Category Archives: Transhuman News

Kelvin Benjamin (left) said being with his Panthers teammates has helped him grieve the loss of his mother.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- We all have tough days at work that are influenced by something tragic or sad in our personal lives. Sometimes those around us dont have a clue as to why we might have been off in our performance or short with them in conversation.

Football players are no different.

Fans sitting on the hill at Wofford College during the first week of Carolina Panthers training camp had no idea wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin lost his mother last week, not until he wrote Friday afternoon on Instagram that he was in a dark place when she was buried last weekend.

Reporters had no idea, either.

Even some of Benjamins teammates werent aware because he kept much of what he was going through to himself.

So if the 6-foot-5, 243-pound star dropped a pass or two in practice, most would write it off simply as a bad day or that he was struggling in the extreme heat and humidity.

Some might even have been critical, saying he still was a little overweight, as he was early in offseason workouts, and not considering whether it might be something else.

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Football players, particularly stars like Benjamin, are held to different standards. They are viewed as superheroes, not humans.

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre set the bar high in 2003 when he passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a prime-time Monday night victory over Oakland the day after his father passed.

It doesnt always play out that way.

We need to understand this.

It happens a lot more than people realize, Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. These guys are human beings, too. They go through ups and downs with families. Thats the thing weve all got to understand. These young men, theyre human.

Rivera went through a similar situation two years ago. On the eve of the 2015 training camp, his brother, Mickey, lost a two-year fight with pancreatic cancer.

Rivera reported to camp on time, but to his credit he took two days off to be with his family in Reno, Nevada, for the funeral.

He needed the time away.

He also needed the time with the football team during his grieving.

The tremendous support I got from this organization was unbelievable, Rivera said. For some of these young guys, a lot of them are very private, too.

Kelvin was very private about it. He didnt open up right away. Now he is. I tell you, its just been great for him. Its good to see.

Benjamin was laughing and smiling after Fridays practice as fans screamed for his autograph. He was feeling well enough about where he was mentally that he shared for the first time how being around the team has helped.

It was a heartfelt message about how he feeds off the energy of his teammates. He ended the post with, Love mom keep watching over me.

This puts a different perspective on things.

It humanizes the athlete.

Sometimes people dont know whats going on, Panthers receiver Austin Dukes said. Sometimes we dont know whats going on. ... But its a brotherhood, man. When somebody goes down or somebody loses somebody, youre there for him.

Benjamins brothers have been there for him, and hes stronger for it. Hes working hard to shed the label he got for being overweight and is focused on returning to the form he was in during the 2015 camp before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

At some point, hell talk about what the past week or weeks has been like.

For now, hes in a good place, not a dark place.

Kelvins was really a tough situation, Rivera said. He really took it hard, but I do know this -- and he told everybody -- him being out here has been great for him.

Sometimes the best therapy is to be around your teammates.

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Kelvin Benjamin's heartfelt Instagram post shows human side of football - ESPN (blog)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Fellow humans, don't panic yet Pittsburgh Post-Gazette On the other side of the argument, however, are equally knowledgable figures, such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Ng, chief scientist at Baidu, known as China's Google. They see the many ways AI will serve humans, such as by diagnosing and ...

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Fellow humans, don't panic yet - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Berivan Orucoglu By Berivan Orucoglu July 28 at 2:47 PM

Correction: An earlierversion of this post incorrectly said the McCain Institute was founded by Sen. John McCain and his family. The institute was named for the McCain family. This version has been updated.

Berivan Orucoglu is the program coordinator of the Supporting Human Rights Defenders program at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. (Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the McCain Institute.)

Im a Turkish journalist. Ive spent my career criticizing politicians. I have always seen that as my job.

Yet I now find myself in the unaccustomed position of singing the praises of one of them the remarkable Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). When we learned last week that he was afflicted with brain cancer, the news not only jolted Washingtons political scenebut also sent a shock wave through the community of human rights defenders around the globe. Its important to appreciate just how unusual this is. These two worlds the politicians and the activists almost never agree on anything. Yet McCain enjoys immense respect in both of them.

That should help to explain why his medical diagnosis was top news not only in the United States but also across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since the news of his illness broke, my phone hasnt stopped ringing. Journalist and activist friends from Afghanistan and Ukraine, from Egypt and Turkey have been calling in shock and dismay, refusing to accept the news.

The first time I met McCain was at a meeting in Brussels during the George W. Bush administration. At the time, the European Union was outraged by the CIAs clandestine flights and torture policies. McCains clear and resolute stance against torture came as a huge relief to the United States allies in Europe. The world would be a safer place if Sen. McCain was the U.S. president, one Dutch diplomat told me.

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I next met the senator several years later, in a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey. By then, I had been to many camps and covered several high-level meetings. In striking contrast to other high-level visitors, McCain spent most of his time actually talking with the Syrians who had been forced to flee their war-torn homeland. It was refreshing to see a politician who didnt care about photo ops and who paid more attention to the refugees themselves than to the official statement from the camp authorities. I wasnt the only one impressed by the senators visit. One Syrian who attended the meeting with McCain told me: He was the only visiting politician to give us more than lip service.

I havent always agreed with all of McCains policies, but from the minute I met him, I have had the utmost respect for his bravery and his loyalty to what he believes in. Hes a man who has always stuck to his values even when they arent popular. While many politicians remember human rights and democracy only when its convenient, the senator has consistently championed human rights, democracy and the rule of law. He has been one of Washingtons most consistent defenders of the late Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, a man many U.S. politicians have been reluctant to praise for fear of offending China. He called for the closure of the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay when this wasnt exactly calculated to make him friends in his own party. Even though Egypt is one of the United States closest military allies, he has been willing to call Egypt out on its harsh treatment of dissidents.

Full disclosure: Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to come to the United States as one of the fellows of the Next Generation Leaders program at the McCain Institute in Washington. The institute, named for McCain and his family, is a testament to the senators lifelong devotion to human rights. Over the past five years, the institute has created a network of 44 emerging leaders from 33 countries and five continents who are committed to good governance, leadership and human rights. Every year, the institute gives human rights defenders a unique opportunity to gather in Arizona, where they speak about their fight against tyranny and their desire to make the world a better place.

By doing this, McCain hasnt just given human rights defenders a chance to make their case to people in the United States. He has also given them an opportunity to share lessons and expertise with one another, creating a worldwide community of people working for positive change. Apparently, some Americans dont know Sen. McCain as well as we do, one Ukrainian activist told me when he heard the news about the senators illness. Hell never back down from a fight because the odds arent in his favor.

McCain has been a guardian angel for many activists who have been fighting for their freedoms despite the odds. That might help Americans to understand why they arent the only ones who are now appreciating his legacy afresh. From Syria to Russia, from Burma to Ukraine, those who truly believe in freedom are praying for a speedy recovery of their true friend in the United States.

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Why human rights defenders love John McCain - The Washington Post - Washington Post

Scientists in Portland, Ore., just succeeded in creating the first genetically modified human embryo in the United States, according to Technology Review. Ateam led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University is reported to have broken new ground both in the number of embryos experimented upon and by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases.

The U.S. teamsresults follow two trials one last year and one in April by researchers in Chinawho injected genetically modified cells into cancer patients.Theresearch teamsused CRISPR, a new gene-editing system derived from bacteria thatenables scientists to editthe DNA of living organisms.

The era of human gene editing has begun.

In the short term, scientists are planning clinical trials to use CRISPR to edit human genes linked to cystic fibrosis and other fatal hereditary conditions. But supporters of synthetic biology talk up huge potential long-term benefits. We could, they claim, potentially edit genes and build new ones to eradicate all hereditary diseases. With genetic alterations, we might be able to withstand anthrax attacks or epidemics of pneumonic plague. We might revive extinct species such as the woolly mammoth. We might design plants that are far more nutritious, hardy and delicious than what we have now.

But developments in gene editing are alsohighlighting a desperate need for ethical and legal guidelines to regulate in vitro genetic editing and raising concerns about a future in which the well-off couldpay for CRISPR to perfect their offspring. We will soon be faced with very difficult decisions aboutwhen and how to use this breakthrough medical technology.For example, if your unborn child were going to have a debilitating disease that you could fix by taking a pill to edit theirgenome, would you take the pill? How about adding some bonusintelligence? Greater height or strength? Where would you draw the line?

CRISPRs potential for misuse by changinginherited human traits has prompted some genetic researchers to call fora global moratorium on usingthe techniqueto modify human embryos. Such use is a criminal offense in 29 countries, and the United States bans the use of federal funds to modify embryos.

Still, CRISPRs seductiveness is beginning to overtake the calls forcaution.

In February, an advisory body from the National Academy of Sciences announcedthe academys support for usingCRISPR to edit the genes of embryos to remove DNA sequences that doctors saycause serious heritable diseases. The recommendation came with significant caveats and suggested limiting the use of CRISPR to specific embryonic problems. That said, the recommendation is clearly an endorsement of CRISPR as a research tool that is likely to become a clinical treatment a step from which therewill be no turning back.

CRISPRs combination of usability, low cost and power is both tantalizing and frightening, with the potential tosomeday enableanyone to edit a living creature on the cheap in their basements. So, although scientists might use CRISPR to eradicate malaria by making the mosquitoes that carry it infertile, bioterrorists could use it to create horrific pathogens that could kill tens of millions of people.

With the source code of life now so easy to hack, and biologists and the medical world ready to embrace its possibilities, how do we ensure the responsible use of CRISPR?

Theres a line that A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor uses whendescribing the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, whereall the children are above average. Will we enter a time when those who can afford a better genome will live far longer, healthier lives than those who cannot? Should the U.S. government subsidize genetic improvements to ensure a level playing field when the rich have access to the best genetics that money can buy and the rest of society does not? And what if CRISPR introduces traits into the human germ line with unforeseen consequences perhaps higher rates of cardiac arrest or schizophrenia?

Barriers to mass use of CRISPR are already falling. Dog breeders looking to improve breedssuffering from debilitating maladies are actively pursuing gene hacking. A former NASA fellow in synthetic biology now sells functional bacterial engineering CRISPR kits for $150 from his online store. Its not hard to imagine a future in which the big drugstore chains carry CRISPR kits for home testing and genetic engineering.

The release ofgenetically modified organisms into the wildin the past few years has raised considerable ethical and scientific questions. The potential consequences of releasing genetically crippled mosquitoes in the southern United States to reduce transmission of tropical viruses, for instance, drew a firestorm of concern over the effects on humans and the environment.

So, while the prospect of altering the genes of people modern-day eugenics has caused a schism in the science community, research with precisely that aim is happening all over the world.

We have arrived at a Rubicon. Humans are on the verge of finally being able to modify their own evolution. The question is whether they can use this newfound superpower in a responsible way that will benefit theplanet and its people. And a decision so momentous cannot be left to the doctors, the experts orthe bureaucrats.

Failing to figure out how to ensure that everyonewill benefit from this breakthroughrisks the creation of a genetic underclasswho must struggle to compete with the genetically modified offspring of the rich. Andfailing to monitor and contain how we use itmay spell global catastrophe. Its up to us collectively to get this right.

Excerpt from:
If you could 'design' your own child, would you? - Washington Post

You know the scenario from 19th-century fiction and Hollywood movies: Mankind has invented a computer, or a robot or another artificial thing that has taken on a life of its own. In Frankenstein, the monster is built from corpses; in 2001: A Space Odyssey, its an all-seeing computer with a human voice; in Westworld, the robots are lifelike androids that begin to think for themselves. But in almost every case, the out-of-control artificial life form is anthropomorphic. It has a face or a body, or at least a human voice and a physical presence in the real world.

But what if the real threat from artificial life doesnt look or act human at all? What if its just a piece of computer code that can affect what you see and therefore what you think and feel? In other words what if its a bot, not a robot?

For those who dont know (and apologies to those who are wearily familiar), a bot really is just a piece of computer code that can do things that humans can do. Wikipedia uses bots to correct spelling and grammar on its articles; bots can also play computer games or place gambling bets on behalf of human controllers. Notoriously, bots are now a major force on social media, where they can like people and causes, post comments, react to others. Bots can be programmed to tweet out insults in response to particular words, to share Facebook pages, to repeat slogans, to sow distrust.

Slowly, their influence is growing. One tech executive told me he reckons that half of the users on Twitter are bots, created by companies that either sell them or use them to promote various causes. The Computational Propaganda Research Project at the University of Oxford has described how bots are used to promote either political parties or government agendas in 28 countries. They can harass political opponents or their followers, promote policies, or simply seek to get ideas into circulation.

About a week ago, for example, sympathizers of the Polish government possibly alt-right Americans launched a coordinated Twitter bot campaign with the hashtag #astroturfing (not exactly a Polish word) that sought to convince Poles that anti-government demonstrators were fake, outsiders or foreigners paid to demonstrate. An investigation by the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab pointed out the irony: An artificial Twitter campaign had been programmed to smear a genuine social movement by calling it ... artificial.

That particular campaign failed. But others succeed or at least they seem to. The question now is whether, given how many different botnets are running at any given moment, we even know what that means. Its possible for computer scientists to examine and explain each one individually. Its possible for psychologists to study why people react the way they do to online interactions why fact-checking doesnt work, for example, or why social media increases aggression.

But no one is really able to explain the way they all interact, or what the impact of both real and artificial online campaigns might be on the way people think or form opinions. Another Digital Forensic Research Lab investigation into pro-Trump and anti-Trump bots showed the extraordinary number of groups that are involved in these dueling conversations some commercial, some political, some foreign. The conclusion: They are distorting the conversation, but toward what end, nobody knows.

Which is my point: Maybe weve been imagining this scenario incorrectly all of this time. Maybe this is what computers out of control really look like. Theres no giant spaceship, nor are there armies of lifelike robots. Instead, we have created a swamp of unreality, a world where you dont know whether the emotions you are feeling are manipulated by men or machines, and where once all news moves online, as it surely will it will soon be impossible to know whats real and whats imagined. Isnt this the dystopia we have so long feared?

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Maybe the AI dystopia is already here - Washington Post