discoveryinstitute--2020-08-26--The Promise of Design Triangulation

The Promise of Design Triangulation

The Science & Culture Network Chapter in Colorado , with support from Chapters in Houston and Southern California , invites you to join this upcoming webinar and Q & A with Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellow Paul Nelson .
Dr. Nelson will explain the concept of design triangulation and explore its promising application to biological discovery .
Here ’ s a thought to whet your appetite .
Have you ever successfully figured out how something complicated worked by observing the system carefully and then inferring from what you can see to what you haven ’ t yet seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a method of reasoning we can call design triangulation .
Design triangulation is widely employed in biology ( in practice , if not in name ) to predict the functional features of cells or organisms before those features have actually been observed .
The method employs key assumptions about designed rationality that only make sense if intelligent design is true .
Want to learn more ?
Mark your calendar for Saturday , September 12 , 6:00 pm PDT and follow the link above to join .
You ’ ll have the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply to sit back and enjoy the conversation .

The Science & Culture Network Chapter in Colorado, with support from Chapters in Houston and Southern California, invites you to join this upcoming webinar and Q&A with Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellow Paul Nelson. Dr. Nelson will explain the concept of design triangulation and explore its promising application to biological discovery.
Here’s a thought to whet your appetite. Have you ever successfully figured out how something complicated worked by observing the system carefully and then inferring from what you can see to what you haven’t yet seen? If so, you have used a method of reasoning we can call design triangulation. Design triangulation is widely employed in biology (in practice, if not in name) to predict the functional features of cells or organisms before those features have actually been observed. The method employs key assumptions about designed rationality that only make sense if intelligent design is true.
Want to learn more? Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 12, 6:00 pm PDT and follow the link above to register. You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions for Dr. Nelson, or simply to sit back and enjoy the conversation.


Electrify Sea-Tac

The ACES Northwest Network , and initiative of Discovery Institute ’ s Cascadia Center , is a unique collective working to bring Automated , Connected , Electric , and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region .
As a center of mobility for air and ground transportation , Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the surrounding communities are poised to become a clean energy hub , building on decades of environmental stewardship .
Join the ACES Northwest Network and partners for this exciting look inside what ’ s happening in the world of electric aircraft , shared-ride transportation services , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal-oriented collaboration among diverse groups of stakeholders are the keys to harnessing the transformative power of cost-effective renewable energy .
The result is that solutions to our world ’ s biggest challenges are being created right here in the Pacific Northwest !
• Bruce Agnew : Welcome from the ACES Northwest Network • Andrea Reay : Welcome from the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce • Stephanie Bowman ( Port of Seattle ) : Going Green at Seattle-Tacoma Int ’ l Airport To learn more about the ACES Northwest Network : acesnorthwest.network For more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center : cascadia.center

The ACES Northwest Network, and initiative of Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center, is a unique collective working to bring Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region. As a center of mobility for air and ground transportation, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the surrounding communities are poised to become a clean energy hub, building on decades of environmental stewardship. Join the ACES Northwest Network and partners for this exciting look inside what’s happening in the world of electric aircraft, shared-ride transportation services, and community energy services. Public-private partnerships and goal-oriented collaboration among diverse groups of stakeholders are the keys to harnessing the transformative power of cost-effective renewable energy. The result is that solutions to our world’s biggest challenges are being created right here in the Pacific Northwest!
Speakers
Tom Alberg : Welcome from ACES Co-Founder
: Welcome from ACES Co-Founder Bruce Agnew : Welcome from the ACES Northwest Network
: Welcome from the ACES Northwest Network Andrea Reay : Welcome from the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
: Welcome from the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce Scott O. Kuznicki, P.E. : ACES Research Report: The Mobility Marketplace
: ACES Research Report: The Mobility Marketplace Stephanie Bowman (Port of Seattle): Going Green at Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport
(Port of Seattle): Going Green at Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport Roei Ganzarski (magniX): Taking Flight: A World First for Electric Aircraft
(magniX): Taking Flight: A World First for Electric Aircraft Heather Mulligan (PSE): Neighborhood and Multi-Family Residential Charging
(PSE): Neighborhood and Multi-Family Residential Charging Jon Walker (Lyft): Achieving Fleet Electrification for TNCs
To learn more about the ACES Northwest Network: acesnorthwest.network
For more information about Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center: cascadia.center


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-28--The Benefits of Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Technology

Jay Richards interviews Tom Alberg , Founder , Madrona Venture Group and Co-chair of the ACES Northwest Network , about ACES ’ efforts to bring Automated , Connected , Electric , and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region .
Alberg dismisses the idea that these new technologies will lead to job loss because innovation has always created more opportunity , not less .
Tom is a co-founder of Madrona and actively works in support of Madrona and its portfolio companies .
Tom is a director for Impinj , a former Madrona Portfolio Company that is now a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boards of numerous public and private companies including Amazon.com on which he served since before it went public in 1997 .
Tom is co-chair of ACES Northwest Network , a coalition of businesses supporting the implementation of autonomous , connected , electric and shared vehicles in the region .
He serves on the boards of TechNet Northwest , the Pacific Science Center , and Challenge Seattle .
He was formerly a member of President Obama ’ s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship .
He is also on the Investment Committee of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 35 most influential business leaders in the Seattle area by Puget Sound Business Journal .
“ The most difficult part of my job ?
Measuring my enthusiasm for every idea I hear .
There are a lot of exciting ideas and great entrepreneurs out there.
” COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it .
Learn more at cosm.technology .
Watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel , Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get your digital ticket now @

Jay Richards interviews Tom Alberg, Founder, Madrona Venture Group and Co-chair of the ACES Northwest Network, about ACES’ efforts to bring Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region. Alberg dismisses the idea that these new technologies will lead to job loss because innovation has always created more opportunity, not less.
Tom is a co-founder of Madrona and actively works in support of Madrona and its portfolio companies. Tom is a director for Impinj, a former Madrona Portfolio Company that is now a public company. Tom has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies including Amazon.com on which he served since before it went public in 1997. Tom is co-chair of ACES Northwest Network, a coalition of businesses supporting the implementation of autonomous, connected, electric and shared vehicles in the region.
He serves on the boards of TechNet Northwest, the Pacific Science Center, and Challenge Seattle. He was formerly a member of President Obama’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is also on the Investment Committee of the Seattle Foundation. Ranked number 12 of the 35 most influential business leaders in the Seattle area by Puget Sound Business Journal. “The most difficult part of my job? Measuring my enthusiasm for every idea I hear. There are a lot of exciting ideas and great entrepreneurs out there.”
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. Learn more at cosm.technology. Watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get your digital ticket now.


discoveryinstitute--2020-08-27--Official Launch of “The Miracle of the Cell” by Michael Denton

We are excited to announce the upcoming and official release of The Miracle of the Cell — the much-anticipated book by Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and beloved author Michael Denton .
The latest title in the Privileged Species series from Discovery Institute Press , including Fire-Maker ( 2016 ) , The Wonder of Water ( 2017 ) , and Children of Light ( 2018 ) , The Miracle of the Cell will explore yet another set of narrowly fine-tuned parameters that make human life — and all life — possible in an otherwise inhospitable universe .
The Miracle of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life emerged on our planet , the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature , in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth .
Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell .
Each of the atoms of life — including carbon , hydrogen , oxygen , and nitrogen , as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moreover , some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves .
Want to learn more ?
Look for the book on Amazon in late September and register today to join the official online launch event on Wednesday , October 21 , 6:00 pm PDT .
In this global webinar , Dr. Denton will be interviewed on the subject of his new book and will answer audience questions submitted by readers like yourself .
For more on the Privileged Species series , visit @ @ @

We are excited to announce the upcoming and official release of The Miracle of the Cell — the much-anticipated book by Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and beloved author Michael Denton. The latest title in the Privileged Species series from Discovery Institute Press, including Fire-Maker (2016), The Wonder of Water (2017), and Children of Light (2018), The Miracle of the Cell will explore yet another set of narrowly fine-tuned parameters that make human life — and all life — possible in an otherwise inhospitable universe.
The Miracle of the Cell provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life — including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves.
Want to learn more?
The book is now available on Amazon. Register today to join the official online launch event on Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 pm PDT. In this global webinar, Dr. Denton will be interviewed on the subject of his new book and will answer audience questions submitted by readers like yourself.
For more on the Privileged Species series, visit https://privilegedspecies.com/


Human Nature

Conventional wisdom holds that the murder rate has plummeted since the Middle Ages ; humankind is growing more peaceful and enlightened ; man is shortly to be much improved — better genes , better neural circuits , better biochemistry ; and we are approaching a technological singularity that well may usher in utopia .
Human Nature eviscerates these and other doctrines of a contemporary nihilism masquerading as science .
In this wide-ranging work polymath David Berlinski draws upon history , mathematics , logic , and literature to retrain our gaze on an old truth many are eager to forget : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human condition beauty , nobility , and moments of sublime insight , yes , but also ignorance and depravity .
Men are not about to become like gods .
Polymath David Berlinski ’ s appraisal of a transcendent human nature is really a military history , a discourse on physics and mathematics , a review of philosophy and linguistics , and a brilliant indictment of scientific groupthink by an unapologetic intellectual dissident .
Read it and learn something original and incisive on every page .
Victor Davis Hanson , Senior Fellow , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of The Second World Wars Berlinski is a modern Hannah Arendt , but deeper , more illuminating and wittier ( i.e.
, smarter ) .
His ability to use science and mathematics to illuminate history is nearly unique .
If I were assembling a list of essential modern books for undergraduates at my college or any college , this book would be number one .
Not only would students learn a tremendous lot from this book ; many would also love it .
Likewise their teachers .
Berlinski ’ s gift to mankind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Western civilization go out , it is nevertheless a treat to read these deep reflections on what we can be proud of , and where we went badly astray .
Wonderfully unconventional and stimulating , with David Berlinski ’ s characteristic wit and penetrating insight !
Greg Chaitin , pioneer of algorithmic information theory and metamathematics , and Emeritus Researcher , IBM ’ s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York , whose festschrift Unravelling Complexity : The Life and Work of Gregory Chaitin is forthcoming Berlinski combines mastery of classical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the natural sciences with sharp , elegant , and insightful writing .
The man is fearless in pursuing lines of reasoning that are considered taboo by current standards .
A wonderful display of common sense and reason at a time of great confusions .
“ These essays represent a reflection on man and modern times as erudite as the finest history , as profound as the most searching philosophy , as beautifully wrought as the loveliest prose , and as shocking and indignant as the best journalism .
The work of a magnificent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institution , host of Uncommon Knowledge “ Another tour de force by David Berlinski .
Few writers indeed , about science or society , can boast such a thoroughgoing command of the significant ideas of the past century , the confident mastery of every centrally significant scientific theory .
Yet if Berlinski derives obvious joy from the great theories that unify the world , he is never more memorable than when he vividly displays its irreducible particulars , holding the quiddities of place and person more clearly before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ourselves .
Indeed , if Berlinski glories in science ’ s achievements , he is no less dismissive of those attempts to see pattern and abstraction born not of vision but of ignorance ; and he repeatedly marshals his exceptionally deep historical and scientific knowledge ( and his inimitable wit ) to drive facile theories of man and the world into the shoals .
He is a relentless and devastating enemy of all attempts to reduce the tragic , bizarre , glorious world that confronts us to simple answers or easy slogans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will treasure this book.
” Stephen McKeown , Assistant Professor of Mathematics , University of Texas at Dallas

Conventional wisdom holds that the murder rate has plummeted since the Middle Ages; humankind is growing more peaceful and enlightened; man is shortly to be much improved — better genes, better neural circuits, better biochemistry; and we are approaching a technological singularity that well may usher in utopia. Human Nature eviscerates these and other doctrines of a contemporary nihilism masquerading as science. In this wide-ranging work polymath David Berlinski draws upon history, mathematics, logic, and literature to retrain our gaze on an old truth many are eager to forget: there is and will be about the human condition beauty, nobility, and moments of sublime insight, yes, but also ignorance and depravity. Men are not about to become like gods.
Plaudits
Polymath David Berlinski’s appraisal of a transcendent human nature is really a military history, a discourse on physics and mathematics, a review of philosophy and linguistics, and a brilliant indictment of scientific groupthink by an unapologetic intellectual dissident. Read it and learn something original and incisive on every page. Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow, the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, author of The Second World Wars
Berlinski is a modern Hannah Arendt, but deeper, more illuminating and wittier (i.e., smarter). His ability to use science and mathematics to illuminate history is nearly unique. If I were assembling a list of essential modern books for undergraduates at my college or any college, this book would be number one. Not only would students learn a tremendous lot from this book; many would also love it. Likewise their teachers. Berlinski’s gift to mankind is gratefully received. David Gelernter, Professor of Computer Science, Yale University
As the lights of Western civilization go out, it is nevertheless a treat to read these deep reflections on what we can be proud of, and where we went badly astray. Wonderfully unconventional and stimulating, with David Berlinski’s characteristic wit and penetrating insight! Greg Chaitin, pioneer of algorithmic information theory and metamathematics, and Emeritus Researcher, IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, whose festschrift Unravelling Complexity: The Life and Work of Gregory Chaitin is forthcoming
Berlinski combines mastery of classical culture and deep knowledge of mathematics and the natural sciences with sharp, elegant, and insightful writing. The man is fearless in pursuing lines of reasoning that are considered taboo by current standards. A wonderful display of common sense and reason at a time of great confusions. Sergiu Klainerman, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mathematics, Princeton University
“These essays represent a reflection on man and modern times as erudite as the finest history, as profound as the most searching philosophy, as beautifully wrought as the loveliest prose, and as shocking and indignant as the best journalism. The work of a magnificent mind.” Peter Robinson, Murdoch Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institution, host of Uncommon Knowledge


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-01--Design Gets Down and Dirty — Complex Specified Information in Electric Mud

Something has been right under scientists ’ noses , and they hadn ’ t seen it — till now .
Oh , they have known about bacteria for centuries , ever since Antony van Leeuwenhoek first glimpsed them in his homemade microscopes .
Bacteria have been extensively classified and sequenced now .
We know about their internal organelles , their genomes , and their interactions .
But what came to light as recently as a decade ago is truly astonishing : some bacteria can join end to end to form cables that conduct electricity .
So-called “ cable bacteria ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February 2016 as potential agents of earth ’ s habitability .
Cables of specialized microbes , extending several centimeters , appear to transfer electrons that operate the metabolism of other organisms living in deep sea sediments , and simultaneously prevent buildup of toxic wastes .
Since then , living electrical wires are turning up everywhere .
Elizabeth Pennisi , writing in Science Magazine ’ s special issue on “ mud ” as “ one of Earth ’ s most ubiquitous substances , ” describes the disbelief among some scientists on hearing Lars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had found chains of bacteria conducting electricity in the “ black , stinky mud ” he had collected from a harbor in Denmark .
Within days in his lab , the heavy doses of hydrogen sulfide in his mud samples disappeared , and so did the stink .
Startled , he discovered that what he named “ cable bacteria ” were transferring electrons from the oxygen-deprived lower layers to the surface , allowing bacteria deeper in the mud to metabolize organic matter and get rid of hydrogen sulfide waste .
In her article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pennisi says , Now that they are believers , these and other scientists are finding that cable bacteria are almost as ubiquitous as mud itself .
The article ’ s lead photo shows a cross-section of mud with networks of strands , but these are not fungal hyphae one might find in garden soil .
These are much thinner .
“ Threads of electron-conducting cable bacteria can stretch up to 5 centimeters from deeper mud , ” the caption reads , “ where oxygen is scarce and hydrogen sulfide is common , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Basically , the deep organisms send electrons gained by “ eating ” organic matter up the cables to the top , and donate the electrons to oxygen and hydrogen , yielding water .
This prevents buildup of toxic hydrogen sulfide .
Similar oxidation-reduction ( redox ) reactions are the basis of all metabolism .
It might seem at first that these bacteria are acting selfishly , using a clever electrical trick to get food and eliminate waste .
But when researchers started looking at the big picture , they saw a cooperative ecosystem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one whose first reaction was to call Nielsen ’ s theory “ complete nonsense , ” has come around .
“ We are seeing way more interactions within microbes and between microbes being done by electricity , ” Meysman says .
“ I call it the electrical biosphere.
” Working together , Nielsen and Meysman found out more details about these bacteria .
They build a cylindrical sheath , possibly made of protein , within which the bacteria line up .
These cylinders contain up from 17 to 60 protein “ wires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cell through the sheath .
Many thousands of microbes can make up a single wire .
The resulting cables conduct a current of electricity that , while not as efficient as copper wires , “ are on par with conductors used in solar panels and cellphone screens , as well as the best organic semiconductors.
” The other type of conductive microbe has been found almost everywhere microbiologists have looked .
The infographic in Pennisi ’ s article shows that “ nanowire bacteria ” have a different structure but do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organic compounds travel along “ protein nanowires ” to electron-accepting substances or cells .
The nanowires are much shorter , on the order of 20 to 50 nanometers , but they can sprout from multiple parts of a bacterial membrane , probing the surrounding soil to connect the “ terminals ” of electrical currents that power their metabolism .
But proteins were thought to be insulators ; how can they conduct electricity ?
Nanowire conductance is not well understood , but it may have to do with sequences of amino acids bearing ring-shaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cables help the bacteria , but they also help other organisms .
Without them , only the surface layers of soils and sediments would be viable , because toxic waste products would accumulate in the deeper , oxygen-deprived layers .
These wires are “ making mud more habitable for other life forms , ” Pennisi says .
It is also becoming apparent that they are natural clean-up agents in some ecosystems .
Cable bacteria and protein nanowires are turning up everywhere , in both freshwater and saltwater .
For example , they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tubes on the seafloor , probably helping make the tubes more habitable for the occupants .
Pennisi catalogs some of the many roles that these electrically conductive bacterial cables play in nature .
By creating gradients pH gradients , they undoubtedly play important roles in geochemical cycles involving elements and molecules as diverse as methane , arsenic , manganese , and iron .
They may even be playing roles in the biofilms that form around our teeth !
Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen , but Nielsen remarks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we ’ re dealing with here.
” As scientists learn more about electrically conducting microbes , we can expect more startling revelations about how central their roles are to global habitability .
For example , In separate but related findings , scientists are discovering more evidence that microbes really get around .
At The Conversation , Predrag Slijepcevic writes that “ Bacteria and viruses are travelling the world on highways in the sky ” ( see also , “ Information Storage — In the Cloud ( s ) ” ) .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of New South Wales report , “ Microbes living on air [ is ] a global phenomenon , ” even in polar climates where almost nothing grows .
Most likely they influence carbon fixation and global climate .
“ There are whole ecosystems probably relying on this novel microbial carbon fixation process , ” the senior author said , “ where microbes use the energy obtained from breathing in atmospheric hydrogen gas to turn carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon — in order to grow.
” With all these benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some would be thinking up biomimetic applications .
A companion piece in the special issue of Science , also by Pennisi , has the provocative title , “ Next up : a phone powered by microbial wires ?
” There ’ s actually enough energy in moisture in the air , researchers have shown , to power a cellphone with genetically modified bacterial nanowire films .
How ’ s that for “ a revolutionary technology to get renewable , green , and cheap energy ” in today ’ s energy-conscious society ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are living organisms with molecular machines built by and storing information in coded form .
That means that even mud is loaded with complex specified information — what a thought !
Pennisi comments , “ Bacteria that conduct electricity are transforming how we see sediments.
” It puts a new positive spin on “ clear as mud.
” There is no lack of clarity , however , in the conclusion that rapid , efficient , global ecosystem engineering through electrical cables sounds like a designing mind had the foresight to think of everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life to flourish .

Something has been right under scientists’ noses, and they hadn’t seen it — till now. Oh, they have known about bacteria for centuries, ever since Antony van Leeuwenhoek first glimpsed them in his homemade microscopes. Bacteria have been extensively classified and sequenced now. We know about their internal organelles, their genomes, and their interactions. But what came to light as recently as a decade ago is truly astonishing: some bacteria can join end to end to form cables that conduct electricity.
So-called “cable bacteria” were mentioned briefly on Evolution News back in February 2016 as potential agents of earth’s habitability. Cables of specialized microbes, extending several centimeters, appear to transfer electrons that operate the metabolism of other organisms living in deep sea sediments, and simultaneously prevent buildup of toxic wastes. Since then, living electrical wires are turning up everywhere.
A Special Issue on Mud
Elizabeth Pennisi, writing in Science Magazine’s special issue on “mud” as “one of Earth’s most ubiquitous substances,” describes the disbelief among some scientists on hearing Lars Peter Nielsen announce in 2009 that he had found chains of bacteria conducting electricity in the “black, stinky mud” he had collected from a harbor in Denmark. Within days in his lab, the heavy doses of hydrogen sulfide in his mud samples disappeared, and so did the stink. Startled, he discovered that what he named “cable bacteria” were transferring electrons from the oxygen-deprived lower layers to the surface, allowing bacteria deeper in the mud to metabolize organic matter and get rid of hydrogen sulfide waste. In her article, “The Mud Is Electric,” Pennisi says,
When Nielsen first described the discovery in 2009, colleagues were skeptical. Filip Meysman, a chemical engineer at the University of Antwerp, recalls thinking, “This is complete nonsense.” Yes, researchers knew bacteria could conduct electricity, but not over the distances Nielsen was suggesting. It was “as if our own metabolic processes would have an effect 18 kilometers away,” says microbiologist Andreas Teske of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. [Emphasis added.]
Now that they are believers, these and other scientists are finding that cable bacteria are almost as ubiquitous as mud itself.
But the more researchers have looked for “electrified” mud, the more they have found it, in both saltwater and fresh. They have also identified a second kind of mud-loving electric microbe: nanowire bacteria, individual cells that grow protein structures capable of moving electrons over shorter distances… These nanowire microbes live seemingly everywhere — including in the human mouth.
The article’s lead photo shows a cross-section of mud with networks of strands, but these are not fungal hyphae one might find in garden soil. These are much thinner. “Threads of electron-conducting cable bacteria can stretch up to 5 centimeters from deeper mud,” the caption reads, “where oxygen is scarce and hydrogen sulfide is common, to surface layers richer in oxygen.” Basically, the deep organisms send electrons gained by “eating” organic matter up the cables to the top, and donate the electrons to oxygen and hydrogen, yielding water. This prevents buildup of toxic hydrogen sulfide. Similar oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions are the basis of all metabolism.
Global Roles of Electric Mud
It might seem at first that these bacteria are acting selfishly, using a clever electrical trick to get food and eliminate waste. But when researchers started looking at the big picture, they saw a cooperative ecosystem coming into focus.
The discoveries are forcing researchers to rewrite textbooks; rethink the role that mud bacteria play in recycling key elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus; and reconsider how they influence aquatic ecosystems and climate change.
Filip Meysman, the one whose first reaction was to call Nielsen’s theory “complete nonsense,” has come around. “We are seeing way more interactions within microbes and between microbes being done by electricity,” Meysman says. “I call it the electrical biosphere.”
Cable Structure
Working together, Nielsen and Meysman found out more details about these bacteria. They build a cylindrical sheath, possibly made of protein, within which the bacteria line up. These cylinders contain up from 17 to 60 protein “wires” where electrons are passed from cell to cell through the sheath. Many thousands of microbes can make up a single wire. The resulting cables conduct a current of electricity that, while not as efficient as copper wires, “are on par with conductors used in solar panels and cellphone screens, as well as the best organic semiconductors.”
The other type of conductive microbe has been found almost everywhere microbiologists have looked. The infographic in Pennisi’s article shows that “nanowire bacteria” have a different structure but do the same job. Electrons gained from oxidation of organic compounds travel along “protein nanowires” to electron-accepting substances or cells. The nanowires are much shorter, on the order of 20 to 50 nanometers, but they can sprout from multiple parts of a bacterial membrane, probing the surrounding soil to connect the “terminals” of electrical currents that power their metabolism. But proteins were thought to be insulators; how can they conduct electricity? Nanowire conductance is not well understood, but it may have to do with sequences of amino acids bearing ring-shaped R-groups, called pilins.
Shared Benefits
These nanoscopic cables help the bacteria, but they also help other organisms. Without them, only the surface layers of soils and sediments would be viable, because toxic waste products would accumulate in the deeper, oxygen-deprived layers. These wires are “making mud more habitable for other life forms,” Pennisi says. It is also becoming apparent that they are natural clean-up agents in some ecosystems.
Cable bacteria and protein nanowires are turning up everywhere, in both freshwater and saltwater. For example, they have been observed in the sides of worm tubes on the seafloor, probably helping make the tubes more habitable for the occupants.
Nanowire bacteria are even more broadly distributed. Researchers have found them in soils, rice paddies, the deep subsurface, and even sewage treatment plants, as well as freshwater and marine sediments. They may exist wherever biofilms form, and the ubiquity of biofilms provides further evidence of the big role these bacteria may play in nature.
Pennisi catalogs some of the many roles that these electrically conductive bacterial cables play in nature. By creating gradients pH gradients, they undoubtedly play important roles in geochemical cycles involving elements and molecules as diverse as methane, arsenic, manganese, and iron. They may even be playing roles in the biofilms that form around our teeth! Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen, but Nielsen remarks, “It is dizzying to think about what we’re dealing with here.”
Global Ecosystem Engineers
As scientists learn more about electrically conducting microbes, we can expect more startling revelations about how central their roles are to global habitability. For example,
The microbes also alter the properties of mud, says Sairah Malkin, an ecologist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. “They are particularly efficient … ecosystem engineers.” Cable bacteria “grow like wildfire,” she says; on intertidal oyster reefs, she has found, a single cubic centimeter of mud can contain 2859 meters of cables, which cements particles in place, possibly making sediment more stable for marine organisms.
In separate but related findings, scientists are discovering more evidence that microbes really get around. At The Conversation, Predrag Slijepcevic writes that “Bacteria and viruses are travelling the world on highways in the sky” (see also, “Information Storage — In the Cloud(s)”). And some live on air. Researchers at the University of New South Wales report, “Microbes living on air [is] a global phenomenon,” even in polar climates where almost nothing grows. Most likely they influence carbon fixation and global climate. “There are whole ecosystems probably relying on this novel microbial carbon fixation process,” the senior author said, “where microbes use the energy obtained from breathing in atmospheric hydrogen gas to turn carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon — in order to grow.”
Design Promotes Design
With all these benefits coming to light, it was inevitable that some would be thinking up biomimetic applications. A companion piece in the special issue of Science, also by Pennisi, has the provocative title, “Next up: a phone powered by microbial wires?”
One potential use is to detect and control pollutants. Cable microbes seem to thrive in the presence of organic compounds, such as petroleum, and Nielsen and his team are testing the possibility that an abundance of cable bacteria signals the presence of undetected pollution in aquifers. The bacteria don’t degrade the oil directly, but they may oxidize sulfide produced by other oil-eating bacteria. They might also aid cleanup; sediments recover faster from crude oil contamination when they are colonized by cable bacteria, a different research team reported in January in Water Research. In Spain, a third team is exploring whether nanowire bacteria can speed the cleanup of polluted wetlands. And even before nanowire bacteria were shown to be electric, they showed promise for decontaminating nuclear waste sites and aquifers contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene or naphthalene.
There’s actually enough energy in moisture in the air, researchers have shown, to power a cellphone with genetically modified bacterial nanowire films. How’s that for “a revolutionary technology to get renewable, green, and cheap energy” in today’s energy-conscious society?
Down and Dirty
Bacteria, it is worth emphasizing, are living organisms with molecular machines built by and storing information in coded form. That means that even mud is loaded with complex specified information — what a thought! Pennisi comments, “Bacteria that conduct electricity are transforming how we see sediments.” It puts a new positive spin on “clear as mud.”
There is no lack of clarity, however, in the conclusion that rapid, efficient, global ecosystem engineering through electrical cables sounds like a designing mind had the foresight to think of everything that a habitable planet would need for life to flourish.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-04--Bringing ACES Vehicle Technology to the Puget Sound Region

Jay Richards interviews Bruce Agnew , Director of the ACES Northwest Network , about the collective ’ s work to bring Automated , Connected , Electric , and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region .
Agnew says that 5G will be key in implementing autonomous vehicles as it will increase bandwidth and reduce latency , thus adding a degree of technical capacity and safety .
Since 1993 , Bruce Agnew has been the Policy Director of Seattle-based Discovery Institute ’ s Cascadia Center .
The Cascadia Center is a strategic alliance from Vancouver , BC , to Eugene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rail , Interstate-5 freight mobility , seamless border crossings , bi-national and bi-state tourism marketing , and sustainable community development .
From 1987-93 , Mr. Agnew was Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative John Miller from Washington state ’ s first district .
Before his congressional service , Bruce Agnew was elected to two terms on the Snohomish County Council , and served as President of the Puget Sound Regional Council in 1985 .
He is a former member of the Citizen Oversight Panel for Sound Transit , and is a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agnew is a 1974 graduate of Stanford University , and a 1977 graduate of U.C .
Berkeley , Law School .
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it .
Learn more at https : //cosm.technology/ .
And , watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel , Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get access here https : //cosm.technology/2019/virtual-…

Jay Richards interviews Bruce Agnew, Director of the ACES Northwest Network, about the collective’s work to bring Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared vehicle technologies to the Puget Sound region. Agnew says that 5G will be key in implementing autonomous vehicles as it will increase bandwidth and reduce latency, thus adding a degree of technical capacity and safety.
Since 1993, Bruce Agnew has been the Policy Director of Seattle-based Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center. The Cascadia Center is a strategic alliance from Vancouver, BC, to Eugene, Oregon, promoting high speed passenger rail, Interstate-5 freight mobility, seamless border crossings, bi-national and bi-state tourism marketing, and sustainable community development.
From 1987-93, Mr. Agnew was Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative John Miller from Washington state’s first district. Before his congressional service, Bruce Agnew was elected to two terms on the Snohomish County Council, and served as President of the Puget Sound Regional Council in 1985. He is a former member of the Citizen Oversight Panel for Sound Transit, and is a member of the Regional Freight Mobility Roundtable.
Mr. Agnew is a 1974 graduate of Stanford University, and a 1977 graduate of U.C. Berkeley, Law School.
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. Learn more at cosm.technology. Watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get your digital ticket now.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-10--Christopher Rufo Vs. The CRT Goliath

Christopher Rufo Vs. The CRT Goliath

My hero last week was Christopher Rufo , the young independent investigative journalist who revealed racist anti-white employee training going on at Sandia National Labs , and who made it onto Tucker Carlson ’ s show to talk about it : Result : a couple of days later , President Trump , acting through OMB Director Russell Vought , ordered the federal government to end training about “ Critical Race Theory ” and “ white privilege.
” It was a big and unexpected win — and Rufo keeps releasing new documents from other whistleblowers , via his must-read Twitter feed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he would talk with me about what he ’ s fighting , and the model of investigative journalism he is practicing .
Here is a transcript of our interview , lightly edited for clarity : What was it like to hear the news that the Trump administration had acted on your reporting , and stopped the Critical Race Theory training at Sandia , and elsewhere in the federal government ?
I didn ’ t see it right away because I was on a train trip from Seattle to Chicago with my oldest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Montana , and finally was able to get a cell signal .
I saw my inbox flooded with all this news about it .
I was just elated .
I had publicly stated this goal on August 20 that I was going to persuade the President to abolish critical race theory in the federal government .
Most of my friends and colleagues told me that this was a crazy goal , but I had this intuition that it was something that we could actually do .
I have to give credit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their team , that they were able to act quickly and take on an issue that no Republican prior to 2016 would have .
It really is true that Republicans like to be thought of as opposing all this social justice warrior stuff , but in the end , they won ’ t act against it .
Why not ?
Republicans and conservatives , especially those operating in the political sphere , and within media and politics in our prestige cities , are deathly afraid of being called a racist , a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social pressures on them to stay silent are immense .
Because power in the US is centralized – that is , concentrated within institutions in those cities — those prejudices carry lots of weight .
People are afraid to engage on these issues .
But I think there ’ s a deeper reason .
I think a lot of conservatives have internalized the metaphysical arguments of the left .
There ’ s this lurking suspicion inside the conservative infrastructure that maybe we ’ re wrong .
Maybe we ’ re guilty , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way , maybe we ’ ve accepted all these things .
Critical Race Theory , and all these documents that are egregious to almost everyone who sees them – frankly , we ’ ve let this stuff take over , and we ’ ve been scared to push back .
I think for whatever reason , the president , and maybe a combination of his personal quirks and maybe even some of his personal flaws , are , bizarrely , the perfect battering ram against this stuff .
He ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 years .
It gives him this unique position where he can fight on these issues whereas a conventional Republican would be too timid .
You have had extraordinary success in exposing this Critical Race Theory cult within institutions .
What ’ s the secret of your success ?
I ’ m following basic Investigative Journalism 101 .
I cultivate sources , and run a database of hundreds of sources across federal government agencies .
I ’ m constantly receiving and evaluating information from them .
For me it ’ s been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a space where there ’ s no competition .
The New York Times , the Washington Post , and the local papers — they ’ re all turning a blind eye , because they ’ re philosophically committed to the [ antiracism ] narrative .
As a conservative journalist , it ’ s a wide-open field .
As conservatives , we have to realize that the institutions are deeply controlled by the activist class on the left .
Conservatives have traditionally acted as the stabilizing force , as the establishment force , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ old family ” view of the world .
We have this idea that institutions are fundamentally conservative , manage the political process , and make incremental changes .
I think people still kind of assume that worldview , but in reality , these institutions are dominated ideologically and practically by the left .
We are in some ways the anti-establishment , the rebellious faction , the insurgent faction .
I see this as a David and Goliath battle .
I ’ m just one person with a mission .
I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country with a ragtag network of think tanks and conservative media outlets .
And we have been able to generate tremendous power .
Because you have been able to find whistleblowers within these agencies who will leak you documents ?
Yes .
If we want institutions that work for Americans , that are consonant with our values , we ’ re going to have to encourage people to come forward , and support them .
What I ’ ve found is that a common theme for almost all of the whistleblowers I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are people who love the country , and who joined public service to accomplish a tangible good .
These are people who believe that institutions really can serve the interest of the common man .
Often these are people in middle age .
The agencies they ’ re in now are very different from the agencies they entered twenty years ago .
They feel targeted .
Scared .
Bullied — and they feel completely alone .
Even our military officers and soldiers feel fear .
They feel that there has been an ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are sounding the alarm that we are losing these institutions .
That is a point I keep trying to make to fellow conservatives : that the revolution has already marched through the institutions .
If you think power is simply a matter of who holds elective office , you ’ re missing the main story .
Yes .
What ’ s shocking is the uniformity of these [ Critical Race Theory ] training sessions , across very different kinds of institutions .
In my reporting , whether we are talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal agency , all of these training sessions are almost completely the same regarding their mechanisms for indoctrination .
It ’ s kind of an organic totalitarianism that is arising everywhere , and that is now being implemented by political radicals within institutions and in street protests .
Antifa and Black Lives Matter street protests are direct extensions of this ideology of Critical Race Theory .
They ’ re all emerging from this unitary militant ideology .
Once it gets a foothold , it ’ s almost impossible to resist .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ disagreement ] is an admission of your own guilt , or transgression , or evil .
It ’ s designed in a way explicitly to prevent dissent , and if dissent emerges , to crush it .
It ’ s not surprising that people are scared .
These true believers will stop at nothing to destroy their critics .
Oh , I have had threats , harassment , vandalism , people coming after my wife and kids , you name it .
But doesn ’ t principled dissent require great risk ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this : the first is by appealing to civil discourse , moderate pluralism and debate .
That strategy has failed .
The ‘ principled dissent ’ strategy is the only one that remains .
We have to stand up to institutions that could obliterate us at any moment .
We have to steel ourselves with our principles and have the confidence that those principles will ultimately protect us , whatever the odds .
On a practical level , we have to realize that we don ’ t control the playing field .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Courage begets courage .
One person who stands up can overturn totalitarian systems .
Andrew Klavan said to me that being a conservative requires being willing to lose things .
Once that clicked in for me , I felt a sense of comfort and calm about my work .
That ’ s a key thing that anti-communist dissidents told me about their experiences : that if you ’ re not prepared to suffer losses , you will never prevail .
I think the chapter about the importance of suffering as a dissident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new book .
In the Soviet Union you risked losing your life .
We don ’ t face that , but it ’ s not nothing .
I feel sometime – and I especially did when I was living in Seattle — physical danger , physical threats .
I had people doxing my house and where my kids go to school .
People were putting threatening posters in my neighborhood with my face on it , encouraging others to attack me .
Those things got no media coverage , had no politicians speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the ruling class .
These activists work as foot soldiers of the dominant ideology .
I hear from people all the time who tell me , “ I would love to speak out , but I can ’ t. ” Let ’ s say you ’ re a 55-year-old civil servant , two years away from retirement , and feel like you can ’ t take the risk .
I tell them to take the risk that you can .
Be an ally of the people who step forward .
How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer live in Seattle , but in a small town .
Is this an advantage ?
Tucker Carlson was key to your success against Sandia .
You appeared on Tucker to talk about it , and the next thing you know , the president acted .
What role do you think Tucker Carlson plays in this guerrilla media ecosystem ?
I think Tucker is hands down the most courageous man in media , period .
I think that he ’ s really had an evolution .
I remember in high school watching him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and following his transformation .
He ’ s the most powerful voice in conservative media .
He ’ s fearless .
He ’ s been incredibly effective in fighting the left organizations trying to attack him .
He realized two things .
First , that doing the journalism , that breaking hard news on the issues , is actually important .
A lot of cable hosts are all about chitter-chatter and opinion .
But Tucker breaks hard news , and pushes the argument forward .
Second , he ’ s learned that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times tried to dox his residence in Maine , he punched them back ten times harder than they came at him .
And they backed down .
We have to realize we ’ re operating on the opposition ’ s epistemological battle space .
In that world , power must be met by power .
That ’ s the only way you can do it .
The ‘ peace through strength ’ mindset is essential , and I think he ’ s demonstrated that better than anyone .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sandia ] : our side never wins fights like this .
But this time , we did .
It shows — and I really firmly believe — that we can win .
I ’ d love to see this effort expand .
I ’ d love to see us come up with partnerships across these institutions , and really wage war against the ideology of Critical Race Theory and the political capture of institutions .
We ’ re on the right side , and we can win .

My hero last week was Christopher Rufo, the young independent investigative journalist who revealed racist anti-white employee training going on at Sandia National Labs, and who made it onto Tucker Carlson’s show to talk about it:
Result: a couple of days later, President Trump, acting through OMB Director Russell Vought, ordered the federal government to end training about “Critical Race Theory” and “white privilege.”
It was a big and unexpected win — and Rufo keeps releasing new documents from other whistleblowers, via his must-read Twitter feed, @realchrisrufo. I asked Rufo if he would talk with me about what he’s fighting, and the model of investigative journalism he is practicing. Here is a transcript of our interview, lightly edited for clarity:
What was it like to hear the news that the Trump administration had acted on your reporting, and stopped the Critical Race Theory training at Sandia, and elsewhere in the federal government?
I didn’t see it right away because I was on a train trip from Seattle to Chicago with my oldest son. I was coming up somewhere in Montana, and finally was able to get a cell signal. I saw my inbox flooded with all this news about it. I was just elated. I had publicly stated this goal on August 20 that I was going to persuade the President to abolish critical race theory in the federal government. Most of my friends and colleagues told me that this was a crazy goal, but I had this intuition that it was something that we could actually do.
I have to give credit to the President, Russ Vought, and their team, that they were able to act quickly and take on an issue that no Republican prior to 2016 would have.
It really is true that Republicans like to be thought of as opposing all this social justice warrior stuff, but in the end, they won’t act against it. Why not?
Republicans and conservatives, especially those operating in the political sphere, and within media and politics in our prestige cities, are deathly afraid of being called a racist, a white supremacist, or a bigot. The social pressures on them to stay silent are immense. Because power in the US is centralized – that is, concentrated within institutions in those cities — those prejudices carry lots of weight. People are afraid to engage on these issues.
But I think there’s a deeper reason. I think a lot of conservatives have internalized the metaphysical arguments of the left. There’s this lurking suspicion inside the conservative infrastructure that maybe we’re wrong. Maybe we’re guilty, just like they say we are. In a way, maybe we’ve accepted all these things.
Critical Race Theory, and all these documents that are egregious to almost everyone who sees them – frankly, we’ve let this stuff take over, and we’ve been scared to push back. I think for whatever reason, the president, and maybe a combination of his personal quirks and maybe even some of his personal flaws, are, bizarrely, the perfect battering ram against this stuff. He’s been trashed by the New York media for 50 years. It gives him this unique position where he can fight on these issues whereas a conventional Republican would be too timid.
You have had extraordinary success in exposing this Critical Race Theory cult within institutions. What’s the secret of your success?
I’m following basic Investigative Journalism 101. I cultivate sources, and run a database of hundreds of sources across federal government agencies. I’m constantly receiving and evaluating information from them. For me it’s been a great gift – I’m operating in a space where there’s no competition. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the local papers — they’re all turning a blind eye, because they’re philosophically committed to the [antiracism] narrative. As a conservative journalist, it’s a wide-open field.
As conservatives, we have to realize that the institutions are deeply controlled by the activist class on the left. Conservatives have traditionally acted as the stabilizing force, as the establishment force, within institutions. This is kind of the “old family” view of the world. We have this idea that institutions are fundamentally conservative, manage the political process, and make incremental changes. I think people still kind of assume that worldview, but in reality, these institutions are dominated ideologically and practically by the left.
We are in some ways the anti-establishment, the rebellious faction, the insurgent faction. I see this as a David and Goliath battle. I’m just one person with a mission. I am going after the most powerful institutions in the country with a ragtag network of think tanks and conservative media outlets. And we have been able to generate tremendous power.
Because you have been able to find whistleblowers within these agencies who will leak you
documents?
Yes. If we want institutions that work for Americans, that are consonant with our values, we’re going to have to encourage people to come forward, and support them. What I’ve found is that a common theme for almost all of the whistleblowers I’ve worked with is that these are people who love the country, and who joined public service to accomplish a tangible good. These are people who believe that institutions really can serve the interest of the common man.
Often these are people in middle age. The agencies they’re in now are very different from the agencies they entered twenty years ago. They feel targeted. Scared. Bullied — and they feel completely alone. Even our military officers and soldiers feel fear. They feel that there has been an ideological campaign to uproot conservative values and principles. They are sounding the alarm that we are losing these institutions.
That is a point I keep trying to make to fellow conservatives: that the revolution has already marched through the institutions. If you think power is simply a matter of who holds elective office, you’re missing the main story.
Yes. What’s shocking is the uniformity of these [Critical Race Theory] training sessions, across very different kinds of institutions. In my reporting, whether we are talking about a school district in Tennessee or a federal agency, all of these training sessions are almost completely the same regarding their mechanisms for indoctrination. It’s kind of an organic totalitarianism that is arising everywhere, and that is now being implemented by political radicals within institutions and in street protests. Antifa and Black Lives Matter street protests are direct extensions of this ideology of Critical Race Theory. They’re all emerging from this unitary militant ideology.
Once it gets a foothold, it’s almost impossible to resist. If you disagree with CRT, embedded in that [disagreement] is an admission of your own guilt, or transgression, or evil. It’s designed in a way explicitly to prevent dissent, and if dissent emerges, to crush it.
It’s not surprising that people are scared. These true believers will stop at nothing to destroy their critics.
Oh, I have had threats, harassment, vandalism, people coming after my wife and kids, you name it. But doesn’t principled dissent require great risk? There are two ways you can fight this: the first is by appealing to civil discourse, moderate pluralism and debate. That strategy has failed. The ‘principled dissent’ strategy is the only one that remains. We have to stand up to institutions that could obliterate us at any moment. We have to steel ourselves with our principles and have the confidence that those principles will ultimately protect us, whatever the odds.
On a practical level, we have to realize that we don’t control the playing field. We have to be willing to take risks. Courage begets courage. One person who stands up can overturn totalitarian systems. Andrew Klavan said to me that being a conservative requires being willing to lose things. Once that clicked in for me, I felt a sense of comfort and calm about my work.
That’s a key thing that anti-communist dissidents told me about their experiences: that if you’re not prepared to suffer losses, you will never prevail. I think the chapter about the importance of suffering as a dissident is the most important one in my new book.
In the Soviet Union you risked losing your life. We don’t face that, but it’s not nothing. I feel sometime – and I especially did when I was living in Seattle — physical danger, physical threats. I had people doxing my house and where my kids go to school. People were putting threatening posters in my neighborhood with my face on it, encouraging others to attack me. Those things got no media coverage, had no politicians speaking out against them. This is tolerated by the ruling class. These activists work as foot soldiers of the dominant ideology.
I hear from people all the time who tell me, “I would love to speak out, but I can’t.” Let’s say you’re a 55-year-old civil servant, two years away from retirement, and feel like you can’t take the risk. I tell them to take the risk that you can. Be an ally of the people who step forward.
How can potential whistleblowers reach you?
Send me something at chrisrufo@protonmail.com. That’s a secure e-mail drop. I’m actively building new sources and documenting. We can make progress. We can keep hammering away at these folks. We have to realize that even in a Republican administration, we are outside of the institutions. Our framework has to be one of rebellion, of an outside resistance force against deeply corrupt institutions.
You no longer live in Seattle, but in a small town. Is this an advantage?
Having a conservative community around me has allowed me to be more courageous and outspoken. With the Internet and technology, we can do this kind of work from anywhere. I think there’s an advantage to living outside of the cities. Tucker Carlson is running the most popular cable news show on television from his houses in Maine and Florida, outside the media corridor. This is a huge, huge advantage. I think we’re just now starting to realize how useful this is to decentralizing power.
Tucker Carlson was key to your success against Sandia. You appeared on Tucker to talk about it, and the next thing you know, the president acted. What role do you think Tucker Carlson plays in this guerrilla media ecosystem?
I think Tucker is hands down the most courageous man in media, period. I think that he’s really had an evolution. I remember in high school watching him with the bow tie on CNN, and following his transformation. He’s the most powerful voice in conservative media. He’s fearless. He’s been incredibly effective in fighting the left organizations trying to attack him.
He realized two things. First, that doing the journalism, that breaking hard news on the issues, is actually important. A lot of cable hosts are all about chitter-chatter and opinion. But Tucker breaks hard news, and pushes the argument forward.
Second, he’s learned that you have to fight back. When The New York Times tried to dox his residence in Maine, he punched them back ten times harder than they came at him. And they backed down. We have to realize we’re operating on the opposition’s epistemological battle space. In that world, power must be met by power. That’s the only way you can do it. The ‘peace through strength’ mindset is essential, and I think he’s demonstrated that better than anyone.
It’s like you said to me [about Sandia]: our side never wins fights like this. But this time, we did. It shows — and I really firmly believe — that we can win. I’d love to see this effort expand. I’d love to see us come up with partnerships across these institutions, and really wage war against the ideology of Critical Race Theory and the political capture of institutions. We’re on the right side, and we can win.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-17--The Epoch Times’ Jan Jekielek interviews Christopher Rufo on critical race theory

Last month , Christopher Rufo , the director of the Center for Wealth & Poverty , exposed that a major U.S. nuclear lab — the Sandia National Laboratories — had forced all its white male executives to attend a “ white men ’ s caucus ” to educate them on their “ white privilege.
” After this story went viral , Christopher went on Tucker Carlson Tonight to declare a “ One Man War ” on critical race theory within the federal government .
Over the past month , Christopher has continued to investigate and uncover similar trainings in numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control , the Department of Education , the Department of Homeland Security , and others .
This investigative reporting eventually led President Trump to sign an executive order banning critical race theory within all federal agencies .
In this interview with The Epoch Times ‘ “ American Thought Leaders ” series , Christopher explains the history of critical race theory , how it became the default ideology of our federal bureaucracies , and the shocking amount of taxpayer money that ’ s subsidizing it .
“ The challenge that critical race theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional order must be contested and challenged and exposed and deconstructed .
And I think that the kind of traditional legal framework that we ’ ve operated in since the 14th amendment promises equal protection under the law for individuals – and critical race theory directly and explicitly attacks that concept .
And what they [ critical race theorists ] want to replace it with is “ inequality under the law ” by group identity…I don ’ t think that most Americans understand that this is really the root vision of critical race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Center on Wealth & Poverty

Last month, Christopher Rufo, the director of the Center for Wealth & Poverty, exposed that a major U.S. nuclear lab — the Sandia National Laboratories — had forced all its white male executives to attend a “white men’s caucus” to educate them on their “white privilege.” After this story went viral, Christopher went on Tucker Carlson Tonight to declare a “One Man War” on critical race theory within the federal government.
Over the past month, Christopher has continued to investigate and uncover similar trainings in numerous federal agencies, including the Center for Disease Control, the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, and others. This investigative reporting eventually led President Trump to sign an executive order banning critical race theory within all federal agencies.
In this interview with The Epoch Times‘ “American Thought Leaders” series, Christopher explains the history of critical race theory, how it became the default ideology of our federal bureaucracies, and the shocking amount of taxpayer money that’s subsidizing it.
“The challenge that critical race theory lays out is explicit…that really the entire constitutional order must be contested and challenged and exposed and deconstructed. And I think that the kind of traditional legal framework that we’ve operated in since the 14th amendment promises equal protection under the law for individuals – and critical race theory directly and explicitly attacks that concept. And what they [critical race theorists] want to replace it with is “inequality under the law” by group identity…I don’t think that most Americans understand that this is really the root vision of critical race theory.” – Christopher Rufo, Director of the Center on Wealth & Poverty


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-17--“Marxism at the Barricades:” A Wealth & Poverty Forum with Dr. Carlo Lancellotti

In the third installment of our Wealth & Poverty Forum , Christopher Rufo , the director of the Center on Wealth & Poverty , interviews Dr. Carlo Lancellotti .
Dr. Lancellotti is a professor of mathematics at CUNY Staten Island and the foremost translator of 20th-century Italian political philosopher Augusto Del Noce , who wrote ” The Crisis of Modernity ” and ” The Age of Secularization.
” During this forum , Dr. Lancellotti describes Augosto Del Noce ’ s philosophy , his critique of Marxism , and his philosophy ’ s relevance to the unrest dominating America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Dr. Lancellotti discuss the modern breakdown of cultural institutions , the destruction of cultural identity , how we can conserve traditions in our modern societies , and what Augusto Del Noce would say about the current state of Western Civilization .
“ According to Del Noce , Marxism is a deep contradiction , because in order to bring about the heaven on earth , in order to complete this complete iteration , one has to destroy something .
One has to destroy all the “ oppressive ” structures , you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy the Church , you have to destroy the State , you have to destroy all the things that are the instruments of “ exploitation.
” – Dr. Carlo Lancellotti

In the third installment of our Wealth & Poverty Forum, Christopher Rufo, the director of the Center on Wealth & Poverty, interviews Dr. Carlo Lancellotti. Dr. Lancellotti is a professor of mathematics at CUNY Staten Island and the foremost translator of 20th-century Italian political philosopher Augusto Del Noce, who wrote ”The Crisis of Modernity” and ”The Age of Secularization.”
During this forum, Dr. Lancellotti describes Augosto Del Noce’s philosophy, his critique of Marxism, and his philosophy’s relevance to the unrest dominating America’s cities. In their discussion, Christopher and Dr. Lancellotti discuss the modern breakdown of cultural institutions, the destruction of cultural identity, how we can conserve traditions in our modern societies, and what Augusto Del Noce would say about the current state of Western Civilization.
“According to Del Noce, Marxism is a deep contradiction, because in order to bring about the heaven on earth, in order to complete this complete iteration, one has to destroy something. One has to destroy all the “oppressive” structures, you have to destroy the family, you have to destroy the Church, you have to destroy the State, you have to destroy all the things that are the instruments of “exploitation.” – Dr. Carlo Lancellotti


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-17--Assisted Suicide is Never a Treatment for Mental Illness

Addressing the UK ’ s All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group , Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Wesley Smith said that activists and @ @ @ @ @ , in particular fear-mongering on the difficulties of death , to push through their agenda @ @ @ @ @ “ very rarely ” commit assisted suicide because of pain , but do so for @ @ @ @ @ may include being worried about losing their dignity and a fear of being a burden @ @ @ @ @ ones .
“ I can ’ t think of anything more cruel than letting somebody @ @ @ @ @ terrible awful time getting through the night because of existential anguish feel that their deaths @ @ @ @ @ their lives , ” Smith said .
He added that assisted suicide violates human rights @ @ @ @ @ of valuing lives which says to some people ‘ Yes your suicide is worth preventing @ @ @ @ @ others ‘ yours isn ’ t ’ .

Addressing the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Wesley Smith said that activists and pressure groups often use fear, in particular fear-mongering on the difficulties of death, to push through their agenda.
He added that people “very rarely” commit assisted suicide because of pain, but do so for existential reasons. These reasons may include being worried about losing their dignity and a fear of being a burden to their families and loved ones.
“I can’t think of anything more cruel than letting somebody who’s having a terrible awful time getting through the night because of existential anguish feel that their deaths have a greater value than their lives,” Smith said.
He added that assisted suicide violates human rights by creating a two-tier system of valuing lives which says to some people ‘Yes your suicide is worth preventing’, but says to others ‘yours isn’t’.


Against Wokeness

“ Harm-reduction ” advocates do little more than pass out drug supplies to the sick and dying .

President Trump recently issued an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from using “critical race theory” as part of their personnel-training programs. The president acted in response to my reporting exposing the use of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” training courses in federal agencies. These programs, based on a neo-Marxist ideology that originated in law schools a generation ago, purport to expose and correct “unconscious racial bias” and “white privilege” among their employees. Critical race theory treats “whiteness” as a moral blight and maligns all members of that racial group as complicit in oppression. Critical race theory now forms the basis of personnel-training programs around the country, from corporate America and universities to churches and nonprofits.
The racial narrative that underlies these initiatives poses a grave threat to the ideal of colorblind justice under the law enshrined in the American constitutional system. Yet, despite its growing reach and cultural influence, and its role in motivating the Black Lives Matter and Antifa-led riots over the last three months, critical race theory has gone largely unchallenged by conservative leaders. Many have been slow to oppose the radical demands of groups such as BLM, either out of fear of being labelled racists or because of ignorance about the ideological agenda of these groups. Instead, conservatives have continued to “fight the last war” against the familiar enemies of cultural relativism or tax-and-spend liberalism, not recognizing that a new, virulent form of radicalism now animates the American Left.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-16--AI: Design Ethics vs. End User Ethics — the Difference Is Important

There is currently a flurry of interest in AI ethics .
The Pentagon is wrestling with establishing AI ethics for military use .
Know-it-all Google is offering its advice on dealing with the tricky ethics of AI .
When examining AI ethics problems , we can distinguish between design ethics and end-user ethics .
Design ethics concerns the final performance of an AI product .
End-user ethics concerns how the designed AI is used .
Assuring that AI weapons work as desired is the aim of design ethics .
Moral concern such as opposition to autonomous AI military weapons that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns .
Design ethics is always the responsibility of the AI programmers and system testers .
End-user ethics addresses how the technology is to be used .
Legal language can be applied to the vetting of AI design standards .
Some AI makes many mistakes , like Alexa ’ s response to audio requests to play Spotify tunes .
But they are mistakes we can live with .
A legal standard here might be that there is a “ preponderance of evidence ” that Alexa works .
Self-driving cars are a more serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-driving car , I would like to know that the vehicle operates as intended “ beyond a reasonable doubt.
” Total certainty is , unfortunately , never possible .
Measuring the different levels of design assurance is the task of those making regulatory policy and standards .
How are “ preponderance of evidence ” and “ beyond a reasonable doubt ” quantified ?
There is much from the field of reliability engineering that can be applied here .
Is biased AI ethical ?
A headline from Wired reads ” AI Is Biased .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Fix It.
” In the most basic sense , all software , including AI , is infused with bias .
How can a computer add numbers without being biased toward accepting the fundamentals of arithmetic ?
Without the guiding bias of the programmer , computer programs can do nothing .
AI without bias is like ice cubes without cold .
Perceived bias can be resident in the data the AI is analyzing .
If data shows that hiring practices were discriminatory in the past , that ’ s what the AI should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If these accurate AI results are found to be unacceptable , the job of the end-user is interpreting the AI results to adjust future hiring practices to conform to current standards .
As I discuss in my book , The Case for Killer Robots , the use of autonomous weapons should not be argued from a design ethics point of view .
If an autonomous weapon has passed design scrutiny , it will perform as intended .
Autonomous anti-radiation weapons like Israel ’ s HARPY missile have been tested to assure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do .
They have been in use for over fifteen years .
In such cases , whether or not autonomous weapons should be banned is not a design ethics matter but an end-user debate .
The major ethical challenge in AI design is unintended consequences .
An example of a failed design is the Uber self-driving car that killed a pedestrian in 2018 .
Another is the Google image recognition system that mistakenly labeled pictures of black persons as gorillas .
Such unethical AI design acts are not the responsibility of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testers .
IEEE , the world ’ s largest professional society of computer scientists and electrical engineers , has a code of ethics .
While the code was being drafted , there had been end-user pressure to include a clause saying that no IEEE member shall contribute to any technology that kills .
A gaggle of IEEE engineers ( engineers come in “ gaggles ” ) working for defense contractors protested .
The mission of the US military necessitates killing , which would mean that this set of IEEE members would be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethics policy .
The proposed addition to the code of ethics was abandoned .
Currently , the code asks IEEE members “ to hold paramount the safety , health , and welfare of the public.
” Participation in conflicts such as just wars complies with this ideological clause .
In establishing AI design ethics policy , end-user ideology and politics should be set aside .
All factions of society can participate in the debate but design ethics must focus solely on the quality of the end product .
The question as to whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is largely political and , some would claim , moral .
But these end-user concerns have nothing to do with design ethics .
AI with broad goals , like self-driving cars , features an exponential increase in the number of possible design contingencies with respect to a linear increase in complexity .
Complying with AI ethical design standards becomes more difficult because vetting becomes more difficult .
The problem can be partially mitigated by intense scrutiny and the application of deep domain expertise during the software development and AI system testing .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI system , the more difficult the vetting .
The takeaway is this : End-user concerns can drive design specifications and design limitations can impact the end use of AI technology .
But design and end-user AI ethics are distinct .
One belongs in a research and development lab .
The other in the arena of debate and ideas .
Both are important considerations but they should not be conflated .
More by Robert J .
Marks on AI and ethics : What ’ s to be done about cheating with Chegg in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific problems can be texted , for a fee , to students writing exams .
AI ethics and the value of human life Unanticipated consequences will always be a problem for totally autonomous AI .

There is currently a flurry of interest in AI ethics. The Pentagon is wrestling with establishing AI ethics for military use. Know-it-all Google is offering its advice on dealing with the tricky ethics of AI.
When examining AI ethics problems, we can distinguish between design ethics and end-user ethics. Design ethics concerns the final performance of an AI product. End-user ethics concerns how the designed AI is used.
Assuring that AI weapons work as desired is the aim of design ethics. Moral concern such as opposition to autonomous AI military weapons that kill is an example of end-user ethics concerns. Design ethics is always the responsibility of the AI programmers and system testers. End-user ethics addresses how the technology is to be used.
Legal language can be applied to the vetting of AI design standards. Some AI makes many mistakes, like Alexa’s response to audio requests to play Spotify tunes. But they are mistakes we can live with. A legal standard here might be that there is a “preponderance of evidence” that Alexa works. Self-driving cars are a more serious matter. Before considering riding in a self-driving car, I would like to know that the vehicle operates as intended “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Total certainty is, unfortunately, never possible.
Measuring the different levels of design assurance is the task of those making regulatory policy and standards. How are “preponderance of evidence” and “beyond a reasonable doubt” quantified? There is much from the field of reliability engineering that can be applied here.
Is biased AI ethical? A headline from Wired reads ”AI Is Biased. Here’s How Scientists Are Trying to Fix It.” In the most basic sense, all software, including AI, is infused with bias. How can a computer add numbers without being biased toward accepting the fundamentals of arithmetic? Without the guiding bias of the programmer, computer programs can do nothing. AI without bias is like ice cubes without cold.
Perceived bias can be resident in the data the AI is analyzing. If data shows that hiring practices were discriminatory in the past, that’s what the AI should announce. Design ethics have been met. If these accurate AI results are found to be unacceptable, the job of the end-user is interpreting the AI results to adjust future hiring practices to conform to current standards.
As I discuss in my book, The Case for Killer Robots, the use of autonomous weapons should not be argued from a design ethics point of view. If an autonomous weapon has passed design scrutiny, it will perform as intended.
Autonomous anti-radiation weapons like Israel’s HARPY missile have been tested to assure that they perform the task they were designed to do. They have been in use for over fifteen years. In such cases, whether or not autonomous weapons should be banned is not a design ethics matter but an end-user debate.
The major ethical challenge in AI design is unintended consequences. An example of a failed design is the Uber self-driving car that killed a pedestrian in 2018. Another is the Google image recognition system that mistakenly labeled pictures of black persons as gorillas. Such unethical AI design acts are not the responsibility of the AI but of the AI programmers and testers.
IEEE, the world’s largest professional society of computer scientists and electrical engineers, has a code of ethics. While the code was being drafted, there had been end-user pressure to include a clause saying that no IEEE member shall contribute to any technology that kills. A gaggle of IEEE engineers (engineers come in “gaggles”) working for defense contractors protested. The mission of the US military necessitates killing, which would mean that this set of IEEE members would be in violation of their professional society’s ethics policy. The proposed addition to the code of ethics was abandoned. Currently, the code asks IEEE members “to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.” Participation in conflicts such as just wars complies with this ideological clause.
In establishing AI design ethics policy, end-user ideology and politics should be set aside. All factions of society can participate in the debate but design ethics must focus solely on the quality of the end product. The question as to whether autonomous AI military weapons should be used is largely political and, some would claim, moral. But these end-user concerns have nothing to do with design ethics.
AI with broad goals, like self-driving cars, features an exponential increase in the number of possible design contingencies with respect to a linear increase in complexity. Complying with AI ethical design standards becomes more difficult because vetting becomes more difficult. The problem can be partially mitigated by intense scrutiny and the application of deep domain expertise during the software development and AI system testing. Still, generally, the more complex the AI system, the more difficult the vetting.
The takeaway is this: End-user concerns can drive design specifications and design limitations can impact the end use of AI technology. But design and end-user AI ethics are distinct. One belongs in a research and development lab. The other in the arena of debate and ideas. Both are important considerations but they should not be conflated.
More by Robert J. Marks on AI and ethics:
What’s to be done about cheating with Chegg in the Covid era? College-level solutions to specific problems can be texted, for a fee, to students writing exams.
and
AI ethics and the value of human life Unanticipated consequences will always be a problem for totally autonomous AI.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-16--Official Launch of Michael Behe’s Latest Book — A Mousetrap for Darwin

Darwin ’ s Black Box thrust Michael Behe to the forefront of the intelligent design movement .
The Lehigh University biochemist has haunted the dreams of Darwinists ever since .
Each of his three books sparked a firestorm of criticism , in everything from the New York Times and the journal Science to the private blogs of professional atheists .
Over the years , Behe has had a delightful time rebutting each attack , and now his responses are collected in a single volume entitled A Mousetrap for Darwin .
The book ’ s title alludes to Behe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complexity .
A mousetrap with a missing part doesn ’ t work just a little worse .
It doesn ’ t work at all .
The same goes for the bacterial flagellum pictured on the cover of the new collection .
Ditto for an array of other ingenious molecular biological machines discovered in recent years .
Can mindless evolutionary processes arrange biochemical parts into these complex functional wholes one small step at a time ?
Behe argues that a raft of new evidence — from the study of evolving microbes to the mutations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — suggests that blind evolution can not .
Rather , Darwin ’ s mechanism works principally by breaking things for short term benefit .
It doesn ’ t build anything fundamentally new .
What does ?
Intelligent design .
According to Behe , one of the most powerful arguments that he is on the right track is the sheer vacuity of the attacks leveled against him , many offered by undeniably brilliant scientists .
But are those criticisms really as empty as he thinks , or has Behe met his match ?
Look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fall and decide for yourself !
We are excited to celebrate the official release of A Mousetrap for Darwin with a webinar featuring Dr. Behe himself , who will speak to the content of this new volume and answer audience Q & A .
Register above to join us online on Saturday , November 21 , 10:00 am PDT .
For more information on Dr. Michael Behe and his prior publications , visit michaelbehe.com .

Darwin’s Black Box thrust Michael Behe to the forefront of the intelligent design movement. The Lehigh University biochemist has haunted the dreams of Darwinists ever since. Each of his three books sparked a firestorm of criticism, in everything from the New York Times and the journal Science to the private blogs of professional atheists. Over the years, Behe has had a delightful time rebutting each attack, and now his responses are collected in a single volume entitled A Mousetrap for Darwin.
The book’s title alludes to Behe’s homey illustration for his idea of irreducible complexity. A mousetrap with a missing part doesn’t work just a little worse. It doesn’t work at all. The same goes for the bacterial flagellum pictured on the cover of the new collection. Ditto for an array of other ingenious molecular biological machines discovered in recent years. Can mindless evolutionary processes arrange biochemical parts into these complex functional wholes one small step at a time? Behe argues that a raft of new evidence — from the study of evolving microbes to the mutations in animals from dogs to polar bears — suggests that blind evolution cannot. Rather, Darwin’s mechanism works principally by breaking things for short term benefit. It doesn’t build anything fundamentally new.
What does? Intelligent design. According to Behe, one of the most powerful arguments that he is on the right track is the sheer vacuity of the attacks leveled against him, many offered by undeniably brilliant scientists. But are those criticisms really as empty as he thinks, or has Behe met his match? Look for A Mousetrap for Darwin on Amazon this fall and decide for yourself!
We are excited to celebrate the official release of A Mousetrap for Darwin with a webinar featuring Dr. Behe himself, who will speak to the content of this new volume and answer audience Q&A. Register above to join us online on Saturday, November 21, 10:00 am PDT.
For more information on Dr. Michael Behe and his prior publications, visit michaelbehe.com.


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-15--Christopher Rufo on Critical Race Theory and the Trump Admin’s Recent Ban

A month ago , Christopher Rufo reported that a major U.S. nuclear lab — the Sandia National Laboratories — had @ @ @ @ @ executives to attend a “ white men ’ s caucus ” to educate them on @ @ @ @ @ He discovered that this is just one among numerous cases of U.S. government institutions forcing @ @ @ @ @ employees .
“ At the very , very tip of the iceberg … we ’ @ @ @ @ @ millions of dollars per year , ” Rufo said .
In this episode , Jan @ @ @ @ @ to discuss this ideology and why he has declared a “ one-man war against ‘ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government .
”

A month ago, Christopher Rufo reported that a major U.S. nuclear lab — the Sandia National Laboratories — had forced all its white male executives to attend a “white men’s caucus” to educate them on their “white privilege.” He discovered that this is just one among numerous cases of U.S. government institutions forcing critical race theory-based training on employees. “At the very, very tip of the iceberg … we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars per year,” Rufo said.
In this episode, Jan Jekielek sits down with Rufo to discuss this ideology and why he has declared a “one-man war against ‘critical race theory’ in the federal government.”


discoveryinstitute--2020-09-11--Marxism at the Barricades

Marxism at the Barricades

Christopher R. Rufo ( Director of Discovery Institute ’ s Center on Wealth and Poverty ) and Carlo Lancellotti ( @ @ @ @ @ City University of New York ) discuss the relevance of communist thought in Italy on @ @ @ @ @ roiling America ’ s cities .
The ideas in Augusto Del Noce ’ s The @ @ @ @ @ into English by Lancellotti , animate the discussion .

Christopher R. Rufo ( Director of Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty) and Carlo Lancellotti (Professor of Mathematics at The City University of New York) discuss the relevance of communist thought in Italy on the neo-Marxist, identitarian movement roiling America’s cities. The ideas in Augusto Del Noce’s The Crisis of Modernity, translated into English by Lancellotti, animate the discussion.