It’s Nuts to Censor Ads for Man in the High Castle, a Show About Freedom

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Americans increasingly support free speech as a concept but make lots of exceptions. A new Pew Research poll found that 40 percent of Millennials (ages 18 to 34) believe the government should be able to prevent people from making offensive statements about minority groups.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, certainly agree. Often rivals, they teamed up to remove a set of controversial subway ads advertising a new Amazon series that depicts an alternate history in which the Nazis and the Japanese won World War II and divided control of America between them. The show’s creators include director Ridley Scott (Alien and Blade Runner) and writer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files). It has won rave reviews, including a 96 percent positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes.com.

The ads for Man in the High Castle, which appeared on a single subway line linking Times Square with Grand Central Station, featured a version of Japanese Rising Sun flags and Nazi-inspired imperial eagles (but no swastikas). The Metropolitan Transit Authority approved the ads because they did not violate MTA guidelines against political statements.

When controversy about the ads first arose last week, the MTA at first stood its ground. Adam Lisberg, a spokesperson for the MTA, explained that the public agency had no choice but to allow the ads. “We cannot pick and choose the way WCBS radio can — whether it likes an ad or doesn’t like an ad,” he told WCBS Radio. “This advertising, whether you find it distasteful or not, obviously they’re not advertising Nazism; they’re advertising a TV show.”

Then the politicians got involved, with Mayor de Blasio blasting Amazon. “While these ads technically may be within MTA guidelines, they’re irresponsible and offensive to World War II and Holocaust survivors, their families, and countless other New Yorkers,” he said. Governor Cuomo turned up the heat. Last Tuesday, the MTA acknowledged that “Cuomo called the head of the MTA and asked him to ensure the ads came down.” The MTA quickly took the subway cars out of service. (Read more from “It’s Nuts to Censor Ads for Man in the High Castle, a Show About Freedom” HERE)

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Decade Long Ice Age Predicted as Sun ‘Hibernates’

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A team of European researchers have unveiled a scientific model showing that the Earth is likely to experience a “mini ice age” from 2030 to 2040 as a result of decreased solar activity.

Their findings will infuriate environmental campaigners who argue by 2030 we could be facing increased sea levels and flooding due to glacial melt at the poles.

However, at the National Astronomy Meeting in Wales, Northumbria University professor Valentina Zharkova said fluctuations an 11-year cycle of solar activity the sun goes through would be responsible for a freeze, the like of which has not been experienced since the 1600s . . .

Professor Zharkova said two magnetic waves will cancel each other out in about 2030, leading to a drop in sun spots and solar flares of about 60 per cent.

Sunspots are dark concentrations of magnetic field flux on the surface that reduce surface temperature in that area, while solar flares are burst of radiation and solar energy that fire out across the solar system, but the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from the otherwise devastating effects. (Read more from “Decade Long Ice Age Predicted as Sun ‘Hibernates'” HERE)

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Top Biologists Debate Ban on Gene-Editing

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Delegates at a crucial scientific summit this week are expected to debate a ban on the use of the controversial technique of gene-editing. Hundreds of the world’s leading biologists will gather in Washington to discuss the procedure, in which genes are removed from or added to human embryos.

Some researchers say gene-editing of humans could have unpredictable effects on future generations and is ethically unacceptable. They also warn that the technology could be used to create lineages of “enhanced” humans and want all work in the area halted until its implications are fully assessed.

As a result they are expected to call for a moratorium on future research at the summit, which is to be attended mostly by researchers from the UK, US and China, where gene-editing is most widely practiced. But other scientists say a moratorium would be harmful. Gene-editing has the potential to rid the planet of some fatal illnesses, they argue. Academics in favor of continuing the current research programe point to the work of Chinese scientists, who earlier this year reported they had used a gene-editing procedure called Crispr to modify an aberrant gene that causes beta thalassaemia, an inherited life-threatening blood disorder. This was done in IVF embryos obtained from fertility clinics. The embryos were not implanted into women once the modifications were made, however.

Other scientists say versions of genes that predispose humans to Alzheimer’s disease or make them susceptible to HIV and other infections could be removed from embryos and so free future generations from these conditions. The technology also offers ways to improve stem cell research, boost the effectiveness of IVF techniques and reduce human miscarriage rates. For good measure, techniques like Crispr will allow researchers to rewrite the genomes of plants and animals and transform agricultural science.

“There is a great deal to be gained through the use of gene-editing, but obviously we have be careful how we proceed,” said one conference organizers, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Francis Crick Institute, in London. “The point of this meeting is to determine just how quickly we should move.” (Read more from “Top Biologists Debate Ban on Gene-Editing” HERE)

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Major Ice Cream Brand Announces 7 Bernie Sanders Themed Ice Cream Flavors

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Press Release: In a revolutionary new development Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Bernie Sanders! Ben & Jerry’s is proud to call Vermont home and we couldn’t be more proud of Bernie “Socialist” Sanders for representing our state and our mutual values. We would like to introduce to the world our newest line of socially conscious ice creams that are flavored to embody the spirit of Bernie Sanders and his campaign for President Of The United States!!

1) Triple Tax Toffee: This sweet blend of all natural vanilla ice cream is combined with a triple helping of toffee and a triple scoop of tax applied to the price. Every purchase will help to disempower a low risk individual through the reallocation of wealth and increasing resources available to trap them in a vicious cycle of welfare dependency and entitlements.

2) We The People Werthers: This is the perfect flavor to hold you over until your elected Democrats deliver on their campaign promises. Creamy caramel ice cream is paired with an extra helping of long lasting Werthers Originals hard candy, so you can savor the flavor while you wait for Guantanamo to close and Obamacare to finally deliver all of its promised benefits.

3) Occupy Your Arteries: Being in the 99% never tasted so good. What happens when you combine double fudge ice cream and chunks of bacon with ribbons of sour cream and mayonnaise? A sit-in of flavor on your tongue and Type Two diabetes in your future, that’s what!

4) Social Just Ice: This dismal blend of ice sourced from San Diego & Jacksonville’s municipal water supply, will leave your taste buds tingling with hints of arsenic and lead. This ice (cream) flavor is designed to reduce the impact of any possible perceived micro-aggression that might arise from being seen eating a premium branded ice cream in front of those who might not have the opportunity to acquire such a luxury on their own without subsidies or government assistance.

5) Bernt Ends: In this bold new taste creation we’ve combined hand selected cuts of brisket and slow cooked them for 15 hours in the fiery flames of Bernie Sanders’ anti-capitalist and anti-free market rhetoric. In addition to the rhetorical slow cooking we slather on layers of sweet entitlements and incorporate plenty of safe spaces which help each unique ingredient to protect itself from the aggressive flavors of other ingredients. This new flavor is sure to be liked by everyone except billionaires.

6) Carbon Neutral Nut: This all natural nutty harmony of vanilla ice cream and exotic nuts sourced from all over the world is in no way carbon neutral. In fact, all of the nuts traveled by old diesel trucks out of the remote regions of tropical places all over the world to be shipped on rusty old diesel barges across an ocean or two and then placed on diesel trucks and driven to a processing plant. From there the exotic nuts were packaged and sent by more old diesel trucks and shipped to our facility before they were turned into delicious treats and shipped yet again on diesel trucks all over the country to be enjoyed. But don’t feel guilty about the environmental impact of our ingredient sourcing for this flavor medley because each time you purchase one of our $15 packages of Carbon Neutral Nut, we will purchase a carbon credit in your name from Al Gore himself.

7) Socialist Swirl: In the tradition of the United State’s long history of being a cultural melting pot, we have combined literally all of our flavors together into one homogeneous flavor that you are sure to like. And if you don’t like it, it’s probably because you are a racist xenophobe who doesn’t like other people’s cultural palate of flavors. Imagine swirls of Bernt Ends and We The People Werthers, in a complex taste synergy with swirls of Occupy Your Arteries and Triple Tax Toffee. In creating Socialist Swirl, we have set out to radically transform your traditional view of what is tasty and redefine it with a more tolerant, accepting and inclusive perception of what will be delicious in the future. (For more from the author of “Major Ice Cream Brand Announces 7 Bernie Sanders Themed Ice Cream Flavors” please click HERE)

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‘Really Big’ Spider Causes Freakout

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Police were questioning a “flushed” and “out of breath” man who had answered the door to a flat in Wollstonecraft, a small harborside suburb of Sydney, Australia.

The booming sounds of a man shouting “I’m going to kill you” and a “woman screaming hysterically” had earlier echoed through the apartment block, sometime before 2.00am, Saturday November 21. The commotion disturbed neighbors, who were quick to alert the local police force.

The officers then told the man that neighbors had heard death threats, screams and the crash of furniture being flung around the apartment.

“It was a [really big] spider,” the man tentatively explained . . .

A new theory had emerged — the man was indeed alone in the apartment, he was responsible for both the “womanly” screams and the threats to kill. They were not aimed at a woman, but an eight-legged arachnid. (Read more from “‘Really Big’ Spider Causes Freakout” HERE)

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Cyber-Thieves ‘Target Christmas Shoppers’

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Cyber-thieves are preparing malware and spam campaigns in a bid to catch out retailers and shoppers during the run-up to Christmas, experts say.

One gang had updated the sophisticated malware it used to target tills in stores, security company iSight said.

There had also been an increase in spam and phishing emails crafted to catch out people seeking bargains.

And some crime groups had made fake copies of popular shopping apps in a bid to steal payment-card data.

The warnings are being given just prior to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which bracket the weekend following the US Thanksgiving holiday, when many online and offline stores offer special deals. (Read more from “Cyber-Thieves ‘Target Christmas Shoppers'” HERE)

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China ‘Cloning Factory’ to Produce Cattle, Racehorses and Pets

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The world’s biggest animal “cloning factory” is due to open in China, producing one million calves a year, sniffer dogs and even genetic copies of the family pet.

The £21 million “commercial” facility will edge the controversial science “closer to mainstream acceptance”, Chinese media said, following the development of a technique which began when Dolly the sheep became the first cloned mammal when she was born in Scotland in 1996.

The centre may cause alarm in Europe, where the cloning of animals for farming was banned in September due to animal welfare considerations.

But Xu Xiaochun, chairman of Chinese biotechnology company BoyaLife that is backing the facility, dismissed such concerns . . .

“Legislation is always behind science. But in the area of cloning, I think we are going the wrong way and starting to kill the technology.” (Read more from “China ‘Cloning Factory’ to Produce Cattle, Racehorses and Pets” HERE)

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Study: Rude Behavior Spreads Like a Disease

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Flu season is nearly upon us, and in an effort to limit contagion and spare ourselves misery, many of us will get vaccinated. The work of Jonas Salk and Thomas Francis has helped restrict the spread of the nasty bug for generations, and the influenza vaccine is credited with saving tens of thousands of lives. But before the vaccine could be developed, scientists first had to identify the cause of influenza — and, importantly, recognize that it was contagious.

New research by Trevor Foulk, Andrew Woolum, and Amir Erez at the University of Florida takes that same first step in identifying a different kind of contagious menace: rudeness. In a series of studies, Foulk and colleagues demonstrate that being the target of rude behavior, or even simply witnessing rude behavior, induces rudeness. People exposed to rude behavior tend to have concepts associated with rudeness activated in their minds, and consequently may interpret ambiguous but benign behaviors as rude. More significantly, they themselves are more likely to behave rudely toward others, and to evoke hostility, negative affect, and even revenge from others.

The finding that negative behavior can beget negative behavior is not exactly new, as researchers demonstrated decades ago that individuals learn vicariously and will repeat destructive actions. In the now infamous Bobo doll experiment, for example, children who watched an adult strike a Bobo doll with a mallet or yell at it were themselves abusive toward the doll. Similarly, supervisors who believe they are mistreated by managers tend to pass on this mistreatment to their employees.

Previous work on the negative contagion effect, however, has focused primarily on high-intensity behaviors like hitting or abusive supervision that are (thankfully) relatively infrequent in everyday life. In addition, in most previous studies the destructive behavior was modeled by someone with a higher status than the observer. These extreme negative behaviors may thus get repeated because (a) they are quite salient and (b) the observer is consciously and intentionally trying to emulate the behavior of someone with an elevated social status. (Read more from “Study: Rude Behavior Spreads Like a Disease” HERE)

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Study: People Unlikely to Change Their Mind, Even When Facts Contradict Their Views

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A fresh study has confirmed that people are reluctant to change their minds and adapt their views, even when new information has been presented. This holds true even if they stand to lose money.

The research from the University of Iowa is based on previous studies indicating that people are particularly likely to stick to their original viewpoint when they’ve had to write their beliefs down– a phenomenon known as the ‘explanation effect’, which also affects future actions.

In the study, Tom Gruca, a professor of marketing at the Tippie College of Business, tried to find evidence of something called ‘confirmation bias’ – the tendency to give preference to existing information or beliefs, rather than considering alternative possibilities. He says equity analysts working on financial markets are particularly prone to this bias, with those who issue written forecasts being especially vulnerable to falling into the trap, despite having access to new data to influence them . . .

The study took place over a 10-year period, between 1998 and 2008, and focused on the Iowa Electronic Markets, an online futures market at the college, where payoffs are contingent upon real life events. In that time frame, Gruca had the students analyze the movie market. The students had to predict four-week opening box office totals for 18 movies, while also buying and selling contracts with real money.

It was discovered that, despite the initial box office figures giving a good indication of potential success, the student traders ignored the stocks and stuck to their original predictions. As a result, nobody was buying or selling – confirmation bias prevented the prices from becoming unstable. (Read more from “Study: People Unlikely to Change Their Mind, Even When Facts Contradict Their Views” HERE)

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At Least 12 People Overdose on Synthetic Marijuana in San Diego

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At least a dozen people became sick in San Diego Sunday after they apparently ingested a batch of synthetic marijuana, also known as “spice”, police said.

San Diego Fire Rescue Capt. Joe Amador told Fox 5 that the victims were mainly young people, including a 13-year-old. Amador said it was not immediately clear whether the victims took the drug voluntarily.

The station reported that the victims experienced symptoms varying from a bloody nose to seizures. Medical officers responded to multiple calls reporting sick patients in at least three locations in downtown San Diego . . .

San Diego police said the drug was being sold in black packages with blue dragons on the side. A police spokesman told the San Diego Union-Tribune that officers were trying to track down victims and witnesses, and were also warning the public about the overdoses in case others had purchased the drug in the downtown area. (Read more from “At Least 12 People Overdose on Synthetic Marijuana in San Diego” HERE)

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