Category Archives: Transhuman News

Image credit: Brian Gage.

The American Scientific Affiliation is an association of Christian scientists who are not on the whole supportive of scientific arguments for intelligent design. Physicist Randy Isaac, the ASAs executive director emeritus, wrote acritical reviewfor the ASAs journal of our recent bookThe Mystery of Lifes Origin: The Continuing Controversy, and he conducted a quite interestingonline discussion on the subject. He spotlighted Walter Bradley (co-author of the original book,The Mystery of Lifes Origin) in the conversation, as well as philosopher of science Stephen Meyer and physicist Brian Miller who both contributed chapters to the substantially updated edition, to which I wrote the introduction.

I found Dr. Isaacs criticism to be idiosyncratic. His central contention turns upon the question of whether the information stored in DNA is abstract in nature.

The information is not encoded in an abstract code but in a code embodied in a biomolecular system. It is indeed a true code, but it can function only in its physical embodiment and not in a symbolic form. As humans, we represent and model this information symbolically, but its specificity can be determined only in nature in its physical form. No intelligence is required.

Its not abstract, he says, because the arbitrary code only functions if the organism survives and can reproduce. The origin of life therefore does not give scientific evidence of design, which would only be afforded if the code were abstract. While affirming creation and the existence of an intelligent designer, Isaac concludes that Origin-of-life research offers no compelling apologetic either for or against a Creator.

This is odd because as Dr. Meyer answers, other abstract codes such as the English language can have very real survival functions. For example, if you cry out Fire! in a burning building, and because of that people in the building are able to make their way out in an orderly manner and thereby survive, this does not undercut the obvious fact that the word fire is an instance of abstract linguistic coding. Nothing about the four letters f, i, r, and e has any physical connection at all with a state of combustion.

The observation about DNA is not peculiar to ID proponents, says Meyer. Instead, it

goes back to the sequence hypothesis of [Francis] Crick in 1957, 1958 where he realized that the nucleotide bases in DNA are functioning just like alphabetic characters in a written language or digital characters in a section of machine code, which is to say that they are not conveying information in virtue of their physical properties or their chemical properties but rather theyre conveying information in virtue of their precise arrangement in accord with an abstract symbol convention.

This seems pretty clear. In any event, it was gracious of Dr. Isaac to invite Meyer, Miller, and Bradley on to answer his critique. There is no little dramatic tension, in fact, as the conversation starts out very genially but becomes politely contentious about 43 minutes in. Its good to see important ideas tested by thoughtful critics. The exchange is worth watching in full.

Read more:
Meyer, Isaac: Is Information in DNA Abstract? - Discovery Institute

LENNON, MI -- DNA evidence placed the man who has been charged in the 1997 death of 88-year-old Mary Prieur at the scene of the crime, according to Genesee County law enforcement officials.

Michael Bur, 41, of Lennon has been charged with single counts of felony murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping in the death of Prieur.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced the charges Thursday, Nov. 11.

At a Wednesday, Nov. 17 news conference, he offered some additional details on the case.

He said testing of biological material led to Burs arrest.

Related: Suspect arrested in 1997 cold case murder of 88-year-old Lennon woman

Prieurs body was found around 2 p.m. Feb. 27, 1997, in the area of Lennon Road and M-13.

Her brother-in-law called police around noon that day after finding the door to Prieurs residence ajar and the dog inside, but no signs of Prieur, according to Flint Journal records.

Michigan State Police canine teams taking part in training in the area responded to the scene. A trooper and K-9 officer spotted her body, wrapped in a blanket, roughly two hours after her disappearance was first reported.

An autopsy revealed Prieur had been suffocated and beaten in the head.

Over the years, billboards have gone up and door hangers placed on homes in the community, as well as police finding DNA that confirmed Prieur was sexually assaulted prior to her death.

One billboard featuring a photo of Prieur read Do you know who killed me!

Signs didnt solve this, but science solved this, Swanson said Wednesday.

Swanson was assigned Prieurs case in 2002 when he was a captain at the sheriffs office.

Investigators collected and stored biological material at the time of Prieurs death, Swanson said. Over the years technology advanced and eventually was able to match that material with Burs DNA and place him at the scene of the crime.

Biological material collected is a 1 in 1.9 octillion match for Bur, Swanson said.

Thats 26 zeros for that guy, Swanson said, pointing at a mugshot of Bur.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said it is important to remember a suspect is innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

I think its a proper statement for me to tell you that we have that DNA evidence, Leyton said. We have evidence that I am convinced comes from the victim, comes from the accused, match up and, in fact, we will be able to present that in a courtroom.

The prosecutor noted foundational evidence is also needed to prove the evidence was taken and tested appropriately.

I believe we have probable cause and beyond a reasonable doubt that we can get there, he said.

Drag marks from the home down to the creek where the victim was found can also be used as evidence, Leyton said. A witness gave a statement a few years ago as well and is still available to testify today.

That is the evidence that was presented to me that I feel, within the bounds of ethics, that I can share with you today that led me to write my name on this warrant, charging this man with these heinous crimes. Well do the rest of our talking in court.

Ultimately, officials want closure for Prieurs family, Leyton said.

Swanson and Leyton thanked Michigan State Police Crime Lab investigators.

These folks are key players in the criminal justice system, Leyton said.

Technological advances helped get investigators to the point where charges could be filed in this case, MSP Lt. Kimberly Vetter said.

Vetter thanked the multiple departments involved in the investigation.

Co-operations between departments is critical to the success of all of us, she said.

Prieur was known as a staple in the Lennon community who was often seen walking her dog Pookie while on the way to grab some food at a local bar, according to prior reporting.

She was a regular attendee at multiple churches including St. Marys in Swartz Creek and St. Robert in Flushing.

Related: Murder of 88-year-old Lennon woman remains unsolved 21 years later

Community members rallied after Prieurs murder, putting together a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the responsible person or persons.

The money was eventually returned to those who donated after no arrest took place within a few months time.

A native of Czechoslovakia, Prieur came to the United States when she was eight years old, according to Journal records.

Prieur opened the candy business Sweet Maries after adding onto the house at Chippewa and Louisa streets in Flint she shared with her husband James.

James Prieur told The Flint Journal for a March 1997 story that his wife learned to make candy in Owosso, where she was a student at St. Pauls until dropping out in eighth grade to help put her sister and brother through school.

She was just the sweetest, kindest lady, said Gloria Schram, Prieurs neighbor, in a February 2012 Flint Journal story.

Bur is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bond. He is scheduled to appear Nov. 24 for a probable cause conference Nov. 24 in front of Genesee District Court Judge William H. Crawford.

Read more on MLive:

Jury finds Michigan man guilty of murder in overdose death of wife after cereal poisoned with heroin

Man killed in afternoon stabbing in Flint

Flint police helicopter has patrolled four times since October launch

When will I feel safe enough to go to a doctors office? Sexual assault victims speak out at sentencing of former chiropractor

Drug-free breast milk led to ruling Michigan womans death a homicide, medical examiner says

Suspect arrested in 1997 cold case murder of 88-year-old Lennon woman

See the article here:
Science solved this. Sheriff says DNA led to arrest in 88-year-old Lennon womans cold case murder - mlive.com

What to Know

Authorities used DNA to finally identify the body of a 1991 homicide victim in New Jersey known by her tattoo as Tiger Lady. However, how she died and her killer remain unknown.

Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer on Friday announced the victim is Wendy Louise Baker of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

She was 16 years old when her body was found off Interstate 80 in Knowlton Township near the Pennsylvania border on Oct. 26, 1991. Her death was ruled a homicide, but investigators were never able to determine how she died. There were no gunshot wounds or significant trauma.

She became known as the Tiger Lady because of a tiger tattoo on her left calf.

The prosecutor says DNA extracted from her bones in 2020 helped authorities update her profile and to explore geneological databases. That led police in July 2021 to one of her uncles in Pennsylvania, who identified his missing niece.

Her mother died in 1999 and her father died in 2015. The prosecutor said she was raised by her stepmother until she was 15 years old.

DNA obtained from the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed Bruce Baker was her father.

Pfeiffer has made it a priority to use DNA technology to help solve cold case homicides since he took office last year.

See the rest here:
How Authorities Managed to ID Tiger Lady' Found in NJ as Pa. Teen After 30 Years - NBC New York

{"id":"2920393","source":"DNA","title":"DNA: Top News of the Day | November 19, 2021","section":"India","slug":"","section_id":"2","author":"DNA Video Team","content":"Here's a roundup of top stories from the world of politics, business, sports, and entertainment, which grabbed the spotlight and trended the most on various social media platforms on November 19 (Friday).","summary":"Here's a roundup of top stories from the world of politics, business, sports, and entertainment, which grabbed the spotlight and trended the most on various social media platforms on November 19 (Friday).","websiteurl":"https://www.dnaindia.com/india/video-dna-top-news-of-the-day-november-19-2021-2920393","thumbnail_url":"https://cdn.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2021/11/19/1006122-00000003.jpg","isyoutube":"no","playtime":"","news_type":"video","videourl":"https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/DNA/1911_top_news.mp4/index.m3u8","time_stamp":"1637341502","publish_date":"Nov 19, 2021, 10:35 PM IST","modify_date":"Nov 19, 2021, 10:35 PM IST","url":"https://www.dnaindia.com/pwaapi/videodetail?newsid=2920393"}

Here's a roundup of top stories from the world of politics, business, sports, and entertainment, which grabbed the spotlight and trended the most on various social media platforms on November 19 (Friday).

Read more from the original source:
DNA: Top News of the Day | November 19, 2021 - DNA India

After posting strong second and third quarters, Bloomingdales, like its sister division Macys, is anticipating the same for the fourth quarter.

We had a great third quarter. We had a great second quarter and we plan on having a good fourth quarter, said Tony Spring, chairman and chief executive officer of Bloomingdales, in an interview Thursday following the unveiling of the retailers holiday windows and in-store performances by Bebe Rexha, the Broadway Sinfonietta, and the Broadway Inspirational Voices Choir.

Discussing the character of holiday shopping, past and present, Spring said, If 2019 was all in person and 2020 was remote, 2021 is a hybrid and that may be the best of both worldsPeople feel its time to get out a little bit. More people feel like they want to shop in stores.

I wouldnt begin to quote traffic. We dont have enough traffic counters in stores to give an accurate picture, but the stores are certainly busier week-over-week. And you are beginning to see a bit of tourism. Its been happening since the beginning of the month, both domestic and international, since the federal government said beginning Nov. 8 it was OK for international travelers to come into the U.S. provided they were vaccinated, Spring added.

One thing we learned during the pandemic is that life is short. Why not enjoy it? Thats why you are seeing this conspicuous consumption right now, Spring said. Looking at people entering our stores, you see the happiness on their faces. People feel this is a perfect time to shop, particularly after theyve opened their closets and in many cases havent much liked whats there, Spring said.

To a greater extent, they are willing to pay full price. There isnt as much sale or clearance, Spring said. The benefit, if you want to call it that, of the pandemic has been leaner inventories and I dont think thats something we are going to back away from. Customers appetite for things is at regular price and she is happy about that. The increased consumer demand, the willingness to buy at full price and leaner inventories, all that is the power of the current environment, said Spring.

I think its always better to chase [merchandise] than to load up. We dont want to have excess. We are in the business at the upper end of creating a little bit of scarcity around special product. That doesnt mean not having enough for the customer or not having options.

Spring suggested that this season, perhaps more so than recent past ones, could also see greater self-purchasing. You know the best holiday seasons are always buy one for you, two for me. So hopefully people are buying for themselves and buying for others. Its going to be a good holiday season.

Last quarter, Bloomingdales comparable sales were up 38.5 percent compared to the third quarter of 2020, and up 11.2 percent compared to the third quarter of 2019.Results were driven by strong sales of luxury handbags, fine jewelry, home, mens shoes and contemporary apparel.

There was an outperformance in Q3 against 2019 largely driven by growth in bloomingdales.com, though Spring also called out activations in stores to encourage in-person shopping. There are 12 different activations here in the flagship and its also done selectively around the country, at Bloomingdales 32 other full-line stores.

The biggest experience that will be at 59th Street over the course of the fourth quarter that you will see is a fragrance fair. It will be in all of our stores. We will bring in an engraver to make the bottles personal, or a florist who helps you find the perfect note for the person you love.

Just for the holiday season, the flagship has set up a Klarna-sponsored custom wrap station and Santaland for photos with Santa; celebrity and designer holiday table settings being auctioned to support Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS; Ralph Laurens Polo shop has been transformed into an Italian ski chalet serving hot chocolate, and theres a Coravin pop-up wine bar the first in the U.S. demonstrating wine and Champagne preservation systems. Online, Bloomingdales has a series of virtual events on holiday entertaining and holiday dressing.

Being more experiential for the holidays requires more manpower. We are certainly hiring, said Spring. We usually hire through the beginning of December, and then we will cut off holiday hiring and resume full-time hiring. Its a competitive labor market.

Bloomingdales 59th Streets six holiday windows along Lexington Avenue are whimsical, imaginative, colorful and in sync with the stores Give Happy holiday campaign. Theres a nostalgic nod with modern twists in each, like the T-Rex dinosaur wearing headphones, riding a skateboard and draped in mini-dinosaur ornaments like a Christmas tree. Or the window thats a take on a music box, with a spinning ballerina emerging from a seashell draped in sparkle and shine and activated by a lock and key. A third window is a little more down to earth, celebrating all things crochet on the walls and floor and on mannequins snuggled together in a crochet loveseat.

Of a more permanent basis, Were about to open a new mens floor in December having had success on the womens shoe floor. We know mens shoes needs to be a destination. It was always just a component of our mens sportswear offering and we want to have a destination just for mens footwear. It celebrates big brands and showcases Bloomingdales curation.

It reflects a stepped-up emphasis on growing the shoe business. Bloomingdales recently launched shoe shops for Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Valentino. Coming up in early 2022 are Versace shops for ready-to-wear, shoes and handbags.

Over the last couple of years, you see more designer content. We carry more designer brands today than we have in the past. But we are best when we go from offering the best in opening prices to the best in the designer industry, said Spring.

Bloomingdales assortment will broaden when Macys Inc. launches a marketplace, which is expected to happen in the second half of 2020 for the Macys and Bloomingdales divisions, as reported. Asked what new categories Bloomingdales could get into, Spring replied. It will be a curated marketplace. Details to follow.

Springs message is that Bloomingdales is on a roll not only because of the consumer mind-set. Its in large part due to Bloomingdales doing what its always done offer a fun, energetic environment for shopping; breadth and flexibility in assortment; playing on the power of suggestion, i.e. providing gift lists and stylists with shopping ideas, and having a cross-generational appeal.

Asked in what categories Bloomingdales put more of its holiday open-to-buy, Spring responded, The weight is in the variety. One of the advantages of a retailer like Bloomingdales is in the flexibility of our assortment, so thats both from home to fragrance to cashmere to Ugg and to the price points, be it designer diamonds, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, to Aqua, Bloomingdales private brand and opening price contemporary collection. As a destination, Bloomingdales has become more of a compelling marketplace. You can buy for more people here, for the love of your life, for your daughters teacher, your neighbor, your cousin, your aunt. There are just lots of fun items. The marketing and merchandise team did a great job in terms of creating curated ideas and gift lists for our customers, whether it was themed for people who just got married or still havent got married or for the person who has everything.

He believes theres an energy at Bloomingdales, which is lacking in other retailers. Im not saying we are Disney World. But I think there is a curation of merchandise, a curation of eventing, a curation of visual animation. I cant tell you the number of people who tell me Bloomingdales is more fun, that there is more energy in the store. Where does energy come from? Its the people, the music, the visual animation. You see a diversity of customers. You see young people. Mature people. Different ethnicities. The brand is a draw for lots of customers.

He hopes Bloomingdales nascent specialty concept, Bloomies, has a draw with its own type of merchandising and curation. The first and only Bloomies, a 22,000-square-foot site in the Mosaic District lifestyle center in Fairfax, Va., opened at the end of last August. It sells a highly curated assortment of contemporary and luxury brands and gifts for the home. Its a chance to introduce ourselves to the community with a new shopping option, said Spring.

Asked if other Bloomies are planned, he answered, It did get off to a good start. We will take it one day at a time. You dont get ahead of yourself. Its about finding the right locations.

More here:
Tony Spring on Bloomingdale's DNA and the Holiday Outlook - WWD

[Ed. note: On Thursday, Ringer Films will debut the second documentary in its Music Box series on HBO: Jagged, which looks at Alanis Morissettes career and rise to fame in the mid-90s.]

On Friday, the most lacerating and lavishly acclaimed singer-songwriter of her generation released a bonkers 10-minute version of her best and most lacerating song. And you were tossing me the car keys / Fuck the patriarchy keychain on the ground, sings Taylor Swift, with her patented, elegant wistfulness that can cut through steel, on All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylors Version), a supersized reimagining of the deep-cut highlight of her immaculate 2012 album Red. Those are the first lines that deviate from the original, and the thrill of Swift dropping yet another f-bomb is undeniable, but the true genius of this song in any form is subtler, and sadder, and can be roughly summarized thus: You seem very well. Things look peaceful. Im not quite as well. I thought you should know.

All Too Well, at any length, is a delicate and devastating post-breakup killshot nonpareil, and for dedicated Taylorologists, it is the richest text imaginable. The affable-doofus actor widely assumed to have inspired the song, who no doubt had a lovely weekend. The dazzling accumulation of lyrical detail: the scarf, the refrigerator light, the performatively sipped coffee, the autumn leaves falling like pieces into place. The delightful patriarchy-fucking scheme (Red is the second album Swifts rerecorded so shell own the masters) at this projects core. (Also, shes currently selling a a F*ck the Patriarchy keychain for $20; living well is the best revenge, but monetizing your exs disingenuousness is a close second.) If youre vain enough, this song can be about anyone, anything. Its heartbreaking, its furious, its uproariously mean. But these are the new lines Im stuck on now:

And I was thinking on the drive downAny time nowHes gonna say its loveYou never called it what it wasTill we were dead and gone and buried

You never called it what it was. The tabloid prurience and gossamer savagery of All Too Well are crucial, but what makes the song an all-timer is an honesty so relentless it feels like empathyif not toward him, now, then at least toward them, then. Call it what it was. Thats it. Thats all she wanted from him. And if Swift, now, has to drag the guy on Saturday Night Live for 10 minutes straight to call it what it was back then, thats what shell do, not so much to make him feel worse as to make herself feel better.

Swift learned that lesson, in part, from Alanis Morissette, who is for sure the most lacerating singer-songwriter of her own generation and could always use more lavish acclaim. I was not writing to punish, Morissette says deep into Alison Klaymans new documentary Jagged, which premieres Thursday on HBO as part of Ringer Films Music Box series. I was writing to express and get it out of my body because I didnt want to get sick.

Morissette is talking, of course, about her 1995 thunderbolt breakthrough album, Jagged Little Pill, which sold more than 15 million copies in the United States alone and reigns as the second-best-selling solo album by a female artist in world history (behind Shania Twains Come on Over). She is talking, more specifically, about that song, You Oughta Know, the lewd, profane, electrifying, mystery-celeb-eviscerating nuclear bomb that a quarter century later remains as radiantly angry, as viciously detailed, and above all else as extremely funny as it did the first time you heard it. When I launched a podcast about 90s songs in late 2020, I couldnt think of a better song to start with. I must have heard You Oughta Know 3,000 times in my life at least, but I still laughed out loud at the line but youre still alive when I listened to it again yesterday. The Jagged documentary (which Morissette herself has criticized) is careful to celebrate the cleansing fury of You Oughta Know and a handful of other more combative moments on Jagged Little Pillvarious music-biz shitheads are righteously clowned on Right Through Youbut the movie also wants to reject the long-standing reduction of Morissette to a mere Angry White Female, as her first Rolling Stone cover put it.

Theres a kindnessits like this velvet kindness, is how Morissette describes her circa-1995 self as the movie closes. No matter how pissed off she is. Its like, theres mercy in it. Theres empathy in it. Theres hope even when the song is hopeless. Theres a little drag of everythings gonna be OK. No matter how horrible it gets.

It is a profound compliment to You Oughta Know, truly, if it still crosses your mind whenever you hear another colossal Fuck Youtype pop song. Keliss Caught Out There. Pinks So What. Kelly Clarksons Since U Been Gone. Beyoncs Dont Hurt Yourself. Lily Allens Fuck You. Hell, CeeLos Fuck You. Hell, Rina Sawayamas STFU! Lucy Dacuss Night Shift or Brando. And of course, Taylor Swifts mighty All Too Well. (And Dear John. And Better Than Revenge. And Picture to Burn. And Mean. She calls it what it is a lot.) But dont forget that all of those songs are also hilarious, and arguably the best of them carry trace amounts of empathy, of grudging affection, of velvet kindness. Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark, seethes Lorde on her 2017 album Melodrama, which cemented her as another master of the form. But what the best Fuck You songs supply, in addition to all that infectious seethe-along rage, is just a tiny sliver of light.

And all I really want is some patience, sings Alanis Morisette on the first chorus of Jagged Little Pills first song. A way to calm the angry voice. It is easy to miss that this record is primarily the work of a mistreated but phenomenally talented singer-songwriterrelocated to L.A. and teamed up with producer/co-writer Glen Ballard after a tumultuous and scarring run as an Ottawa-born teen pop starcalming herself down. The angrier she sounds, the more powerful and centered she becomes. The album touches on what she is not (Perfect), and what she hopes to be (Forgiven), and what shell definitely never be (Not the Doctor). But Jagged Little Pills best moments are anthemic and empowering while deftly avoiding the zillions of clichs the word empowering implies, even then and especially now. The first verse of Hand in My Pocket makes Morissette sound immortal by reveling in her vulnerability and, by extension, yours:

Im broke, but Im happyIm poor, but Im kindIm short, but Im healthy, yeahIm high, but Im groundedIm sane, but Im overwhelmedIm lost, but Im hopeful, baby

Its the line Im sane but Im overwhelmed that jumped out at me today, the 2,000th time Ive heard this one. (My previous listen, it was Im short but Im healthy.) Jagged the movie underscores what Jagged Little Pill the album is happy to remind you of, anyplace, anytime: The greatness of You Oughta Know notwithstandingand I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner is one of the funniest line deliveries in pop historyit took all 12 tracks, working in glorious spiritual unison, to make this record the colossus it became. (Even in the mid-90s, one song wasnt gonna sell 10-million-plus copies of an album no matter how great it was.) So: Head Over Feet for the lovers, the legitimately heartening You Learn if youre in crisis, and the tender waltz Mary Jane if youre hoping more killer lines will suddenly jump out at you (I hear youre losing weight again, Mary Jane / Do you ever wonder who youre losing it for?). It is certainly remarkable that Ironic, dismissed at the time as a lesser single with some linguistic issues, is now the albums most-played song on Spotify: That Its like rain on your wedding day is a broad, melodramatic image doesnt keep it from being a great one.

It is inevitableand an eternal testament to Morissette herselfthat youll hear her, at random, in other songs by other people until the sun finally swallows us all. (The best Alanis Morissette album released in the past five years, with much respect to 2020s Such Pretty Forks in the Road, is the Chicks Gaslighter. Start with Tights on My Boat if youre impatient.) And so it was for me, 48 hours ago, blown away by a superior (and twice as long) version of what was already my favorite Taylor Swift song. By all means, revel in the surgical viciousness of All Too Well (10 Minute Version): The lines And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes / Ill get older, but your lovers stay my age certainly jump out at you. But the song, and the songwriter, and the Fuck You Song pantheon overall, is so much more than the Fuck You part. Never forget the kindness, or the velvet. Taylor learned that a long time ago, and long before that, Alanis taught us all.

More:
Alanis Morissette, All Too Well, and the DNA of the Eff-You Anthem - The Ringer