NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST’s Curved Neutron Beams Could Deliver Benefits Straight to Industry

    Source: US Government research organizations

    When an ordinary beam of neutrons strikes the team’s silicon grating, the millions of scored lines on the grating convert the neutrons into an Airy beam, whose wavefront travels along a parabolic path. The triangular shapes on the detector match the predicted behavior of an Airy beam, offering evidence of the team’s success.

    Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST

    In a physics first, a team including scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a way to make beams of neutrons travel in curves. These Airy beams (named for English scientist George Airy), which the team created using a custom-built device, could enhance neutrons’ ability to reveal useful information about materials ranging from pharmaceuticals to perfumes to pesticides — in part because the beams can bend around obstacles. 

    “We’ve known about these strange, self-steering wave patterns for a while, but until now, no one had ever made them with neutrons,” said NIST’s Michael Huber, one of the paper’s authors. “This opens up a whole new way to control neutron beams, which could help us see inside materials or explore some big questions in physics.” 

    A paper announcing the findings appears in today’s issue of Physical Review Letters. The team was led by the University of Buffalo’s Dusan Sarenac, and coauthors from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo in Canada built the custom device that helped create the Airy beam. The team also includes scientists from the University of Maryland, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institut, and Germany’s Jülich Center for Neutron Science at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. 

    In addition to following parabola-shaped paths, Airy beams behave in other ways that can defy intuition. Unlike a typical flashlight beam, they do not spread out as they travel. They even have the capability of “self-healing,” meaning that if an obstacle blocks part of the beam, the rest of the beam regenerates its original shape after passing the obstacle.

    While other research teams have created Airy beams out of other particles — such as photons or electrons — wrangling neutrons into Airy beams is more difficult. Lenses are powerless to bend them, and because neutrons have no charge, electric fields do not affect them. The team needed a new approach.

    So the researchers custom-built a diffraction grating array — a square of silicon about the size of a pencil eraser’s head and scored with tiny lines. These lines, arranged into more than six million squares one micrometer across and separated at precise distances from one another, can split an ordinary beam of neutrons into an Airy beam. 

    While the idea of scratching up a piece of silicon is simple in principle, figuring out just how to arrange the scratches to produce the Airy beam was anything but. 

    “It took us years of work to figure out the correct dimensions for the array,” said coauthor Dmitry Pushin, IQC faculty and professor at the University of Waterloo. “We only needed about 48 hours to carve the grating at the University of Waterloo’s nanofabrication facility, but before that it took years of a postdoctoral fellow’s time to prepare.”

    Neutron Airy beams could help neutron imaging facilities see better, Huber said. They would help increase the resolution of a scan or create different focal spots to look more closely at particular parts of objects, improving commonly used imaging techniques such as neutron scattering and neutron diffraction. 

    One of the most tantalizing possibilities, Huber said, would be to find ways to combine a neutron Airy beam with another type of neutron beam.

    “We think combining neutron beams could expand the Airy beams’ usefulness,” said Sarenac. “If someone wants Airy beams tailored for some physics or material application, they can tweak our techniques and get them.”

    For example, scientists might combine a neutron Airy beam with a helical wave of neutrons, which the team learned to create a decade ago. Superimposing the two beams would allow scientists to explore a material’s chirality — a characteristic often described as “handedness,” where a molecule has two mirror-image forms that can have dramatically different properties.

    A better way to explore and characterize chirality could facilitate the development of chiral molecules with specific properties and functions, potentially revolutionizing industries such as pharmaceuticals, materials science and chemical manufacturing. The global market for chiral drugs, for example, exceeds $200 billion annually, and chiral catalysis techniques underpin the manufacture of many chemical products. 

    Chirality is also growing in importance for quantum computing and other cutting-edge electronic applications such as spintronics. 

    “A material’s chirality can influence how electrons spin, and we could use spin-polarized electrons for information storage and processing,” Huber said. “Controlling it could also help us manipulate the qubits that form the building blocks of quantum computers. Neutron Airy beams could help us explore materials with these capabilities far more effectively.”

    Paper: D. Sarenac, O. Lailey, M.E. Henderson, H. Ekinci, C.W. Clark, D.G. Cory, L. DeBeer-Schmitt, M.G. Huber, J.S. White, K. Zhernenkov, and D.A. Pushin. Generation of Airy Neutron Beams. Physical Review Letters. Published online April 17, 2025. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.153401.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Senate Democrats Warn About Republicans Raising Food Costs to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.17.25
    Cantwell, Senate Democrats Warn About Republicans Raising Food Costs to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires
    “Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans,” wrote the senators More than 1 in 10 Washingtonians use SNAP to purchase food, half of whom are in families supporting children
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, joined 45 Senate Democratic colleagues in sending an open letter to the American public warning that Congressional Republicans are trying to take food away from hungry families in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
    The budget plan that Congressional Republicans are currently pushing will require deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to fund the planned tax breaks. Their plan demonstrates that, after promising to lower prices for families, Republicans in Congress are instead making it more difficult for families to put food on the table.
    “Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans,” wrote the senators.
    “SNAP supports 42 million Americans, including nearly 8 million seniors, 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, in putting food on their tables each month,” they continued. “Cuts of this magnitude—or anything close to it—would be devastating to American families in every state.”
    SNAP is used by 888,300 Washington residents, or 11% of the state’s population. More than 53% of SNAP participants in Washington are in families with children, and more than 38% are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled.
    Along with Sen. Cantwell, the letter was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 43 other Senate Democrats.
    The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
    The GOP’s budget plan will also require significant cuts to Medicaid, a central pillar of Washington state’s health care system, and under President Trump’s direction, Elon Musk’s DOGE team has targeted Social Security for drastic reductions.
    In March, Sen. Cantwell heard from voices across Washington state about the dangers of President Trump and the GOP’s proposed cuts to Medicaid. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care. Sen. Cantwell spoke out against President Trump’s nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; in his nomination hearing, she pressed him repeatedly on his willingness to stand up for Medicaid funding. She ultimately voted against his nomination, citing his refusal to stick up for Medicaid during the hearing, which is of particular concern given the Republicans’ draconian budget bill, which would require massive cuts.
    Sen. Cantwell is also fighting against President Trump’s plans to cut Social Security. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, she highlighted the danger that the President’s nominee to head the Social Security Administration, Frank Bisignano, poses to the program. At his confirmation hearing, she mentioned the story of a constituent in Seattle who was incorrectly presumed dead shortly after Elon Musk sicced his DOGE team on the Social Security Administration to hunt down unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud.  Sen. Cantwell voted against his nomination in committee.  The full Senate has yet to vote on the nomination.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Senator Reverend Warnock Speaks to NPR in Warm Springs on the Legacy of FDR and Our Nation’s Unfinished Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    PHOTOS: Senator Reverend Warnock Speaks to NPR in Warm Springs on the Legacy of FDR and Our Nation’s Unfinished Work

    Senator Reverend Warnock was recently in Warm Springs, Georgia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) passing at the “Little White House”
    FDR suffered a stroke while posing for a portrait that remains unfinished to this day and is on display on the Little White House grounds 
    Senator Reverend Warnock gave a keynote speech framed around the unfinished portrait and how it reflects FDR’s unfinished legacy and the unfinished work of our nation 
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today”
    ICYMI from National Public Radio: 80 years after President Franklin Roosevelt’s death, Trump cuts threaten his legacy
    ICYMI from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia gathers at Little White House on 80th anniversary of FDR’s death
    Above: Like FDR, Senator Reverend Warnock finds himself in good spirits under the Georgia sun in Warm Springs
    Warm Springs, GA – On Saturday, April 12, on the 80th anniversary of the passing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) journeyed to the late president’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia to deliver a keynote address honoring the unfinished legacy of FDR and the unfinished work of creating opportunities for all Americans to thrive regardless of their race, age, creed, or station in life. Ahead of his remarks, Senator Warnock saw FDR’s infamous “unfinished portrait”, a watercolor painting the 32nd president was posing for when he suffered a stroke, which he eventually succumbed to on April 12, 1945. In his remarks, Senator Warnock evoked the unfinished portrait and how it resembles the unfinished legacy and mission of FDR in creating economic, social, and political opportunity for all Americans.
    “FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.  

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock with FDR’s infamous unfinished portrait in Warm Springs
    “What [FDR] accomplished was extraordinary, and much of it was inspired by the spirit of Georgia, warmed up by these Warm Springs in which he drew inspiration and motivation that he needed to rebuild an anguished nation. Over the years, after making his first journey here in 1924, President Roosevelt saw the South’s struggling economy, he saw the many challenges of our state. He saw the lack of educational opportunities. He saw the lack of electricity and family farms being foreclosed. He saw poverty and disease, both in a literal sense and in a spiritual sense. And he saw the impact of that in Georgia and on our nation. He saw a lack of good paying jobs, creating a crisis for the economy and, more importantly, a crisis in the human soul. So, as FDR came down to Warm Springs for his own healing. He saw the healing that needed to be done. You can’t lead the people unless you love the people. And in order to love the people, you got to walk with the people,” said Senator Reverend Warnock in his keynote speech.

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock signs the VIP guest book at the Little White House
    “So the mission continues, the work still lies ahead. We must not give in to those who are trying to weaponize fear. FDR said, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Now, like all of you, I grew up hearing that, and I must admit that since I’ve been hearing it all my life, it was just, you know, something people say. ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ It’s one of those things that’s so deep in the culture you hear it without really hearing. I’m not so sure I knew what Roosevelt meant until late, because in this moment in our lives, there are those in high office who are trying to weaponize fear. There are those in high office who want us to be afraid of one another. Want white people to be afraid of Black people, and Black people to be afraid of brown people, want the young to resent the old and the old to forget about the young. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Translation, if there’s anybody to be afraid of, we ought to be afraid of the politicians who want us to be afraid of one another. We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” Senator Reverend Warnock continued.
    Following his remarks, Senator Warnock toured the Little White House where FDR was posing for the unfinished portrait. The senator surveyed the bedroom where the late president eventually succumbed to his stroke, leaving behind a nation in recovery from the Great Depression and on a path to victory in World War II. Senator Warnock also viewed the nearby pools where FDR found some relief in his battle with polio. 
    A transcript of Senator Warnock’s speech can be found below (lightly edited for clarity):
    I want to recognize all the elected officials in the house, those who serve, those who have served, and those who seek to serve, stand up, all of you.
    Thank you so very much, it’s wonderful to be here. I also want to recognize the Friends of the Little White House, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for organizing this great event. My church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, has also supported our historic sanctuary through the work of the fine men and women of the park service and those who support that work, so I understand a little bit about what it takes to maintain a facility like this. Thank you for your service in preserving the beauty, history, and the culture of our great state. Give them a great big round of applause.
    80 years ago today, April 12, 1945, was described as a sunny spring day here in Warm Springs. A president weary from war was now in good spirits under the Georgia sun. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was no doubt looking ahead to the world that would rise from the ashes and a country still climbing towards its highest ideals. Back in his little white pine cottage that afternoon, the president was posing for a portrait as an artist was attempting to capture a giant. Some have said a picture is worth a thousand words. But as fate would have it, the man who had helped save democracy at home and around the world collapsed from a stroke. 
    He succumbed to what William Cullen Bryant called that mysterious realm where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death. Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us that death is not an aristocracy for some, but a democracy for all. Each of us comes to that moment, the rich and the poor, those who sit high, those who sit low. Death, as Doctor King said, is life’s common denominator. We might want to think about what we want to make of our lives. 
    FDR collapsed from a stroke, never got up, and the portrait was never finished. In a real sense, that’s how we live our lives, even at our best, it is an unfinished project, an unfinished portrait. What remained was a loose watercolor sketch of his head and shoulders. It was an unfinished portrait, an unfinished presidential term, an unfinished legacy, and in many ways, the America he fought for remains unfinished. That brush may have stopped mid stroke, but what Roosevelt painted into the fabric of this nation still colors our lives today. An unfinished legacy, unfinished presidential term, unfinished portrait; so much wisdom and poetry, even in how he left us. 
    I submit that your life’s project ought to be longer than your lifespan. If you can finish your life’s project in your lifespan, then your imagination is too small, and your vision of what we can become and who we are together has yet to mature. FDR understood that. He poured himself out, a term as a pastor we use especially this time of the year, during the season of Lent, during the season of Passover, that the one in whose name you and I preach on Sunday morning submitted to what theologians called kenosis. He literally poured himself out. That’s what servant leadership looks like. Pouring yourself out for others, and in so doing, what he was able to accomplish was extraordinary, because FDR, for all his pain, he was never focused on himself. The way to find yourself is to give yourself over to something bigger than yourself, and then you might find yourself.
    What he accomplished was extraordinary, and much of it was inspired by the spirit of Georgia, warmed up by these Warm Springs in which he drew inspiration and motivation that he needed to rebuild an anguished nation. Over the years, after making his first journey here in 1924, President Roosevelt saw the South’s struggling economy, he saw the many challenges of our state. He saw the lack of educational opportunities. He saw the lack of electricity and family farms being foreclosed. He saw poverty and disease, both in a literal sense and in a spiritual sense. And he saw the impact of that in Georgia and on our nation. He saw a lack of good paying jobs, creating a crisis for the economy and, more importantly, a crisis in the human soul. So, as FDR came down to Warm Springs for his own healing. He saw the healing that needed to be done. You can’t lead the people unless you love the people. And in order to love the people, you got to walk with the people. 
    People called to serve must be willing to walk with you, even as we work for you. So he drew inspiration and insight from being in these spaces and in these places. Struggling with polio, so much to learn about his life. I’m inspired and amazed, quite honestly, so many layers, struggling with polio. Polio, by the way, a disease that we’ve pushed back through the insights of doctors and others. Now, because of the success of those vaccines, we have an anti-vaccine movement. Privilege as a way of blinding. The reason we can have an anti-vaccine movement is because the vaccines work. Almost nobody remembers what polio looked like. So, all of a sudden, we become really profound indeed. I digress. Thank God for science; my faith has no quarrel with science. 
    He came here for his own healing. Somehow, being here, he was able to transform his pain into power, suffering in the sacrifice, sacrifice into salvation for others who suffer. We now live in his legacy–all of us. Social Security. Prior to FDR, for most people, when you got old, it was a sentence into poverty. Sometimes it’s easy to attack things because you don’t remember what it was like before we had it. Social Security was important then, it’s important now, and I’m going to stand up and defend it. Pathways to homeownership, minimum wage jobs, unemployment insurance, all of that, FDR. Rural electrification, job programs that build bridges and roads and restored dignity to families who had lost everything. He did more in a wheelchair than most presidents ever imagined doing sitting in an Oval Office. These weren’t just policies. These were promises aimed at restoring the dignity of work, being able to provide for your family. They represented the belief that the public servants working towards a common cause could be a force for good in people’s lives.
    Between 1933 and 1940, the New Deal brought $250 million to Georgia and established agencies that offered a broad range of public works programs, including the construction of libraries, roads, schools, parks, hospitals, airports, and housing, because he understood that infrastructure is the common space that we share with one another. It is the covenant that we have with one another. Broken roads and broken bridges are indicative of a broken people. In the wealthiest nation on the planet, a broken commitment to the house that we live in together.
    Perhaps no issue greater reflects Warm Springs’ impact on FDR’s policies than rural electricity. Georgia farmers and Georgia families were hit especially hard by the Great Depression. Their recovery was slowed by the high cost of electricity, which was only used in 10% of rural homes in 1935. Electric companies were simply not willing to string miles of wire to rural communities, so those people had to go without. Too often rural communities are invisible to people in power. FDR saw rural communities. One of the great characteristics of leadership is just the ability to see you.
    And it is here that he was motivated to start the Rural Electrification Administration, an effort designed to bring electric power to rural areas at reasonable rates. Roosevelt cemented the connection by signing the electrification bill into law right here at the Little White House, where his first electric bill in this little house was four times greater than that of his home in New York. Somebody needed to fix that. He got busy doing it. This improved the quality of life and productivity for small farms. And Roosevelt did not stop there. He implemented policies to improve soil health and prevent erosion, provide farmers with loans to move to improved farms, and helped raise long depressed cotton prices. He understood that when you center the people rather than the politics, you have a shot at getting the policy right.
    For many of these rural Georgians the federal government felt like some distant entity, long distance from where they actually live. Like so many people today, they looked at what was going on in Washington, they asked themselves, what in the heck does that have to do with me? The New Deal answered that question; the New Deal provided federal investments that they could see directly benefiting their local communities. The policy showed up where they actually live, and it offered people the hope they needed for a resilient nation to believe that their best days were ahead of them and not behind them.
    He believed in the future, and not in some imaginary vision of who we used to be. He sought simply to make America great–period. Make it great not by moving backwards, but by moving forward. I stand in awe of this man. Where did he get such imagination, such grit, such determination, such love of the people–all the people. Moral courage. It makes you stand up, no matter what it looks like at the moment. Perhaps, here is the answer. He said, while suffering from polio, “When you have spent two years in bed trying to wiggle your big toe, everything else seems easy.” 
    He transformed his pain into power, suffering into sacrifice, and sacrifice into salvation for those who suffer. Now, it’s important to note, if we would be honest, that while the New Deal transformed America, there was still a whole lot more work to be done. This was still 1940s America. There were those who still suffer in our nation’s complicated story and still ran up against the reality of deep-seated discrimination. My own father, born in 1917, I had an older father, served for about a year, one year in the Army during World War II, all stateside. One day, he was headed home on a bus in the soldier’s uniform, and my father had to give up his bus seat because the bus driver saw a young, white teenager, and the man with a family and a soldier’s uniform had to give up his seat to a teenager. My dad had to give up his bus seat, but his son now sits in a Senate seat.
    I thank God for Roosevelt’s New Deal, but my people still had a raw deal. My dad never became bitter. He believed in the future. Dr King, and those who marched alongside him, stood up and pushed the country closer to its ideals. An unfinished portrait–that’s what America is, and we have to keep painting. We have to keep adding colors and hues and nuances in order to understand what this country is all about. He was informed. He was inspired by Warm Springs. But we dare not leave this place today without mentioning somebody else. Her name was Eleanor. By every great man is a smarter woman. Brilliant and courageous in her own right.
    Today in the United States Senate, I see my work as a continuation of that great patriot and so many others who tried to make America great. That is why, since entering the Senate in 2021, I have fought to expand access to affordable health care, because health care is a human right, and it is certainly something that the wealthiest nation on the planet can provide for all of its citizens, and oh, by the way, Georgia needs to expand Medicaid. I have fought to strengthen our democracy, to widen the pathways to quality education and good paying jobs. It’s good public policy, but it’s also the right thing to do. That’s right. A budget is not just a fiscal document, it’s a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters. As I look at this budget, some of my colleagues are trying to push through the Congress right now, it passed the Senate, has now passed the House, a budget that will cut perhaps as much as $800 billion for Medicaid that would leave Social Security struggling. Forget the fact that 71% of the people on Medicaid in Georgia are children. I look at that kind of budget, I have to say that if that budget were an EKG, it would suggest that some of my colleagues have a heart problem, and they are in need of moral surgery.
    So let’s make sure everybody has access to health care. That’s why I was pleased to be able to write a law to cap the cost of insulin for seniors to no more than $35 out of pocket per month. We ought to expand the Child Tax Credit. When we did it in 2021, we cut child poverty by more than 40%. Listen to me. Poverty is violence. It is violence against the human spirit and child poverty is trauma, and what’s extraordinary is that poor children do as well as they do. You can literally see in the brain the impact that poverty has on the brain of a young child. So as I stand here, I can’t forget about the fact that long before I was a United States Senator, I was a kid in Head Start. Grew up in public housing. Head Start, a good public policy, exposed me to literacy and reading and gave me a love of learning. Then I went to high school, and someone put me in an Upward Bound program and put me on a college campus so I can imagine that I could be in college and at a university, that I could study and grow. And with grit and determination, I went to Morehouse College. I didn’t have enough money to go. I often say I went to college on a full faith scholarship. I did not have enough money for my first semester. 
    But through hard work, some of my friends and classmates are here, through hard work, hope, and grit and determination, I was able to graduate from Morehouse College. Yes, I believe in personal initiative. Yes, I believe in personal responsibility. Yes, I believe you have to stay up late and burn the midnight oil. You got to do the work. But guess what? I did the work, but somebody still gave me a Pell Grant and some low interest student loans. You can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, but you still need a path to get to where you’re trying to go, and that’s what good public policy can do. It gives ordinary people a chance to make the best out of their life. So we have to stand up for ordinary people. We have to stand up for farmers in this moment. Farmers are an answer to a prayer. They are literally an answer to a prayer that all of us pray. Many of us every night, give us this day, our daily bread. 
    So the mission continues, the work still lies ahead. We must not give in to those who are trying to weaponize fear. FDR said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Now, like all of you, I grew up hearing that, and I must admit, Brother Luke, that since I’ve been hearing it all my life, it was just, you know, something people say. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. It’s one of those things that’s so deep in the culture you hear it without really hearing. I’m not so sure I knew what Roosevelt meant until late, because in this moment in our lives, there are those in high office who are trying to weaponize fear. There are those in high office who want us to be afraid of one another. Want white people to be afraid of Black people, and Black people to be afraid of brown people, want the young to resent the old and the old to forget about the young. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Translation, if there’s anybody to be afraid of, we ought to be afraid of the politicians who want us to be afraid of one another. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. The Bible tells us that perfect love [inaudible]. It takes courage to love, and justice is what love looks like in public. 
    So we remember 80 years ago today, his life was poetry, and so was his death. It must have been heartbreaking in that moment, something elegant about the way he left us. We find ourselves when we give ourselves over to something bigger than ourselves. There he was struggling with polio, trying to stand again, struggling against paralysis. Today, America is struggling to stand. We’re paralyzed today, not by polio, but by polarization. FDR never found the strength after he failed that day to stand up. He always found strength when he tried to stand up for somebody else. Perhaps that’s the lesson in this moment, these dark and difficult days, and these days of fear and polarization, and these days of tariffs–and we don’t know what the economy is going to bring tomorrow. Perhaps the lesson is that we learn to stand. When we stand up to somebody else. So stand up for children, stand up for our young people, stand up for women, stand up for the poor and the marginalized. Stand up for all of us. Stand up for
    what America can be. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nursing and Engineering Innovation Forum Highlights Interdisciplinary Work

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When Harthik Parankusham ’28 (CLAS) visited his grandfather recently, the signs of cognitive decline were obvious – the family patriarch forgot his own grandson’s name.

    Worldwide, 55 million people have undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, with 7.4 million in the United States alone, Parankusham says, noting that the current means of diagnosing something like Alzheimer’s disease – that is, MRIs, PET scans, and bloodwork – can be expensive and often come too late.

    That got the physiology and neurobiology major thinking and deep in research. Could there be a means of early detection?

    Leila Daneshmandi, left, and Tiffany Kelley, co-directors of the Nursing & Engineering Innovation Center, speak during Wednesday’s event (Sarah Redmond / UConn Photo).

    Parankusham’s Raayu Institute, comprising a national team of researchers, created a simple test for the linguistic biomarkers that show up years before other symptoms. It’s a test that asks patients to simply write a story while a computer analyzes their grammar, word choice, and cadence for anomalies.

    “Let’s make Alzheimer’s and undiagnosed MCI a thing of the past,” he told a panel of judges on Wednesday, April 16 during the InnovateHealth PitchFest at UConn’s Innovation Partnership Building.

    His pitch earned him first place in the Innovation Idea category.

    “Every single pitch we saw today – whether it affected millions and millions of lives or just one life – it made the world a better place,” Michael McGuire, Beekley Medical director of strategic growth and innovations and one of the PitchFest judges, said. “An event like this today lets us know health care is in really good hands.”

    From a portable test for tuberculosis from the team Clara Health to insoles with air chambers that adapt to an individual’s foot from the team SoleShift, which respectively won second and third place in Innovation, the late afternoon event gave each team five minutes to sell their idea.

    But before attendees and a panel of judges settled in to hear from the students, they spent the day embracing possibility during the first part of the inaugural Nursing and Engineering Innovation Forum, a product of UConn’s Nursing & Engineering Innovation Center.

    The center opened in 2023 and since then, has focused on research education, community engagement, and technology transfer, Tiffany Kelley, co-director and School of Nursing associate professor-in-residence, said. Its goal is to address health care challenges through new technology.

    “Just one conversation can open the door,” she said of the event that drew about 100 registrants from a mix of industry, corporate partnerships, and UConn alums.

    Those attending the event had opportunities to speak with students, faculty, and industry experts. (Coral Aponte / UConn Photo)

    With Beekley Medical and VentureWell as sponsors, along with UConn’s College of Engineering, School of Nursing, Provost’s Office, Office of the Vice President for Research, and Innovation Partnership Building, the forum spotlighted researchers whose work has benefitted from Faculty Innovation Seed Grants and Faculty Senior Design Awards.

    Presenters talked about using artificial intelligence to assess patients’ trust in their nurses and how AI can be used to fight pain and opioid dependence. They also detailed their work on humans’ sucking reflex and the use of pulse oximetry.

    “Nurses have always been innovators. We can trace it back in our history,” School of Nursing Dean Victoria Vaughan Dickson said, adding that, nonetheless, “we often don’t see ourselves as innovators. We know the problems, we can think of some of the solutions … and by partnering with others who have other areas of expertise we can take those solutions into testing and into solving our problems.”

    That spirit of teamwork was most evident during PitchFest, the Center’s second time hosting the event. Students came not just from majors like biomedical engineering and nursing, but also from elsewhere on campus, including places like digital media and design in the School of Fine Arts.

    “People are talking, people are networking, it’s hard to get them back in their seats,” Leila Daneshmandi, Center co-director and assistant professor-in-residence in the College of Engineering’s biomedical engineering department, said during a break in the presentations.

    When the time came, though, the audience hushed as the final five PitchFest teams, competing in the Prototype in Development category, took center stage.

    The team Zemi already has raised $65,000 for their line of smart clothing – tight-fitting shirts and leggings outfitted with sensors to track an individual’s cardiac, skin, and muscular activity.

    Zemi’s lab in Farmington, though, needs additional specialized equipment, especially since their clothing will be part of a National Institutes of Health research project through UConn.

    John Toribio ’25 Ph.D. told the judges his project – conceived with Kyle Mahoney ’20 (CAHNR), ’22 MS, ’25 Ph.D. – is better than common wearable trackers that rely on estimated metrics and don’t detect medical events until well after the fact.

    The PitchFest winners impressed judges with their creativity and determination to solve real-world problems. (Coral Aponte / UConn Photo)

    More electrodes, more data, he said.

    With applications in health care, competitive athletics, and in exercise science institutes, Zemi can make clothing for just about any application from sleeping hospital patients to high-performance athletes.

    Toribio’s pitch earned the team first place in the Prototype category. The team ChromaShield, with its early warning patch for radiation dermatitis, took second place, and the team Dentopa and its solution for tooth sensitivity took third.

    “An event like PitchFest is so important because this really helps outline the future of health care,” McGuire said. “At Beekley, one of our core values is that in everything we do we want to make the world a better place. … As innovators in the health care space that’s ultimately our job and everyone in this room did it very well.”

    “Nurses work on teams and this just really solidifies it,” Dickson added. “All of these groups were teams, whether there was one person presenting or two … that’s the core of nursing, being part of a team. And nurses lead teams, you saw here that nurses lead innovative teams.”

    Daneshmandi noted that “engineers bring a unique lens of problem-solving and system design that when paired with the clinical insight of nurses unlocks entirely new solutions to longstanding health challenges. This kind of interdisciplinary collaboration is what drives transformative innovation in health care, and we’re working to foster this at the Center across students and faculty.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Price discrimination is getting smarter — and low-income consumers are paying the price

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Raymond A. Patterson, Professor, Area Chair, Business Technology Management, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary

    For customers who don’t have the freedom to choose where they shop, technological advancements — particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and intrusive personal data collection — are making price discrimination, inflation and lower-quality goods increasingly likely. Vulnerable consumers are most at risk.

    Flexibility-based price discrimination allows companies to charge different people different prices for the same produce or service, based on how easily they can walk away.

    When consumers can easily find better deals elsewhere, they hold the power. However, AI tools are allowing sellers to become increasingly adept at uncovering how much flexiblity their consumers have. This practice raises serious ethical concerns.

    Dynamic pricing allows companies to take advantage of customers who can’t easily go elsewhere.

    Dollar stores, for example, often serve low-income communities in smaller markets. When these retailers realize their customers have limited alternatives, they are less inclined to keep prices low. Product quality can decline as well.

    Economic impacts of price discrimination

    In our recent study, we examined how flexibility-based price discrimination affects a seller’s profitability in a competitive market, and demonstrated how consumer welfare is affected. Using economic modelling, we studied how price discrimination can impact consumers from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

    We found that companies don’t just raise prices when customers aren’t able to easily switch to a competitor — for low-income consumers they also reduce product quality as well. This double blow hits low-income consumers hard. As technology improves, the gap between high- and low-income consumers grows wider.

    Our findings show that companies that take advantage of consumer inflexibility are likely to prosper, often at the expense of those with the least power to choose.

    The same thing happens with provincial trade barriers and tariffs. Product quality, price and income are known to be intertwined, with higher income countries receiving higher quality goods. When consumers’ ability to find the best possible deal is limited, companies will exploit that lack of choice, as is implied by our study.

    When retailers realize their customers have limited alternatives, they are less inclined to keep prices low.
    (Shutterstock)

    Inflexible consumers with lower incomes suffer more from price discrimination than high-income consumers in the same situation. Any barriers that reduces consumer flexibility disproportionately harms low-income consumers, who are more likely to face lower-quality products as a result.

    In markets where these consumers are targeted, low-quality products are often the norm. As an example, tests revealed the presence of lead, phthalates, toxic flame-retardant chemicals and polyvinyl chloride components in colourfully labelled children’s products at American and Canadian dollar stores.

    In contrast, high-income consumers may see their product quality improve. This is because high-income consumers are willing and able to pay for the improved quality and technology-enabled price discrimination can enable the seller to satisfy their needs better.

    Technology and consumer resilience

    Our study provides valuable insights for both lawmakers and policymakers. It demonstrates that new policies are necessary to protect vulnerable consumers with limited flexibility from price discrimination.

    But this is only part of the story. When these same techniques are used to target wealthier consumers, it can result in positive social outcomes for them. The differing outcomes for high versus low income inflexible consumers will exacerbate wealth inequity.

    For firms investing in new technologies like AI, flexibility-based price discrimination can inadvertently benefit competitors by partitioning the market — even if the competitor doesn’t use the technology.

    For companies, many things can cause or reveal consumer inflexibility, technology being a primary example. Technology advances rapidly. Catering to either high- or low-income customers causes businesses to make different strategic choices depending on how flexible their customer base is when it comes to new technological developments.

    For customers, maintaining flexibility is critical. Flexibility can take many forms: having access to transportation to access a wider range of stores, avoiding consumer debt or having enough savings. It can also mean having a smartphone with unlimited data to make online price comparisons.

    However, not all consumers can maintain this kind of flexibility. Working parents, for example, might not have the time or financial bandwidth to comparison shop for groceries across multiple stores. It can increase their vulnerability to higher prices and lower-quality goods.

    Policy implications and the path forward

    Whether flexibility-based price discrimination should be supported or restricted depends on who it targets. Flexibility-based price discrimination may require regulatory intervention or price subsidies to ensure ethical implementation. While ensuring the quality of low-end products is increasingly important, addressing the limitations on consumer flexibility caused by socioeconomic status is key.

    The U.S. has recently removed internet subsidies for rural customers, and its impacts have been dire. Without internet access, consumers lose digital flexibility.

    In Canada, Indigenous and rural communities similarly lack access to high-speed broadband and also must travel long distances to reach major shopping centres. Our results show that, as flexibility declines, so does consumer welfare for rural low-income populations.

    If there is a positive side to all of this, it’s that companies can adapt quickly to these shifts. Businesses like dollar stores are likely to benefit in the short term, although product quality will likely decline for people who can least afford it. This isn’t just an ethical choice made by these companies, but an economic inevitability in a system where people have unequal access to rapidly evolving technology.

    As trade tensions grow, mitigating consumer inflexibility should be a key policy focus for Canada. Support should start with low-income households by increasing their ability to choose how and where they shop.

    In the long term, price discrimination will continue to prey on the socioeconomic, geographic and literacy-based barriers that underlie the digital divide. The goal should be policy reform to empower flexibility for those most affected.

    Raymond A. Patterson currently receives funding from the Haskayne School of Business and the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC). Previous funding has been obtained from a variety of private and public sources.

    Emily Laidlaw receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the National Cybersecurity Consortium.

    Jian Zhang receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Price discrimination is getting smarter — and low-income consumers are paying the price – https://theconversation.com/price-discrimination-is-getting-smarter-and-low-income-consumers-are-paying-the-price-252723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fact Sheet: How DHS is Combating Child Exploitation and Abuse

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Every day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). As part of the Department’s critical mission to combat crimes of exploitation and protect victims, we investigate these abhorrent crimes, spread awareness, collaborate with interagency and international partners, and expand our reach to ensure children are safe and protected.

    “At the Department of Homeland Security, our mission is to protect the American people, and that includes protecting our children. The internet has completely changed how we connect, but it has also opened new doors for predators who want to harm our kids,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “It’s a topic that should unite all of us, and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the work of Homeland Security Investigations and all that they do to combat online child exploitation.”

    DHS battles online CSEA using all available tools and resources department-wide, emphasizing its commitment to the Department’s homeland security mission to “Combat Crimes of Exploitation and Protect Victims.” In recognition of President Trump’s proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS is committed to raising awareness of these heinous crimes, preventing child exploitation and abuse, and bringing perpetrators to justice.

    As part of the Department’s ongoing work in this area, today DHS is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Know2Protect, the U.S. government’s first prevention and awareness campaign to combat online CSEA. 

    Between April 2024 and February 2025:

    • DHS launched Know2Protect®, a first of its kind national public awareness campaign to combat online CSEA. The campaign enhances the Department’s capabilities to combat online CSEA by partnering with the private sector to deliver its awareness messaging and coordinating federal efforts to confront and prevent this growing epidemic. The Department has successfully entered into over 20 Know2Protect® Memoranda of Understanding with leading technology companies, national and international sports leagues, youth-serving organizations and nonprofits, and other private sector partners to raise awareness of this crime and help children stay safer online.
    • DHS increased the footprint of law enforcement partners at the DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) to enhance coordination across all DHS agencies and offices to combat cyber-related crimes and further the Department’s mission to combat online CSEA. Several partners are collocated and work together every day at the DHS C3, including the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Marshals Service (USMS),      U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).  
    • The Blue Campaign, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, hosted 170 national trainings on the indicators of forced labor and sex trafficking and how to report these crimes with more than 24,000 participants from the federal government, non-governmental organizations, law enforcement, and other external stakeholders.
    • DHS identified and rescued 1,567 child victims of online CSEA through the work of HSI and made 4,460 arrests for crimes involving online CSEA. Learn more in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report
    • HSI and ERO have instituted a collaborative operational initiative to locate unaccompanied alien children (UAC) released from the care and custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR). The UAC initiative   identifies and locates UACs to ensure immigration obligations are met, and investigate any potential indicators of forced labor, sex trafficking, or other exploitation.

    To accomplish this work, DHS coordinates with law enforcement at home and abroad to enforce and uphold our laws, protects victims with a victim-centered approach that prioritizes dignity and respect, and works to stop this heinous crime through public education and outreach.

    Enforcing Our Laws

    DHS works with domestic and international partners to enforce and uphold the laws that protect children from abuse. The Department works collaboratively with  Department of Justice prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S Marshals, INTERPOL, Europol, and other international law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

    • DHS increased U.S. government and law enforcement efforts to combat financial sextortion, a crime targeting children and teens by coercing them into sending explicit images online and extorting them for money. From FY22 to FY24, HSI received more than 4,900 CyberTipline reports related to sextortion predators from Côte dʼIvoire. From these reports, 652 children have been identified and supported by HSI. In an effort to combat this crime, HSI sent special agents to Côte d’Ivoire to provide online CSEA training to local law enforcement and supported local law enforcement efforts in locating and apprehending offenders residing there.
    • The CCHT works alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify and pursue the recovery of underage victims of sex trafficking. The CCHT emphasizes victim identification operations which allows HSI field offices to rescue these children while implementing a victim centered approach. The CCHT supports HSI field operations throughout the investigation and prosecution of these traffickers and their networks.
    • DHS partnered with 61 regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces to investigate people involved in the online victimization of children, including those who produce, receive, distribute and/or possess child sexual abuse material, or who engage in online sexual enticement of children.
    • DHS researched and developed modern tools and technologies that equip domestic and international law enforcement partners with advanced forensic capabilities to accomplish their mission to identify victims and apprehend child sexual abusers.
      • The Science and Technology Directorate developed StreamView, a digital forensics and data analytics tool designed to assist law enforcement in effectively addressing child exploitation cases. By aggregating, organizing, and analyzing investigative leads, StreamView enables investigators to determine crime locations, identify victims, and bring perpetrators to justice more efficiently. Since May 2023, StreamView has identified and rescued over 133 child and adult victims, dismantled more than 29 criminal networks, generated over 600 leads and referrals, and arrested of over 120 criminal actors. The platform has also contributed to 10 convictions and 8 life sentences, significantly improving Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigations.
    • The U.S. Secret Service provides forensic, technical, and investigative assistance to NCMEC and state/local/tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing and exploited children. Support includes polygraph examinations, age progression/regression, composite sketches, audio/image/video enhancement, speaker identification/recognition, questioned document analysis, fingerprint development and examination, geospatial information mapping system, digital forensics.
    • U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens all undocumented unaccompanied children and other arriving minors for indicators of abuse or exploitation, human trafficking, extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children, sexual predators involved in crimes of exploitation, and all suspected criminal cases are referred to HSI.
    • Transportation Security Administration (INV) Special Agent Polygraph Examiners provide their expertise to advance investigative and prosecutorial efforts in support of child sexual exploitation investigations. INV developed evidence of child sexual exploitation and/or abuse in 15 criminal specific and pre-employment examinations. INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiners, assigned to its Special Operations Division, conduct examinations on behalf of INV, HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, federal and local law enforcement agencies. In a case involving a child victim, an INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiner administered a specific issue polygraph examination, which resulted in the arrest of an individual attempting to solicit a child and identified six other victims ranging in age from 5-16 years of age.

    Protecting and Supporting Victims

    • The Angel Watch Center (AWC) within DHS C3 proactively identifies U.S. persons traveling abroad who have been convicted of sexual crimes against children. By using travel related information and publicly available state sex offender registries, the AWC notifies destination countries of these individuals’ pending arrivals to help prevent potential child sex tourism and other forms of exploitation. The HSI AWC sent over 4,800 travel notifications to foreign governments on convicted, registered U.S. child sex offenders, leading to over 900 denials of entry. These efforts build international cooperation to ensure all countries are safe from sexual predators.
    • In July 2023, HSI launched the first U.S.-based international victim identification surge, “Operation Renewed Hope (ORH).” To date, there have been three yearly operations: ORHI, ORHII, and ORHIII, to identify and rescue child victims of online exploitation. In these operations, HSI and its domestic and international partners work on child sexual abuse material contained in HSI holdings, teams expertly comb through and analyze unidentified series of child sexual abuse material to identify children and offenders and create lead packages for appropriate investigative partners in furtherance of associated law enforcement actions.
      • In the Spring of 2025, HSI conducted ORHIII, which resulted in 386 probable identifications and 56 victims who have been identified and rescued. Once victims of child exploitation are identified and/or rescued, the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) supports them and their non-offending caretaker(s) by using highly trained forensic interview specialists to conduct victim-centered and trauma-informed forensic interviews. In addition, VAP’s victim assistance specialists provide resources to victims such as crisis intervention, referrals for short and long term medical and/or mental health care and contact information for local social service programs and agencies to assist in the healing process.
    • HSI provides short-term immigration protections to human trafficking victims, including victims of child sex trafficking. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants immigration benefits to eligible child victims of human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, including T nonimmigrant status, U nonimmigrant status, and immigrant classification under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

    Educating and Increasing Public Awareness

    • The Know2Protect® campaign has garnered over 518 million impressions across various media platforms, in large part due to donated advertising from signed partners and other partner activations. The top visited pages on Know2Protect.gov are Take Action, How2Report, and Know the Threats.
    • Project iGuardian is the official in-person educational program of the Know2Protect campaign. Led by HSI, Project iGuardian offers in-person presentations designed to inform children, teens, parents, and trusted adults on the threat of online CSEA, how to implement preventive strategies, and report suspected abuse to law enforcement.
      • Since the start of FY24, more than 400 special agents have been trained to give Project iGuardian presentations.
      • In FY24, HSI gave more than 1,100 presentations to more than 122,000 children, teens, parents, and teachers domestically and internationally. These presentations yielded more than 75 victim disclosures and 77 investigative leads for online CSEA.
      • So far in FY 25, HSI has given more than 760 iGuardian presentations to over 69,000 children and adults, which have yielded more than 41 victim disclosures and 13 investigative leads.
    • In April 2024, the Blue Campaign announced a partnership with rideshare company Lyft to train their drivers, who interact with millions of riders per year, on how to recognize indicators of human trafficking among their passengers, and how to report it.  From July to September 2024, Blue Campaign collaborated with NCMEC to promote human trafficking awareness across various social media platforms, targeting both minors and those who work with minors. The campaign garnered more than 2 million impressions on Twitch, 14 million on Facebook, 3million on Snapchat, and 4 million through display ads.
    • The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) covers child sexual exploitation and abuse awareness in its Human Trafficking lesson plan. In FY2024, FLETC trained nearly 4,400 individuals in human trafficking awareness.
    • USSS Childhood Smart Program Ambassadors educated more than 112,000 children, parents, and teachers across 31 states and the District of Columbia about how to prevent online child sexual exploitation and child abduction. The Childhood Smart Program provides age-appropriate presentations to children as young as five as well as to adults. Presentations focus on internet and personal safety as well as other topics such as social media etiquette and cyber bullying.
    • The HSI Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center trained more than 800 individuals across the interagency on female genital mutilation or cutting, a severe form of child abuse and a crime under federal law when done to individuals under the age of 18.
    • The Blue Campaign Blue Lightning Initiative, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, trained more than 260,000 aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and victims of forced labor and sex trafficking, to include child sex trafficking, and report their suspicions to law enforcement in FY 2023. The Initiative added 31 new partners this past year, raising its total partners to 136 aviation industry organizations, including its first two official international partners.
    • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency administers SchoolSafety.gov, an interagency website that includes information, guidance and resources on a range of school safety topics. SchoolSafety.gov includes a child exploitation section that houses more than 60 resources to help school communities identify, prevent and respond to child exploitation. Since its launch in January 2023, child exploitation section has been viewed more than 35,600 times.

    What You Can Do and Resources Available

    • Visit  www.Know2Protect.gov to access free resources to understand the threats of online CSEA and learn preventative strategies to stop future victimization.
    • Request an educational presentation tailored for school children and trusted adults:
    • Visit SchoolSafety.gov for resources to help educators, school leaders, parents, and school personnel identify, prevent, and respond to child exploitation.
    • Learn more from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.Visit https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign for resources about how to prevent, identify and report human trafficking.  
    • How to report suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States:
    • Contact your local, state, campus, or tribal law enforcement officials directly. Call 911 in an emergency.
    • If you suspect a child has been abducted or faces imminent danger, contact your local police and the NCMEC tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
    • If you suspect a child might be a victim of online child sexual exploitation, call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a psychopath wouldn’t hesitate to cause another global financial crisis – if there was something in it for them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Clive Roland Boddy, Deputy Head, School of Management, Anglia Ruskin University

    Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    Would you want a psychopath looking after your pension? Or what about your shares? In a recent talk at the Cambridge Festival of Science, I spoke about the latest research relating to a psychopath’s love of money, greed for power, and willingness to harm other people financially for personal gain.

    Since I began researching corporate psychopaths and the global financial crisis, the idea of the financial psychopath, an employee in the financial sector acting ruthlessly, recklessly, greedily and selfishly with other people’s money, has gained traction.

    The theory won support because psychopaths are more commonly found in financial services than in other sectors. It has even been argued that up to 10% of employees in financial services could be psychopathic. That is to say they have no empathy, care for other people, conscience or regrets for any damage they do.

    These traits make them ruthless in pursuit of their own agendas and entirely focused on self-promotion and self-advancement.

    But my ongoing research goes even further. It has found that psychopaths are willing to knowingly cause financial harm to the entire global community, in order to receive a financial bonus for themselves. Personal greed outweighs the immense social and community costs of implementing that greed.

    This aligns with earlier perceptions of some captains of finance or leading politicians as psychopaths. Previous research found they are freed by their selfish philosophy of life and their trivialising of other people from the restraints of being evenhanded, truthful or generous.

    This new research also shows that a majority of psychopaths would even be willing to cause a global financial crisis – if they personally would profit from, for example, falling stock prices. This willingness holds true even when they could be personally identified as being the source of the crisis. Only a tiny minority of non-psychopaths would be willing to do this.

    Race to the top

    Financial insiders appear to agree with the assumption that psychopaths have always been prevalent in the sector. Many psychologists and other management commentators have come to the same conclusion.

    Researchers have also found that interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits – such as deceitfulness, superficial charm and a lack of remorse – were associated with success in the finance sector.

    Employees at financial institutions in New York scored significantly higher on these traits than people in the wider community. They also had significantly lower levels of emotional intelligence (as would be expected of psychopaths).

    Employees at financial institutions in New York were found to score higher for psychopathic traits than the general population.
    IM_photo/Shutterstock

    What’s more, having psychopathic traits has also been linked to higher annual incomes – as well as a higher rank within the corporation.

    In other words, it looks like the more psychopathic an employee is, the further up the corporate finance ladder they will go. This corresponds with findings that show there are more psychopaths at the top of organisations than at the bottom.

    Creating destruction

    This is not to say that personal success in climbing the corporate ladder equates to professional success when someone reaches the top job. Quite the opposite. In fact, my research has shown that psychopathic leadership is associated with organisational destruction.

    This includes a greater propensity to take risks with other people’s money, a greater willingness to gamble with someone else’s money and lower returns for shareholders.

    In one study over a ten-year period, psychopathic fund managers were found to generate annual returns that were 30% lower than their less psychopathic peers.

    The research team concluded that among elite financial investors, psychopathy and its appearance of personal dominance and competence, may enable people to rise to the top of their profession. But this does not translate into improved financial performance at the organisational level, where the presence of the psychopathic is actually counterproductive.

    Fraud has always been associated with the psychopathic – so much so that in one study 69% of auditors believed they had encountered corporate psychopaths in relation to their investigations.

    Years ago, one bank reportedly used a psychopathy measure to recruit staff. But I would advise against hiring people who score very highly, because they are totally concerned with personal success. They are not bothered about long-term organisational growth or sustainability. As such, decisions will be made to suit the psychopathic worker, and not the organisation.

    For example, new hires would be likely to be people who can help the psychopath achieve their personal aims and objectives rather than aid the company. Anyone astute enough to potentially be a challenge to the psychopathic employee would not be hired by them in the first place.

    Without exception, psychopathic people love money and they are more motivated by it than other people are.

    Unlike the rest of the population, psychopaths are uninterested in higher values such as close emotional connections with family and friends, and much more focused on money and materialism. Seen through this lens, the appeal of the corporate banking sector – and the salaries and bonuses it offers – to people with these traits soon becomes clear.

    Clive Roland Boddy has received funding from the University of Tasmania and Nottingham Business School. Clive has also secured funding for the British Chamber of Commerce in South Korea and the Australian British Chamber of Commerce in Western Australia. .

    – ref. Why a psychopath wouldn’t hesitate to cause another global financial crisis – if there was something in it for them – https://theconversation.com/why-a-psychopath-wouldnt-hesitate-to-cause-another-global-financial-crisis-if-there-was-something-in-it-for-them-252788

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Empowering student growth in downtown Edmonton

    [. Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is investing $4 million in the planning and design of the new Career Skills Centre at NorQuest College. When finished, this centre will help NorQuest College accommodate the significant growth in their student enrolment.

    NorQuest College envisions a 35,000 square metre facility designed to accommodate up to 4,000 additional full-time learners. When completed, the new building will expand space for NorQuest College’s four core faculties – Faculty of Skills and Foundational Learning; Faculty of Health Studies; Faculty of Business, Environment and Technology; and Faculty of Arts and Science – and would include research hubs, community spaces and enhanced student amenities. Construction is anticipated to begin as early as 2027 and be completed as early as 2029.

    “Alberta’s government is committed to supporting projects like this that expand enrolment capacity and help create modern learning environments for students. We applaud NorQuest College’s vision for the Career Skills Centre and look forward to seeing its continued development. This investment will help ensure that Alberta is meeting the labour market needs of today and into the future.”

    Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

    The Career Skills Centre would also serve as the new home of the Indigenous House of Learning and Indigenous Career Centre, which helps Indigenous job seekers gain access to meaningful employment training, supports and mutually beneficial employer partnerships across sectors. 

    “The Career Skills Centre will be a beacon of opportunity, empowering and connecting Indigenous job seekers with skills and support to thrive in today’s workforce. The Indigenous House of Learning and the Indigenous Career Centre will help position Indigenous talent into meaningful employment across a number of Alberta’s core industries, transforming lives and fostering a brighter, more inclusive future for all.”

    Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations

    Additionally, the new Career Skills Centre will act as a modern research hub to help students develop responsive solutions to the most pressing problems facing Alberta’s industries and communities.

    “In recent years, NorQuest has more than doubled the number of learners our campus was designed to serve. The Government of Alberta’s $4-million investment will help ensure the college continues to meet the growing demand for workforce-ready skills through the development of the new Career Skills Centre in the heart of Edmonton’s Education District.”

    Carolyn Campbell, president and CEO, NorQuest College

    “NorQuest College plays a foundational role in the continued revitalization of Edmonton’s downtown. The college attracts thousands of staff and students to our downtown while ensuring local employers have access to workforce-ready graduates. The Downtown Revitalization Coalition is delighted to see the Government of Alberta’s commitment to the vibrancy and success of Edmonton’s downtown by investing in NorQuest’s Career Skills Centre.”

    Cheryll Watson, chair, Downtown Recovery Coalition, and president & CEO, Junior Achievement Northern Alberta. 

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick Facts

    • NorQuest’s enrolment has tripled since 2010, with the equivalent of more than 10,000 full-time learners on a campus built for 5,000.
    • Projections suggest that by 2030, enrolment will exceed 15,000 full-time learners.
    • The total project cost is between $240 to $250 million.

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Exams coming up? Use the science of memory to improve how you revise

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andy M Morley, Subject Lead: Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Central Lancashire

    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    “I did revise… it just didn’t go in!” Sound familiar?

    What about “I turned over the exam paper and my mind just went blank…”

    It’s worrying to feel like everything you’re doing to prepare for an exam somehow isn’t working. But you can harness the science behind how memory works to make your revision more effective.

    Engage and rephrase

    Going through a page of notes with a few different coloured pens, highlighting everything you think could be important, might seem an obvious way to revise a topic. But this is what’s known as passive learning. There’s little requirement for you to process the information and you don’t have to think too much. You might well step away from your desk with no memory of anything you’ve highlighted.

    You don’t have to discard the highlighters entirely, though. There’s a better way to do this. Limit yourself to three or four highlights a page. Read the whole page first, then go back and highlight the three points you think are the most important. Now you’re comparing pieces of information – and actually thinking about what you’re reading.

    As this requires a greater depth of thought you are more likely to be able to remember this information that simply reading it alone. Avoid passive learning, be more active in your approach and you will remember more.

    When you have identified the core points, the next step is to then write these down in your own words. The process of rephrasing what you’ve read increases the depth of processing and increases your likelihood of recalling it.

    Make it interesting

    Hopefully the information that you need to remember is interesting to you. This is good – interest leads to motivation and motivation leads to better understanding, which leads to better memory. Foster your curiosity: this will enable you to engage with the material, and motivate you to succeed.

    But revising can be a drag, and you may well be trying to commit things to memory that you aren’t that engaged with. If this is the case, you can add interest yourself – such as by using stories, rhymes and acronyms that catch your imagination.

    For instance, you might struggle to fix the order of the planets in the solar system in your brain. Is Uranus closer to the Sun than Neptune, or the other way around? But it could be easier to remember that “my very energetic monkey just served us noodles” – the first letter of each word being the same as a planet, and showing the order.

    Embellish the information

    Don’t just read or make notes on the things you need to learn. It’s worth taking the time to do more – it’ll help fix the information in your brain.

    A research study found that people remembered nearly a third more information when they doodled while listening than if they just listened. So if you’re listening to a revision audiobook or watching an online lecture, doodle while you do it. Doodles that relate to the content will improve your recall.

    If you’re musical, turn your revision notes into a song. Melodies provide structure, which helps chunk information into meaningful units.

    Turn your revision into a game.
    BearFotos/Shutterstock

    Another great option is to gamify your revision. An old board game with question cards from a charity shop – maybe Trivial Pursuit – can be repurposed to your revision needs. Setting questions will help you process the information, and playing the game with friends studying the same subject consolidates this learning. You might even have fun (and that enjoyment will help your memory, too).

    Keep it manageable

    Long, constant revision using the same approach to the same material is unlikely to be successful. Divide your time across the day and plan different activities and approaches to revision.

    We’re more likely to remember the first pieces of information and the last pieces of information that we read or learn in a study session. Use this to your advantage – have lots of breaks, so you have lots of starts and lots of endings. Start each revision session with something really important, and end with a summary. Then the important parts and the summaries will be the elements that you are most likely to remember.

    You can do it!

    You’ll no doubt have heard about the power of mental rehearsal and the strength of visualisation for success. But this doesn’t mean just daydreaming about getting top marks. What does help is thinking about the processes that you need to engage in to achieve success.

    Think about the good things you will experience when you achieve your goal, how you are going to achieve this and record your progress towards it. Creating a plan, telling people about your goals, and rewarding yourself for each goal achieved have all been shown to foster success.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Exams coming up? Use the science of memory to improve how you revise – https://theconversation.com/exams-coming-up-use-the-science-of-memory-to-improve-how-you-revise-254237

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health? Here’s what the current evidence says

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Havovi Chichger, Professor, Biomedical Science, Anglia Ruskin University

    Artificial sweeteners stimulate the same sweet-taste sensors as sugar. Alina Hedz/ Shutterstock

    Artificial sweeteners are being added to a growing number of foods to reduce their sugar content while maintaining their appealing taste. But a growing body of research suggests these non-nutritive sweeteners may not always be a healthier and safer option. So what is our best option if we want to enjoy sweet-tasting foods without the harms of eating sugar?

    Artificial sweeteners were originally developed as chemicals to stimulate our sweet-taste sensing pathway. Like sugar molecules, these sweeteners act directly on our taste sensors in the mouth. They do this by sending a nerve signal to the body that a high-carbohydrate food source has been consumed – telling the body to break it down to use for energy.

    In the case of sugar consumption, this also stimulates our dopaminergic system. This is the part of the brain responsible for motivation and reward, linked to sugar cravings. From an evolutionary perspective, this means we’re hardwired to seek out high-sugar food for a source of energy and to ensure our survival. However, excessive consumption of sugar is well known to lead to health problems, such as metabolic disruption which can cause obesity and diabetes.

    Similarly, when artificial sweeteners, rather than sugar, cause this stimulation, there’s increasing evidence of similar metabolic imbalances. This happens despite the fact that artificial sweeteners do not seem to stimulate the dopamine system.

    Indeed, a study published earlier this year showed that within two hours of consuming sucralose (an amount equivalent to the sugar in two cans of soft drink), participants exhibited increased physiological hunger responses. The research measured blood flow to the hypothalamus, the region of our brain responsible for appetite control. They found that sucralose increased blood flow to this area of the brain.

    Studies have also shown that sweeteners can stimulate the same neurons as the appetite hormone, leptin. Over time, this could cause our hunger threshold to increase – meaning we need to eat more food to feel full. This suggests that consuming artificial sweeteners makes us more hungry, which could ultimately make us consume more calories.

    And it doesn’t stop with feeling hungrier. A large study, which was conducted over 20 years, found a link between sweetener consumption and greater accumulation of body fat. Interestingly, the study found that people who regularly consumed large amounts of sweeteners (equivalent to three or four cans of diet soda per day) had a nearly 70% greater incidence of obesity compared to those who consumed minimal amounts of artificial sweeteners (equivalent to half a can of diet soda per day).

    The study also considered this response to be independent of the amount of calories the participants consumed each day. To verify this, they reviewed food questionnaires to assess self-reported dietary intake. While self-reported consumption can have discrepancies, the study also used a coding nutrition data system to verify dietary intake. The results indicate that artificial sweeteners may be making us more likely to form fat in our body – regardless of what we’re consuming alongside the artificial sweeteners.

    Artificial sweetener consumption is linked with obesity.
    Bauwimauwi/ Shutterstock

    A study published earlier this month also found that daily consumption of artificially sweetened drinks positively correlated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes. But given these drinks contain a range of additives – including acidifiers, dyes, emulsifiers and sweeteners – it’s uncertain if this link can be entirely attributed to artificial sweeteners.

    What you need to know

    So is it time to give up sweeteners completely? Maybe not. There are many studies which add to the controversy by showing that short-term substitution of sugar with artificial sweeteners reduces body weight and body fat.

    Numerous studies have also shown that artificial sweetener consumption has no association with the development of diabetes or even with indicators of diabetes, such as fasting glucose or insulin levels. However, many of these studies were performed over relatively short time periods (up to 12 months) and only compared people consuming artificial sweeteners versus sugar. This makes it hugely confusing for all of us to know what we should do.

    To address this, earlier this month, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which advises the UK government on nutrition, released a position statement on the use of non-sugar sweeteners. This was in response to the World Health Organization, which suggested that sweeteners shouldn’t be used as a means of weight control due to their low-level association with risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

    The SACN similarly concluded that non-sugar sweetener intake be minimised, especially for children. But they also stated that intake of sugars in general needs to be reduced. This is really at the heart of the issue. Artificial sweeteners may have significant negative health impacts, but are they as bad for us as sugar? The overwhelming literature on the negatives of excess sugar consumption currently suggests no – but our understanding of artificial sweeteners is still not as extensive as that for sugar.

    We need more research on artificial sweeteners to better understand their effects. Work is currently ongoing to collate a database of all clinical trials investigating sweetener use. This will allow us to better understand the sweetener research landscape and highlight areas where more work is needed.

    Until then, what should we do if we have a sweet-tooth? Unfortunately, like everything with nutrition, it’s best to only consume artificial sweeteners in moderation.

    There are no clear guidelines on the amounts of sweeteners we should or shouldn’t be consuming yet. But one of the guidelines from the recent SACN review is that the industry clearly label the amount of artificial sweeteners in food and drink. So hopefully it will be easier for us to make these choices in the future.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health? Here’s what the current evidence says – https://theconversation.com/are-artificial-sweeteners-okay-for-our-health-heres-what-the-current-evidence-says-254238

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is backing independence the same as being a nationalist? Not necessarily

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robin Mann, Reader in Sociology, Bangor University

    Over the past few years, support for Welsh independence has grown in ways not seen before. A recent poll commissioned by YesCymru, a pro-independence campaign group, found that 41% of people who’ve made up their minds on the issue would now vote in favour of independence.

    The striking finding is that the number jumps to 72% among 25-to-34 year olds. Meanwhile older generations, particularly those aged 65 and up, remain firmly in the “no” camp, with 80% opposed.

    This does seem a big shift in public mood. But does it mean Wales is becoming more nationalist? Not exactly.

    The relationship between constitutional attitudes and nationalism is complicated, as research by myself and colleagues shows. Many people back independence for reasons that have less to do with feeling strongly Welsh or waving flags, and more to do with wanting better decision-making closer to home.

    During 2021, as part of a broader research project on Welsh people’s views on the COVID pandemic and vaccination, we spoke to people from different ages, backgrounds and locations. Some were vaccinated, others weren’t. Some had voted in elections while others hadn’t voted in years, if ever.

    Many people we talked to felt the Welsh government had done a better job than Westminster at handling the pandemic. They saw the decisions made in Wales – like keeping stricter rules in place when England relaxed theirs – as more sensible, more caring, and more in line with what they personally wanted from a government. And with that came a confidence that Wales could handle even more control over its own affairs.

    Historically, Welsh nationalism was tightly linked to the Welsh language and culture. Self-government was always a part of the conversation, but not necessarily the main driver. That started changing in the late 20th century.

    In 1979, Wales voted against devolution. In 1997, it narrowly vote in favour. Thereafter, things slowly began to shift – and now, more than 25 years into devolution, support for self-government is the mainstream view. Independence is no longer such a fringe idea.

    Interestingly, younger generations are far more open to it – and many of them aren’t what you’d typically think of as nationalists. They may not speak Welsh or see themselves as “political” in the traditional sense. Their support often comes from practical concerns about the economy, democracy and how decisions are made.

    External events like Brexit have clearly played a role. In fact, the YesCymru campaign was formed just before the EU referendum in 2016. Independence support surged afterwards, especially among Remain voters.

    Many saw the Brexit fallout, as well as austerity, as proof that Westminster didn’t reflect their values or priorities. This showed how disruptive events can reshape the way people see their place within the UK.

    Independence without nationalism?

    One of the more surprising findings in our research – echoed in the 2025 polling – is that support for independence doesn’t always come from people who are politically engaged or pro-devolution. In fact, some support came from people who hadn’t voted in years, or felt completely disillusioned with the political system.

    They expressed their support for independence through statements like: “They all need to go [meaning the Welsh government], but if I pay tax in Wales I want it to stay in Wales and be spent here.”

    We also found a lot of people sitting on the fence. They weren’t against independence, but they had big questions about it. Would it mean isolation? Would it lead to more division?

    One person told us: “I’m a little bit nationalistic, but I didn’t want the UK to leave the EU. So why would I want Wales to leave the UK?” Another said: “I don’t believe in borders, but I do think the Welsh government should run things.”

    These aren’t black-and-white views. People’s feelings about independence – and nationalism – are often full of contradictions. And this reflects the wider truth that ordinary political views are often messy. Most of us don’t live in the extremes, and this is a good thing.

    What’s also worth noting is that nationalism takes many forms. Some people who strongly oppose Welsh independence do so from a very rightwing populist-nationalist perspective, where calls to abolish the Senedd (Welsh parliament) sit alongside demands for hard borders and less immigration. So, the assumption that “independence equals nationalism” isn’t always true – and nor is the reverse.

    Could independence really happen?

    Wales isn’t alone in debating big questions about its future. In places such as Scotland, Catalonia and Flanders, political and economic crises can fuel movements for independence. In all these cases, trust in central government and a desire for more local fiscal control have played a major role.

    For Wales, the question often comes back to the economy. While faith in Wales’s ability to govern is growing, many still worry whether an independent Wales could stand on its own financially. And for a lot of undecided voters, that remains the sticking point. For this reason, granting Wales more powers through devolution might do more to stave off demands for independence than anything else.



    Read more:
    Devolving justice and policing to Wales would put it on par with Scotland and Northern Ireland – so what’s holding it back?

    But the conversation is shifting. Support for independence is no longer just about nationalist grievances. It’s about how people want to be governed, and about trust and responsiveness.

    So, does supporting Welsh independence make you a nationalist? Not necessarily. For many, it’s not about nationalism at all.

    Robin Mann receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. He is a Reader in Sociology at Bangor University and also Co-director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD).

    – ref. Is backing independence the same as being a nationalist? Not necessarily – https://theconversation.com/is-backing-independence-the-same-as-being-a-nationalist-not-necessarily-254354

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Katy Perry’s celebrity spaceflight blazed a trail for climate breakdown

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Westlake, Lecturer, Environmental Psychology, University of Bath

    What’s not to like about an all-female celebrity crew riding a rocket into space? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

    Katy Perry and her companions were initially portrayed in the media as breaking down gender barriers. On their return to Earth, the team enthused about protecting the planet and blazing a trail for others. Perry even sang What a Wonderful World during the flight, and kissed the ground on exiting the spacecraft.

    But the backlash was swift. Fellow celebrities piled in to highlight the “hypocrisy” of such an energy-intensive endeavour from a former Unicef climate champion. Evidence was quickly presented to dispute the pollution-free claims of the Blue Origin rocket, which is fuelled by oxygen and hydrogen. (In fact, the water vapour and nitrogen oxide emissions it creates add to global heating, on top of the emissions from the programme as a whole.)

    But it’s the negative social effects of this kind of display from celebrities (of any gender) that our research sheds light on. I’m part of a team of social scientists researching the powerful effects of politicians, business leaders and celebrities who lead by example on climate change – or don’t.

    Social kickback

    Space tourism, and other energy-intensive activities by people in the public eye, such as using helicopters and private jets, have a much wider knock-on effect than the direct damage to the climate caused by the activity itself.

    We carried out focus groups with members of the public to understand their reactions to the high-carbon behaviour of leaders in politics, culture and business. We also conducted experiments and surveys to test the effects of leaders “walking the talk” on climate change. We found that observing unnecessary high-carbon behaviour demotivates people and reduces the sense of collective effort that is essential for a successful societal response to climate change.

    Solving climate change and other environmental crises requires fundamental changes to economies, societies and lifestyles according to climate science. Using much less energy, not just different kinds of energy, can play a big part in halting the damage. And it is the wealthiest people in the richest countries who use the most energy and set the standards and aspirations for the rest of society. That’s why the Blue Origin dream (of space exploration for the unfathomably wealthy) is a nightmare for the climate because it perpetuates an unsustainable culture.

    Our findings reveal that when people see public figures behaving like this, they are less willing to make changes to their own lives. “Why should I do my bit for the climate when these celebrities are doing the opposite?” is the question people repeatedly asked in our research.

    Many of the changes to behaviour necessary to tackle climate change will require people to accept trade-offs and embrace alternative ways of living. This includes using heat pumps instead of gas boilers, trading in large, fossil-fuelled vehicles (or even avoiding cars altogether) and forgoing flights – because there is no way to decarbonise long-distance flights in time.

    When celebrities (or politicians and business leaders, for that matter) ignore the environmental damage of their choices, it sends a powerful signal that they are not really serious about addressing climate change.

    Not only does this undermine people’s motivation to make changes, it reduces the credibility of leaders. That in turn makes coordinated climate action less likely, because shifting to a low-carbon society will require public trust in leadership and a sense of collective effort.

    Individual choices matter

    The widespread aversion to Perry’s space flight contradicts the popular argument that tackling the climate crisis “is not about individual behaviour”.

    On the contrary, the response shows that these actions from celebrities and other leaders have much greater symbolic meaning than is captured by the idea of an “individual choice”. People are highly attuned to the behaviour of others because it signals and reinforces the values, morals and norms of our society. As such, few if any choices are truly “individual”.



    Read more:
    Think your efforts to help the climate don’t matter? African philosophers disagree

    This message of collective responsibility is one our current economic and political system works hard to suppress by championing unlimited freedom to consume, while ignoring the loss of freedom that such behaviour causes: freedom to live in a stable climate, freedom from pollution, freedom from extreme weather, freedom for future generations.

    In fact, research reveals that most people understand the interconnectedness of society and the need for a coordinated response to the climate crisis. Climate assemblies, which convene ordinary citizens to discuss and deliberate a course of climate action, have revealed a willingness to curtail some activities in a fair way.

    When it comes to preserving a liveable planet and a stable climate, most people know that space tourism and ultra-high-carbon living are off the agenda. Celebrities have a positive role to play in leading by example. It’s not rocket science.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Steve Westlake has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

    – ref. Why Katy Perry’s celebrity spaceflight blazed a trail for climate breakdown – https://theconversation.com/why-katy-perrys-celebrity-spaceflight-blazed-a-trail-for-climate-breakdown-254824

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Nine Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions

    Source: US State of Missouri

    APRIL 17, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced nine appointments to various boards and commissions.

    Scott Boswell Sr., of Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

    Dr. Boswell is a recently retired chairman of Commerce Trust and currently serves as a professor for the Executive Master of Business Administration program at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC). In addition to his professional career, he is an active member of several boards and organizations including the Heart of America Council for the Boy Scouts of America, the UMKC Board of Trustees, the Kansas City Symphony Board, and more. Dr. Boswell earned his Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, and Bachelor of Arts from Westminster College.

    Alphonso Hogan II, of St. Louis, was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.

    Mr. Hogan has served as a police officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department since 2015. Prior to entering into law enforcement, he served in the United States Air Force, earning a rank of E-3 Airman 1st Class before his honorable discharge. Hogan is a legal board member and representative of the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He earned his Missouri Peace Officer license in 2008.

    Thomas Leasor, of Wentzville, was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.

    Dr. Leasor is the executive director of the Eastern Missouri Police Academy, overseeing the training of police officer recruits and continued education courses for current police officers as well. He is also a Subject Matter Expert for the Missouri Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. Dr. Leasor worked in law enforcement before 25 years before retiring and later assuming his current role. He currently sits on the Eastern Missouri Peer Support Council and Lindenwood University Criminal Justice Advisory Board. Dr. Leasor holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Maryville University, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Lindenwood University.

    Tracey Lewis, of Kansas City, was reappointed to the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

    Mr. Lewis is the president and chief executive officer of Economic Development Corporation. Previously, he served as the senior vice president at the Commerce Trust Company. Lewis was previously appointed to the Missouri Housing Development Commission in 2019. Lewis also sits on the boards of the Truman Medical Center and SchoolSmartKC. Mr. Lewis earned a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications from Boston College.

    Pat McCuthen, of Jefferson City, was appointed to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission.

    Mr. McCuthen is a captain at the Jefferson City Police Department with over 20 years of experience in police instruction, leadership, and operational management. He is highly active in his community, serving on the Council for Drug-Free Youth, Community Resource Counseling Committee, Jefferson City Day Care Center board, Disproportionate Minority Committee, and the Jefferson City Youth Hockey Club board. Mr. McCuthen holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia College and a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia School of Public Safety. He also earned his Missouri Peace Officer license in 1998.

    Paul Ogier, of St. Louis, was appointed to the Health and Educational Facilities Authority of the State of Missouri.

    Mr. Ogier currently serves as a board member of LeadingAge Missouri and as treasurer of Nursing Facility Agency Corporation (NFAC). Prior to retirement, Mr. Ogier spent over 40 years in the finance industry. He previously served as chief financial officer for Lutheran Senior Services in Brentwood. Mr. Ogier holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Missouri State University.

    Bryan Strider, of Richmond, was appointed to the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.

    Mr. Strider is a fifth-generation farmer and business development manager for Holganix. With deep roots in the farming community and a career built on  hands-on experience, Strider’s focuses on advancing sustainable farming practices and helping make farmers for profitable and resilient. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Northwest Missouri State University.

    William “Billy” Thiel, of Richmond, was appointed to the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.

    Mr. Thiel is a partner of more than 40 years in a family farm that produces corn and soybeans. Thiel was appointed to the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority in 2016. He is a past president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association and has been active in the National Corn Growers Association. Thiel also served as chairman of the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, is a director on the Board of the Rural Electric Association, and a member of the Mid-Missouri Energy Board.

    Tom Werdenhause, of Jefferson City, was appointed to the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.

    Mr. Werdenhause previously served as the general manager and chief executive officer for Three Rivers Electric Cooperative prior to his retirement in 2019. He is the current president of the State Technical College of Missouri Foundation, and past president of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Central Electric Power Cooperative, and Missouri Institute of Cooperatives. Mr. Werdenhause earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Central Missouri State University. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The hidden health risks of lip fillers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jim Frame, Professor of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Anglia Ruskin University

    wedmoments.stock/Shutterstock

    Plump, pouty lips are everywhere – from social media filters to celebrity red carpets. But behind the glossy aesthetic of lip fillers lies a growing concern among medical professionals.

    While increasing numbers of people in the UK – often young women – are opting for dermal fillers to achieve a fuller look without surgery, the rise of overfilled “trout pouts” and stiff “duck lips” has sparked a wave of alarm, even among those who might typically support cosmetic treatments.

    Lip fillers are far from risk-free – and in some cases, the health consequences are permanent.

    Unlike surgical procedures, lip fillers are not legally considered medical treatments. That means they are largely unregulated, and in many cases, are being injected by people with little or no medical training.

    This is a problem, because lips are delicate and highly mobile. They contain very little natural fat and rely on a ring of tiny muscles to express everything from joy to concern. Injecting too much filler, or using the wrong kind, can interfere with these muscles – leaving the lips stiff, unnatural, or even immobile.

    While some patients seek lip fillers for genuine medical reasons, such as facial palsy or disfigurement, these are exceptions. For most, the health risks can outweigh the cosmetic benefits.

    What are fillers made of?

    The substances used in lip fillers have changed over time. Older materials such as liquid silicone were eventually phased out due to serious complications, including scarring and migration of the product to other parts of the body.

    Today, most lip fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA) – a substance that naturally exists in our bodies, particularly in connective tissue. HA attracts water, giving the skin volume and keeping it hydrated. As we age, our natural levels of HA decrease, which is why skin becomes drier and loses firmness.

    The HA used in fillers is either extracted from animal tissue, such as rooster combs, or produced synthetically using bacteria. While this modern version is safer than older fillers, it still carries risks including allergic reactions, reactivation of cold sores (herpes simplex virus), infections and inflammation.

    There have also been rare, but severe, cases of vascular complications such as blindness and tissue death, when fillers accidentally enter blood vessels.

    The risk to kidneys

    Less widely known – but equally concerning – is how repeat filler use may affect internal organs, particularly the kidneys.

    Hyaluronic acid isn’t just a skin plumper – it also plays a role in the immune system. When the body detects inflammation, such as from repeated filler injections, it can respond by producing HA in the kidneys. This triggers a chain reaction: first, the kidneys produce high-molecular weight HA, which increases inflammation. Later, they switch to low-molecular weight HA, which reduces inflammation but causes fibrosis, or scarring of the tissue.

    This double-edged response has been linked to chronic kidney disease and, in severe cases, even renal failure. Researchers are still exploring these links, but the risks become more significant with each repeated injection – especially in people who are genetically or medically vulnerable.

    HA can also contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. These can lead to kidney stones and further tissue damage, potentially causing lifelong complications.

    Who should avoid lip fillers?

    Given these risks, some people should approach fillers with extreme caution – or avoid them entirely. These include people with a history of kidney problems or allergic reactions to filler ingredients, recurrent cold sores, autoimmune conditions (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis), diabetes or blood clotting disorders, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    Despite the risks, lip fillers remain widely accessible and heavily promoted – particularly to young people influenced by social media trends. Many undergo these treatments without fully understanding what they’re putting into their bodies.

    So, what needs to change? First, better regulation. If lip filler injections were treated as medical procedures, stricter controls could help reduce botched treatments and serious complications.

    Second, more education. Patients need to understand that just because something is “non-surgical” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Fillers are still foreign substances being injected into the body. They come with risks – and these risks can increase over time.

    Lip fillers can offer subtle, beautiful enhancements when used sparingly and professionally. But when misused or overused, they can lead to lasting disfigurement, loss of function, and even serious internal health issues like kidney damage.

    Beauty trends should never come at the cost of your health.

    Jim Frame does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The hidden health risks of lip fillers – https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-health-risks-of-lip-fillers-254433

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why it’s not safe for dogs to drink from communal water bowls

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

    Dolores M. Harvey/Shutterstock

    On a bright, sunny day, after a nice walk with your dog, you stop at a local cafe to grab a drink. At the counter, you spot a water bowl for your dog. But before letting your dog take a sip, consider this: shared water bowls can be a breeding ground for harmful bugs that could make your dog sick.

    Water is essential for dogs’ health, supporting normal body functions and regulating temperature. During warmer weather or after exercise, it’s especially important to ensure your dog stays hydrated.

    This is because dogs are limited in their ability to cool down by sweating in the same way as we can. Instead, they rely on panting to regulate their body temperature, and water is essential to support this.

    Water is usually offered to dogs in bowls, although dogs eating high-moisture food such as raw meat or tinned food will drink less than dogs eating dry dog food. Keeping food and water bowls clean is essential, and they should be regularly washed (at least daily) using hot water or in a dishwasher. This is important to protect dog and human health as antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli has been found in dog feeding bowls, suggesting a potential route of transmission.

    Where dogs might share bowls for food or water, there is also the risk of dangerous bacteria such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus spreading between dogs and their owners. This bug is responsible for skin and soft-tissue infections and can be difficult to control with standard antibiotics.

    Dogs might also accidentally share other infections via water bowls. Respiratory infections with a bacterial or viral origin can easily be shared when water or bowls become contaminated with saliva or nasal secretions. The dreaded kennel cough – characterised by a distressing, dry, hacking cough – spreads quickly when dogs are in close contact. Contaminated objects, including toys, bedding and water bowls, are likely to be heavily involved in its transmission.

    All sorts of bugs could be lurking in there.
    Akkalak Aiempradit/Shutterstock

    One difficultly is that several different bugs can be responsible for kennel cough, such as Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine influenza virus. The range of possible causative agents makes control, diagnosis and treatment of kennel cough tricky.

    Water bowls can also be a source of disease-causing adenoviruses that originate from faecal contamination of surfaces and objects. These viruses can be responsible for hepatitis and respiratory infections, making them a real threat to your dog’s health.

    Protect the vulnerable

    Preventing your dog having access to shared water bowls is a good idea, especially if they are at higher risk of infection – young puppies, unvaccinated adults, or older dogs, for example. Equally, if you or anyone in your household has a weak immune system, infection spread from pets is a real risk, too.

    As any dog owner knows, getting them to make healthy choices can be a battle. My dogs, despite my best efforts, still indulge in muddy puddles and the occasional snack of less-than-appealing things — all potential infection risks.

    To protect your dog from infections, bring your own water and bowl when out and about. If using a communal bowl, make sure it’s been freshly cleaned and refilled. A small effort can make a big difference in your dog’s health.

    Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership and as advisor to the Health Advisory Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.

    – ref. Why it’s not safe for dogs to drink from communal water bowls – https://theconversation.com/why-its-not-safe-for-dogs-to-drink-from-communal-water-bowls-253550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Indicators of alien life may have been found – astrophysicist explains what the new research means

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University

    Darryl Fonseka/Shutterstocl

    What do you think of when it comes to extra terrestrial life? Most popular sci-fi books and TV shows suggest humanoid beings could live on other planets. But when astronomers are searching for extra-terrestrial life, it is usually in the form of emissions from bacteria or other tiny organisms.

    A new research paper in the Astrophysical Journal suggests that Cambridge scientists have managed to find this type of emission with a certainty of 99.7% from a planet called K2-18b, 124 light years away. They used Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope for to analyse the chemical composition of the planet’s atmosphere and say they found promising evidence K2-18b could host life.

    It’s an exciting breakthrough but it doesn’t confirm alien life.

    Let’s look at why scientists largely do not accept the paper as proof of alien life.

    Why it’s so hard to detect to alien life

    Exoplanet hunting fell out of public interest quickly due to the staggering number of planets scientists are discovering. The first convincing exoplanet around a sun-like star was discovered in 1995 via radial velocity, where you don’t look at the planet but instead observe its effect on its nearest star. As the star wobbles back and forth it causes a tiny shift in the wavelength of the light it emits, which we can measure. We already know of roughly 7,500 planets.

    Only 43 (to date) have been observed directly (about 0.5% of them). Most are discovered through indirect means, such as radial velocity or the transit method. The transit method is where you look at how the brightness of the star decreases as the planet passes in front of it. It will block a tiny amount of the light.

    An exoplanet atmosphere

    Looking at the atmosphere of an exoplanet is even more difficult. Scientists use spectroscopy to do this. The light coming out of the star can be observed directly and a small amount of it will also pass through the atmosphere of the planet. Researchers can estimate what an exoplanet’s atmosphere is made of by studying which light from the star is emitted or absorbed in the atmosphere.

    Let’s try an analogy. You have a desk lamp at one end of a long table and you are standing at the other end, looking at the lamp. There is a glass of liquid in between you and the lamp. In very simple terms, the glass of liquid acting as the exoplanet and atmosphere, looks slightly blue, which allows you to identify it as water. In reality for scientists though, it’s more like the glass of water is a tiny glass bead which is rolling around while someone is messing around with a dimmer switch on the lamp. Then, freak weather results in a gentle mist forming on the table. The liquid is 99% pure water and 1% mineral water and the scientist is trying to see what minerals are in the water.

    You can see that the expertise required to be perform this work is incredible. They observed molecules with a 99.7% confidence rate, which is a remarkable achievement.

    The data from JWST and K2-18b

    The key data in this study is in a graph fitting light absorption rates to which kind of molecules could be there and working out how abundant they are. It features in this short film about the discovery.

    The graph produced by the study’s authors shows evidence for dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide (DMS).

    Some scientists think of DMS as a biomarker – a molecular indicator of life on Earth. However DMS is not only produced by bacteria, but has also been found on comet 67P and in the gas and dust of the interstellar medium, the space between stars. It can even be generated by shining UV light onto a simulated atmosphere. The authors acknowledge this and claim the amount they determined was present cannot be produced by any of these conditions.

    Similar to other claims of life?

    Multiple studies have shown indicators for DMS and life in general on K2-18b and there are many other claims for other exoplanets.

    The most recent is the idea that phosphine (another biomarker) was discovered in the Venusian atmosphere, so there must be bacteria in the clouds. This claim was quickly refuted by other researchers. Scientists pointed that a tiny error in the matching of data created results that showed a larger abundance of phosphine than was accurate. The Cambridge study is more rigorous and has more certainty in the result. But it is still not strong enough to convince the academic community, which needs 99.999% certainty.

    The study authors suggest their findings indicate liquid oceans and a hydrogen atmosphere but others have countered it could be a gas giant, or a volcanic planet full of magma.

    The Cambridge study is not proof of life, but it is an important step forward to characterising what other planets might be like and determining if we are alone or not. The study presented the best result yet and should inspire other scientists to take up the challenge.

    Ian Whittaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Indicators of alien life may have been found – astrophysicist explains what the new research means – https://theconversation.com/indicators-of-alien-life-may-have-been-found-astrophysicist-explains-what-the-new-research-means-254843

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Attends Event in Sherbrooke Celebrating Cooperation Between U.S. and Canada on Semiconductor Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    SHERBROOKE, QC – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) traveled to Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada this week for an event celebrating semiconductor innovation and collaboration between Quebec and the Northeastern United States. Senator Welch joined the ribbon cutting for an expansion of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) at the University of Sherbrooke.  
    “It is inspiring to see a strong commitment to innovation, collaboration, and cooperation,” said Senator Welch. “I’m committed, as a Vermonter and as a United States Senator, to sustaining what so many before us have built—a level of trust that is essential to creating a future that includes good jobs and advances in science—in Vermont and in Canada.” 
    Senator Welch joined students, staff, and leadership of the University of Sherbrooke, Members of the Quebec National Assembly, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and representatives from the University of Vermont. 
    “The Université de Sherbrooke generates annual spinoffs of over $1.1 billion for Sherbrooke and the surrounding area, while 3IT plays a first-tier role in the technological development of the region and of Québec and Canada. This Institute is at the core of the digital and quantum Integrated Innovation Chain, which acts as a bridge between fundamental research and commercialization. In addition to contributing to research and training, these new facilities will enhance synergy with the Institut quantique, with the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI) in Bromont, and with companies that work in our two innovation zones (DistriQ and Technum Québec),” said Pierre Cossette, Rector of the Université de Sherbrooke. 
    “This expansion marks an important milestone in 3IT’s development, as it has considerably expanded the Institute’s holdings of advanced micro-nanofabrication equipment to support industrial innovation. With these new facilities, 3IT has bolstered its world-class research activities, which will attract the best talent to develop technological solutions that meet our society’s needs,” said Paul Charette, Director of 3IT. 
    “In these uncertain times, local innovation must be stimulated. We must also diversify and develop new markets. This is why it is essential for us to support our university network and its researchers. They are one of the best tools we have to rise above the rest in these fields. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who worked on this amazing project,” said Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education. 
    “The current geopolitical context impels us to invest in expansions like the one at 3IT to strengthen our capacity for innovation and competitiveness both here and internationally. Here in the Eastern Townships is where the next breakthroughs in quantum science, photonics, and biomedical technologies are coming together,” said Christopher Skeete, Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region. 
    “At 3IT, ideas take shape and create vectors for growth for all of Québec. This expansion will also boost our ability to innovate here in Sherbrooke and turn today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s concrete solutions. Here, we are inventing the technologies that will reshape how we experience, care for, and connect with the world,” said Geneviève Hébert, MNA for Saint-François and Assistant Government Whip. 
    View photos from the event below: 
    In January, Vermont signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with organizations in Vermont and Québec, including the University of Vermont and the University of Sherbrooke, which aims to establish a hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing, called the Northeast Semiconductor Manufacturing Corridor. The MOU is focused on several key areas of understanding, including the shared goals of developing resilient supply chains for uninterrupted access to critical components, and mitigating trade barriers by enacting mutually beneficial policies across the border.  
    Senator Welch has been a longtime supporter of semiconductor and chips innovation. The Senator helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHIPS and Science Act includes landmark investments to support domestic semiconductor and chip manufacturing research and development; bolster the STEM workforce; strengthen our 21st Century security, tech defense, and wireless supply chains; and advance innovation in the advanced manufacturing industry.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [SCIENCE IN SPORT PLC – Opening Disclosure – 16 04 2025] – (CGAML)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 SCIENCE IN SPORT PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 16 APRIL 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 10p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 4,804,589 2.0685    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 4,804,589 2.0685    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    None      

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 17 APRIL 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: More big updates to Foundry today: o3 and o4-mini from OpenAI are both simul-shipping, delivering a leap forward in AI reasoning.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: More big updates to Foundry today: o3 and o4-mini from OpenAI are both simul-shipping, delivering a leap forward in AI reasoning.

    In 1590, Hans Lippershey built the first microscope—suddenly, we could see what had always been there, just beyond perception. Today, we’re releasing two new OpenAI models in Azure AI Foundry that do something similar for reasoning: o3 — Their most advanced model yet, strong in coding, math, science, and visual tasks o4-mini — Smaller, faster, and remarkably capable in technical domains, at lower cost For the first time, these models can independently use all #ChatGPT tools—browsing, #Python, image understanding, and generation—unlocking a new class of autonomous workflows. They don’t just see images—they reason with them. Upload a sketch, diagram, or even a blurry whiteboard, and the model integrates it directly into its problem-solving process. For developers: both models support parallel tool calling, available in the Responses and Chat Completions APIs. It’s a foundation for the next generation of agentic systems.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: RISA Labs Raises $3.5M to Eliminate Treatment Delays with AI-Powered Workflow Automation in Oncology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Palo Alto, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cancer patients don’t just fight the disease – they fight the system. Today, life-saving treatments are routinely delayed by days or even weeks due to manual, error-prone workflows. To solve this, RISA Labs has raised a $3.5M funding round to help healthcare organizations eliminate one of the most persistent barriers to timely cancer care: prior authorization delays. RISA Labs has already proven that faster care is possible by dramatically reducing manual workflows and administrative burden.

    The seed was led by Binny Bansal (Flipkart co-founder) with participation from Oncology Ventures, General Catalyst, z21 Ventures, ODD BIRD VC, and Ashish Gupta. The capital will accelerate deployments in the next 100 cancer centers across the country within the next two years. 

    RISA founders: Kumar Shivang and Kshitij Jaggi.

    “Prior authorizations remain one of the least automated parts of our healthcare system,” said Ben Freeberg, Managing Partner at Oncology Ventures. “In oncology, the stakes are higher. 70% of cancer patients experience delays in care because of prior authorization requirements. In 33% of those cases, the delay is one month—a time window that can increase the risk of death by 13% in certain cancer types. The current system isn’t just inefficient – it’s dangerous.”

    RISA’s platform—Business Operating System as a Service (BOSS) – is not another automation bot or AI assistant. It’s a full-stack orchestration engine built for the vertical complexity of healthcare, Instead of relying on humans to push paperwork or brittle bots that break when systems change, BOSS decomposes complex workflows into micro-tasks, then delegates them to a network of intelligent agents—LLMs, digital twins, and reinforcement learners, extending across an institution’s entire software stack. This allows BOSS to create a parallel digital workforce, operating on behalf of teams and alongside them. A 1,000-person institution can function like a 2,000-person one overnight, with digital agents making up half the workforce.

    “We’ve had Windows, we’ve had Linux, we’ve had Mac, each OS helped humans extract more from machines. But now, we’re drowning in software. There’s too much of it, and a shortage of skilled labor to operate it. Software that was supposed to get work done has become work itself,”  Kshitij Jaggi, co-founder and CEO of RISA Labs adds. “BOSS is an AI OS designed for the post-ChatGPT era : where work is no longer about learning tools, but simply expressing intent.”

    At a leading US cancer center, BOSS reduced prior authorization times from 30 minutes to under five. In just a few months, it processed over $1 million in medications, freed up 80 percent of staff time, and cut administrative costs by 66 percent.

    “Cancer care is time sensitive. Every delay in treatment can affect outcomes. Prior authorizations continue to slow us down. What RISA is building is not just smart technology. It removes barriers so our teams can move faster and stay focused on what matters most: caring for patients,” said Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca, CEO of New York Cancer and Blood Specialists.

    Based in Silicon Valley, RISA is founded by IIT Kanpur alumni and repeat founders, Kshitij Jaggi (CEO) and Kumar Shivang (CTO) who’ve been friends for more than a decade now,  who’ve previously built and scaled Urban Health. Their frustration with fragmented, slow, and error-prone healthcare workflows during that journey inspired the duo to take a systems-first approach, leading them to develop a foundational AI operating system that can simulate, understand, and orchestrate entire institutional workflows from end to end.

    “BOSS is low-entropy system design to bring flow state in system-2 thinking for LLMs; it aims to maximise AI agents’ usefulness for critical problems like oncology operations,” said Kumar Shivang, co-founder & CTO of RISA. “Its orchestration layer then turns that intelligence into precise, real-time execution with integrations with systems of record like Flatiron Health’s EMR.”

    RISA’s founding team first explored these concepts through research, co-authoring ‘Digital Twin Ecosystem in Oncology Clinical Operations’—an early effort to envision smarter, AI-driven cancer care workflows. This foundational work laid the conceptual groundwork that later translated into tangible improvements in real-world oncology operations.

    RISA’s platform signals a broader shift in enterprise AI. “As AI agents unbundle the $4.6 trillion services industry, RISA’s BOSS leads the way—proven in oncology and built to scale,” said Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart and lead investor.”

    Looking ahead, RISA plans to extend across multiple nodes within the oncology ecosystem, positioning itself as the AI transformation partner for both operational and clinical workflows. This includes enabling coordination and intelligence across providers, life sciences organizations, and other stakeholders throughout the journey of a drug – extending the company’s long term vision to building a unified layer for AI-driven orchestration in oncology.

    Ends

    Media images can be found here. 

    About RISA Labs
    RISA Labs is a Palo Alto-based oncology AI company behind BOSS, at the heart of which is the dynamic orchestration engine for mission-critical operations. Founded by Kshitij Jaggi and Kumar Shivang, repeat entrepreneurs and IIT Kanpur alumni, RISA’s platform leverages agentic AI, digital twins, and LLMs to deconstruct complex workflows into micro-tasks and execute them with unprecedented efficiency. Starting with oncology prior authorizations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Appliance efficiency standards save consumers billions, reduce pollution and fight climate change

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David J. Vogel, Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

    Refrigerators were the target of the very first energy efficiency standards for appliances, back in 1974. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump has said he wants to reverse decades of regulations about energy efficiency in American household appliances, claiming doing so will provide Americans with “freedom to choose” products that meet their needs.

    In an April 9, 2025, statement, Trump claimed he could alter government regulations on his own, without the legally required process of public notice and comment.

    But as a scholar of environmental regulations, I know those regulations were created to save energy and lower utility bills for consumers. I also know that many companies and consumers have supported federal regulation to strengthen energy efficiency standards and generally have opposed weakening them.

    The first government-set energy efficiency standards for appliances were issued by California in 1974. They were initially for refrigerators, the household appliance that used the most energy. Subsequently, several other household appliances were added. During the next decade, more states issued standards, as saving energy would help avoid the costs of constructing new power plants.

    The proliferation of state standards led the federal government to prohibit states from issuing appliance efficiency standards once the federal government had done so. The first federal standards, in 1987, applied to 13 household products, including refrigerators.

    Since then, the federal government has created standards for additional products and tightened existing ones. Those changes have progressively made home appliances and business and industrial equipment more efficient, saving consumers billions of dollars, decreasing air pollution from power plants and reducing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change.

    Electric meters like these at a Mississippi apartment complex keep track of how much – or how little – electricity residents use.
    AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

    Broad application

    Federal data indicates that 40% of total U.S. energy consumption – and 28% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions – is attributable to household and industrial appliances, such as heating and cooling systems, refrigerators, lighting and various kinds of equipment, such as computers, printers and electric motors.

    At present, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program covers more than 70 products that the government estimates consume about 90% of energy used in homes, 70% of energy in commercial buildings and 30% of energy used in industry. The government estimates the standards saved American consumers $105 billion just in 2024 – with a typical household saving about $576 over the expenses if there were no efficiency standards.

    Appliance energy efficiency standards now in place are cumulatively expected by the Department of Energy to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2 billion metric tons over 30 years. That’s as much carbon dioxide as 15 million gas-powered cars would emit in that same period.

    Many federal standards, including on light bulbs, electric motors and commercial heating and cooling equipment, have been based on those previously adopted by one or more states. Federal law permits states to issue standards for products that the federal government has not yet regulated: As of 2024, 18 states had set efficiency rules for a total of 22 types of appliances, including computers and televisions.

    Additional benefits

    These appliance standards have reduced American energy use, including electricity. The existing national standards are projected to reduce overall national energy consumption by 10% between 2025 and 2035.

    Those standards also improve public health, because there is less need to build new fossil-fuel power plants or operate existing ones. As a result, power generators have been able to reduce their emissions of dangerous pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury.

    Energy efficiency standards reduce the need for fossil fuel-powered electric plants, like this one in Ohio.
    Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    A popular policy

    Making appliances more energy efficient has proved popular. A national survey released by the Consumer Federation of America in 2018 found that 71% of Americans “support the idea that the government should set and update energy efficiency standards for appliances.” Significantly, 72% of those surveyed named lowering electrical bills and 57% stated that avoiding construction of new power plants to keep electricity rates from rising were important reasons to increase appliance efficiency.

    Support remains strong: A June 2024 YouGov poll found that 60% of Americans support tougher appliance efficiency standards.

    From 1987 through 2007, more than three-quarters of national appliance energy efficiency standards were passed into law by Congress, with the rest created by administrative processes under existing laws. These legal standards received bipartisan support and were signed into law by Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

    But more recently, partisanship has affected the setting of standards. Since 2008, whether standards improve or remain unchanged has depended on whether Democrats or Republicans occupied the White House.

    Political back-and-forth

    The Obama administration enacted among the most ambitious energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment to date. New standards for commercial air conditioners and furnaces affected heating and cooling equipment for half of the square footage used by the nation’s businesses. The rules were projected to reduce energy costs to businesses by $167 billion over the life of the regulated products.

    But during the first Trump administration, improvements in existing standards came to a halt.

    When Joe Biden became president, his administration resumed issuing new standards, most notably phasing out incandescent light bulbs. The Biden administration also issued new standards for furnaces, residential water heaters, stoves, washing machines and refigerators.

    Electric induction stoves, like this one, are more energy efficient than gas stoves.
    Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images

    Controversy continues

    A new Biden rule for electric motors, which are widely used in manufacturing and processing equipment, incorporated recommendations from businesses and advocacy organizations. The rule was slated to take effect in 2028 and was expected to save businesses and consumers up to $8.8 billion over a 30-year period.

    But the Trump administration has withdrawn this standard, along with others issued by the Biden administration, including for ceiling fans, dehumidifers and external power supplies. The administration has postponed the effective dates of other standards that had been finalized before Trump took office. The administration said the reversals would “slash unnecessary red tape and regulations that raise prices, reduce consumer choice, and frustrate the American people.”

    Another set of politically controversial standards Biden introduced sought to encourage consumers to switch from stoves, furnaces and water heaters that use natural gas or propane to electric ones. The electric versions of those appliances are more energy efficient, while gas cooking emits toxic chemicals into the home. Switching can be expensive, and many consumers prefer gas-powered appliances, as of course does the natural gas industry, which has opposed these federal efforts.

    And in early April 2025, Republicans in Congress used their legislative authority to overturn the regulations for natural gas water heaters. But most of the federal standards – and all of the state ones – remain in effect, at least for now.

    David J. Vogel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Appliance efficiency standards save consumers billions, reduce pollution and fight climate change – https://theconversation.com/appliance-efficiency-standards-save-consumers-billions-reduce-pollution-and-fight-climate-change-253673

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Popular AIs head-to-head: OpenAI beats DeepSeek on sentence-level reasoning

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Manas Gaur, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    DeepSeek’s language AI rocked the tech industry, but it comes up short on one measure. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

    ChatGPT and other AI chatbots based on large language models are known to occasionally make things up, including scientific and legal citations. It turns out that measuring how accurate an AI model’s citations are is a good way of assessing the model’s reasoning abilities.

    An AI model “reasons” by breaking down a query into steps and working through them in order. Think of how you learned to solve math word problems in school.

    Ideally, to generate citations an AI model would understand the key concepts in a document, generate a ranked list of relevant papers to cite, and provide convincing reasoning for how each suggested paper supports the corresponding text. It would highlight specific connections between the text and the cited research, clarifying why each source matters.

    The question is, can today’s models be trusted to make these connections and provide clear reasoning that justifies their source choices? The answer goes beyond citation accuracy to address how useful and accurate large language models are for any information retrieval purpose.

    I’m a computer scientist. My colleagues − researchers from the AI Institute at the University of South Carolina, Ohio State University and University of Maryland Baltimore County − and I have developed the Reasons benchmark to test how well large language models can automatically generate research citations and provide understandable reasoning.

    We used the benchmark to compare the performance of two popular AI reasoning models, DeepSeek’s R1 and OpenAI’s o1. Though DeepSeek made headlines with its stunning efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the Chinese upstart has a way to go to match OpenAI’s reasoning performance.

    Sentence specific

    The accuracy of citations has a lot to do with whether the AI model is reasoning about information at the sentence level rather than paragraph or document level. Paragraph-level and document-level citations can be thought of as throwing a large chunk of information into a large language model and asking it to provide many citations.

    In this process, the large language model overgeneralizes and misinterprets individual sentences. The user ends up with citations that explain the whole paragraph or document, not the relatively fine-grained information in the sentence.

    Further, reasoning suffers when you ask the large language model to read through an entire document. These models mostly rely on memorizing patterns that they typically are better at finding at the beginning and end of longer texts than in the middle. This makes it difficult for them to fully understand all the important information throughout a long document.

    Large language models get confused because paragraphs and documents hold a lot of information, which affects citation generation and the reasoning process. Consequently, reasoning from large language models over paragraphs and documents becomes more like summarizing or paraphrasing.

    The Reasons benchmark addresses this weakness by examining large language models’ citation generation and reasoning.

    How DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o1 compare generally on logic problems.

    Testing citations and reasoning

    Following the release of DeepSeek R1 in January 2025, we wanted to examine its accuracy in generating citations and its quality of reasoning and compare it with OpenAI’s o1 model. We created a paragraph that had sentences from different sources, gave the models individual sentences from this paragraph, and asked for citations and reasoning.

    To start our test, we developed a small test bed of about 4,100 research articles around four key topics that are related to human brains and computer science: neurons and cognition, human-computer interaction, databases and artificial intelligence. We evaluated the models using two measures: F-1 score, which measures how accurate the provided citation is, and hallucination rate, which measures how sound the model’s reasoning is − that is, how often it produces an inaccurate or misleading response.

    Our testing revealed significant performance differences between OpenAI o1 and DeepSeek R1 across different scientific domains. OpenAI’s o1 did well connecting information between different subjects, such as understanding how research on neurons and cognition connects to human-computer interaction and then to concepts in artificial intelligence, while remaining accurate. Its performance metrics consistently outpaced DeepSeek R1’s across all evaluation categories, especially in reducing hallucinations and successfully completing assigned tasks.

    OpenAI o1 was better at combining ideas semantically, whereas R1 focused on making sure it generated a response for every attribution task, which in turn increased hallucination during reasoning. OpenAI o1 had a hallucination rate of approximately 35% compared with DeepSeek R1’s rate of nearly 85% in the attribution-based reasoning task.

    In terms of accuracy and linguistic competence, OpenAI o1 scored about 0.65 on the F-1 test, which means it was right about 65% of the time when answering questions. It also scored about 0.70 on the BLEU test, which measures how well a language model writes in natural language. These are pretty good scores.

    DeepSeek R1 scored lower, with about 0.35 on the F-1 test, meaning it was right about 35% of the time. However, its BLEU score was only about 0.2, which means its writing wasn’t as natural-sounding as OpenAI’s o1. This shows that o1 was better at presenting that information in clear, natural language.

    OpenAI holds the advantage

    On other benchmarks, DeepSeek R1 performs on par with OpenAI o1 on math, coding and scientific reasoning tasks. But the substantial difference on our benchmark suggests that o1 provides more reliable information, while R1 struggles with factual consistency.

    Though we included other models in our comprehensive testing, the performance gap between o1 and R1 specifically highlights the current competitive landscape in AI development, with OpenAI’s offering maintaining a significant advantage in reasoning and knowledge integration capabilities.

    These results suggest that OpenAI still has a leg up when it comes to source attribution and reasoning, possibly due to the nature and volume of the data it was trained on. The company recently announced its deep research tool, which can create reports with citations, ask follow-up questions and provide reasoning for the generated response.

    The jury is still out on the tool’s value for researchers, but the caveat remains for everyone: Double-check all citations an AI gives you.

    Manas Gaur receives funding from USISTEF Endowment Fund.

    – ref. Popular AIs head-to-head: OpenAI beats DeepSeek on sentence-level reasoning – https://theconversation.com/popular-ais-head-to-head-openai-beats-deepseek-on-sentence-level-reasoning-249109

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Radio Davos | Workplace wellbeing and WFH: what’s best for business and for you?

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Are you happy at work? And if so, do you think that helps you do the job better? Jan-Emmanuel de Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School thinks so – and says he has the real-world evidence – from companies and millions of employees to prove it.

    He also says there is evidence that companies with a happy workforce will perform better for shareholders.

    And he answers the question – does that mean working from home is best, or should we all go back to the office?

    Links:

    Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives: https://www.weforum.org/publications/thriving-workplaces-how-employers-can-improve-productivity-and-change-lives/

    Future of Jobs Report 2025: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/
    Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/news/jan-emmanuel-de-neve-launches-latest-book-workplace-wellbeing-and-why-it-matters

    Related podcasts:
    Wharton psychologist Adam Grant: How to rethink the work day – and the soft skill future leaders need: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/adam-grant-skills-future-leaders-work/

    The future of jobs requires a ‘skills-first’ mindset – for employers and for you: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/skills-first-jobs/

    Intel’s HR chief on reskilling and building teams for the future: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/christy-pambianchi-intel-ai-jobs-reskilling/

    IKEA HR chief shares decades of career lessons learned and what’s needed to bridge the gender equity gap: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ulrika-biesert-ingka-group-gender-equity/

    Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

    YouTube: – https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts
    Radio Davos – subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164
    Meet the Leader – subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560
    Agenda Dialogues – subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552
    Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
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    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRxbRNl16p0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Haivision Showcases Haivision Command 360 Video Wall Solution for Operation Centers at InfoComm 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MONTREAL, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Haivision (TSX: HAI), a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and visual collaboration solutions, will exhibit its unrivalled product portfolio at InfoComm 2025, booth 675, from June 11–13 in Orlando, Florida.

    Deployed and trusted worldwide, Haivision’s mission-critical video solutions for video walls, IPTV, and ultra-low latency video are leveraged by organizations to enhance collaboration, support decision-making, and engage audiences. At InfoComm 2025, Haivision will showcase the following technologies:

    • Video Wall Solution for Operation Centers: Haivision Command 360, the award-winning video wall solution for operation and command centers, combines a powerful video processor, dynamic KVM capabilities, and intuitive centralized management to deliver enhanced situational awareness and real-time decision-making.
    • Ultra-Low Latency Live Video Over Any Network: Haivision’s world-leading ultra-low latency video contribution solutions, including the Makito X4 video encoder and the newly introduced Falkon X2 mobile video transmitter, are designed for capturing and sending high-quality, live video over any network for live broadcasting and multi-camera remote productions.
    • IPTV Video Distribution: Haivision Media Platform provides a flexible and scalable solution for multi-site corporate communications and IPTV, high-capacity live video monitoring and recording, and highly secure video delivery to browsers, set-top boxes, and mobile devices.

    “From our Haivision Command 360 video wall solution to our ultra-low latency streaming technologies, we’re proud to present the latest advancements in our mission-critical video ecosystem,” said Marcus Schioler, Vice President of Marketing at Haivision. “We look forward to engaging with our customers and partners and demonstrating how our innovations are transforming the enterprise and AV industries.”

    Visit Haivision at InfoComm 2025, booth 675, to learn how its latest technologies can support your mission-critical video workflows, strengthen situational awareness, and drive operational efficiency. To book a meeting with a Haivision expert at InfoComm, visit: Join us at InfoComm 2025.

    About Haivision

    Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and visual collaboration solutions. Haivision’s connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision-making. Haivision provides high-quality, low-latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open-sourced its award-winning SRT low-latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys® for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. To learn more, visit Haivision at www.haivision.com.

    Jennifer Gazin
    514.334.5445 ext 8309
    jgazin@haivision.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is a ‘friend-apist’ what we really want from therapy?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David E. Tolchinsky, Professor and Dean, The Media School, Indiana University

    ‘Shrinking’ portrays a tangled web of care and connection, where therapists and patients are enmeshed in one another’s personal and professional lives. Apple TV+

    When I read the recent New York Times article “Therapy Is Good. These Therapists Are Bad,” I couldn’t help but think of the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.”

    The article details the troubling prevalence of ethical and legal boundary violations by therapists: riding an exercise bike during appointments, bringing a dog into sessions despite a patient’s fear of animals, flirting with patients and even having sex with them.

    In “Shrinking,” Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a cognitive behavioral therapist who becomes increasingly entangled in his patients’ lives. His skeptical boss, Paul Rhoades – played by Harrison Ford – critiques Jimmy’s unconventional methods while facing struggles of his own. Everyone seems enmeshed with everyone else’s personal and professional lives: A patient lives with Jimmy; Jimmy is sleeping with his colleague, Gaby; Paul secretly treats Jimmy’s daughter; Jimmy’s neighbor starts a business with Jimmy’s patient. (No one, thankfully, is sleeping with their patient.)

    Whether in real life or on screen, something strange is happening with therapy: The line between therapist and friend seems to be blurring.

    As a screenwriter who teaches a course on how to portray mental health on screen, I wonder: Are these depictions a reaction to earlier conceptions of therapists? Do they reflect a growing suspicion of authority? And ultimately, what do they reveal about what we now want from a therapist?

    The distant therapist

    Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.

    Take my father, a well-regarded, Freudian psychoanalyst who never shared anything about himself with his patients. He wanted to be a blank wall onto which the patient could project their fantasies.

    He saw patients at our home. When they arrived or left, my family hid to preserve the client’s anonymity. When we were out running errands and saw one of his patients, we quickly left so the patient would have no inkling of my father’s personal life.

    Traditionally, psychoanalysts tried to stay neutral, silent and enigmatic during their sessions.
    Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

    Movies from the 1940s reflect the trope of the mysterious therapist. Dr. Jaquith in the 1942 film “Now, Voyager” is a friendly presence yet remains unknowable, even as he effectively cures his patient’s mental health issues.

    Naturally, positive depictions of therapists gave rise to negative ones. Released that same year, “King’s Row” features a therapist, Dr. Tower, who seems to be a consummate professional, but ends up poisoning his disturbed daughter and killing himself, a twist that hints at an incestuous relationship between the two.

    “Ordinary People,” which won best picture at the 1981 Academy Awards, tells the story of Conrad Jarrett, a teenager who has attempted suicide, and may be contemplating it again.

    Dr. Berger, his therapist who’s played by Judd Hirsch, is friendly and empathetic, but still maintains professional boundaries. When Conrad asks how life can be worth living when it’s so painful, Berger’s comforting response – “Because I’m your friend” – is clearly a therapeutic technique, not a declaration of friendship.

    Therapists are people, too

    Later on-screen depictions of therapists humanize them as flawed individuals, just like everyone else.

    In “Good Will Hunting,” Robin Williams’ Dr. Maguire grieves over his late wife and talks about his own mental health struggles.

    Viewers are privy to the personal struggles of “The Sopranos” therapist Jennifer Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco. While she occasionally missteps – like when she accidentally reveals Tony Soprano’s identity – she takes her job seriously and routinely consults a fellow therapist, which is part of the ongoing learning process for practitioners. She’s human yet professional.

    Robin Williams, left, as therapist Sean Maguire in ‘Good Will Hunting.’
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    In “Shrinking,” however, the boundaries blur completely. The show’s messy web of care and connection is entertaining and funny. But it distorts the therapist’s role. Everyone involved – patient, family member, practitioner – is portrayed as equally flawed and equally responsible for each other’s growth. While the therapists in “Shrinking” make a lot of mistakes, the message seems to be that connection and shared vulnerability matter more than expertise.

    In Season 2, “Shrinking” does interrogate its own boundary crossing when Jimmy realizes he can’t be a therapist, friend and roommate. And Paul starts out from a position of unmovable authority and realizes that he has his own issues – and that maybe Jimmy is a better therapist than he gives him credit for.

    Finding a happy medium

    But the gestalt – if I may use a psychological term – of “Shrinking” is that therapists and patients are on a somewhat equal footing and that boundary crossing is tolerated and even celebrated.

    To me, this reflects a broader cultural shift away from trusting experts, which tangentially could be related to younger generations’ greater willingness to confront authority. Social media has blurred the lines between expertise and lay knowledge further, with influencers and celebrities sometimes positioning themselves as quasi-therapists.

    At minimum, many patients nowadays seem to be looking for an equal, two-way conversation with their therapist, someone like Jimmy who admits that his psychological issues occasionally affect his therapeutic judgment.

    This is in contrast to my father, who, at least publicly, resisted the notion that his own inner life might color his psychoanalytic interpretations. He saw himself as a scientist, uncovering the true objective source of a patient’s symptoms – an endeavor he believed could be tested with the rigor of a scientific hypothesis.

    In my father’s defense, psychoanalysts are trained to recognize and neutralize their own psychological influence. He would say he was always learning. Still, his authoritative stance – and the continued insistence by many contemporary psychoanalysts on remaining a “blank screen” – may help explain why psychoanalysis has fallen out of favor as a therapeutic approach.

    In the screenwriting classes I teach, I’ve shifted from positioning myself as an all-knowing expert to being a facilitator. I share my experience, including my mistakes and failures. But I mostly focus on helping students find their own answers. Similarly, therapy may need to balance expertise with authentic connection – say, a combination of Dr. Berger’s steady wisdom in “Ordinary People” with Dr. Maguire’s openness in “Good Will Hunting.”

    If media depictions like “Shrinking” get you to talk about mental health or seek therapy, that’s no small thing. But I think it’s important to not conflate connection with qualification. Therapists aren’t friends. They’re trained professionals. And that boundary is exactly what makes the relationship work.

    David E. Tolchinsky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Is a ‘friend-apist’ what we really want from therapy? – https://theconversation.com/is-a-friend-apist-what-we-really-want-from-therapy-254437

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why people with autism struggle to get hired − and how businesses can help by changing how they look at job interviews

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cindi May, Professor of Psychology, College of Charleston

    First impressions matter − they shape how we’re judged in mere seconds, research shows. People are quick to evaluate others’ competence, likability and honesty, often relying on superficial cues such as appearance or handshake strength. While these snap judgments can be flawed, they often have a lasting impact. In employment, first impressions not only affect hiring choices but also decisions about promotion years later.

    As a researcher in cognitive science, I’ve seen firsthand how first impressions can pose a challenge for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. People with ASD often display social behaviors − such as facial expressions, eye contact, gestures and sense of personal space − that can differ from those of neurotypical individuals.

    These differences are often misunderstood, leading people with ASD to be perceived as awkward, odd or even deceptive. People form these negative impressions in just seconds and report being reluctant to talk to, hang out with or even live near people on the spectrum.

    It’s not surprising, then, that unfavorable first impressions create barriers for people with ASD in the workplace.

    The interview trap

    It starts with the job interview. Whether you’re seeking a position as a computer programmer at a tech firm or a dog groomer at a vet clinic, the job interview is a critical gateway. Success depends on your ability to think on your feet, communicate your qualifications and present yourself as likable, agreeable and collegial.

    My research demonstrates that job seekers with ASD often perform poorly in interviews due to the social demands of the situation. This is true even when the candidate is highly qualified for the job they are seeking.

    In one study, my colleagues and I videotaped mock job interviews with 30 young adults − half with ASD, half neurotypical − who were all college students without an intellectual disability. We asked them to discuss their dream jobs and qualifications for five minutes. Afterward, evaluators rated them on social traits, such as likability, enthusiasm and competence, and indicated how likely they were to hire each interviewee. As in most professional interviews, the evaluators weren’t aware that some candidates were on the autism spectrum.

    Candidates with autism spectrum disorder were consistently rated less favorably on all social dimensions compared with people without the condition, and those unfavorable social ratings weighed heavily on hiring decisions. Even though candidates with ASD were rated as equally qualified as neurotypical candidates, they were significantly less likely to be hired.

    Interestingly, when evaluators only read the candidates’ interview transcripts without watching the interviews, ratings for ASD candidates were the same as, or even better than, those for neurotypical candidates. This suggests that it’s not just what candidates say in an interview but how they present themselves socially that affects hiring decisions.

    This is especially problematic for jobs that require minimal social interaction − think data analyst or landscaper − where a candidate’s qualifications should be the main consideration. By relying on interviews as a primary screening tool, employers may miss out on competent, qualified applicants with unique strengths.

    Rethinking what makes a good candidate

    Scientists have explored whether it’s possible to teach adults with ASD how to improve their interview skills, for example by maintaining more eye contact or standing at a socially acceptable distance from an interviewer.

    While such training can help, it addresses only a small part of the problem, and I think this approach may not significantly improve employment outcomes for autistic adults.

    For one, it reduces the challenges faced by adults with ASD to a limited set of behaviors. ASD is a complex condition, and research shows that the negative evaluations of individuals with ASD are not driven by a single difference or a collection of specific differences, but rather by the individual’s overall presentation.

    In addition, this type of training often encourages individuals to mask their autistic traits, which could make a stressful interview even more difficult. Finally, if ASD candidates successfully mask their autism during the interview but can’t maintain that mask once they are hired, their longevity in the position could be at risk.

    A more effective approach may be to change how interviews are conducted and how candidates are perceived. This includes giving employers meaningful education about autism and giving job applicants a way to disclose their diagnosis without penalty. Research shows that when people know more about autism spectrum disorder, they have more positive views of people with ASD. In addition, ratings of people with ASD are often more favorable when evaluators know about their diagnosis. Combining these two approaches − that is, pairing ASD education for employers with diagnostic disclosure for candidates − may lead to better outcomes.

    An introduction to the concept of neurodiversity from the Child Mind Institute.

    My colleagues and I explored this possibility in a series of studies. Again, we showed raters the mock job interviews of candidates with and without ASD. This time, however, some evaluators watched a brief educational video about autism, learning about characteristics and strengths often associated with ASD before evaluating the mock interviews. In addition, these raters knew which candidates had an ASD diagnosis.

    Even though raters still perceived the candidates with ASD as more awkward and less likable, they rated those candidates as equally qualified as neurotypical candidates and were just as likely to hire them. This boost in hiring ratings persisted even when the educational video about autism was viewed months before candidates were evaluated.

    Notably, neither of these interventions was effective on its own. In different conditions, some evaluators simply got the training but didn’t receive diagnostic information about candidates; others received no education about autism but were aware of which candidates had ASD. Both groups continued to select against candidates with ASD in hiring decisions, even though the candidates with ASD were rated as highly qualified. It appears that both knowing a person has autism and understanding more about autism are important for overcoming negative first impressions.

    We believe that our training fostered a greater understanding of the atypical interactive style and behaviors that can be common among adults with ASD. This understanding, when coupled with the knowledge of a candidate’s diagnosis, may have helped evaluators contextualize those behaviors and, in turn, place more emphasis on qualifications when making hiring decisions.

    When hiring decisions are based on merit, both employees and employers benefit. First impressions, though impactful, can be deceptive and often bias decisions, particularly for individuals with ASD. Our findings highlight an important truth: Understanding autism enables employers to focus on qualifications, giving candidates with ASD a fair opportunity to succeed based on their true potential.

    Cindi May is a board member for Disability Rights South Carolina and a member of the National Accreditation Team for Inclusive Postsecondary Education.

    – ref. Why people with autism struggle to get hired − and how businesses can help by changing how they look at job interviews – https://theconversation.com/why-people-with-autism-struggle-to-get-hired-and-how-businesses-can-help-by-changing-how-they-look-at-job-interviews-254658

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Local Partnership Expands Early Childhood Development Training for UConn Waterbury Students

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When Alee Ennis ’25 (CLAS) began her required practicum hours for her human development and family sciences (HDFS) degree with a specialization in early childhood development, she faced a grueling commute. Without a car, she traveled nearly two hours by train and Uber each way from her home to practicum sites in Stamford and Westport – often leaving before sunrise and returning long after dark.   

    “My GPA took a hit, and I was constantly tired,” Ennis says. “But I knew this was the path I wanted.” 

    In Fall 2024, HDFS expanded its Early Childhood Specialization (ECS) program to UConn Waterbury in partnership with the Slocum School, a local Head Start program operated by TEAM Inc. The collaboration brought practicum opportunities just minutes from the Waterbury campus, making the program more accessible for students like Ennis. 

    “It changed everything,” Ennis says. “I could finally focus on the experience, the kids, and the material — without worrying about trains, rides, or losing an entire day to travel.” 

    Ennis was drawn to early childhood development after taking an HDFS course that introduced her to a more holistic approach to child development across a person’s lifespan. Initially interested in psychology, she realized the ECS program offered more hands-on, immersive learning that would prepare her to work with young children in a real-world setting. 

    Determined to stay on track despite the commute, Ennis says she worked closely with Cora D’Alessandro, instructor-in-residence and student coordinator for the ECS program. When the local practicum site launched in Waterbury, D’Alessandro was able to help Ennis transition into a preschool classroom placement. 

    “Cora made it happen,” Ennis says. “We even did an independent study so I could take a required course that was still only offered in Stamford. She made sure I stayed on track to graduate.” 

    Cora D’Alessandro, instructor-in-residence and student coordinator for the ECS program and Alee Ennis ’25 (CLAS) at Slocum School in Waterbury. (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut).

    The ECS program at UConn Waterbury blends research-based coursework with reflective practice and culturally responsive teaching. Students not only learn child development theory — they’re taught to apply it, observe, and adapt in real time. This collaborative model benefits students interested in teaching as well as those interested in pursuing careers across the full range of services TEAM offers, such as home visiting, health screenings, nutrition services, and a family resource center. 

    “Our students are learning how to teach, but also how to think critically about their teaching,” D’Alessandro says. “By working alongside professionals in a high-quality program like Slocum, they’re gaining the tools they need to support children and families in meaningful ways.” 

    Slocum School serves more than 200 children annually through TEAM Inc.’s Head Start program. As part of the program, Ennis was paired with a focus child for her practicum project. She documented the child’s language, motor, and social-emotional development, and worked closely with the classroom teacher to support growth in key areas. 

    “The classroom at Slocum was bigger and more diverse than what I’d experienced in Westport,” Ennis says. “I worked with kids with autism and other developmental needs. At first, I was nervous, but over time I learned how to build trust and support each child based on where they were developmentally.” 

    At Slocum, students like Ennis also work alongside experienced early childhood professionals, observing and engaging in classroom activities, assisting in curriculum implementation, and applying culturally responsive and inclusive teaching strategies. Many of the professionals at Slocum are HDFS alumni themselves, many of whom specialized in early childhood development, including TEAM Inc. CEO David Morgan ’97 (CLAS). 

    “The bedrock to our TEAM achievements is collaboration, and we’re humbled and honored that the University of Connecticut recognized and embraced this opportunity to partner with us,” Morgan says. 

    According to Fumiko Hoeft, dean of UConn Waterbury, the partnership is not only enhancing student learning but also strengthening the local early childhood education workforce. 

    “This collaboration with Slocum and TEAM Inc. is giving students the chance to stay local and still get a high-impact educational experience,” Hoeft says. “It’s a win for students, families, and the community.” 

    Ennis plans to pursue graduate study to become a child life specialist, supporting children and families navigating serious health challenges. Her time at Slocum affirmed her career goals and gave her the confidence to take the next step. 

     “I don’t think I would’ve made it through this program without the support I found here in Waterbury,” Ennis says. “Having this kind of opportunity close to home made all the difference.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Babbidge Library Exhibit Offers Powerful Images of War, and Hope, Created by Ukrainian Children

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In the drawing, two little children hold hands, the taller figure with shoulder-length hair.

    The shorter figure has hair cropped short, and holds a teddy bear in their other hand, one of the toy’s eyes missing and portrayed as an X.

    Between the two is an umbrella, seemingly their only protection from what’s falling from the sky above them – a cluster of ominous black bombs.

    ‘With faith in victory,’ an original drawing by Anastasiia B., a 14-year-old from Ukraine, from the ‘Children Draw War, Not Flowers’ exhibit, on display at the Babbidge Library until August 1, 2025. (Contributed image)

    The umbrella is striped – yellow, blue, yellow – in the colors of the flag of the artist’s home country: Ukraine.

    It’s a simple drawing, but poignant, and made ever more so by the fact that the artist who created the work, entitled “With faith in victory,” was only 14 years old when they drew it in September 2022, seven months after Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine.

    This drawing, and many others like it – created by Ukrainian children during the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War – are on display at the UConn Library’s Homer Babbidge Library as part of the “Children Draw War, Not Flowers” exhibit, which opened on April 8.

    In the fall of 2022, the Cherkasy Regional Universal Scientific Library, funded by the School of Information at San Jose State University in California, held a drawing competition in 40 public regional libraries in communities where over 220,000 displaced Ukrainians resided.

    Children from the ages of 6 to 18 created more than 450 drawings documenting their experiences of war, trauma, and hope. Those drawings are now part of “Children Draw War, Not Flowers,” which has traveled to a number of institutions but will reside at UConn Storrs until later this summer.

    Its stop at UConn was made possible by a collaboration with Ulia Gosart from San Jose State University, an assistant professor, scholar, writer, and human rights activist who received her bachelor’s degree from Kiev University of Arts in Ukraine and her master’s in library and information science from Southern Connecticut State University, according to Jean Cardinale ’04 MS, head of communication and marketing for the UConn Library.

    “Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Gosart has been supporting Ukrainian libraries by raising awareness and fundraising through programming, including curating this traveling exhibit,” says Cardinale. “She supports her community engaged in war through the power of libraries, and the UConn Library was honored to be asked to take part in her important work.”

    The “Children Draw War, Not Flowers” exhibit includes 70 drawings depicting weapons, loss, soldiers, and destroyed buildings and artifacts. But the drawings also show symbols of hope and pride. The blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag are abundant. Angels hover over Ukrainian soldiers. Sunflowers and storks, images of national solidarity, hang over depictions of war.

    The exhibit’s goal, explains Cardinale, is to help visitors gain greater understanding of the realities Ukrainian people – and especially Ukrainian children – face in the midst of war.

    “Thankfully, living through war is something most of us have not had to experience, and we are geographically so far away that it’s easy to disassociate from what is happening,” Cardinale says. “When you see these pieces where children have drawn themselves amid bombings, fires, and saying goodbye to their homes and their families, you see the trauma that effects children of war.”

    The exhibit at the Babbidge Library also includes drawings from the Mia Farrow Collection, donated to the UConn Library’s Archives & Special Collections in 2009, that were made by refugee children escaping war and ethnic cleansing at the Djabal Refugee Camp in Eastern Chad in 2002.

    “Our Archives & Special Collections has many collections that focus on documenting human rights violations and struggles for social justice in the United States and internationally,” says Cardinale. “Their guiding principles are to enable us to understand the past to inspire our future. Displaying these two collections of drawings together shows parallels in how children have used art to express their feelings during war.”

    For children who may not yet know who to talk with about their feelings, art encourages them to explore their emotions and perceptions through their creativity, Cardinale notes. The images these children have created during two different conflicts, occurring decades apart, show the similarities of their struggles in a powerful and visual way.

    ‘Ukraine will win!’ an original drawing by Yana Kh., an 8-year-old from Ukraine, from the ‘Children Draw War, Not Flowers’ exhibit, on display at the Babbidge Library until August 1, 2025. (Contributed image)

    The exhibit also serves as a reminder that Ukrainian and Ukrainian American students at UConn continue to feel the ongoing impact of the war that may not always be clearly visible to the community at large.

    “We have had the opportunity to connect with the Ukrainian Students Association here at UConn, and at the exhibit’s opening reception, they brought their personal experiences of family members directly affected by the war,” she says. “So, it also serves as a reminder that our students may be experiencing many different challenges that we don’t see and deserve some grace during this stressful time of the semester.”

    “Children Draw War, Not Flowers” will be on display at the Gallery on the Plaza at the Homer Babbidge Library in Storrs through August 1, 2025.

    To view drawings from the “Children Draw War, Not Flowers” collection online, please visit Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online at gallery.sucho.org/collections.

    For more information about this and other exhibits at the UConn Library, as well as collections maintained by the library’s Archives & Special Collections, visit lib.uconn.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Thucydides Trap: Vital lessons from ancient Greece for China and the US … or a load of old claptrap?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College

    Retreat of the Athenians from Syracuse during a battle of the Peloponnesian War, from Cassell’s ‘Universal History,’ published in 1888. Ken Welsh/Design Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    The so-called Thucydides Trap has become a staple of foreign policy commentary over the past decade or so, regularly invoked to frame the escalating rivalry between the United States and China.

    Coined by political scientist Graham Allison — first in a 2012 Financial Times article and later developed in his 2017 book “Destined for War” — the phrase refers to a line from the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who wrote in his “History of the Peloponnesian War,” “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable.”

    At first glance, this provides a compelling and conveniently packaged analogy: Rising powers provoke anxiety in established ones, leading to conflict. In today’s context, the implication seems clear – China’s rise is bound to provoke a collision with the United States, just as Athens once did with Sparta.

    But this framing risks flattening the complexity of Thucydides’ work and distorting its deeper philosophical message. Thucydides wasn’t articulating a deterministic law of geopolitics. He was writing a tragedy.

    History repeats as tragedy?

    Thucydides fought in the Peloponnesian War on the Athenian side. His world was steeped in the sensibilities of Greek tragedy, and his historical narrative carries that imprint throughout. His work is not a treatise on structural inevitability but an exploration of how human frailty, political misjudgment and moral decay can combine to unleash catastrophe.

    That tragic sensibility matters. Where modern analysts often search for predictive patterns and system-level explanations, Thucydides drew attention to the role of choice, perception and emotion. His history is filled with the corrosive effects of fear, the seductions of ambition, the failures of leadership and the tragic unraveling of judgment. This is a study in hubris and nemesis, not structural determinism.

    Much of this is lost when the phrase “Thucydides Trap” is elevated into a kind of quasi-law of international politics. It becomes shorthand for inevitability: power rises, fear responds, war follows.

    But Thucydides himself was more interested in why fear takes hold, how ambition twists judgment and how leaders — trapped in a narrowing corridor of bad options — convince themselves that war is the only viable path left. His narrative shows how conflict often arises not from necessity, but from misreading, miscalculation and passions unmoored from reason.

    Even Allison, to his credit, never claimed the “trap” was inescapable. His core argument was that war is likely but not inevitable when a rising power challenges a dominant one. In fact, much of Allison’s writing serves as a warning to break from the pattern, not to resign oneself to it.

    Traditional Russian wooden dolls depict China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
    AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky

    In that sense, the “Thucydides Trap” has been misused by commentators and policymakers alike. Some treat it as confirmation that war is baked into the structure of power transitions — an excuse to raise defense budgets or to talk tough with Beijing — when in fact it ought to provoke reflection and restraint.

    To read Thucydides carefully is to see that the Peloponnesian War was not solely about a shifting balance of power. It was also about pride, misjudgment and the failure to lead wisely.

    Consider his famous observation, “Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.” This isn’t a structural insight — it’s a human one. It’s aimed squarely at those who mistake impulse for strategy and swagger for strength. Or take his chilling formulation, “The strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must.” That’s not an endorsement of realpolitik. It’s a tragic lament on what happens when power becomes unaccountable and justice is cast aside.

    Seen in this light, the real lesson of Thucydides is not that war is preordained, but that it becomes more likely when nations allow fear to cloud reason, when leaders mistake posturing for prudence and when strategic decisions are driven by insecurity rather than clarity.

    Thucydides reminds us how easily perception curdles into misperception — and how dangerous it is when leaders, convinced of their own virtue or necessity, stop listening to anyone who disagrees.

    It ain’t necessarily so.
    Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    The real lessons of Thucydides

    In today’s context, invoking the Thucydides Trap as a justification for confrontation with China may do more harm than good. It reinforces the notion that conflict is already on the rails and cannot be stopped. But if there is a lesson in “The History of the Peloponnesian War,” it is not that war is inevitable but that it becomes likely when the space for prudence and reflection collapses under the weight of fear and pride. Thucydides offers not a theory of international politics, but a warning — an admonition to leaders who, gripped by their own narratives, drive their nations over a cliff.

    Avoiding that fate requires better judgment. And above all, it demands the humility to recognize that the future is not determined by structural pressures alone, but by the choices people make.

    This article is part of a series explaining foreign policy terms commonly used, but rarely explained.

    Andrew Latham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The Thucydides Trap: Vital lessons from ancient Greece for China and the US … or a load of old claptrap? – https://theconversation.com/the-thucydides-trap-vital-lessons-from-ancient-greece-for-china-and-the-us-or-a-load-of-old-claptrap-252954

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia

    Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

    Westerners, in particular, have been largely welcomed and provided with a measure of protection from harassment by the authorities. Thailand’s economy is extremely dependent on foreign tourism. Many Westerners also work in a variety of industries, including as academics at public and private universities.

    That arrangement now seems under pressure. Earlier this month, Paul Chambers, an American political science lecturer at Naresuan University, was arrested on charges of violating the Computer Crimes Act and the lèse-majesté law under Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code for allegedly insulting the monarchy.

    Chambers’ visa has been revoked and he now faces a potential punishment of 15 years in jail.

    The lèse-majesté law has become a common tool for silencing Thai activists. At least 272 people have been charged under the law since pro-democracy protests broke out in 2020, according to rights groups.

    Its use against foreigners has, until now, been limited. No foreign academic has ever been charged with it. Because of the law, however, most academics in Thailand usually tread carefully in their critiques of the monarchy.

    The decision to charge a foreign academic, therefore, suggests a hardening of views on dissent by conservative forces in the country. It represents a further deterioration in Thailand’s democratic credentials and provides little optimism for reform under the present government.

    Thailand’s democratic deficit

    Several other recent actions have also sparked concerns about democratic backsliding.

    Following a visit by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to China in February, the government violated domestic and international law by forcibly returning 40 Uyghurs to China.

    The Uyghurs had fled China a decade earlier to escape repression in the western Xinjiang region and had been held in detention in Thailand ever since. They now potentially face worse treatment by the Chinese authorities.

    Then, in early April, Thailand welcomed the head of the Myanmar junta to a regional summit in Bangkok after a devastating earthquake struck his war-ravaged country.

    Min Aung Hlaing has been shunned internationally since the junta launched a coup against the democratically elected government in Myanmar in 2021, sparking a devastating civil war. He has only visited Russia and China since then.

    In addition, the military continues to dominate politics in Thailand. After a progressive party, Move Forward, won the 2023 parliamentary elections by committing to amend the lèse-majesté law, the military, the unelected Senate and other conservative forces in the country ignored the will of the people and denied its charismatic leader the prime ministership.

    The party was then forcibly dissolved by the Constitutional Court and its leader banned from politics for ten years.

    In February, Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission criminally indicted 44 politicians from Move Forward for sponsoring a bill in parliament to reform the lèse-majesté law. They face lifetime bans from politics if they are found guilty of breaching “ethical standards”.

    Even the powerful former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, whose daughter is also the current prime minister, is not immune from the lèse-majesté law.

    He was indicted last year for allegedly insulting the monarchy almost two decades ago. His case is due to be heard in July.

    This continued undermining of democratic norms is chipping away at Thailand’s international reputation. The country is now classified as a “flawed democracy” in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, with its ranking falling two years in a row.



    Read more:
    Thailand’s democracy has taken another hit, but the country’s progressive forces won’t be stopped

    Academic freedom at risk

    The lèse-majesté law has always represented something of a challenge to academic freedom in Thailand, as well as freedom of speech more generally. Campaigners against the law have paid a heavy price.

    The US State Department has provided a statement of support for Chambers, urging the Thai government to “ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression”. However, given the Trump administration’s attacks on US universities at the moment, this demand rings somewhat hollow.

    Academic freedom is a hallmark of democracies compared with authoritarian regimes. With the US no longer so concerned with protecting academic freedom at home, there is little stopping flawed democracies around the world from stepping up pressure on academics to toe the line.

    The undermining of democracy in the US is already having palpable impacts on democratic regression around the world.

    With little international pressure to adhere to democratic norms, the current Thai government has taken a significant and deleterious step in arresting a foreign academic.

    In the future, universities in Thailand, as in the US, will find it harder to attract international talent. Universities – and the broader society – in both countries will be worse off for it.

    Adam Simpson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic – https://theconversation.com/thailands-fragile-democracy-takes-another-hit-with-arrest-of-us-academic-254706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –