to not be is unAmerican, nonDemocracy

How Trump Deflected Demands for Documents, Enmeshing Aides
Former President Trump’s pattern of dissembling about the material he took from the White House has created legal risks for himself and his lawyers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/08/us/politics/trump-documents-lawyers.html

“Happy birthday, Mr. President”: Ukrainians celebrated the bridge blast with memes.

Beyond nuclear deterrence

The Lancet on MH



Can we end stigma and discrimination in mental health?
The Lancet Published:October 09, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01937-7
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“I can't open up about it at work since companies still have the perception that people with mental illness are unstable and unable to function normally”
Stigma and discrimination in people with mental health conditions are pervasive across societies and cultures. Stereotypes about mental health can have an enormous negative impact on the wellbeing and livelihoods of people with mental health conditions, often worsening their condition and delaying or stopping them from getting help. People with serious mental disorders tend to die prematurely—on average 10–20 years compared to the general population—from preventable physical diseases. To coincide with World Mental Health Day, on Oct 10, The Lancet is publishing a Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health. This goal might sound ambitious. But the Commission's key message is that we cannot change the status quo on mental health without tackling stigma and discrimination.
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The Commission sets itself apart through the inclusion of people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions, whose poems, testimonies, and quotations punctuate the report. The Commission articulates the scope of the problem and reviews evidence and direct experiences on what works to reduce stigma and discrimination in mental health. In collaboration with more than 50 people globally, the Commission is led by Professor Graham Thornicroft (Kings College, London, UK) and Charlene Sunkel, CEO and Founder of the Global Mental Health Peer Network and a PWLE of schizophrenia.
They find, first, that stigma and discrimination in mental health infringe basic human rights and have serious consequences that compound marginalisation and social exclusion. PWLE of mental health conditions are often denied access to life opportunities, such as employment, education, health care, and active participation in the community. And second, the most effective interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination are those that are culturally and contextually appropriate and that involve contact between PWLE and people who do not have lived experience of mental health conditions. This finding should accelerate the formation of policies based on social contact, with PWLE involved in all aspects of a programme, from conception to delivery. They are central to stigma reduction and should be empowered and supported to lead change.
The media has a powerful role. On one hand, it fuels stigmatisation by portraying people with mental health conditions as dangerous and unpredictable. On the other, it can reduce stigma when their reporting is accurate, responsible, and nuanced; for example, around suicide. Providing guidance to the media means they can be part of the solution, not the problem.
The Commission also proposes several specific recommendations for governments and international organisations, employers, health and social care providers, and schools, including the decriminalisation of suicide and the development of guidelines for mental health in the workplace. But implicit throughout the report is the need for a fundamental change in power relationships between PWLE and health-care practitioners. Stigmatisation in health care is a major barrier to access and quality care. The authors recommend that all health-care staff receive mandatory training on the needs and rights of people with mental health conditions, co-delivered by PWLE. They also call for changes to laws and policies, including around conversion therapy and involuntary detention, and investment in mental health support, particularly at the community level.
The PWLE surveyed in the Commission said that they are not treated as equal to people with physical health conditions. This inequity is borne out in health financing. Worldwide, government spending on mental health is, on average, a paltry 2% of the total health budget. Philanthropic organisations such as the Gates Foundation do not prioritise mental health in either their global strategy or investments. It is hard not to view this neglect as a form of discrimination. Many of us will experience some degree of mental ill health over the course of our lives. Why then is society so unwilling to invest? A 2020 global Gallup survey found that 92% of respondents viewed mental health as being equally as important to overall wellbeing as physical health, but people were not confident about how best to address mental ill health. Most thought talking to friends and family was key, but that option relies on low stigma and discrimination. The onus is on all of us to act in our personal and professional lives to improve the mental health of ourselves, loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Ending mental-health-related stigma is a goal that must be pursued.

US mid-term elections: 3 ways science is on the line

Researchers project changes ahead for federal science if Republicans take control of either chamber of Congress.


邓小平的“贫穷不是社会主义”与“科学技术是第一生产力”的战略判断，使中国共产党成功实现了新的战略转移并逐步踏上强国富民的征途。其丰功伟绩彪炳史册。

The career insights I’m bringing back to academia after a year at Google
Oliver Müller’s brief tenure at the technology giant taught him that many skills acquired in academia are highly valued.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03554-2

McConnell: Anyone meeting with antisemites is ‘unlikely to ever be elected president’
By Eugene Scott

Nobel Peace Prize winners blast Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
By MARKUS SCHREIBER

2 hours ago
OSLO, Norway (AP) — The winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine shared their visions of a fairer world and denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine during Saturday’s award ceremony.

Oleksandra Matviichuk of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties dismissed calls for a political compromise that would allow Russia to retain some of the illegally annexed Ukrainian territories, saying that “fighting for peace does not mean yielding to pressure of the aggressor, it means protecting people from its cruelty.”
“Peace cannot be reached by a country under attack laying down its arms,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “This would not be peace, but occupation.”

Matviichuk repeated her earlier call for Putin — and Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who provided his country’s territory for Russian troops to invade Ukraine — to face an international tribunal.
“We have to prove that the rule of law does work, and justice does exist, even if they are delayed,” she said.

Matviichuk was named a co-winner of the 2022 peace prize in October along with Russian human rights group Memorial and Ales Bialiatski, head of the Belarusian rights group Viasna. Later on Saturday, the other Nobel prizes will be formally presented during a ceremony in Stockholm.

Buddhist Retreat
Why I gave up on finding my religion.
BY JOHN HORGAN

EDITORIAL|
Pasteur's legacy in 21st century medicine
The Lancet Published:December 17, 2022

The Lancet bids 2022 adieu with a commemoration of Louis Pasteur. Born in France on Dec 27, 1822, Pasteur was a young polymath when he embarked on a path of discovery with profound societal relevance. By the age of 40 years, he was a national hero and an international authority on microbiology, vaccines, and immunology. His germ theory of disease laid the foundation for hygiene and sanitation within public and global health. He developed the first vaccine against human rabies in 1885. Along with other great scientists of his time, Pasteur shaped scientific reasoning and communication for the better, creating a legacy that catalysed progress in human health that has been sustained for the past 150 years. Yet infectious diseases continue to cause millions of unnecessary deaths. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, global burden of disease (GBD) data indicated that infections were involved in more than 20% of deaths globally. A GBD study in this special themed issue of The Lancet indicates that 13·6% of deaths globally are associated with just 33 bacterial pathogens.
Throughout this issue, the barriers to realising Pasteur's legacy in combatting infectious diseases become apparent. Alison Holmes and colleagues discuss the technologies and strategies that have advanced infection control and prevention in the context of health-care settings. Most hospital-acquired infections can now be prevented. Yet infection control remains problematic in low-income countries where basic implementation of simple practices is challenging and often left unaddressed. Bernadette Abela-Ridder and colleagues consider the disproportional burden of rabies, which still kills one person approximately every 10 min, in poor settings, despite effective vaccines to break transmission chains between humans and dogs. Salim Abdool Karim and Izukanji Sikazwe discuss the obstruction of Africa's efforts to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines; Giles-Vernick and colleagues discuss the inequities and societal issues that challenge public health measures. It becomes apparent that failures in rendering equal protection to all are consequences of health inequities that are propagated by sociocultural and political environments, civil insecurity, and ineffective messaging and community engagement.
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The 21st century is seeing a changing landscape of infectious diseases. Old and new pathogens are emerging under growing pressure of anthropogenic forces. Climate change is affecting the distribution and transmission of pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and emerging zoonoses are profound threats, now and in the immediate future. More than one million people—a number set to rise—die from bacterial AMR each year, disproportionately affecting people where health care and sanitation infrastructure are weakest. Pandemics will become more common, yet lessons from COVID-19 are being ignored. To combat such threats, the Lancet Commission On Lessons For The Future From The COVID-19 Pandemic calls for prosociality, whereby governments and institutions reorient towards multilateral systems that foster international public health collaboration and solidarity.
The unstable social and political context in which we live our lives is creating new public health challenges. An infodemic has seen the rapid spread of misinformation that resonates with people in ways that expert advice does not. Vaccine hesitancy is now a major barrier to fighting infectious diseases, particularly in high-income countries. Many parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children because of concerns about vaccine safety, despite reassurances from doctors and public health authorities. This hesitancy reflects a broader breakdown of trust in the state and in scientists. As Ilana Lowy and William Bynum note, Pasteur crafted his public image to bolster support for his research. He understood the power of knowledge, know-how, and dissemination of information in his relationship with the public. Now, more than ever, the medical research community needs to hone creative and authentic science communication and public engagement skills to rebuild trust with a divided society so their work can save lives.
“In our century, science is the soul of the prosperity of nations and the living source of progress. Undoubtedly, the tiring daily discussions of politics seem to be our guide—empty appearances!—what really leads us forward are a few scientific discoveries and their applications.” These words of Pasteur's could not be more poignant in a 21st century shaping up to be dominated by polarising and health-harming politics. Pasteur understood that science is fundamental for human health, and his values—a scientific presence and engagement in public health crises—belong at the heart of efforts against infectious diseases.

Gene switches make prairie voles fall in love

“This is a study I myself wanted to do years ago,” says Thomas Insel, who heads the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. “If mating causes the release of the neuropeptide, how does this kick into a higher gear for the rest of the animal’s life? This study for me really is the first experimental demonstration that the epigenetic change would be necessary for the long-term change in behaviour.”

Genghis Khan a Prolific Lover, DNA Data Implies

Genghis Khan Quotes


成吉思汗说：“最大的幸福就是驱散你的敌人，把他的城市烧成白地，让爱他的人倒在血泊里、泡在眼泪里，然后把他的妻子和女儿搂在你的怀里。”

What ChatGPT and generative AI mean for science
Researchers are excited but apprehensive about the latest advances in artificial intelligence.

Robo-writers: the rise and risks of language-generating AI
A remarkable AI can write like humans — but with no understanding of what it’s saying.

The next generation of vaccines

a graphical guide

figure dugoutting

How to effectively communicate withpeople?

https://postimages.org/

stone-age technology
Gaps in the archaeological record have made it challenging to study toolmaking in our earliest ancestors. Hominins — the group of primates that includes Homo sapiens and its relatives — first started using tools at least 3.3 million years ago. Researchers know this because of stone tools unearthed at a single site in northern Kenya.


Ancient stone tools hint at settlers’ epic trek to North America

But the next known set of stone tools — called Oldowan tools — doesn’t pop up in the archaeological record for another 700,000 years. This type of tool eventually became widespread across Africa and into Asia. But the dearth of artefacts from between the two early sites means that finding out how tools were made and used during this period of almost one million years is a challenge.

The site in Kenya is now offering some fresh insights. In the early 2000s, a worker at an excavation near Lake Victoria told researchers that he’d seen stone tools and animal fossils popping out of the ground near his home.

The crew started excavating at the new site in 2015. Over several field seasons, they unearthed 330 artefacts, including 42 Oldowan stone tools scattered around the bones of an ancestral hippo. Some of the hippo bones, as well as other animal remains at the site, bore signs of being cut and scraped by stone implements.

Partially excavated bones and associated artefacts.

Navigating Loss of Abortion Services — A Large Academic Medical Center Prepares for the Overturn of Roe v. Wade
List of authors.
Lisa H. Harris, M.D., Ph.D.

i dont known

Seeing Earth From Space Changes Astronauts' Minds Forever. Here's Why