virtual workshop series from ISU Extension and Outreach. The program will take place four Wednesdays (March 23 and 30, and April 6 and 13), 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Cost for the program is $175 per couple or $99 per individual and includes a workbook and materials for each person. For more information and to register, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/elevate.

The information presented will be based on a relationship education curriculum developed by the National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Network. The workshops will cover the following topics:

All relationships take work and commitment, but when we focus on the positive and growing with each other, we strengthen our connection for a healthy relationship. You can explore these tips and more in the upcoming virtual Elevate: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level series, Day said.

Photo credit: rocketclips/stock.adobe.com

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Focusing on Healthy Relationships Creates Strong Families - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Which do you prefer: radical life extension? Cybernetic immortality? Resurrection of the body? Or, just death as endless oblivion?

Transhumanism also known as Humanity Plus or H+ plans to solve all human problems with advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence). One H+ goal is to cure death. Without the threat of death, we could elect to live forever. Either in your body or in disembodied form. Are you interested?

Here are four options. Check the box you prefer.

1 Natural death as the end of all conscious existence.

2 Radical Life Extension (RLE) in your present body.

3 Cybernetic Immortality (CI): your consciousness lives on in the computer cloud.

4 Resurrection of the body as promised in 1 Corinthians 15.

In this post the public theologian will explore the contrast between radical life extension and resurrection in light of transhumanist promises. Whether via Radical Life Extension in the body or Cybernetic Immortality in disembodied form, enhanced human intelligence and consciousness have an unending future. So we are promised. Should we trust this techno-promise? Or, should we trust Gods promise of resurrection from the body, the soma pneumatikon? What does it take for us greet the end of life with contentment?

Tracy Trothen and Calvin Mercer are the indefatigable chroniclers of the interaction between Religion and the Technological Future.

Here, in this post, I offer the third in a series of column posts tackling the religious, ethical, and social concerns raised by genetic engineering, AI (artificial intelligence), IA (intelligence amplification), transhumanism, and posthumanism. First, we asked: H+ 1: Is AI a shortcut to virtue? Or to holiness? Then, secondly, we examined varieties of religious transhumanism in the post: H+ 2: The Transhuman, the Posthuman, and the Truly Human. Here we take up one specific issue: how do we compare multiple scenarios for life extension and immortality?

Death is natural, right? Death is the irreversible cessation of the processes that keep the body working, observes physicist and theologian John Polkinghorne. Death really is the end. Its annihilation (Polkinghorne 2019, 49). With death comes oblivion.

Yet, the prospect of falling from existence into non-existence at the moment of death issues forth in anxiety. In the anxiety of having to die nonbeing is experienced from the inside, says theologian Paul Tillich. This anxiety is potentially present in every moment. It permeates the whole of mans being; it shapes soul and body and determines spiritual life; it belongs to the created character of being quite apart from estrangement and sin(Tillich 1951-1963, 1:193-194).

Is death a disease that needs to be cured? Bioethicist Gilbert Meilaender denies that aging and death belong in the disease category. Unlike disease, he says, aging is a natural stage of life that seems built in (Meilaender 2013, 2). We should live within the limits of death and aging by cultivating the virtue of patience.

If you check this first option, you elect to end your embodied consciousness and to drop from being into nonbeing. Can you be patient with this?

Transhumanists define death as a disease. Like other diseases, medical science will cure death. Then, we can live in our present bodies indefinitely.

One clarification. Lets distinguish between the aim of longevity research (LR) and radical life extension (RLE). LR is being pursued by the Buck Institute, Geron Corporation, Michael D. Wests Therapeutics, and other laboratories. Both LR and RLE belong to the prolongevity club. Note that LR is modest while H+ RLE is dramatic. Big bucks finance both. (Photo: Aubrey de Grey)

Oxford transhumanist Nick Bostrom sells stock in both LR and RLE because of the potentially enormous returns, in terms of human welfare, to investment in biogerontological research if it could lead to a further significant extension of the human health span.

Cambridge geneticist and biogerontologist Aubrey deGrey proclaims that science must triumph over what has hitherto been natures province, namely, aging and natural death. There is a good chance aging can be entirely defeated within the next few decades, de Grey writes. The speed of speed is speeding up, meaning that the relevant laboratory research is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace. The longevity escape velocity or LEV is spiraling upward(DeGrey 2009, 21).

In the race for a life of a thousand years, the runner still needs to dodge incidental death threats. Referring to RLE as practical immortality, Calvin Mercer and Tracy Trothen alert us to remain alert. Practical immortality means that one will not die from internal biological causes that have been associated with aging, but one could still die of such things as accidental causes, a new infectious disease, natural disasters, or a cosmic event(C. a. Mercer 2021, 72).

Radical life extension consists of the prolongation of terrestrial embodied living as we have known it minus the deterioration of aging and the portent of an end to life. Unless we get run over by a bus or shot in a war, we can expect over the centuries an unending number of stints on the altar guild or picnics with the PTA. Are you ready for this?

RLE is embodied immortality. Cybernetic immortality is disembodied.

The aim of the cybernetic prolongevists is to dislodge our consciousness and our intelligence from our biological substrate and upload it into a computer. As long as the computer battery remains charged, we will live in a disembodied electronic cloud virtually forever. Immortality can be attained here by uploading the information stored in our brain, a process called whole brain emulation.

How might this work? Cybernetic immortality could be attained, according to computer whiz Ray Kurzweil, because intelligence is not dependent upon our biological substrate. Kurzweil, transhumanist in mind-set even if not in name, defines intelligence as an information pattern and, as an information pattern, our intelligence could be transferred from our brain to a computer. The current substrate that houses this information pattern is our body, the eighty to ninety billion neurons in our brain. Could this neuronal information be transferred to a disembodied digital substrate? Yes, say transhumanists.

Our intelligence can live on in an enhanced form even when extricated from our bodies and placed in a computer. Uploading a human brain means scanning all of its salient details and then reinstantiating those details into a suitably powerful computational substrate. This process would capture a persons entire personality, memory, skills, and history (Kurzweil 2005, 198-199). From Kurzweils forecast of the Singularity by the year 2045, todays 2045 Initiative has begun to organize the research.

Kurzweil, like others in the H+ movement, plans to derive Homo cyberneticus from modifying Homo sapiens. Once our minds are uploaded, we will become a new species, a posthuman species. The present generation giving birth to the future posthuman species is made up of the transhumanists.

Have we seen this before? Remember Ren Descartes (1596-1650)? Descartes was a substance dualist. Our body is a physical substance while are mind or soul is a spiritual substance. By performing a soulechtomy, God could extract the soul from its physical housing, said Descartes. Now the transhumanist can do what before only God could do, allegedly.

Would you like to live indefinitely bodiless in the computer cloud?

Is it realistic to anticipate the defeat of death and unending finite life? This question must be addressed on two levels, one psychological and the other scientific.

A curious argument has broken out over the psychological acceptance of living indefinitely. Transhumanists are convinced that nobody wants to die. The transhumanists are probably right on this point.

But, does it follow that everybody wants to life forever? This, it turns out, is a matter of debate. University of Liverpool philosopher Michael Hauskeller believes the transhumanists commit the Immortality Fallacy here. If you ask people whether they want to die, most of them will indeed deny it. However, if you as, the same people whether they want to go on living forever, you may find that most will deny this too. It is quite possible that a person does not want to die and still does not want to live forever(Hauskeller 2013, 89).

In short, the question of living forever is independent of the question of death. That a person does not normally want to die does not imply that the same person does not ever want to die (i.e. in the future), adds Pablo Garca-Barranquero at Universidad de Mlaga(Garcia-Barranquero 2021, 183).

Now we ask scientifically, is RLE realistic? Probably not. LR is not likely to lead to RLE, at least according to Michael Shermer, writing in Scientific American, Radical Life Extension Is Not around the Corner(Shermer 2016, 84).

If RLE is not realistic, might cybernetic immortality be realistic? Scientifically speaking, probably not. Kurzweils presupposed theory that the human mind is an information pattern extractible from the brain does not square with what is known about mind, intelligence, and consciousness.

First, human intelligence is not limited to the brain. It is distributed throughout the body by the nervous system.

Second, all thinking includes biological stimulus and interaction, much of it with the surrounding world(Peters, Where Theres Life Theres Intelligence 2017). Intelligence is relational. dependent on the relationship of the body to the world. Our intelligent minds are inextricably embodied and relational.

Computer scientist and theologian Noreen Herzfeld, for example, emphasizes that we cannot be who we are except in relationship to others and to our natural world (Herzfeld 2002, 86-95). In short, disembodied consciousness or mental activity does not make scientific sense. (Photo: Noreen Herzfeld)

The acknowledgment of embodiment makes neuroscientists critical of the concept of cybernetic immortality. Kurzweils knowledge of neuroscience is imply inadequate to the task at hand.He mistakes the striatum for cortex and apical dendrites for axons, belies the cognitive contributions of the basal ganalia.Yet he [Kurzweil] has the unerring belief of the prophet or the fool.(Koch 2013, 760). Are transhumanists fools?

Would you be a prophet or a fool to check the cybernetic immortality box?

Caution. Some in faith communities react spasmodically: H+ should immediately be shunned! Why? Because H+ represents human hubris. Because H+ constitutes playing God like Frankenstein.

Rather than simply kicking our H+ friends, however, I recommend pausing to take a deep breath. Then allot a few moments to compare and contrast RLE and CI with the biblical promise of resurrection.

When we turn to biblical Christianity, the question of immortality does not stand alone. Standing right alongside of resurrection is the forgiveness of sin and redemption from evil. Death constitutes a cleansing, so to speak. We become washed in the blood of the lamb.

Before approaching omega, lets return for a moment to alpha. Lets return to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2 and 3. Why did God expel Adam and Eve from the garden and place an angel with the fiery sword next to the No Admittance sign? Was God throwing a temper tantrum in response to the eating of the forbidden fruit? No. Adam and Eve had certainly eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but they had not yet tasted the fruit from another important tree in the garden. That was the Tree of Life. Had they eaten from the Tree of Life, then they would live forever (Genesis 3:22). That is, we human beings would live forever in our sin, never able to escape the vicissitudes of betrayal, victimization, suffering, agony, and anxiety anticipating all of this. Evil would then have to be endured everlastingly. Here is the point: death is Gods gift. By sending Adam and Eve to their death, God was graciously bestowing escape from everlasting distress and misery.

What about sin and evil? Our transhumanist friends are as cognizant of sin as a public monument is cognizant of the pigeon excreta that adorns it. That is, they ignore it.

Here is the implication: RLE and CI would perpetuate unendingly human malevolence and victimization. New Testament historian, N.T. Wright reminds us: The kingdoms of the world rage against the kingdom of God; the problem of evil grows teeth and claws, leaping out with a snarl from the debating halls of the philosophers and on to the stage of the real world, turning gardens into deserts and human lives to dust and ashes.Evil is alive and powerful(Wright, Evil and the Justice of God 2006, 38).

It is decisive, then, in Christian theology that when we die we really die to this world. Death is total. No soulecthtomy. No mind extraction. No residuals from this life are carried on. Or, more precisely, the sins and sufferings of this life die with us.

The purpose and meaning of our individual and social lives, to be sure, come to fulfillment in our resurrection. We undergo both discontinuity and continuity as we pass through death into resurrection.

In order to convey this point, Saint Paul employs the seed analogy. A seed in the hand looks dead. Its dry. Inert. But, when we plant it in the garden with fertilizer and water, it springs up with flower or fruit, with beauty or nourishment. This describes, at least in part, what it is like for you and me to die and be raised by God.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable (corrupt, pthora), what is raised is imperishable (incorrupt, aphtharsia).It is sown in dishonour (atimia), it is raised in glory (doxa). It is sown in weakness (astheneia), it is raised in power (dynameis).It is sown a physical body (soma psychikon), it is raised a spiritual body (soma pneumatikon). If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. (I Corinthians 15:42-44).

Note Pauls term for physical body, soma psychikon. That is an ensouled body, a body with a mind. Body and soul along with our intelligence die. Kaput. Kafinished. Over. No cybernetic immortality here.

Paul stresses that what is redeemed is healed, renewed, transformed. In the resurrection we will be made ready by Gods grace for eternal life. Thats what soma pneumatikon indicates, a spiritual body.

To be spiritual does not mean to be ethereal. The resurrected body is still a body, only healed.

Let me mention again that I am editing a book with Arvin Gouw and Brian Patrick Green,Religious Transhumanism and Its Critics(Roman & Littlefield, 2022). Watch for it.

Now, which box did you check?

Our transhumanist friends will attempt to make us immortal so we can live forever in this world, this fallen world. The biblical eschatological vision, in contrast, anticipates a transformation of the world coincidental with our resurrection. Cosmic eschatology and personal eschatology coincide. Eschatology has always to be both universal and individual, says Wolfhart Pannenberg rightly (Pannenberg 1991-1998, 3:543). The consummation of Gods redemptive work for the whole of the cosmos provides the backdrop for our personal resurrection from the graves oblivion. Jesus Easter resurrection is a prolepsis of your and my resurrection.

Reformed theologian and bioethicist Ronald Cole-Turner, sets up the parallel between H+ and the biblical promise. Technology offers to give us what we want, or at least what most of us think we wantlonger life, youthful bodies, greater health, and mental ability. Christianity invites us to give up what we want, indeed to give up life itself, as the one condition for real life(Cole-Turner 2009, 58).

The New Testament message is that the God who raised Jesus from the dead on the first Easter will greet us on the other side of deaths darkness. The light beyond deaths darkness is the light of the world, the brilliance of a redeemed cosmos. This is the gospels call to trust, to trust when we cannot be in control.

Ted Peters directs traffic at the intersection of science, religion, and ethics. Peters is a professor at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), where he co-edits the journal, Theology and Science, on behalf of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS), in Berkeley, California, USA. He is author of Playing God? Genetic Determinism and Human Freedom (Routledge, 2nd ed., 2002) and editor of AI and IA: Utopia or Extinction? (ATF 2019). Watch for Teds forthcoming book, The Voice of Public Christian Theology (ATF 2022). Visit his website: TedsTimelyTake.com.

Cole-Turner, Ronald. 2009. Extreme Longevity Research: A Progressive Protestant Perspective. In Religion and the Implications of Radical Life Extension, by ed Calvin Mercer, 50-62. New York: Macmillan Palgrave.

DeGrey, Aubry. 2009. Radical Life Extension: Technological Aspects. In Religion and the Implications of Radical Life Extension, by eds. Derek F. Mather and Calvin Mercer, 13-24. New York: Macmillan Palgrave.

Garcia-Barranquero, Pablo. 2021. Transhumanist Immortality: Understanding the Dream as a Nightmare. Scientia et Fides 9:1 177-196.

Hauskeller, Michael. 2013. Better Humans? Understanding the Enchantment Project. London: Routledge.

Herzfeld, Noreen. 2002. In Our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit. Minneapolis MN: Fortress.

Koch, Christoph. 2013. The End of the Beginning for the Brain. Science 339:6121 759-760.

Kurzweil, Ray. 2005. The Singularity if Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. New York: Penguin.

Meilaender, Bilbert. 2013. Should We Live Forever? The Ethical Ambiguities of Aging. Grand Rapids MI: Wm B Eerdmans.

Mercer, Calvin. 2015. Whole Brain Emulation Requires Enhanced Theology, and a Handmaiden. Theology and Science 13:2 175-186.

Mercer, Calvin, and Tracy Trothen. 2021. Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence, and Transhumanism. New York: Macmillan Palgrave.

Pannenberg, Wolfhart. 1991-1998. Systematic Theology, 3 Volumes. Grand Rapids MI: Wm B Eerdmans.

Peters, Ted. 2017. Where Theres Life Theres Intelligence. In What is Life? On Earth and Beyond, by ed Andreas Losch, 236-259. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Polkinghorne, John. 2019. What can we hope for? Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Shermer, Michael. 2016. Radical Life Extensiion is NOT around the Corner. Scientific American 316:10 84.

Tillich, Paul. 1951-1963. Systematic Theology. 1st. 3 Volumes: Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Wright, NT. 2007. Cosmic Future: Progress or Despair? In From Resurrection to Return: Perspectives from Theology and Science on Christian Eschatology, by Christine Ledger, and Stephen Picard, eds James Haire, 5-31. Adelaide: ATF Press.

. 2006. Evil and the Justice of God. London: SPCK.

Young, Simon. 2006. Designer Evolution: A Transhumanist Manifesto. Amherst NY: Prometheus Books.

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H+ 3: Radical Life Extension? Cybernetic Immortality? Or Resurrection of the Body? - Patheos

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The military cant say at this point when C-295 fixed-wing aircraft will be available for missions.

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The Canadian militarys new fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft wont be operating this summer as originally planned because of delays caused by the pandemic and other technical issues.

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The military cant say at this point when C-295 fixed-wing aircraft will be available for missions.

National Defence spokesperson Dan Le Bouthillier said the plan was to have the new aircraft reach an initial operational capability in the summer. However this timeline is shifting to allow for aircraft certification and qualification which has been running longer than anticipated as a result of the volume and complexity of the work associated with developing the CC-295 capability, and the global COVID-19 pandemic situation, he explained in an email.

A revised schedule is currently being subjected to an extensive analysis that itself will take some time to complete because of its complexity, Le Bouthillier added.

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Sources told this newspaper there are also technical concerns regarding a centre-of-gravity issue due to the cabin configuration of the CC-295, commonly referred to as C-295, as well as problems involving search-and-rescue technicians parachuting from the planes back ramp.

Were aware of the parachute and gravity issues, which is why we conduct testing and trials, Le Bouthillier confirmed. In short, these are problems that will be addressed as we work towards ensuring the fleet is safe for operational use.

Canada announced in December 2016 that it was purchasing 16 C-295 aircraft for fixed-wing search and rescue as part of a $2.2-billion project. Initial operational capability for the new fleet was supposed to be mid-2021. That was later revised to summer 2022.

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Le Bouthillier said there are currently four C-295 aircraft in Canada and five at the manufacturers facility in Spain. Aircraft qualification work was ongoing in both locations, he added.

Earlier this month, the Royal Canadian Air Force removed from service its aging Buffalo search-and-rescue planes. Until the C-295s become operational, Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg will be used for search-and-rescue response on the west coast. Some of those aircraft will be based out of Comox, B.C., during the high-tempo period in the summer and will hold response posture from their home base at 17 Wing Winnipeg during periods of low operational tempo, according to the RCAF. In addition, up to five Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters will be available.

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But that type of interim solution is dangerous, says the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union-Unifor, which represents those involved in the west coast fishing industry.

We are working all-year-round, union president James Lawson said. Emergencies just dont happen during the busy season.

Lawson noted that fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft were essential to any response to an emergency and were able to cover large search areas. If a Hercules has to travel from Winnipeg to get to the west coast rescue location, that puts those seeking help at risk, he added.

Lawson said the union would raise the issue with members of Parliament and hope they respond. It doesnt seem right to begin with that we have to ask MPs to make sure were treated properly, he said. We shouldnt have to argue for safety.

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The Hercules aircraft, which are already widely used in a search-and-rescue role, are capable of responding quickly to emergencies such as ships in distress in challenging weather, the RCAF says. They can be used to parachute search-and-rescue technicians, emergency gear and food, life rafts, bailing pumps, arctic survival gear and illumination flares to support rescue missions.

The interim capability involving the Hercules will be in place until the new C-295 fleet is fully operational. That could happen in 2024 or 2025.

The RCAF says it had no choice but to remove the Buffalo aircraft from service. The fleet underwent a life extension program, which ensured the planes were able to safely and effectively support search-and-rescue operations up to Jan. 15, 2022. With the life extension program now concluded, the Buffalo was no longer able to support operations, the RCAF noted.

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Canadian military's new search and rescue aircraft wont be operating this summer - Ottawa Sun

By 2030 half of all UK wind farms will be over 20 years old. Not only will the wind turbines have reached the end of their design life after 20 years, but the projects leases, planning permission and other contracts will have been structured around this 20 year period.

The owners of aging wind farms have a range of end-of-life options. The default position will be to dismantle the installation, remediate the site and to restore it to its former use.

However, as these early projects reach the end of their design life their current owners may wish to extract some additional value from them by:

As far as leases, planning permissions, grid connections, off-take agreements and maintenance contracts (the Project Documents) are concerned, many of the same considerations will arise whether a project owner opts for an extension of life, repowering, or developing a new project.

However, there are some practical advantages to extending a projects life or repowering it when compared to developing a project at a new site:

1) The wind resources at the site of an existing project will be well known

2) The grid connection will be in place and the original environmental assessments for the project may provide the basis for faster assessment of the extended or repowered project

3) There is less likely to be resistance from the nearby community to an existing wind farm

Wind farm leases do not generally contain options to extend them so extensions will need to be agreed the landowner.

Also, unlike most planning permission in England and Wales, planning permission for a wind farm includes a standard condition that means it expires after a fixed time, after which the project must be decommissioned.

An owner who only seeks to extend the life of a project (with no change to the equipment on site) may be able to do so by postponing the expiry of planning permission through a variation to the conditions which govern expiry.

Where the economics of repowering are such that it would be worthwhile to replace the existing wind turbines with more powerful newer models before the end of their 20 year design life, there will be additional considerations to those mentioned above if the project benefits from subsidies, if there are long-term contracts or existing project finance in place.

Many operating wind farms will, in due course, benefit from life extension or repowering.

The difference between success and failure could come down to starting the process of assessing what changes are required to the Project Documents early enough to ensure that the owner does not run out of time in getting replacements agreed before the existing contracts expire and the decommissioning obligations contained in the projects planning permission come into force.

Read more here:

Time to wind down? End of life options for the UK's ageing wind farms - Energy Voice

From: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 2-3 p.m., Ed Jones, associate dean and director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, will share his vision for the future of Cooperative Extension that marries its rich history of impact with bold ideas on how the organization will continue to serve its constituents in a rapidly evolving world.

Jones received the 2021 Distinguished Service Ruby Award the most prestigious level of recognition from Epsilon Sigma Phi, one of the oldest organizations of Extension professionals for his outstanding leadership, innovative thinking, and sustained exceptional performance across his 37 years in Cooperative Extension.

Register now for the virtual The Future of Cooperative Extension program to join the event on Zoom. The link will be provided upon registration for the event.

This event is sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization.

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'The Future of Cooperative Extension' virtual event to be held Feb. 9 - Virginia Tech Daily

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Genetically Altered Pig by Roni Caryn Rabin

On Jan. 7, doctors in Maryland successfully transplanted a pigs heart into a human. The breakthrough may lead one day to new supplies of animal organs for transplant into human patients, Roni Caryn Rabin writes.

In this lesson, you will learn about the groundbreaking procedure and consider its place within the greatest medical advancements in history. In Going Further activities, we invite you to research other recent medical breakthroughs and to speculate on how far the field of medicine might extend life.

What, in your opinion, are the greatest medical achievements of all time?

With a partner or small group, brainstorm medical innovations and advances throughout history, such as aspirin, Band-Aids, X-rays, contraceptives and the recent coronavirus vaccine. Which do you think have made the biggest impact, whether by reducing pain, suffering and disease; giving comfort; or extending human life?

Then, choose one advancement from your list and make a one-minute case to the rest of the class for why it could be the single greatest medical achievement of all time.

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. Why was an eight-hour surgery in Baltimore on Jan. 7 global news? In your own words, describe what happened and why you believe it is making headlines around the world.

2. Understand the importance of organ replacement by finding some numbers in this article: How many Americans received a transplanted organ last year? How many people received human donor hearts last year? How many people are waiting for kidneys and other organs? And how many people on lists waiting for organs die each day? Taken together, what do these numbers tell you about the need for organ replacements in this country?

3. Who is David Bennett Sr. and why did he decide to gamble on the experimental treatment? Would you ever consider participating in a risky and experimental trial like Mr. Bennett did?

4. The article states that xenotransplantation, the process of grafting or transplanting organs or tissues from animals to humans, has a long history. Which examples from the article did you find most fascinating or significant?

5. Why a pig heart? What advantages do pigs offer over other animals for organ procurements?

6. Dr. David Klassen, the chief medical officer of the United Network for Organ Sharing and a transplant physician, called the news of the successful transplant a watershed event. Do you agree? How significant do you think it is? Return to your list from the warm up. Where would you place this pioneering surgery, or organ transplants more generally, on your list of greatest medical achievements?

7. Do you think that the use of animal organs for human transplants will become commonplace in the next 10 or 20 years? Should they? What ethical questions and concerns, if any, does the article raise for you?

Option 1: Learn more about other medical advances.

A mechanical womb to grow mouse embryos. A drug that brings drastic weight loss to patients with obesity. An unexpected key to understanding hair loss. These are just a few of the recent medical innovations and breakthroughs covered by The Times.

Choose one of the articles below or search for one that grabs your interest on the Timess Health topic page. Then, write or discuss with a partner: What is your reaction to the article? What was the most fascinating, surprising, provocative or memorable thing you learned? What questions do you still have about the scientific breakthrough you read about?

Option 2: Share your thoughts and opinions: How long can medical advancements extend life?

Last century, the average human life expectancy doubled. Medical and social advances such as the development of antibiotics and vaccines reduced childhood deaths, mitigated diseases of old age and vastly prolonged life. In Can We Live to 200?, Nicholas St. Fleur, Chloe Williams and Charlie Wood presented 43 advances that could radically extend life spans over the next 100 years. Look at the interactive timeline, then respond to the following prompts:

Which scientific advancements and breakthroughs in the article do you most look forward to? Which do you think will most likely come to fruition?

By 2100, how long might people be able to live? Do you think humans will reach the ages of 130, 150 or even 200?

Does the possibility of radical life extension intrigue, surprise, excite or even scare you? Would you want to live to 200? How long would you want to live, if you could choose your life span?

If you are interested in joining a conversation with other students, share your thoughts in our related Student Opinion prompt.

Additional Teaching and Learning Opportunities:

Learn more about the science behind the story: Read Heres How Scientists Pulled Off the First Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant from Science.org, which details how the effort involved genetic engineering, an experimental drug and cocaine. How did the article add to or change your understanding of the first successful transplant of a pigs heart into a human? What was most interesting or surprising? What questions do you still have?

Explore bioethical issues further: The Times later reported that Mr. Bennett Sr. had a criminal record stemming from an assault 34 years ago in which he repeatedly stabbed a young man, leaving him paralyzed. The victims brother and people on social media expressed outrage and questioned the choice to select Mr. Bennett as the recipient of the pioneering transplant procedure. However, Karen J. Maschke, a research scholar at the Hastings Center and the editor of the journal Ethics & Human Research, said, Theres a longstanding standard in medical ethics that physicians dont pick and choose who they treat. Read the article and give your reaction: How should we decide who receives a lifesaving treatment? Should a patients history affect the decision? Why or why not?

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.

See the rest here:

Lesson of the Day:In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Genetically Altered Pig - The New York Times

(Salt Lake City) January 20, 2022 The Cook Center for Human Connection today announced a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Share My Lesson platform to make the new teen mental health animated series and extension lessons available for free to 1.9 million educators. My Life is Worth Living is the first animated series about teen mental health and suicide prevention and is produced by the Cook Center, a Utah-based non-profit dedicated to eradicating suicide and advocating for mental health and wellness, in partnership with Wonder Media. The series is available in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese and Portuguese.

Developed with guidance from former President of the American Association of Suicidology Dr James Mazza and a team of doctors and experts on adolescent mental health, My Life is Worth Living features relatable teen characters and each story models positive, research-based mental wellness skills for grades 7-12. The state-of-the-art animation was produced by Wonder Media CEO Terry Thoren, former CEO of Klasky Csupo, the company that incubated the Simpsons and created Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, and Rocket Power.

Created and maintained by the AFT, Share My Lesson is a free, award-winning community-based website that brings together educators, parents and caregivers, paraprofessionals, union and non-union members, educational partners, and higher education professionals who have the common goal of finding and sharing the best educational resources available.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified social isolation, and this has been felt deeply in the lives of students. The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared youth mental health is an urgent national public health crisis. However, research shows that connections to friends, family, and community can be the difference between life and death. Storytelling is known to create connections and combat loneliness. Stories can break down the stigma of talking about mental health needs and thoughts of suicide. My Life is Worth Living includes five powerful stories told over 20 episodes. In each episode, relatable teen characters wrestle with challenges that are all too familiar for many viewers, such as depression, bullying, addiction, LGBTQ+ rejection, and abuse, and discover strategies to cope and thrive.

The AFTs Share My Lesson platform currently has 1.9 million members across the United States. The My Life is Worth Living episodes and the printable extension lessons for educators, counsellors, and parents are being released on Share My Lesson this month. To learn more about the series, visit http://www.mylifeisworthliving.org.

The Cook Center for Human Connection The mission of the Cook Center is to bring together the best organizations, programs, and products to prevent suicide, provide mental health support, and enhance the human connections vital for people to thrive. The foundations current focus is on supporting children, families, and schools in eradicating suicide, as well as offering resources and support for those with mental health issues and their caregivers. This work is accomplished through various grants to schools, programs for parents, and global resources to bring greater awareness to the support needed for those affected by mental health needs and suicide. Learn more at CookCenterforHumanConnection.org or MyLifeIsWorthLiving.org/joinourcause.

About Wonder Media Wonder Media is a Los Angeles animation studio founded by Terry Thoren. Following his success as CEO of Klasky Csupo, the studio that incubated the Simpsons and created Rugrats and Wild Thornberrys, Thoren left Hollywood on a mission to develop animated series that have social impact. The studio produces animated stories to prevent trauma for children and teens of all ages. Working with such organizations as the Global Institute for Habits of Mind, the Barbara Sinatra Childrens Center Foundation, and the Betty Ford Childrens Center, Wonder Media has connected children and teens at risk with content that addresses hunger, social-emotional learning, critical thinking, the prevention of child sex abuse, and more. Learn more at Wonder.media.

Featured image: Anil Sharma, Pexels.

Originally posted here:

Cook Center for Human Connection Partners with American Federation of Teachers' Share My Lesson Platform to offer Student Mental Health Lessons -...

A bill to extend the sunset date of VISIT FLORIDA, the state-funded nonprofit tourism marketing corporation, breezed through the House Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee Tuesday.

VISIT FLORIDA would cease to exist after Oct. 1, 2023, under current law. The bill, HB 489, sponsored by St. Pete Beach Republican Rep. Linda Chaney, would extend its scheduled repeal date to Oct. 1, 2028.

Chaney said VISIT FLORIDA uses a targeted approach to attract visitors into Florida.

They run their ads and they know where the consumers are that theyre going to convince to come to the state of Florida, she said. By giving them an extended horizon, theyre going to be able to do that more cost effectively. If you are somebody whos engaging a vendor and they think you may only be a customer for a year, youre not going to get the same rate as somebody whos got a longer horizon.

The bill received some pushback. Critics have accused the organization of being a form of corporate welfare and a misuse of taxpayer money.

However well intentioned some government assistance may be, the fact remains that the practice of states picking winners and losers benefits a favorite few and leaves everyone else to pay the price, said Phillip Suderman, policy director for Americans for Prosperity. Too often the winners are special interests who lobby for special favors while those who bear the cost are everyday citizens and small businesses who have to pick up the tab.

Suderman was joined by other members of Americans for Prosperity in Tuesdays meeting. They, in turn, were joined in opposition by a few small business owners. And Rep. Rick Roth said some of the points being brought up were absolutely valid. But those issues, he said, were already addressed about five years ago.

Those things were taken care of by amending Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA because of people on the board of Enterprise Florida, Roth said. These arguments were targeted mainly at Enterprise Florida because people on the board were getting benefits. So they were picking winners and losers, but thats all been changed.

About five years ago, VISIT FLORIDA saw some massive housecleaning. The organization had been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for misspending, ineffectiveness, sketchy bonuses and a lack of accountability. The agency was put on a short leash and only given year-by-year renewals. But last year, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic virtually shutting down tourism in Florida, the agency reported major returns.

According to data released by Floridas Office of Economic & Demographic Research, for every $1 of taxpayer money spent on the program, it returned $3.27. And the latest projections from the state show an average of $65.4 million invested into the program over the five-year extension. VISIT FLORIDA said it helped bring a record 131.42 million visitors to Florida in 2019 when it had a budget of around $80 million. And while Rep. Randy Fine pointed out about 99% of those people wouldve likely come either way, he also said far less than that extra 1% is needed for the organization to pay for itself.

What percentage of the visitors of Florida, if they come, make that $80 million worth it? Fine asked. It turns out that if less than one-quarter of 1% of the visitors to the state of Florida wouldnt have come anyway, if one out of every 400 people who came to the state only came because we offered the program, the program pays for itself. Thats the right way to think about a program like this.

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Bill extending life of VISIT FLORIDA breezes through House tourism committee - Florida Politics