thewakingtimes--2020-10-09--New Study Warns that 40% of the Amazon Rainforest is Dangerously Close to Converting Into Dry Savann

New Study Warns that 40 % of the Amazon Rainforest is Dangerously Close to Converting Into Dry Savanna Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
A vast swathe of the Amazon is teetering on the brink of disaster and risks crossing the tipping point of transforming from a closed canopy rainforest teeming with life to an open savannah with few trees as climate conditions deprive the region of rainfall and effectively kill its unique ecosystem , scientists have warned .
Rainforests are extremely sensitive to even the slightest changes in rainfall and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drought and fire can be devastating in areas that rely on rain for sustenance .
In the Amazon , such conditions would transform the lush rainforest into a semi-arid savannah-like mixture of woodland and grassland while also boosting the risk of fire .
While such dramatic changes to the Amazon were believed to be worst-case scenarios that could happen decades away , a team of Europe-based scientists warned on Monday that the tipping point is now dangerously close .
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications found that as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already seeing so little rainfall that it could exist as a savannah-like environment , deprived of its canopy-like tree coverage and with far less biodiversity .
Researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Center used computer models and data analysis to stimulate the effect of continued climate change resulting from emissions from burning fossil fuels from now until the end of the century to find the results .
Rainforests typically create their own rainfall through water vapor , which then sustains and even extends the reach of tree levels .
However , when rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fade away and degrade – resulting in a drier landscape that becomes more susceptible to the ravages of fire , drought , and ultimately , total deforestation .
The situation in the Amazon has only grown worse as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has stubbornly pushed forward the opening of the rainforest to economic development , unleashing a wave of human-caused fires meant to illegally clear one of the region so that it can be exploited by miners , cattle ranchers , loggers , and big agricultural interests .
This year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst in a decade , marking a dizzying 60 percent rise in fire hotspots compared to last year ’ s infamous blazes .
The rainforest is so delicate that even the most subtle changes in climate conditions can have an outsized impact on the ecological balance of the environment , said the study ’ s lead author , Arie Staal .
However , the loss of large areas of rainforest mean a precipitous drop in rainfall levels across the region .
At that point , the rainforest crosses a threshold and converts into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is difficult , if not impossible , to reverse .
Experts have warned that the Amazon rainforest is a crucial barrier to the catastrophic breakdown of global climate conditions .
Without the Amazon rainforest , carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions could become out of control and drive global warming to intolerable levels while the change in rainfall patterns could impact the entire Western Hemisphere .
Tragically , the loss of rainforests like the Amazon would also entail the extermination of a huge portion of global species .

New Study Warns that 40% of the Amazon Rainforest is Dangerously Close to Converting Into Dry Savanna
Elias Marat, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
A vast swathe of the Amazon is teetering on the brink of disaster and risks crossing the tipping point of transforming from a closed canopy rainforest teeming with life to an open savannah with few trees as climate conditions deprive the region of rainfall and effectively kill its unique ecosystem, scientists have warned.
Rainforests are extremely sensitive to even the slightest changes in rainfall and moisture levels, and extended periods of drought and fire can be devastating in areas that rely on rain for sustenance. In the Amazon, such conditions would transform the lush rainforest into a semi-arid savannah-like mixture of woodland and grassland while also boosting the risk of fire.
While such dramatic changes to the Amazon were believed to be worst-case scenarios that could happen decades away, a team of Europe-based scientists warned on Monday that the tipping point is now dangerously close.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications found that as much as 40 percent of the existing Amazon rainforest is already seeing so little rainfall that it could exist as a savannah-like environment, deprived of its canopy-like tree coverage and with far less biodiversity.
Researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Center used computer models and data analysis to stimulate the effect of continued climate change resulting from emissions from burning fossil fuels from now until the end of the century to find the results.
Rainforests typically create their own rainfall through water vapor, which then sustains and even extends the reach of tree levels.
However, when rain levels plummet, forest land also begins to fade away and degrade – resulting in a drier landscape that becomes more susceptible to the ravages of fire, drought, and ultimately, total deforestation.
The situation in the Amazon has only grown worse as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has stubbornly pushed forward the opening of the rainforest to economic development, unleashing a wave of human-caused fires meant to illegally clear one of the region so that it can be exploited by miners, cattle ranchers, loggers, and big agricultural interests.
This year’s fires in the Brazilian Amazon are the worst in a decade, marking a dizzying 60 percent rise in fire hotspots compared to last year’s infamous blazes.
The rainforest is so delicate that even the most subtle changes in climate conditions can have an outsized impact on the ecological balance of the environment, said the study’s lead author, Arie Staal.
“As forests grow and spread across a region, this affects rainfall,” he told The Guardian. “Forests create their own rain because leaves give off water vapor and this falls as rain further downwind. Rainfall means fewer fires leading to even more forests.”
However, the loss of large areas of rainforest mean a precipitous drop in rainfall levels across the region.
“Drier conditions make it harder for the forest to recover and increase the flammability of the ecosystem,” Staal said.
At that point, the rainforest crosses a threshold and converts into a savannah-type environment – a conversion that is difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.
“It is harder to return from the ‘trap’ caused by the feedback mechanism in which the open, grassy ecosystem is more flammable, and the fires, in turn, keep the ecosystem open,” Staal said.
Experts have warned that the Amazon rainforest is a crucial barrier to the catastrophic breakdown of global climate conditions. Without the Amazon rainforest, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could become out of control and drive global warming to intolerable levels while the change in rainfall patterns could impact the entire Western Hemisphere.
Tragically, the loss of rainforests like the Amazon would also entail the extermination of a huge portion of global species.
“We understand now that rainforests on all continents are very sensitive to global change and can rapidly lose their ability to adapt,” said study co-author Ingo Fetzer of the Stockholm Research Center. “Once gone, their recovery will take many decades to return to their original state. And given that rainforests host the majority of all global species, all this will be forever lost.”
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


thewakingtimes--2020-10-09--What Will It Take For Masks And Face Shields To End?

What Will It Take For Masks And Face Shields To End ?
Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
According to rotavirus vaccine developer Dr. Paul Offit,1 people will need to continue wearing masks and social distancing for “ the next couple of years ” even after a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available .
Offit , who sits on the Food and Drug Administration ’ s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee , said he ’ s wary of a COVID-19 vaccine that may be rushed to market under pressure from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services ’ Operation Warp Speed has pledged to deliver 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by 2021,3 if not sooner.4 However , developing a safe and effective vaccine normally takes years and begins with animal studies .
The COVID-19 vaccines are all being rushed straight into human clinical tests , forgoing lengthy animal trials altogether .
Vaccine makers are also being shielded against liability if people are harmed by the experimental vaccines.5 Early warning signs that something might be amiss have already started emerging .
As detailed in “ Gates Tries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” results6 from Moderna ’ s Phase 1 human trial revealed 100 % of volunteers in the high-dose group suffered systemic side effects .
Side effects included fatigue , chills , headache and myalgia ( muscle pain ) ; 21 % suffered “ one or more severe events.
” A May 26 , 2020 , article7 in STAT news told the harrowing story of Ian Haydon , a healthy 29-year-old participant in Moderna ’ s vaccine trial who suffered severe side effects requiring hospitalization .
While Haydon recovered from the side effects , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nausea , muscle pain and generally feeling “ as sick as he ’ d ever felt , ” just imagine what such side effects might do to an elderly person , an infant , young child or someone who is metabolically compromised or has an underlying condition such as a heart problem .
For them , the reactions could be far worse and possibly fatal .
Disturbingly , in July 2020 , it was reported8 that Moderna ’ s 100-mcg dose vaccine — despite its 100 % side effect ratio after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 trial assessment .
Like the Moderna vaccine , the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine also appears to come with a shockingly high rate of side effects .
Results9 from one of its Phase 1/2 studies published August 15 , 2020 , revealed a clear majority of participants experienced side effects , including fatigue , headache , muscle ache , malaise , chills and feeling feverish .
September 6 , 2020 , AstraZeneca paused its Phase 3 vaccine trial due to a “ suspected serious and unexpected adverse reaction ” in a British participant.10,11 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the adverse reaction .
However , The New York Times reported12 that “ a person familiar with the situation , and who spoke on the condition of anonymity ” said the individual ” had been found to have transverse myelitis , an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.
” September 12 , 2020 , the British Medicines Health Regulatory Authority gave AstraZeneca the go-ahead to resume its Phase 3 trial in the U.K. , after an independent review found it “ safe to do so.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ major surprise that hardly anyone knows .
Offit warns there could be problems with Moderna ’ s and BioNTech ’ s messenger RNA ( mRNA ) vaccines because they have extraordinary shipping and handling needs that include using dry ice .
“ We ’ ve never done that before in this country , ” he told MarketWatch.15 “ Never.
” A viral video ( above ) posted September 23 , 2020 , features the violent arrest of an Ohio mom at a local football game , ostensibly for not wearing her mask in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer tasing Alecia Kitts at the two-minute mark .
Also clearly on the video is footage showing that the officer who tased Kitts had his own mask off , under his chin , from the time he tased her until he was walking her away in handcuffs .
He only put the mask back on when someone in the stands yelled out , asking him where his mask was .
According to The Ohio Star,17 Tiffany Kennedy , a friend of Kitts who shot the video , said Kitts has asthma and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask is visible in her right back shorts pocket in the video .
Ohio coronavirus rules issued by Governor Mike DeWine require people to wear masks at outdoor events when 6-foot social distancing is not possible .
Not wearing a mask in Ohio is considered a misdemeanor .
Penalties for failure to comply can include up to 30 days in jail and a $ 750 fine .
While DeWine said his intent isn ’ t to arrest people for noncompliance , he failed to veto a bill that would have reduced fines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental problem with assaulting18 and arresting people for not complying with mask rules is that there ’ s no evidence to support the idea that masks prevent the spread of the virus .
In fact , the science tells us masks can not block viruses .
SARS-CoV-2 has a diameter between 0.06 and 0.14 microns.19 Medical N95 masks — which are considered the most effective — can filter particles as small as 0.3 microns.20 Surgical masks , homemade masks , T-shirts and bandanas are even more porous .
At best , a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ droplets , but it does nothing to prevent the transmission of aerosolized particulates exhaled by asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals with COVID-19.21 Health agencies ’ own research show it ’ s a futile measure that only provides a false sense of security .
Similarly , a May 2020 policy review paper23 published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s journal , Emerging Infectious Diseases , concluded that “ Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.
” This is highly relevant , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of SARS-CoV-2 .
If masks can not prevent transmission of influenza , they certainly can not prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 .
Certain masks are more useless than others , with valved masks being among the worst , followed by homemade cloth masks .
This includes both commercial cloth masks and N95-rated masks with one or two exhale ports .
The reason for this is because masks with breathing valves do not filter the outbreath .
To be clear , while an N95-rated mask with exhale port will not protect others , it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the wearer .
If you ’ re wearing a mask , N95-rated masks are the most effective choice .
The caveat is that it must be properly fitted and put on and removed as instructed .
Medical staff must go through fit tests24 for medical N95 masks , which makes them an impractical choice for the general public .
Face shields , recommended25 by Dr. Anthony Fauci at the end of July 2020 , as an added layer to protect the mucous membranes of your eyes , are even more useless for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if used alone in lieu of a mask ( which is generally not recommended26 ) .
Florida Atlantic University ’ s College of Engineering and Computer Science video above provides a qualitative visualization of how masks with valves and face shields perform .
As reported by Florida Atlantic University news desk:27 In related news , a Japanese simulation study found “ nearly 100 % of airborne droplets less than 5 micrometers in size escaped through the shields ” and “ about half of larger droplets measuring 50 micrometers found their way into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also noted that aerosolized viruses can travel farther than 6 feet — which is logical seeing how aerosolized viruses can remain suspended in the air for hours — and that “ indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk.
” 32 However , the CDC then deleted the mention of aerosols and the possibility of spread beyond 6 feet the following Monday , September 21 , saying a draft version of proposed changes had been posted “ in error.
” 33,34,35,36 The last sentence is a key one .
Understanding that SARS-CoV-2 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is important because cloth masks aren ’ t designed to protect the wearer from aerosols.
” Masks also , of course , can not protect others from aerosolized viruses exhaled by someone wearing a mask ( or face shield ) .
According to NBC News,38 that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne is “ already well-known , according to infectious disease experts , ” so it ’ s unclear why the CDC would not want that information on its website .
In fact , it ’ s been remarkably slow in acknowledging it .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rapid removal of this information has something to do with the fact that , if SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily via aerosols , then requiring people to wear masks is illogical , seeing how they can not filter out airborne viruses .
All a mask can do is limit the spread of contaminated respiratory droplets .
This has been the argument against mask wearing all along .
Dr. Jill Weatherhead , assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , told NBC News that the admission that SARS-CoV-2 is aerosolized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39 The World Health Organization updated its COVID-19 guidance back in July to include aerosolized ( i.e.
, airborne ) transmission , at the urging of more than 200 scientists.40 Joseph Allen , an associate professor in the department of environmental health at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , also told NBC News that “ The scientific community has been raising the alarm about this since February , that airborne spread can happen.
” 41 Dr. Ashish Jha , dean of the school of public health at Brown University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deletion:42 Why Are They so Persistent With Mask Recommendations ?
Considering the strong scientific evidence against it , why are governments so persistent in their recommendation of mask wearing ?
Clearly , for many , wearing a bandana or cloth mask provides a form of psychological defense , a way to feel less fearful because it feels like you ’ re doing something to protect yourself and others .
But it ’ s a false sense of security .
Masks will not prevent you from exhaling or inhaling the aerosolized virus .
Cloth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option if you want to reduce the spread of infection , as their ability to block larger respiratory droplets is also limited .
In particular , N95 masks with airflow valves on the front should be avoided , as the valve lets out unfiltered air , thus negating the small benefit — the reduction in respiratory droplet emissions — you might get from a mask.43 But with COVID-19 fatality rates44,45,46 as low as they are , why would governments be pushing for a false sense of security ?
According to a September 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Internal Medicine , the overall noninstitutionalized COVID-19 fatality ratio is 0.26 % .
For those younger than 40 , the infection fatality ratio is 0.01 % , while those aged 60 or older have a fatality ratio of 1.71 % .
The estimated infection fatality rate for seasonal influenza listed in this paper is 0.8 % .
So , the only people for whom SARS-CoV-2 infection is more dangerous than influenza is those over the age of 60 .
Mandatory mask wearing , social distancing , lockdowns and business shut-downs are clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your goal is to increase fear , tyranny and transfer of wealth to the upper 0.001 % who can benefit from collapsing the economy .
The virus is in the air all around us , so you can not avoid exposure even with a mask or face shield .
Remember back in March 2020 when they said we just need to slow down the rate of infection to avoid overcrowding hospitals ?
How did we go from that to now having to wear masks everywhere until every trace of the virus has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain asymptomatic and don ’ t even know they have the virus unless they get tested ?
Overall , it seems mask requirements are being used as a psychological manipulation tool to encourage compliance with vaccination once a vaccine becomes available .
It can also be viewed as a badge of submission to tyranny .
I predict it is likely that , at some point in the future , a tradeoff will be offered : Mask mandates will be dropped provided everyone gets vaccinated .
By then , many may be willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t have to wear a mask anymore — although some , like Offit , warn that masks may remain a requirement for years to come , even with a vaccine .
I would encourage you to read up on the many open questions relating to fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines before making your decision .
Overall , it seems the best way to avoid having to make such a devious trade is to engage in civil disobedience now , and go unmasked .
If civil disobedience feels disconcerting , keep in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include the following exception : “ You must wear a mask unless you can maintain a 6-foot distance.
” In other words , if you ’ re without a mask and maintain 6-foot social distancing , you ’ re still in compliance with the rules as written .

What Will It Take For Masks And Face Shields To End?
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
According to rotavirus vaccine developer Dr. Paul Offit,1 people will need to continue wearing masks and social distancing for “the next couple of years” even after a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.
“People now see vaccines as a magic dust that’s about to be sprinkled over this country and make this all go away. It doesn’t work that way,” Offit told MarketWatch, September 21, 2020.2
Offit, who sits on the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, said he’s wary of a COVID-19 vaccine that may be rushed to market under pressure from the government.
The U.S. Health and Human Services’ Operation Warp Speed has pledged to deliver 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by 2021,3 if not sooner.4 However, developing a safe and effective vaccine normally takes years and begins with animal studies.
The COVID-19 vaccines are all being rushed straight into human clinical tests, forgoing lengthy animal trials altogether. Vaccine makers are also being shielded against liability if people are harmed by the experimental vaccines.5
Early Warning Signs of Vaccine Dangers
Early warning signs that something might be amiss have already started emerging. As detailed in “Gates Tries to Justify Side Effects of Fast-Tracked Vaccine,” results6 from Moderna’s Phase 1 human trial revealed 100% of volunteers in the high-dose group suffered systemic side effects. Side effects included fatigue, chills, headache and myalgia (muscle pain); 21% suffered “one or more severe events.”
A May 26, 2020, article7 in STAT news told the harrowing story of Ian Haydon, a healthy 29-year-old participant in Moderna’s vaccine trial who suffered severe side effects requiring hospitalization.
While Haydon recovered from the side effects, which included a raging fever, fainting, nausea, muscle pain and generally feeling “as sick as he’d ever felt,” just imagine what such side effects might do to an elderly person, an infant, young child or someone who is metabolically compromised or has an underlying condition such as a heart problem. For them, the reactions could be far worse and possibly fatal.
Disturbingly, in July 2020, it was reported8 that Moderna’s 100-mcg dose vaccine — despite its 100% side effect ratio after the second dose — would proceed to Phase 3 trial assessment.
Like the Moderna vaccine, the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine also appears to come with a shockingly high rate of side effects. Results9 from one of its Phase 1/2 studies published August 15, 2020, revealed a clear majority of participants experienced side effects, including fatigue, headache, muscle ache, malaise, chills and feeling feverish.
September 6, 2020, AstraZeneca paused its Phase 3 vaccine trial due to a “suspected serious and unexpected adverse reaction” in a British participant.10,11 The company did not divulge the nature of the adverse reaction.
However, The New York Times reported12 that “a person familiar with the situation, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity” said the individual” had been found to have transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.”
September 12, 2020, the British Medicines Health Regulatory Authority gave AstraZeneca the go-ahead to resume its Phase 3 trial in the U.K., after an independent review found it “safe to do so.”13,14
And here is yet another major surprise that hardly anyone knows. Offit warns there could be problems with Moderna’s and BioNTech’s messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines because they have extraordinary shipping and handling needs that include using dry ice. “We’ve never done that before in this country,” he told MarketWatch.15 “Never.”
Why Enforce Ineffective Mask Rules?
A viral video (above) posted September 23, 2020, features the violent arrest of an Ohio mom at a local football game, ostensibly for not wearing her mask in the stands.16 The video shows a police officer tasing Alecia Kitts at the two-minute mark.
Also clearly on the video is footage showing that the officer who tased Kitts had his own mask off, under his chin, from the time he tased her until he was walking her away in handcuffs. He only put the mask back on when someone in the stands yelled out, asking him where his mask was.
According to The Ohio Star,17 Tiffany Kennedy, a friend of Kitts who shot the video, said Kitts has asthma and had taken the mask off. Kitts’ mask is visible in her right back shorts pocket in the video. Ohio coronavirus rules issued by Governor Mike DeWine require people to wear masks at outdoor events when 6-foot social distancing is not possible.
Not wearing a mask in Ohio is considered a misdemeanor. Penalties for failure to comply can include up to 30 days in jail and a $750 fine. While DeWine said his intent isn’t to arrest people for noncompliance, he failed to veto a bill that would have reduced fines and banned jail time for noncompliance.
The fundamental problem with assaulting18 and arresting people for not complying with mask rules is that there’s no evidence to support the idea that masks prevent the spread of the virus. In fact, the science tells us masks cannot block viruses.
SARS-CoV-2 has a diameter between 0.06 and 0.14 microns.19 Medical N95 masks — which are considered the most effective — can filter particles as small as 0.3 microns.20 Surgical masks, homemade masks, T-shirts and bandanas are even more porous.
At best, a mask may reduce the transmission of large respiratory droplets, but it does nothing to prevent the transmission of aerosolized particulates exhaled by asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals with COVID-19.21 Health agencies’ own research show it’s a futile measure that only provides a false sense of security.
For example, the World Health Organization’s June 5, 2020, guidance memo22 on face mask use states “there is no direct evidence (from studies on COVID- 19 and in healthy people in the community) on the effectiveness of universal masking of healthy people in the community to prevent infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.”
Similarly, a May 2020 policy review paper23 published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, concluded that “Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”
This is highly relevant, as the influenza virus is about twice the size of SARS-CoV-2. If masks cannot prevent transmission of influenza, they certainly cannot prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
Valved Masks and Face Shields Are Useless
Certain masks are more useless than others, with valved masks being among the worst, followed by homemade cloth masks. This includes both commercial cloth masks and N95-rated masks with one or two exhale ports. The reason for this is because masks with breathing valves do not filter the outbreath.
To be clear, while an N95-rated mask with exhale port will not protect others, it may, however, still offer some protection for the wearer. If you’re wearing a mask, N95-rated masks are the most effective choice. The caveat is that it must be properly fitted and put on and removed as instructed. Medical staff must go through fit tests24 for medical N95 masks, which makes them an impractical choice for the general public.
Face shields, recommended25 by Dr. Anthony Fauci at the end of July 2020, as an added layer to protect the mucous membranes of your eyes, are even more useless for the prevention of viral spread, especially if used alone in lieu of a mask (which is generally not recommended26).
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science video above provides a qualitative visualization of how masks with valves and face shields perform. As reported by Florida Atlantic University news desk:27
“Widespread public use of these alternatives to regular masks could potentially have an adverse effect on mitigation efforts. For the study,28 just published in the journal Physics of Fluids, researchers employed flow visualization in a laboratory setting using a laser light sheet and a mixture of distilled water and glycerin to generate the synthetic fog that made up the content of a cough-jet.
They visualized droplets expelled from a mannequin’s mouth while simulating coughing and sneezing. By placing a plastic face shield and an N95-rated face mask with a valve, they were able to map out the paths of droplets and demonstrate how they performed.
Results of the study show that although face shields block the initial forward motion of the jet, the expelled droplets move around the visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area depending on light ambient disturbances.
Visualizations for the face mask equipped with an exhalation port indicate that a large number of droplets pass through the exhale valve unfiltered, which significantly reduces its effectiveness as a means of source control.”
In related news, a Japanese simulation study found “nearly 100% of airborne droplets less than 5 micrometers in size escaped through the shields” and “about half of larger droplets measuring 50 micrometers found their way into the air,” The Guardian reports.29,30
Why Did CDC Delete Aerosol Transmission Notice?
Interestingly, Friday September 18, 2020, the CDC posted updated COVID-19 guidance on its “How COVID-19 Spreads” page that, for the first time, mentioned aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, saying “this is thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”31
It also noted that aerosolized viruses can travel farther than 6 feet — which is logical seeing how aerosolized viruses can remain suspended in the air for hours — and that “indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk.”32 However, the CDC then deleted the mention of aerosols and the possibility of spread beyond 6 feet the following Monday, September 21, saying a draft version of proposed changes had been posted “in error.”33,34,35,36
“If SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily via aerosols, then requiring people to wear masks is illogical, seeing how they cannot filter out airborne viruses.”
As reported by Forbes:37
“Before Friday’s update, the CDC said large respiratory droplets (like from coughing or sneezing) at close range transmitted the virus, but now the now-deleted guidance added that ‘small particles, such as those in aerosols’ could infect people.
‘There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet,’ the now-removed guidance stated … Scientists say the new CDC guidance is important because cloth masks aren’t designed to protect the wearer from aerosols.”
The last sentence is a key one. Understanding that SARS-CoV-2 is aerosolized and can remain suspended in air “is important because cloth masks aren’t designed to protect the wearer from aerosols.” Masks also, of course, cannot protect others from aerosolized viruses exhaled by someone wearing a mask (or face shield).
SARS-CoV-2 Is Airborne, Which Makes Masks Ineffective
According to NBC News,38 that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne is “already well-known, according to infectious disease experts,” so it’s unclear why the CDC would not want that information on its website. In fact, it’s been remarkably slow in acknowledging it.
One has to wonder whether its delayed acknowledgment and rapid removal of this information has something to do with the fact that, if SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily via aerosols, then requiring people to wear masks is illogical, seeing how they cannot filter out airborne viruses. All a mask can do is limit the spread of contaminated respiratory droplets. This has been the argument against mask wearing all along.
Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told NBC News that the admission that SARS-CoV-2 is aerosolized was “not surprising or jarring.”39 The World Health Organization updated its COVID-19 guidance back in July to include aerosolized (i.e., airborne) transmission, at the urging of more than 200 scientists.40
Joseph Allen, an associate professor in the department of environmental health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also told NBC News that “The scientific community has been raising the alarm about this since February, that airborne spread can happen.”41 Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the school of public health at Brown University, commented on the CDC’s deletion:42
“This is so destructive to this incredibly wonderful agency that we have loved and admired our entire careers. This is amateur hour.”
Why Are They so Persistent With Mask Recommendations?
Considering the strong scientific evidence against it, why are governments so persistent in their recommendation of mask wearing? Clearly, for many, wearing a bandana or cloth mask provides a form of psychological defense, a way to feel less fearful because it feels like you’re doing something to protect yourself and others. But it’s a false sense of security.
Masks will not prevent you from exhaling or inhaling the aerosolized virus. Cloth masks are clearly also the least preferable option if you want to reduce the spread of infection, as their ability to block larger respiratory droplets is also limited.
In particular, N95 masks with airflow valves on the front should be avoided, as the valve lets out unfiltered air, thus negating the small benefit — the reduction in respiratory droplet emissions — you might get from a mask.43
But with COVID-19 fatality rates44,45,46 as low as they are, why would governments be pushing for a false sense of security? According to a September 2, 2020, study47 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the overall noninstitutionalized COVID-19 fatality ratio is 0.26%. For those younger than 40, the infection fatality ratio is 0.01%, while those aged 60 or older have a fatality ratio of 1.71%.
The estimated infection fatality rate for seasonal influenza listed in this paper is 0.8%. So, the only people for whom SARS-CoV-2 infection is more dangerous than influenza is those over the age of 60.
Mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, lockdowns and business shut-downs are clearly completely unnecessary at this point, unless your goal is to increase fear, tyranny and transfer of wealth to the upper 0.001% who can benefit from collapsing the economy. The virus is in the air all around us, so you cannot avoid exposure even with a mask or face shield.
Remember back in March 2020 when they said we just need to slow down the rate of infection to avoid overcrowding hospitals? How did we go from that to now having to wear masks everywhere until every trace of the virus has been eliminated, even though a vast majority remain asymptomatic and don’t even know they have the virus unless they get tested?
Overall, it seems mask requirements are being used as a psychological manipulation tool to encourage compliance with vaccination once a vaccine becomes available. It can also be viewed as a badge of submission to tyranny. I predict it is likely that, at some point in the future, a tradeoff will be offered: Mask mandates will be dropped provided everyone gets vaccinated.
By then, many may be willing to take just about anything as long as they don’t have to wear a mask anymore — although some, like Offit, warn that masks may remain a requirement for years to come, even with a vaccine.
I would encourage you to read up on the many open questions relating to fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines before making your decision. Overall, it seems the best way to avoid having to make such a devious trade is to engage in civil disobedience now, and go unmasked.
If civil disobedience feels disconcerting, keep in mind that in many areas, mask rules include the following exception: “You must wear a mask unless you can maintain a 6-foot distance.” In other words, if you’re without a mask and maintain 6-foot social distancing, you’re still in compliance with the rules as written.


thewakingtimes--2020-10-09--Battered Souls #016 with Marc Angelo Coppola – Evolving Our Way Out of 1984

Battered Souls # 016 with Marc Angelo Coppola – Evolving Our Way Out of 1984 Get the latest Waking Times @ @ @ @ @ .
Sign up here .
Entrepreneur , farmer and business leader Marc Angelo Coppola joins @ @ @ @ @ life in the age of Covid and how to navigate these challenging times .
Marc @ @ @ @ @ Valhalla Farms Co-Op and the Superhero Academy , as well as a long time member @ @ @ @ @ We first get into the Covid situation and how that is rapidly transforming our world @ @ @ @ @ that more closely resembles 1984 .
Then , drawing on his experience in business and @ @ @ @ @ bit about how we can change our perspective to accept these challenges , and then @ @ @ @ @ to find resilience and opportunity .
Visit us on the web – Battered Souls

Battered Souls #016 with Marc Angelo Coppola – Evolving Our Way Out of 1984
Entrepreneur, farmer and business leader Marc Angelo Coppola joins the podcast to talk about life in the age of Covid and how to navigate these challenging times.
Marc is the visionary founder of Valhalla Farms Co-Op and the Superhero Academy, as well as a long time member of the alternative media.
We first get into the Covid situation and how that is rapidly transforming our world, changing it into something that more closely resembles 1984. Then, drawing on his experience in business and activism, Marc talks a bit about how we can change our perspective to accept these challenges, and then apply critical and long-term thinking to find resilience and opportunity.
Such a positive and inspiring conversation. Enjoy!
Valhalla Farms
The Superhero Academy
Find Marc on Facebook
————————————
Visit us on the web – Battered Souls
Stop by Dylan’s site – Waking Times
————————————
Support Battered Souls with Cryptos!
BITCOIN – 1PgkuMTxVwVEhgbKuXQQ1Qi8kYzsX2fn68
ETHEREUM – 0xaec9c156C492d964Ad6C8bD1377152b85Be230F6
————————————


thewakingtimes--2020-10-12--1970’s Home Retrofitted with Hempcrete in Groundbreaking Sustainable Building Project

Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
The time for hemp is now , and while laws and regulations concerning the production , processing , and consumption of hemp and cannabis slowly move forward , people the world over are pushing the envelope in finding new ways to use hemp .
In May of this year we reported on an ingenious building design by a group of Moroccan students who built an off-grid ‘ hemp ’ house made almost entirely from hemp and solar panels .
Biodegradable hemp Covid-19 face masks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colossal non-biodegradable waste this crisis is creating .
A recent agricultural study pointed out that planting hemp can even help address the declining bee population .
A home in Bellingham , WA is receiving acclaim by those pushing the limits in the development of hemp building materials .
Called the Highland Hemp House , the 1970 ’ s home has been retrofitted with hempcrete and is now serving as a showcase for materials and techniques in converting older , inefficient housing into modern , sustainable and very efficient structures .
Pamela Bosch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became interested in building with hemp about 5 years ago , and after building a test project , she convinced local city government to grant permits to be build a larger structure and begin retrofitting the main house .
Beginning the endeavor by finding the right people and materials , Bosch has “ Bosch stripped away the toxic layers from the walls of her 1970s-era Bellingham , Washington home last spring , and through the summer replaced that material with a hempcrete mixture carefully sourced from suppliers and consultants in Europe .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s viability and successfully worked her project through local building codes – complex undertakings she ’ ll share at IHBA.
” [ Source ] The project is serving as a classroom for many other innovators who are learning how to use hemp in construction to further the goal of moving toward a more sustainable and efficient future .
Speaking on the importance of this , and why America needs hempcrete in particular now more than ever , Bosch comments : “ In the US , we are not exposed to residences that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Asia , and Africa–especially on the West Coast .
But don ’ t we want buildings to endure ?
Wouldn ’ t it be a better use of materials to design for functional longevity ?
Hempcrete is essentially reconstituted limestone .
It is not dissimilar to many buildings of antiquity that used burned lime as a binder and a surface treatment .
Nature has utilized lime/calcium for shelter and structure for hundreds of millions of years .
Nothing synthetic can compare .
For endurance , health , versatility or performance .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , carbon capturing benefits of building with lime and bio-aggregate .
Consider now how calcium , the building block of ancient skeletons and exoskeletons cycles throughout the earth ’ s crust and her inhabitants .
Concrete , in which calcium is a primary element is ubiquitous in modern times , but lime has more endurance and better hygroscopic performance ; it is better suited for above ground walls though it uses a fraction of the energy that concrete needs for processing.
” ~Pamela Bosch The project is the first stick frame hepcrete retrofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been invited to share the journey of this process at the International Hemp Building Symposium in Brussels , later this month .
She talks about about how this type of innovation is needed to change the world we live in : “ I am not an architect .
I am not a media person .
Not a builder .
A business .
Or a contractor .
I ’ ve had to be all those things , but I am no expert at any of them .
What I might call myself is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a one off .
So , if I can build a house out of materials that are not well understood , so can you .
The reasons to do so are too compelling not to try .
I ’ ve heard , in keynote speeches and trade organization networks , that changing the world requires that we call on our innovators ; that we step outside of our routines and our roles ; that we see past our immediate and individual desires to our collective needs .
“ Urgent ” that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are inflexible .
HHH is a social experiment as much as it is a building experiment .
It ’ s a party house .
A space in a neighborhood setting that invites inquiry , scrutiny , feeling the space .
What ’ s different ?
How do we gather in this place ?
A house of hemp is mysteriously comfortable .
Seashell wrapping .
It must be experienced.
” ~Pamela Bosch Learn more about this project in the following video : Vic Bishop is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , animals , nature , and he loves to ponder the connection and relationship between them all .
A believer in always striving to becoming self-sufficient and free from the matrix , please track him down on Facebook .
This article ( 1970 ’ s Home Retrofitted with Hempcrete in Groundbreaking Sustainable Building Project ) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Vic Bishop and WakingTimes.com .
It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution , author bio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WakingTimes @ gmail.com for more info .

1970’s Home Retrofitted with Hempcrete in Groundbreaking Sustainable Building Project
Vic Bishop, Staff Writer
Waking Times
The time for hemp is now, and while laws and regulations concerning the production, processing, and consumption of hemp and cannabis slowly move forward, people the world over are pushing the envelope in finding new ways to use hemp.
In May of this year we reported on an ingenious building design by a group of Moroccan students who built an off-grid ‘hemp’ house made almost entirely from hemp and solar panels. Biodegradable hemp Covid-19 face masks are already hitting the market to address the colossal non-biodegradable waste this crisis is creating. A recent agricultural study pointed out that planting hemp can even help address the declining bee population.
A home in Bellingham, WA is receiving acclaim by those pushing the limits in the development of hemp building materials. Called the Highland Hemp House, the 1970’s home has been retrofitted with hempcrete and is now serving as a showcase for materials and techniques in converting older, inefficient housing into modern, sustainable and very efficient structures.
Pamela Bosch, owner of the Highland Hemp House first became interested in building with hemp about 5 years ago, and after building a test project, she convinced local city government to grant permits to be build a larger structure and begin retrofitting the main house. Beginning the endeavor by finding the right people and materials, Bosch has
“Bosch stripped away the toxic layers from the walls of her 1970s-era Bellingham, Washington home last spring, and through the summer replaced that material with a hempcrete mixture carefully sourced from suppliers and consultants in Europe. She also convinced local authorities about hemp’s viability and successfully worked her project through local building codes – complex undertakings she’ll share at IHBA.” [Source]
The project is serving as a classroom for many other innovators who are learning how to use hemp in construction to further the goal of moving toward a more sustainable and efficient future. Speaking on the importance of this, and why America needs hempcrete in particular now more than ever, Bosch comments:
“In the US, we are not exposed to residences that have been occupied for centuries as in Europe, Asia, and Africa–especially on the West Coast. But don’t we want buildings to endure? Wouldn’t it be a better use of materials to design for functional longevity? Hempcrete is essentially reconstituted limestone. It is not dissimilar to many buildings of antiquity that used burned lime as a binder and a surface treatment. Nature has utilized lime/calcium for shelter and structure for hundreds of millions of years. Nothing synthetic can compare. For endurance, health, versatility or performance. Elsewhere you have read about the energy conserving, carbon capturing benefits of building with lime and bio-aggregate. Consider now how calcium, the building block of ancient skeletons and exoskeletons cycles throughout the earth’s crust and her inhabitants. Concrete, in which calcium is a primary element is ubiquitous in modern times, but lime has more endurance and better hygroscopic performance; it is better suited for above ground walls though it uses a fraction of the energy that concrete needs for processing.” ~Pamela Bosch
The project is the first stick frame hepcrete retrofit in North America and is Bosch has been invited to share the journey of this process at the International Hemp Building Symposium in Brussels, later this month. She talks about about how this type of innovation is needed to change the world we live in:
“I am not an architect. I am not a media person. Not a builder. A business. Or a contractor. I’ve had to be all those things, but I am no expert at any of them. What I might call myself is a performance artist—with big props. My house is a one off. So, if I can build a house out of materials that are not well understood, so can you. The reasons to do so are too compelling not to try. I’ve heard, in keynote speeches and trade organization networks, that changing the world requires that we call on our innovators; that we step outside of our routines and our roles; that we see past our immediate and individual desires to our collective needs. “Urgent” that we adapt. And yet our support systems are inflexible. HHH is a social experiment as much as it is a building experiment. It’s a party house. A space in a neighborhood setting that invites inquiry, scrutiny, feeling the space. What’s different? How do we gather in this place? A house of hemp is mysteriously comfortable. Seashell wrapping. It must be experienced.” ~Pamela Bosch
Learn more about this project in the following video:
About the Author
Vic Bishop is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips blog. He is an observer of people, animals, nature, and he loves to ponder the connection and relationship between them all. A believer in always striving to becoming self-sufficient and free from the matrix, please track him down on Facebook.
This article (1970’s Home Retrofitted with Hempcrete in Groundbreaking Sustainable Building Project) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Vic Bishop and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement. Please contact WakingTimes@gmail.com for more info.


thewakingtimes--2020-10-12--Video Shows Cops Lead Handcuffed Black Man By A Rope ‘Like A Slave’—Taxpayers To Be Held Liable

Video Shows Cops Lead Handcuffed Black Man By A Rope ‘ Like A Slave ’ —Taxpayers To Be Held Liable Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
Galveston , TX — Last year , a picture of two horse-mounted officers using a rope to lead a handcuffed black man through the streets of Galveston , Texas , enraged the country and was slammed as racist and evoking memories of slavery .
It was so bad that police did something they rarely ever do — issue an apology .
But the damage done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be fixed by contrite cops , he is now suing the Galveston police department for $ 1 million .
A petition filed this month in Galveston County ’ s district court called the officers ’ conduct “ extreme and outrageous ” and claimed that it caused Neely injury , emotional distress and mental anguish .
According to the lawsuit , the officers should have known that Neely “ being led with a rope and by mounted officers down a city street as though he was a slave , would find this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the lawsuit , Neely alleges that he was maliciously prosecuted .
Indeed , all charges were later dismissed in court .
In August 2019 , Police Chief Vernon Hale confirmed that the officers clipped a “ line ” to Neely ’ s handcuffs after he was arrested on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing .
They were leading him to a mounted patrol unit staging area .
The original image ignited outrage online after it went viral , with many drawing comparisons to racist images and the era of slavery in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to a slave auction , ” one Twitter user said .
“ This is 2019 and not 1819 , ” James Douglas , president of Houston ’ s NAACP chapter told the Houston Chronicle .
Police said the department has changed its policy to prevent it from happening again .
It said the officers , identified as Patrick Brosch and Amanda Smith , did not have malicious intent .
“ All I know is that these are two white police officers on horseback with a black man walking him down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handcuffs , and that doesn ’ t make sense , period , ” Leon Phillips , president of the Galveston Coalition for Justice said .
Phillips suggested that the officers could have stayed with the man and waited for a car , and called on the police to end the arrest technique .
Indeed , the officers themselves knew that as body camera footage would later show .
“ This is going to look so bad .
I ’ m glad you ’ re not embarrassed , Mr. Neely , ” Officer Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith , clipped the line to Donald Neely ’ s cuffs getting ready to lead the black man through town from their horses .
The man ’ s “ crime ” was sleeping under the awning of a building after getting off work .
The outrage online would prompt an investigation and the Texas Rangers were tasked with conducting a criminal inquiry into Neely ’ s arrest .
The Rangers concluded , with the Galveston County District Attorney ’ s Office , that there was no basis for a criminal investigation .
Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state .
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project .
Follow @ MattAgorist on Twitter , Steemit , and now on Minds .

Video Shows Cops Lead Handcuffed Black Man By A Rope ‘Like A Slave’—Taxpayers To Be Held Liable
Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project
Waking Times
Galveston, TX — Last year, a picture of two horse-mounted officers using a rope to lead a handcuffed black man through the streets of Galveston, Texas, enraged the country and was slammed as racist and evoking memories of slavery. It was so bad that police did something they rarely ever do — issue an apology. But the damage done to the victim, Donald Neely, can not be fixed by contrite cops, he is now suing the Galveston police department for $1 million.
A petition filed this month in Galveston County’s district court called the officers’ conduct “extreme and outrageous” and claimed that it caused Neely injury, emotional distress and mental anguish.
“Neely suffered from handcuff abrasions, suffered from the heat, and suffered from embarrassment, humiliation and fear as he was led by rope and mounted officers down the city street,” the lawsuit claims.
According to the lawsuit, the officers should have known that Neely “being led with a rope and by mounted officers down a city street as though he was a slave, would find this contact offensive.”
What’s more, according to the lawsuit, Neely alleges that he was maliciously prosecuted. Indeed, all charges were later dismissed in court.
In August 2019, Police Chief Vernon Hale confirmed that the officers clipped a “line” to Neely’s handcuffs after he was arrested on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing. They were leading him to a mounted patrol unit staging area.
http://www.facebook.com/adrienne.bell.790/posts/2838001362896663
The original image ignited outrage online after it went viral, with many drawing comparisons to racist images and the era of slavery in the US. “Looks like they’re going to a slave auction,” one Twitter user said.
“This is 2019 and not 1819,” James Douglas, president of Houston’s NAACP chapter told the Houston Chronicle.
“First and foremost I must apologize to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment,” Galveston Police Chief Vernon Hale said in a statement. “Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgement in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of the arrest.”
Police said the department has changed its policy to prevent it from happening again.
It said the officers, identified as Patrick Brosch and Amanda Smith, did not have malicious intent.
“All I know is that these are two white police officers on horseback with a black man walking him down the street with a rope tied to the handcuffs, and that doesn’t make sense, period,” Leon Phillips, president of the Galveston Coalition for Justice said. Phillips suggested that the officers could have stayed with the man and waited for a car, and called on the police to end the arrest technique.
Indeed, the officers themselves knew that as body camera footage would later show.
“This is going to look so bad. I’m glad you’re not embarrassed, Mr. Neely,” Officer Patrick Brosch said after his partner, Amanda Smith, clipped the line to Donald Neely’s cuffs getting ready to lead the black man through town from their horses. The man’s “crime” was sleeping under the awning of a building after getting off work.
The outrage online would prompt an investigation and the Texas Rangers were tasked with conducting a criminal inquiry into Neely’s arrest. The Rangers concluded, with the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, that there was no basis for a criminal investigation.
“The city supports the chief in any actions he deems to be appropriate; however, if the investigation identifies deficiencies in department policies or practices those will be addressed directly with the Chief,” said City Manager Brian Maxwell in a statement.
About the Author
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.


thewakingtimes--2020-10-12--UK Says Weekly COVID Tests Could Offer ‘Passport To Freedom’

UK Says Weekly COVID Tests Could Offer ‘ Passport To Freedom ’ Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
Those who have watched the police state grow over decades have known that as the UK goes , so does the rest of the Western world .
Unfortunately , the UK population the testing grounds for intrusive and totalitarian policies that will be implemented in the rest of Western Europe and , after that , the United States .
Many researchers warned about early on ( when the COVID hysteria was reaching fever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic would be used to usher in methods of control the world has scarcely seen .
Contact tracing , lockdowns , mandatory masks , and now COVID passports.. Everyone who warned us of what was coming was labeled “ conspiracy theorists ” by media , government “ officials , ” and hysterical citizens .
Now contact tracing is in full effect , lockdowns have been ongoing for months , mandatory masks , and now COVID passports .
All these things were announced and unveiled by the same media outlets and government officials that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a few months ago .
COVID Passports would give those who test negative the ability to return to “ normalcy ” .
They would be able to attend sports events , concerts , got to work and school , without wearing masks .
The proposed 20-minute tests that would allow this to happen have been suggested by Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
Many people say these rapid , cheap tests are still in the development process and have not been approved .
The likely hood of false positives and negatives would do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The entire process of developing these tests would require testing technology that does not yet exist .
In an article written by Tom Shearsmith for The Industry Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested in today ’ s live broadcast Coronavirus press conference that the UK may “ regain a sense of normality ” by possibly introducing 20 minute testing to offer the equivalent of a COVID-19 passport .
During the conference , Johnson confirmed that from Monday a “ rule of six ” will be introduced in England , meaning people should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six .
He says this measure replaces current guidance – “ people only need to remember the rule of six ” .
He says that two households can not meet socially if they make a group bigger than six .
Plans to pilot larger audiences in stadiums and to allow conferences to go ahead from October will be put on hold for review .
Regarding a potential COVID-19 passport , Johnson said : “ In the near future we want to start using testing to identify people who are negative , who don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not infectious , so we can allow them to behave in a more normal way in the knowledge they can ’ t infect anyone else with the virus.
” This could allow office workers who test negative in the morning being able to work how they did before the pandemic , or allow people to attend venues for entertainment , for example .
“ Up to now , we have used testing primarily to identify people who are positive – so we can isolate them from the community and protect high-risk groups .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority .
We are working hard to increase our testing capacity to 500,000 tests a day by the end of October , ” Johnson said .
“ But in future , in the near future , we want to start using testing to identify people who are negative – who don ’ t have coronavirus and who are not infectious – so we can allow them to behave in a more normal way , in the knowledge they can not infect anyone else with the virus .
“ And we think , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tests which are simple , quick and scalable will become available .
They use swabs or saliva and can turn round results in 90 or even 20 minutes .
Crucially , it should be possible to deploy these tests on a far bigger scale than any country has yet achieved – literally millions of tests processed every single day , ” added Johnson .
Already Big Tech is working with the UK government to create these passports .
Under discussion is the use of facial biometrics in order to prove which workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm is Onfido , a firm that specializes in facial biometrics has already delivered detailed plans to the government about what it is able to help accomplish on a nationwide basis .
It claims that its proposals could actually be realized within a couple of months .
The proposals state that the firm could use antigen or antibody tests .
It is telling that the World Health Organization is warning against “ spreading false hope ” with the immunity passport scheme .
They argue we simply don ’ t know enough about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet the WHO and most countries are still going ahead with vaccine development .
Do you SEE where this is going ?
We are actually witnessing a vaccine passport scheme , not an immunity scheme .
“ We don ’ t know enough about immunity ” means having had COVID will not be enough to allow someone their “ passport to freedom ” as The Guardian has described it .
However , the holy grail of vaccines will never be in question and we can offer a passport based upon proof of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will extend to every other vaccine currently mandated by the governments of the “ free world ” upon its subjects .
The Guardian describes the scheme as follows : Right now , “ Digital Identity experts ” say they are only in the discovery phase of a plan that would be tailored to the needs of the UK government .
Of course , if you believe that , I have some ocean front property to sell you in Arizona .
Those plans have been in place for decades .
All the UK government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Brandon Turbeville , Alan Watt , David Icke , and many others have been warning about this coming plan for years and years .
One such article by Turbeville , entitled “ Social Media , Universal Basic Income , And Cashless Society : How China ’ s Social Credit System Is Coming To America , ” describes and how it is coming to the West .
I highly encourage you to read that article and to access the work of the researchers and journalists I mentioned above .

UK Says Weekly COVID Tests Could Offer ‘Passport To Freedom’
Robert Wheeler, Zero Hedge
Waking Times
Those who have watched the police state grow over decades have known that as the UK goes, so does the rest of the Western world.
Unfortunately, the UK population the testing grounds for intrusive and totalitarian policies that will be implemented in the rest of Western Europe and, after that, the United States.
Many researchers warned about early on (when the COVID hysteria was reaching fever pitch) that the threat of a pandemic would be used to usher in methods of control the world has scarcely seen. Contact tracing, lockdowns, mandatory masks, and now COVID passports..
Everyone who warned us of what was coming was labeled “conspiracy theorists” by media, government “officials,” and hysterical citizens. Now contact tracing is in full effect, lockdowns have been ongoing for months, mandatory masks, and now COVID passports.
All these things were announced and unveiled by the same media outlets and government officials that denied the very possibility of their existence only a few months ago.
Boris Johnson recently announced the “Moonshot Plan” that includes COVID passports.
COVID Passports would give those who test negative the ability to return to “normalcy”. They would be able to attend sports events, concerts, got to work and school, without wearing masks. The proposed 20-minute tests that would allow this to happen have been suggested by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Many people say these rapid, cheap tests are still in the development process and have not been approved. The likely hood of false positives and negatives would do nothing but create confusion and chaos. The entire process of developing these tests would require testing technology that does not yet exist.
In an article written by Tom Shearsmith for The Industry
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested in today’s live broadcast Coronavirus press conference that the UK may “regain a sense of normality” by possibly introducing 20 minute testing to offer the equivalent of a COVID-19 passport. During the conference, Johnson confirmed that from Monday a “rule of six” will be introduced in England, meaning people should not meet up in groups of more than six. He says this measure replaces current guidance – “people only need to remember the rule of six”. He says that two households cannot meet socially if they make a group bigger than six. Plans to pilot larger audiences in stadiums and to allow conferences to go ahead from October will be put on hold for review. Regarding a potential COVID-19 passport, Johnson said: “In the near future we want to start using testing to identify people who are negative, who don’t have coronavirus, who are not infectious, so we can allow them to behave in a more normal way in the knowledge they can’t infect anyone else with the virus.” This could allow office workers who test negative in the morning being able to work how they did before the pandemic, or allow people to attend venues for entertainment, for example.
Ironically, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency has a complete transcript of Johnson’s comments.
Anadolu reports,
“Up to now, we have used testing primarily to identify people who are positive – so we can isolate them from the community and protect high-risk groups. And that will continue to be our priority. We are working hard to increase our testing capacity to 500,000 tests a day by the end of October,” Johnson said. “But in future, in the near future, we want to start using testing to identify people who are negative – who don’t have coronavirus and who are not infectious – so we can allow them to behave in a more normal way, in the knowledge they cannot infect anyone else with the virus. “And we think, we hope, we believe that new types of tests which are simple, quick and scalable will become available. They use swabs or saliva and can turn round results in 90 or even 20 minutes. Crucially, it should be possible to deploy these tests on a far bigger scale than any country has yet achieved – literally millions of tests processed every single day,” added Johnson.
Already Big Tech is working with the UK government to create these passports.
Under discussion is the use of facial biometrics in order to prove which workers have had COVID.
One such tech firm is Onfido, a firm that specializes in facial biometrics has already delivered detailed plans to the government about what it is able to help accomplish on a nationwide basis. It claims that its proposals could actually be realized within a couple of months. The proposals state that the firm could use antigen or antibody tests.
It is telling that the World Health Organization is warning against “spreading false hope” with the immunity passport scheme. They argue we simply don’t know enough about how immunity develops after having had COVID. Yet the WHO and most countries are still going ahead with vaccine development.
Do you SEE where this is going?
We are actually witnessing a vaccine passport scheme, not an immunity scheme. “We don’t know enough about immunity” means having had COVID will not be enough to allow someone their “passport to freedom” as The Guardian has described it. However, the holy grail of vaccines will never be in question and we can offer a passport based upon proof of your vaccination. Predictably, this vaccine passport will extend to every other vaccine currently mandated by the governments of the “free world” upon its subjects.
Onfido claims that its new “COVID passport” could be the “linchpin of the new normality.”
The Guardian describes the scheme as follows:
Their solution would embed Onfido technology within another organization’s app to establish someone’s identity. The person would be asked to take a selfie and an image of their government-issued identification, such as a passport or driver’s license. The technology can determine whether the person’s face matches their ID, and also if the ID is genuine. This creates a digital identity. They are then tested for coronavirus under a system endorsed by the government and the result is stored by another provider – in the UK this would most likely be the NHS. When the person goes to their workplace, they open the app, take a photo of their face and that unlocks a QR code. That QR code would be scanned by reception using simple camera technology and on their system they would see the test result and a photo of the employee’s face for a short time, allowing them to visually determine the identity of the person in front of them. The only technology a business would need to make this work would be a camera to take an image of the QR code as they arrive. No information about someone’s name, date of birth, address would be visible to the person on reception, only that they are fit to go into work. … A government source said a form of certification system is “still on the table and being considered” and that conversations around this concept fall under the government’s “track and trace” plans.
The list of ONFIDO investors includes Microsoft.
Right now, “Digital Identity experts” say they are only in the discovery phase of a plan that would be tailored to the needs of the UK government. Of course, if you believe that, I have some ocean front property to sell you in Arizona. Those plans have been in place for decades. All the UK government needed was the proper excuse to implement it.
Brandon Turbeville, Alan Watt, David Icke, and many others have been warning about this coming plan for years and years. One such article by Turbeville, entitled “Social Media, Universal Basic Income, And Cashless Society: How China’s Social Credit System Is Coming To America,” describes and how it is coming to the West. I highly encourage you to read that article and to access the work of the researchers and journalists I mentioned above.


thewakingtimes--2020-10-12--New DARPA-Funded Tech Promises To Diagnose COVID-19 Through Implantable Biochip

New DARPA-Funded Tech Promises To Diagnose COVID-19 Through Implantable Biochip Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
The POC ( point-of-care ) diagnostics market stands at about $ 18.8 billion globally , according to recent market trends , and is expected to grow by a third to $ 24.1 billion this year and projected to explode by 2024 to $ 46.7 billion .
The main driver for these highly optimistic forecasts is the surge in healthcare technology demand brought on by the pandemic crisis , which is lining the pockets of big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abetted by the Defense Department ’ s various tentacles into the private sector , like DARPA or In-Q-Tel , where federal dollars are channeled into private enterprise through direct investment , stock purchasing , and grants , representing one of the clearest examples of how the military industrial complex works .
The “ detection ” of COVID-19 is among the most crowded segments of the POC diagnostics market and recent advances in the life sciences have made new technologies , such as mRNA-based vaccines and testing possible .
The U.S. government , through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( HHS ) , has been intimately involved in helping these technologies along , and in the case of mRNA , specifically , has made considerable investments in its development dating back to November 2019 in the case of one company developing an mRNA-based COVID-19 diagnostic tool .
But in a paper published on the FDA ’ s website , independent journalist Jon Rappaport discovered that the CDC – at least in the summer of 2020 – had no virus isolates of the novel coronavirus “ currently available ” and reveals that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ algorithms for COVID-19 were of other isolates meant to “ mimic clinical specimen.
” In other words , the tests aren ’ t designed to detect COVID-19 at all , which raises a number of questions , including why the Defense Advanced Research Agency ( DARPA ) just awarded $ 1.1 million to a molecular diagnostic firm that is working on a machine-learning diagnostic test for COVID-19 , that uses mRNA biomarkers to read the immune system ’ s response .
The company ’ s “ host-response diagnostics technology , ” or HostDx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s co-founder , Timothy E. Sweeney , during his time at Stanford University ’ s Khatri Lab , which focuses on developments in machine learning applied to biomedical research .
Founded in 2016 , the young company was incubated by the University ’ s now-defunct StartX fund and is run by four Stanford University alumni .
The Stanford University “ spinout ” company named its COVID detection product CoVerityTM , which is billed as a way to help doctors make better decisions for COVID-19 patients upon arrival at hospital emergency rooms , through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geared towards creating a more accurate and faster diagnosis method for detecting sepsis , which Sweeney calls one of the “ holy grails of medicine , ” Inflammatix ’ s core technology was expanded to include influenza testing with host-response biomarkers in November 2019 , when it received a cost-sharing contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) worth up $ 72 million .
BARDA ’ s contract was followed up by $ 32 million in private venture capital funds , and in March 2020 , a full week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global coronavirus pandemic , Inflammatix co-founders Sweeney and Purvesh Khatri – principal investigator for Khatri Lab – published a study in Nature Communications announcing “ Improved identification of bacterial and viral infections through a “ 29-mRNA neural-network classifier.
” The study cited “ recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence ” that can help distinguish “ between bacterial , viral , and non-infectious inflammation.
” Another study published in April focused on the cost-effectiveness of the “ Novel Multi-mRNA Host Response Assay for Diagnosis and Risk Assessment of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s HostDx technology provided “ substantial cost savings.
” Among the lead researchers for the study was Inflammatix COO Jonathan Romanowsky , whose Linked-In profile describes him as an “ expert in commercializing novel molecular diagnostics.
” The patently commercial feel of this endeavor is buttressed by the company ’ s origins in the Stanford ’ start-up incubator , which was sued by another Stanford researcher and StartX fund beneficiary for using the fund “ as a mask by using non-profit employees and resources to run a venture capital enterprise.
” While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quietly closed in 2019 as litigation in that case continues .
The technology being developed by Inflammatix to predict the risk of severe respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19 links directly to an implantable biochip , also developed with DARPA money and covered by this author , by virtue of its reliance on mRNA markers and health surveillance data sets to execute its algorithm .
CoVerity requires the kind of technology made possible by DARPA ’ s hydrogel paired with a light sensor technology , like that provided by Profusa , Inc. for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver binary signals for the algorithm to process and make the diagnosis .
Related technology has also been developed by one of Inflammatix ’ s board members , Steve Tablak , whose company GeneWeave BioSciences was acquired by Roche in 2015 for its “ Smarticles technology , ” which binds to family-specific DNA sequences of pathogens to produce a “ luciferase reporter ” or binary light emission that can be read by technology such as CoVerity .
Inflammatix CEO Timothy Seeney is confident that his algorithm is the best “ method for test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ] discover the best gene sets for specific applications.
” Investors , apparently , agree and is the reason why the start-up decided to bring in onetime Roche exec , Oliver Liesenfeld , as the company ’ s Chief Medical Officer ( CMO ) to oversee the product ’ s clinical trials and the road to regulatory approvals as it looks for FDA approval by early 2021 .
“ I was really naive , and now I just see it for what it is , ” Devesa told a San Jose news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is not this amazing entrepreneur-friendly thing that everybody talks about , ” he continued .
“ it ’ s just business .
It ’ s like Wall Street.
” Given Stanford ’ s deep ties to U.S. military intelligence dating back to the cold war , through an early version of StartX called the Stanford Research Institute ( SRI ) , Devesa ’ s assessment might reveal more about the true nature of Wall Street as an arm of the U.S. military industrial complex , which seems poised to make a killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biochips and AI-enabled diagnostic tools that are on the brink revolutionizing the healthcare industry .

New DARPA-Funded Tech Promises To Diagnose COVID-19 Through Implantable Biochip
Raul Diego, Mint Press News
Waking Times
The POC (point-of-care) diagnostics market stands at about $18.8 billion globally, according to recent market trends, and is expected to grow by a third to $24.1 billion this year and projected to explode by 2024 to $46.7 billion. The main driver for these highly optimistic forecasts is the surge in healthcare technology demand brought on by the pandemic crisis, which is lining the pockets of big pharma and big tech, aided and abetted by the Defense Department’s various tentacles into the private sector, like DARPA or In-Q-Tel, where federal dollars are channeled into private enterprise through direct investment, stock purchasing, and grants, representing one of the clearest examples of how the military industrial complex works.
The “detection” of COVID-19 is among the most crowded segments of the POC diagnostics market and recent advances in the life sciences have made new technologies, such as mRNA-based vaccines and testing possible. The U.S. government, through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has been intimately involved in helping these technologies along, and in the case of mRNA, specifically, has made considerable investments in its development dating back to November 2019 in the case of one company developing an mRNA-based COVID-19 diagnostic tool.
But in a paper published on the FDA’s website, independent journalist Jon Rappaport discovered that the CDC – at least in the summer of 2020 – had no virus isolates of the novel coronavirus “currently available” and reveals that all the assays used to design diagnostic testing algorithms for COVID-19 were of other isolates meant to “mimic clinical specimen.”
In other words, the tests aren’t designed to detect COVID-19 at all, which raises a number of questions, including why the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) just awarded $1.1 million to a molecular diagnostic firm that is working on a machine-learning diagnostic test for COVID-19, that uses mRNA biomarkers to read the immune system’s response.
Verified COVID
The company’s “host-response diagnostics technology,” or HostDx, was initially hypothesized by Inflammatix’s co-founder, Timothy E. Sweeney, during his time at Stanford University’s Khatri Lab, which focuses on developments in machine learning applied to biomedical research. Founded in 2016, the young company was incubated by the University’s now-defunct StartX fund and is run by four Stanford University alumni.
The Stanford University “spinout” company named its COVID detection product CoVerityTM, which is billed as a way to help doctors make better decisions for COVID-19 patients upon arrival at hospital emergency rooms, through its mRNA rapid detection technology. Originally geared towards creating a more accurate and faster diagnosis method for detecting sepsis, which Sweeney calls one of the “holy grails of medicine,” Inflammatix’s core technology was expanded to include influenza testing with host-response biomarkers in November 2019, when it received a cost-sharing contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) worth up $72 million.
BARDA’s contract was followed up by $32 million in private venture capital funds, and in March 2020, a full week before the World Health Organization declared a global coronavirus pandemic, Inflammatix co-founders Sweeney and Purvesh Khatri – principal investigator for Khatri Lab – published a study in Nature Communications announcing “Improved identification of bacterial and viral infections through a “29-mRNA neural-network classifier.” The study cited “recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence” that can help distinguish “between bacterial, viral, and non-infectious inflammation.”
Another study published in April focused on the cost-effectiveness of the “Novel Multi-mRNA Host Response Assay for Diagnosis and Risk Assessment of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections,” which concluded that Inflammatix’s HostDx technology provided “substantial cost savings.” Among the lead researchers for the study was Inflammatix COO Jonathan Romanowsky, whose Linked-In profile describes him as an “expert in commercializing novel molecular diagnostics.”
The patently commercial feel of this endeavor is buttressed by the company’s origins in the Stanford’ start-up incubator, which was sued by another Stanford researcher and StartX fund beneficiary for using the fund “as a mask by using non-profit employees and resources to run a venture capital enterprise.” While the University denies any wrongdoing, StartX was quietly closed in 2019 as litigation in that case continues.
Proprietary singularity
The technology being developed by Inflammatix to predict the risk of severe respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19 links directly to an implantable biochip, also developed with DARPA money and covered by this author, by virtue of its reliance on mRNA markers and health surveillance data sets to execute its algorithm.
CoVerity requires the kind of technology made possible by DARPA’s hydrogel paired with a light sensor technology, like that provided by Profusa, Inc. for DARPA’s biochip, which can deliver binary signals for the algorithm to process and make the diagnosis. Related technology has also been developed by one of Inflammatix’s board members, Steve Tablak, whose company GeneWeave BioSciences was acquired by Roche in 2015 for its “Smarticles technology,” which binds to family-specific DNA sequences of pathogens to produce a “luciferase reporter” or binary light emission that can be read by technology such as CoVerity.
Inflammatix CEO Timothy Seeney is confident that his algorithm is the best “method for test development that involves analyzing raw data [to] discover the best gene sets for specific applications.” Investors, apparently, agree and is the reason why the start-up decided to bring in onetime Roche exec, Oliver Liesenfeld, as the company’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to oversee the product’s clinical trials and the road to regulatory approvals as it looks for FDA approval by early 2021.
Just like Wall Street
If you ask MedWhat’s CEO Arturo Devesa, the Stanford University Medical School researcher who sued his alma mater’s start-up accelerator StartX for fraud, the experience “has made him question everything he believed about Stanford’s high-minded pursuit of innovation and Silicon Valley’s promise of meritocracy.”
“I was really naive, and now I just see it for what it is,” Devesa told a San Jose news outlet in a 2019 interview. “It is not this amazing entrepreneur-friendly thing that everybody talks about,” he continued. “it’s just business. It’s like Wall Street.”
Given Stanford’s deep ties to U.S. military intelligence dating back to the cold war, through an early version of StartX called the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Devesa’s assessment might reveal more about the true nature of Wall Street as an arm of the U.S. military industrial complex, which seems poised to make a killing on the brave new world of implantable biochips and AI-enabled diagnostic tools that are on the brink revolutionizing the healthcare industry.
About the Author
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


thewakingtimes--2020-10-13--Acedia: The Lost Name for the Emotion We’re All Feeling Right Now

Acedia : The Lost Name for the Emotion We ’ re All Feeling Right Now Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
With some communities in rebooted lockdown conditions and movement restricted everywhere else , no one is posting pictures of their sourdough .
Zoom cocktail parties have lost their novelty , Netflix can only release so many new series .
The news seems worse every day , yet we compulsively scroll through it .
We get distracted by social media , yet have a pile of books unread .
We keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find the time .
We ’ re bored , listless , afraid and uncertain .
What is this feeling ?
John Cassian , a monk and theologian wrote in the early 5th century about an ancient Greek emotion called acedia .
A mind “ seized ” by this emotion is “ horrified at where he is , disgusted with his room … It does not allow him to stay still in his cell or to devote any effort to reading ” .
He feels : This sounds eerily familiar .
Yet , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state was lost to time and translation .
Etymologically , acedia joins the negative prefix a- to the Greek noun kēdos , which means “ care , concern , or grief ” .
It sounds like apathy , but Cassian ’ s description shows that acedia is much more daunting and complex than that .
Cassian and other early Christians called acedia “ the noonday demon ” , and sometimes described it as a “ train of thought ” .
But they did not think it affected city-dwellers or even monks in communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spatial and social constrictions that a solitary monastic life necessitates .
These conditions generate a strange combination of listlessness , undirected anxiety , and inability to concentrate .
Together these make up the paradoxical emotion of acedia .
Evagrius of Pontus included acedia among the eight trains of thought that needed to be overcome by devout Christians .
Among these , acedia was considered the most insidious .
It attacked only after monks had conquered the sins of gluttony , fornication , avarice , sadness , anger , vainglory , and pride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , translated the list of sins into Latin .
A later 6th century Latin edit gave us the Seven Deadly Sins .
In this list , acedia was subsumed into “ sloth ” , a word we now associate with laziness .
Acedia appears throughout monastic and other literature of the Middle Ages .
It was a key part of the emotional vocabulary of the Byzantine Empire , and can be found in all sorts of lists of “ passions ” ( or , emotions ) in medical literature and lexicons , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It first appeared in English in print in 1607 to describe a state of spiritual listlessness .
But it ’ s barely used today .
As clinical psychology has reclassified emotions and mental states , terms like “ melancholy ” can sound archaic and moralising .
Emotional expressions , norms , and scripts change over time and vary between cultures .
They mark out constellations of bodily sensations , patterns of thought and perceived social causes or effects .
Since these constellations are culturally or socially specific , as societies change , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the decline of theological moralising , not to mention monastic influence , acedia has largely disappeared from secular vocabularies .
Now , the pandemic and governmental responses to it create social conditions that approximate those of desert monks .
No demons , perhaps , but social media offers a barrage of bad ( or misleading ) news .
Social distancing limits physical contact .
Lockdown constricts physical space and movement .
Working from home or having lost work entirely both upend routines and habits .
In these conditions , perhaps it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reviving the language of acedia is important to our experience in two ways .
First , it distinguishes the complex of emotions brought on by enforced isolation , constant uncertainty and the barrage of bad news from clinical terms like “ depression ” or “ anxiety ” .
Saying , “ I ’ m feeling acedia ” could legitimise feelings of listlessness and anxiety as valid emotions in our current context without inducing guilt that others have things worse .
Second , and more importantly , the feelings associated with physical isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible sense that this thing I feel is mine alone .
When an experience can be named , it can be communicated and even shared .
Learning to express new or previously unrecognised constellations of feelings , sensations , and thoughts , builds an emotional repertoire , which assists in emotional regulation .
Naming and expressing experiences allows us to claim some agency in dealing with them .
As we , like Cassian ’ s desert monks , struggle through our own “ long , dark teatime of the soul ” , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now part of our emotional repertoire .

Acedia: The Lost Name for the Emotion We’re All Feeling Right Now
Jonathan L. Zecher, The Conversation
Waking Times
With some communities in rebooted lockdown conditions and movement restricted everywhere else, no one is posting pictures of their sourdough. Zoom cocktail parties have lost their novelty, Netflix can only release so many new series. The news seems worse every day, yet we compulsively scroll through it.
We get distracted by social media, yet have a pile of books unread. We keep meaning to go outside but somehow never find the time. We’re bored, listless, afraid and uncertain.
What is this feeling?
John Cassian, a monk and theologian wrote in the early 5th century about an ancient Greek emotion called acedia. A mind “seized” by this emotion is “horrified at where he is, disgusted with his room … It does not allow him to stay still in his cell or to devote any effort to reading”. He feels:
such bodily listlessness and yawning hunger as though he were worn by a long journey or a prolonged fast … Next he glances about and sighs that no one is coming to see him. Constantly in and out of his cell, he looks at the sun as if it were too slow in setting.
This sounds eerily familiar. Yet, the name that so aptly describes our current state was lost to time and translation.
Noonday demon
Etymologically, acedia joins the negative prefix a- to the Greek noun kēdos, which means “care, concern, or grief”. It sounds like apathy, but Cassian’s description shows that acedia is much more daunting and complex than that.
Cassian and other early Christians called acedia “the noonday demon”, and sometimes described it as a “train of thought”. But they did not think it affected city-dwellers or even monks in communities.
Rather, acedia arose directly out the spatial and social constrictions that a solitary monastic life necessitates. These conditions generate a strange combination of listlessness, undirected anxiety, and inability to concentrate. Together these make up the paradoxical emotion of acedia.
Evagrius of Pontus included acedia among the eight trains of thought that needed to be overcome by devout Christians. Among these, acedia was considered the most insidious. It attacked only after monks had conquered the sins of gluttony, fornication, avarice, sadness, anger, vainglory, and pride.
Cassian, a student of Evagrius, translated the list of sins into Latin. A later 6th century Latin edit gave us the Seven Deadly Sins. In this list, acedia was subsumed into “sloth”, a word we now associate with laziness.
Acedia appears throughout monastic and other literature of the Middle Ages. It was a key part of the emotional vocabulary of the Byzantine Empire, and can be found in all sorts of lists of “passions” (or, emotions) in medical literature and lexicons, as well as theological treatises and sermons.
It first appeared in English in print in 1607 to describe a state of spiritual listlessness. But it’s barely used today.
Making like monks
As clinical psychology has reclassified emotions and mental states, terms like “melancholy” can sound archaic and moralising.
Emotional expressions, norms, and scripts change over time and vary between cultures. They mark out constellations of bodily sensations, patterns of thought and perceived social causes or effects.
Since these constellations are culturally or socially specific, as societies change, so do the emotions in their repertoire. With the decline of theological moralising, not to mention monastic influence, acedia has largely disappeared from secular vocabularies.
Now, the pandemic and governmental responses to it create social conditions that approximate those of desert monks. No demons, perhaps, but social media offers a barrage of bad (or misleading) news.
Social distancing limits physical contact. Lockdown constricts physical space and movement. Working from home or having lost work entirely both upend routines and habits. In these conditions, perhaps it’s time to bring back the term.
More than a label
Reviving the language of acedia is important to our experience in two ways.
First, it distinguishes the complex of emotions brought on by enforced isolation, constant uncertainty and the barrage of bad news from clinical terms like “depression” or “anxiety”.
Saying, “I’m feeling acedia” could legitimise feelings of listlessness and anxiety as valid emotions in our current context without inducing guilt that others have things worse.
Second, and more importantly, the feelings associated with physical isolation are exacerbated by emotional isolation – that terrible sense that this thing I feel is mine alone. When an experience can be named, it can be communicated and even shared.
Learning to express new or previously unrecognised constellations of feelings, sensations, and thoughts, builds an emotional repertoire, which assists in emotional regulation. Naming and expressing experiences allows us to claim some agency in dealing with them.
As we, like Cassian’s desert monks, struggle through our own “long, dark teatime of the soul”, we can name this experience, which is now part of our emotional repertoire.
Image: Unsplash