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Cell Biology

Scores of data released on coronavirus – Washington Times

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted colleges, think tanks, medical journals and governments to release scores of stats and studies some good, while others fail peer review.

The research touches on comparative death counts, the sneezing range of nose droplets, cigarettes and how long the deadly virus can last on a piece of plastic such as a bottle or shopping bag.

The problem with the media is the mindless reporting of cases, as more testing means more cases, most of which are asymptomatic, Steve Milloy, who researches for the Junk Science website, told The Washington Times. A lot of hysteria, not much good data.

Indeed, as more people are being tested in America, the case load is expanding and the mortality rate is dropping, to .012% from more than 3%.

Some recent scientific findings:

As the U.S. death toll approaches 1,000, The New York Times and other liberal media paint the U.S. mortality rate as near the top globally.

Not really, according to a chart created by Our World in Data at Oxford University. Founder Mark Roser crunched the mortality rate numbers on a per-capita basis, per million people, a statistic not produced by most raw data web sites. The U.S. has about 2 deaths per million, while Italy has more than 80, Spain has nearly 40 and France has 10.

Italys imposed isolation on March 9 appears to have reduced the countrys case growth rate, according to an article Tuesday in The Lancet medical journal. Before, experts estimated there would be 30,000 infections by March 15. Actual number for that date: 24,747.

We urge all countries to acknowledge the Italian lesson and to immediately adopt very restrictive measures to limit viral diffusion, ensure appropriate health-system response, and reduce mortality, which appears to be higher than previously estimated, with a crude case-fatality rate of almost 4%, the article said.

Press reports consistently say the elderly are at the highest risk from COVID-19. A study on Italys outbreak, with an epicenter the in Lombardy region, confirms this to the extreme.

According to the Italian National Institute of Healths website Epicentro, the countrys 5,019 non-health care worker death toll is almost all seniors: Age 60-69, 11%; age 70-79, 35%; age 80-89, 40%; and 90 and older, 9%. No deaths were reported for 29 years old and younger.

The New England Journal of Medicine put out a scary report. The coronavirus can live for hours on certain surfaces, with up to a 72-hour span on everyday plastic.

But Carolyn Machamer, a professor of cell biology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, says the study exaggerates.

Whats getting a lot of press and is presented out of context is that the virus can last on plastic for 72 hours, which sounds really scary, Ms. Machamer told the school. But whats more important is the amount of the virus that remains. Its less than 0.1% of the starting virus material. Infection is theoretically possible but unlikely at the levels remaining after a few days. People need to know this.

The same New England Journal study said COVID-19 droplets can remain in the air for several hours.

Dr. Machamer rebuts this. The New England Journal researchers used an aerosol spray, which produces a finer mist than the liquid from a cough or sneeze that falls to the ground.

While the New England Journal of Medicine study found that the COVID virus can be detected in the air for 3 hours, in nature, respiratory droplets sink to the ground faster than the aerosols produced in this study, she said. The experimental aerosols used in labs are smaller than what comes out of a cough or sneeze, so they remain in the air at face-level longer than heavier particles would in nature.

A Viewpoint article in The Journal of Clinical Investigation promotes antibodies as an immediate preventive measure or therapy for the sick. But as therapy, the serum must be injected soon after the infection is diagnosed.

This Viewpoint argues that human convalescent serum is an option for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease that could be rapidly available when there are sufficient numbers of people who have recovered and can donate immunoglobulin-containing serum, wrote Arturo Casadevall and Liise-anne Pirofski, both of the Johns Hopkins Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a Trump administration point-man on COVID-19, has said that antibodies stand today as the most promising viral treatment.

Drs. Casadevaill and Pirofski explain: Passive antibody therapy involves the administration of antibodies against a given agent to a susceptible individual for the purpose of preventing or treating an infectious disease due to that agent. In contrast, active vaccination requires the induction of an immune response that takes time to develop and varies depending on the vaccine recipient. Thus, passive antibody administration is the only means of providing immediate immunity to susceptible persons.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization agree that the first two signs of infections are a fever and dry cough.

Now the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology has added a new symptom: lost sense of taste.

In a Sky News report, the association of ear, nose and throat physicians said: We have also identified a new symptom (loss of sense of smell and taste) that may mean that people without other symptoms but with just the loss of this sense may have to self-isolate again to reduce the spread of the virus.

Professor Nirmal Kumarm said: In young patients, they do not have any significant symptoms such as the cough and fever but they may have just the loss of sense of smell and taste, which suggests that these viruses are lodging in the nose.

An article posted Wednesday in the publication New Science points to a new study by Jeffrey Shaman at Columbia University. He purports to document the spread of COVID-19 in China in January, the month the virus went, as they say, viral.

Mr. Shaman looked at the spread between Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 and concluded that the infected who had no or mild symptoms, or 86%, created the lions share of infected.

New Science wrote: Such undocumented cases are still contagious and the study found them to be the source of most of the viruss spread in China before the restrictions came in. Even though these people were only 55 percent as contagious as people with symptoms, the study found that they were the source of 79 per cent of further infections, due to there being more of them, and the higher likelihood that they were out and about.

A new study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology reported March 20 on a new COVID-19 symptom that might be the most important: diarrhea.

Researchers looked at early cases in Wuhan, China, and found that 99 of 204 infected residents first had symptoms of gastrointestinal distress before fever and coughing. And they had a higher incidence of mortality.

Contrarian news for cigarette smokers: A research article in the European Journal of Internal Medicine said there was no link between Chinese smokers and the severity of their COVID-19.

China is a smokers holiday with more than 50% of men puffing away, while fewer than 2% of women light up. Because the virus death rate is higher for men, a suspect factor is cigarettes.

Researchers looked at patients with severe disease and found no difference in non- and active smokers.

In conclusion, they wrote. The results of this preliminary meta-analysis based on Chinese patients suggest that active smoking does not apparently seem to be significantly associated with enhanced risk of progressing towards severe disease in COVID-19.

Junk Sciences Mr. Milloy said of all the scholarship: If you are looking for useful facts, you arent likely to find any anytime soon. Sick and vulnerable people should stay home. The Democrat-owned and operated public health community should be reamed on this. Those are my facts.

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Scores of data released on coronavirus - Washington Times

Human Behavior

Doctor’s 11 Tips To Boost Your Immune System And Stay Healthy In This COVID-19 World – Coronado Eagle and Journal

We all know by now that some of the best ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are to focus on things like social isolation, self-quarantining, washing hands and not touching our faces. But what else can you do to boost the immune system, optimize your health and stay safe?

I am a human behavior and performance expert who has spent years studying the neurological and psychological connection to physical health. My patients have been asking how they can stay healthy and protect themselves.

Here are his 11 tips:

Drink a lot of water: Staying hydrated is always good advice. As it relates to COVID-19, water can help washout the body and help rid it of viruses. Coconut water is also a good alternative because it has a lot of potassium. When your sodium and potassium levels are in balance, youre going to be healthier.

Get enough vitamins and minerals: In other words, eat a lot of fruits and veggies, especially green vegetables. It is best to get the nutrients you need through real living food, but during this pandemic you can also supplement with the use of high-quality vitamins and minerals.

Boost your immune system with vitamin C, zinc and echinacea. Of course, always talk to your own personal physician first. This can help you avoid the Coronavirus and fight it off if you do get it.

Drink apple cider vinegar: Drink one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with water each day. The health benefits are many, but as it relates to Coronavirus, it will detox your body, boost the immune system, clear your sinuses and increase your energy.

Avoid sugar and processed foods: This is also good advice in general, but even more so during these times. Sugar will proliferate a virus. It causes inflammation and obesity. If you cant cut it out altogether, eliminate it as much as you can. Similarly, avoid processed foods and stick to living foods which will aid in digestion.

Stay away from acidic foods like meat: Now is a good time to reduce your meat consumption or cut it out all-together. Too much meat brings acidity to the body, or a condition called acidosis. This has a host of side effects that can make it tougher to fight off viruses like COVID such as respiratory issues, kidney problems, fatigue, headache, shortness of breath and more.

Avoid dairy: Dairy has casein which some people are allergic to. This can cause havoc on your digestive system and brings all kinds of unpleasant side effects, reactions and lower the immune system. Stick to water when possible.

Dont drink OJ: While Orange Juice may be high in vitamin C which can boost the immune system, its also loaded with sugar. opt for eating a real orange instead which is much healthier and has loads of vitamin C.

Get a lot of Aerobic exercise. The idea is to get the blood pumping and oxygenate the lungs. One of the simplest ways to do this is to go for a walk every single day. It can help protect you from viruses and is great for your overall health.

Avoid family arguments: If you are avoiding crowds and self-quarantining, you are going to be spending a lot of time around family. Tensions can quickly rise and you can become stressed. Too much stress lowers the white blood cell count, and white blood cells are needed to fight off infection. Focus on coming together and appreciating the time together.

Do something productive toward combating the virus: Whether its social isolation, self-quarantining, washing your hands, wiping down surfaces in your home, doing something that gives you a sense of accomplishment toward beating the virus is a good immune system boost. It also changes your mental attitude for the better knowing you have taken steps to protect yourself and your family.

For more information, visit http://alignedperformanceinstitute.com/.

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Doctor's 11 Tips To Boost Your Immune System And Stay Healthy In This COVID-19 World - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Human Behavior

Coronavirus a ‘Clear Warning Shot’ From Nature to Humanity, Top Scientists Say – Common Dreams

While healthcare providers and government officials around the world work to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate the effects of a resulting economic crisis, scientists urged authorities to also seriously consider a long-term strategy for preventing another infectious disease outbreakcalling the coronavirus a "clear warning shot" from nature.

Previous warningstaking the form of the Ebola epidemic of 2014, the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, and MERS in 2012have gone unheeded, U.N. Environmental Program director Inger Andersen said Wednesday

"Never before have so many opportunities existed for pathogens to pass from wild and domestic animals to people," she told The Guardian, thanks to widespread habitat destruction through deforestation, mining, exploitation of animals for profit, and the climate crisis.

"Our long-term response must tackle habitat and biodiversity loss," Andersen said.

Wildfires throughout Australia and Brazilwith the latter linked to President Jair Bolsonaro's administration in the interest of ranching and agribusiness interestsrising global temperatures brought on by fossil fuel extraction, and other extreme weather caused by the climate crisis are all to blame for a loss of "wild spaces," Andersen said.

This "continued erosion," she told the outlet, "has brought us uncomfortably close to animals and plants that harbor diseases that can jump to humans."

"We are intimately interconnected with nature, whether we like it or not. If we don't take care of nature, we can't take care of ourselves." Inger Andersen, U.N. Environment Program

With 75% of infectious diseases originating from wildlife, Andersen and other experts said, increased demand for animal products around the world could be putting humans at risk for outbreaks like the coronavirus pandemic.

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The coronavirus, officially known at SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, is thought to have spread from a species of horseshoe bat to another animal in a live animal market in Wuhan, China, allowing it to spread to humans.

"The origin and pathway of the coronavirus pandemic shouldn't surprise us," World Bank environmental specialist Daniel Mira-Salama wrote last week."TheSARS epidemic in 2003jumped to humans from civet cats, sold in markets as pets and as a delicacy.MERS was transmitted to humans from camelsin 2012. Avian influenza, Nipah virus, Ebola, HIV all of these and many other Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) originated in animals and were transmitted to humansa phenomenon called zoonosis."

Ending illegal animal trades would help cut down on the spread of infectious diseases in markets, which the experts called an "ideal mixing bowl," according to The Guardian.

"We should be taking this as a clear warning shot,"Professor Andrew Cunningham of the Zoological Society of London toldThe Guardian. "It's almost always a human behavior that causes it and there will be more in the future unless we change."

A global governmental effort similar to the concrete, far-reaching government reforms to stop the climate crisis demanded by Greta Thunberg and other campaigners around the world is needed to face "the deadly impacts of collapsing ecosystems," Irish Wildlife Trust campaign officerPdraic Fogarty tweeted.

While President Donald Trump has claimed numerous times that COVID-19 "came out of nowhere" and is a crisis that "nobody expected," its emergence and spread was "not only predictable, it was predicted," Cunningham told The Guardian.

Scientists have warned for years that "there would be another viral emergence from wildlife that would be a public health threat."

Humans, particularly those in positions of power, the experts said, must now face the consequences of their appetite for illegal animal trades, extractive industry profits, and other profit-driven activities which lead to the destruction of animals' habitats around the world. Once the coronavirus pandemic is over, there must be a new focus on protecting biodiversity and wildlife.

"We are intimately interconnected with nature, whether we like it or not," Andersen said. "If we don't take care of nature, we can't take care of ourselves. And as we hurtle towards a population of 10 billion people on this planet, we need to go into this future armed with nature as our strongest ally."

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Coronavirus a 'Clear Warning Shot' From Nature to Humanity, Top Scientists Say - Common Dreams

Human Behavior

KINNEY: The foundations of socialism and capitalism | Opinion – Main Street Newspapers

At their foundations, Socialism (central planning) and Capitalism (free markets) arise from two very different, opposing views of human behavior.

The fundamental differences between the two economic models explain why. Historically, free markets have flourished and central planning has a record of abject failure.

Capitalism embraces the reality that the human race responds best to a program that rewards initiative and satisfies the self interests of the individual.

Free markets embody that philosophy believing we are all better off in an economy that allows the most people to pursue their personal goals independent from outside political pressures, regulations and directives.

Socialism requires a strong central planning element that defines the best outcomes for all the citizens regardless of the personal goals and ambitions of any individual.

Central planning is built on the idealistic model that a few well-informed and well-intentioned people in authority can build a successful economy better than one driven by the individual goals and ambitions of its citizens.

Neither Socialism nor Capitalism as implemented by its proponents functions without problems and disparities ... but the economic model which best describes and harnesses human nature has a proven record of creating wealth and the highest standards of living for its citizens.

Free market economies have proven historically to harness the power of individual goals and dreams for the maximum benefit for the maximum number of its citizens.

Central planning economies have a history of failing to produce the utopian promises of its leaders and traps more people in poverty and despair than free markets have ever done.

Socialism functions for the benefit of the ruling elite who are prospering from the hard work of others. Although motivated by their own personal self interests, they expect the citizens to be more motivated by selfless altruism foregoing personal self interest. On the other hand, Capitalism acknowledges that humans produce the best results when pursuing their own self-interests.

Ironically, studies on the subject shows that the more freedom and opportunities an economy provides, the more philanthropic its citizens. While in societies directed by authoritarian central planning efforts there is measurably less willingness by its citizens to give to charitable causes.

It is impossible for a socialist economic model of any size and complexity to function without a strong bureaucratic government. Said another way ... with minor exceptions, history reveals that to establish and maintain a socialist state, the development of a strong authoritarian government is a prerequisite.

Capitalism, at its core believes what you produce is yours .... Socialism believes what you produce is theirs.

Capitalism, at its core believes you can spend your money best .... Socialism believes they can spend it better for you.

Capitalism, at its core believes you can best define your own self-interests .... Socialism believes they know whats best for you.

Capitalism, at its core believes you preform best when pursuing your own self-interests .... Socialism believes top performance can be achieved without personal incentives.

Capitalism, at its core believes in personal property rights .... Socialism believes the government owns it all.

Capitalism, at its core believes you are smart enough to make your own decisions .... Socialism believes you need their help.

Capitalism, at its core believes in smaller government .... Socialism demands bigger government.

Capitalism, at its core prioritizes the value of each individual .... Socialism elevates the state above all.

As they say, It dont take a rocket scientist to figure out why free markets work and central planning doesnt!

Capt. Jim Kinney USN (ret) is a highly decorated 26 year veteran of Naval aviation with extensive experience in DC. He served on Gov. Huckabees presidential campaign staff. A noted international speaker, Capt. Kinney is available to speak to civic groups for special events, luncheons, dinners and retreats. Contact him at Captain5772@gmail.com

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KINNEY: The foundations of socialism and capitalism | Opinion - Main Street Newspapers

Human Behavior

My Word: Thanks to all in these trying times – Eureka Times-Standard

In a crazy time like this, a little kindness toward, and appreciation of, those in our community that are on the front lines goes a long way.

Thank you to our local journalists, who are keeping us very well informed. Your hard work and dedication to providing our community with accurate and up-to-date news is beyond admirable.

Thank you to our local educators, who are scrambling to figure out a new way to deliver an education to our students that live in very diverse home situations. Your devotion to our children is appreciated more than you know.

Thank you to our first responders, who are always ready to help us whenever we need it. We dont say thank you nearly enough.

Thank you to our grocery clerks, and everyone else behind the scenes that keep our food supply stable. Daily, you are witnessing the best and the worst of human behavior, as well as having to leave your families at home while you come to work to make sure we all have food and supplies. Thank you!

A giant thank you to our medical support teams, from our local doctors and nurses, to all of the others that support them (lab workers, assistants, receptionists, and especially the housekeeping staff that are doing their best to keep everything disinfected). You are truly on the front lines, and we cant thank you enough. You are always there to take care of us, and right now we need to do everything we can to take care of you, by following all guidelines, washing our hands regularly, and keeping our distance socially.

And finally, a thank you to our community leaders, who are bravely trying to lead us through these uncharted waters. We know you are doing your very best for all of us, and the personal sacrifices you make in order to help all of us are deeply appreciated.

Together, as a community, we will make it through this but only if we work together. Be kind, and remember to thank people as often as you can.

Lisa Bethune resides in Arcata.

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My Word: Thanks to all in these trying times - Eureka Times-Standard

Human Behavior

Does The Mayor Have Authority To Closes Businesses? – And Response (3) – The Chattanoogan

I am curious where the mayor gets the authority to close businesses in the city.

I have looked through the state code and cannot find that authority. It appears to reside in the governor and the Health Department.

I note that several cities have decided they do not have such authority after legal consultation. Cities such as Dickson and Sevierville have stated as much.

Just curious why nobody has asked the question.

Gary Curtis

* * *

Gary, you pose a good question here, maybe the answer is best answered in three months.

Just curious, can you list every person youve been near in the last 14 days, and know every person theyve been near does not carry COVID-19? I make blown glass for a living. Maybe I should start making crystal balls, they help bring answers too.

Essentially human behavior and human actions are boiled down to two factors, one is love, the other is fear. The doctors say stay at home, the mayors take heed and repeat that. Traffic by our house shows about 90 percent of my neighbors are listening. The other 10 percent I hope are in necessary occupations and take the same precautions I do.

Until testing is at a logical level for a situation such as this, Im taking the mayor at his word and staying put. I have no gold plated health insurance, so I cant afford to get sick.

My take with all this back and forth about economics and health is there is a middle ground. That being all the places that have gotten past the initial swell of cases have done so by rigorous testing and trace contact. South Korea has not slowed business with that approach. New Rochelle, N.Y. did a lockdown upon getting 108 cases. Total cases there stand at 252 because people stopped mingling and spreading.

Eldridge Cleaver summed it up best. He said of societal issues, Youre either part of the solution or part of the problem.

Prentice Hicks

* * *

Touche, Prentice Hicks.

And lets pray the governor does soon.

Mickey Spence

* * *

Personally, I do believe the mayor has the authority to close businesses in times of emergency. And probably did the right thing here.

Im just surprised Mayor Berke believes he has the authority to do it given the fact he doesnt seem to think he has the authority to fix potholes.

Paul Anthony

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Does The Mayor Have Authority To Closes Businesses? - And Response (3) - The Chattanoogan

Human Behavior

Can the Internet Break From Overuse? | HowStuffWorks – HowStuffWorks

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The coronavirus pandemic (and its self-quarantine measures) is keeping adults and kids at home and on their computers and smartphones for work, school or recreation, making unprecedented demands on the internet. In fact, Netflix and YouTube are reducing streaming quality in Europe to prevent internet overload. The changes came after EU officials asked streaming services and individual users to stop using high-definition video "to prevent the internet from breaking," as CNN put it on March 20.

This news has a lot of us asking: With so many people at home using huge amounts of data, could the internet suddenly just stop working?

You can rest easy. Outright internet failure is possible but unlikely, say experts who observe technology and internet usage around the world. Cyberattacks or the physical cutting of cables under the sea that carry enormous amounts of internet traffic are more likely to disrupt the internet than too much activity.

"Nothing, including the internet, is invulnerable to overload. But the internet has an enormous amount of redundancy and backup in its systems," says Paul Levinson, professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University. "This means that although one app or system can go down, it's unlikely that the whole system will collapse. Also, given that the people who work on the internet are used to working from home, many of them are already in place to work [this way], even in this time of crisis."

Ookla chief technology officer Luke Deryckx says the real concerns are not the internet infrastructure but rather the increased numbers of end users all sharing the same WiFi system (such as family members). His company analyzes internet traffic patterns and provides speed tests to people who want to understand how fast (or slow) their online connections really are.

Ookla detected slowdowns in residential internet speed in early March, specifically in places like New York and California, where COVID-19 has either struck hard or caused shelter-in-place orders. Other nations that suffered early in the virus outbreak, like China and Italy, experienced noticeable slowdowns, too but China, with its dwindling number of reported illnesses, is on the rebound.

Internet service providers (ISPs) are, however, seeing a shift in the demand for their services. According to Cloudflare, a web security company, in the U.S., peak demand for the internet was typically around 7:30 p.m., as families settled into their nightly routines, which included watching streaming channels. Now, the peak demand is around 11:00 a.m., and it lasts longer than normal, another sign of shifting lifestyle patterns.

For now, though, in most places, "the bottom line is that the networks are holding up," says Deryckx.

That's not necessarily the case for individual apps and websites.

"Beyond the ISPs, there are also the service platforms that people are using," he says. That's why even though your ISP might be working just fine, Netflix or Zoom might struggle to keep up with high traffic volume." For instance, they might not have enough servers to handle the increased traffic.

At the moment, video conferencing services, which are useful for remote learning, meetings and even entertainment, are experiencing some intermittent sluggishness. Financial market trading tools stopped working repeatedly as the stock market plunged repeatedly in early March. And Facebook is struggling to deal with both the massive increase in traffic and the fact that its 45,000 employees are all working remotely for the first time.

You can monitor the slowdowns and outages of various services by searching on Down Detector. At the time of publication, video game Call of Duty, video conferencing service Zoom and food delivery service Doordash were all suffering from intermittent issues, a clear reflection of current events.

To prevent the same kind of thing from happening to the internet at large, communications companies are already hard at work.

"The best way of preventing an overload crash is not to limit usage, but make sure the systems are robust, and even put in new backups into the system," says Levinson. Deryckx echoes that sentiment, saying that right now, engineering teams all over the world are scaling up their baseline network infrastructure to support their increasing user volume.

"We're witnessing an unprecedented shift in human behavior, not just internet trends. And I think that the internet in our everyday lives is just becoming more and more essential," says Deryckx. "And you can see that happening day to day; it is a really interesting thing to be a part of."

If the pandemic continues for 18 months or more, which some experts believe is possible, online services will be incredibly critical for every aspect of our lives. In turn, this scenario could widen America's so-called digital divide, a term used to describe the fact that many Americans don't have reliable access to high-speed internet.

For those unfortunate citizens, education, work and other life fundamentals will be harder than ever to pursue. That's especially true for Americans who make less than $30,000 per year a third of them don't have smartphones, and nearly half don't have broadband internet or even a regular desktop computer, according to Pew Research Center.

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Can the Internet Break From Overuse? | HowStuffWorks - HowStuffWorks

Human Behavior

‘Devs’ Episode 5: Kenton threatens Forest and Katie further complicates the philosophies of Amaya – MEAWW

As things progress further in Alex Garlands science fiction/philosophical miniseries (or as he believes, a movie in eight parts), the plot gets clearer as well as more complicated at the same time. This is somewhat in line with the shows paradoxical philosophy of fatalism and determinism versus free will.

Episode 4 of the show answered many questions about the top-secret project going on inside Amayas development division. When Lyndon (Cailee Spaeny) makes a breakthrough he taps into the multiverse and projects a different version of Jesus Christ, he is fired from the organization by Forest (Nick Offerman), who is clearly struggling with moral and philosophical dilemmas. On the other hand, Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) is forced to go to a psych evaluation by the firms head of security Kenton (Zach Grenier).

Kenton, who now knows that Lily is not the paranoid-schizophrenic she claimed to be, likely drives her to where she would meet her end. Lily, sensing danger, has a physical altercation with him while hes driving. They crash and Lily escapes.

She then calls the cops to tell them that her boyfriend Sergei was murdered by the folks at Amaya. But things go topsy-turvy and cops arrest her, instead, claiming she had caused reckless endangerment. As her ex-boyfriend Jamie (Jin Ha) follows her into the hallway, trying to stop the police from taking her, he's pushed back inside his apartment by Kenton, who draws the shades, leaving viewers certain that Jamie too was now in danger.

Episode 5s summary reveals, Kenton pays Jamie a visit to guarantee his silence, while Katie covertly exploits the Devs system for her own ends. This, for one, guarantees that Jamie is not going to get killed off so soon. But there really is no telling with Garland.

However, the preview for the episode reveals more.

We see Forest asking Katie (Alison Pill), Do you think any of them understand what were really doing in here? to which, Katie responds, Im not sure you even understand what were doing here You had choices.

That is the essence of the show. The idea of choices. The show is based on the principle of causal determinism, and to a degree fatalism, which dictates that everything that happens is necessitated by antecedent events and conditions. Every person and every action taken by that person goes on a fixed path. There are no choices. But Katie claiming Forest had choices, implies free will in the face of that very idea the idea that is the basis for the quantum computing technology they have developed in the eponymous Devs division that predicts human behavior.

The promo also sees Jamie being tortured, likely by Kenton. Hes being drowned, possibly for the sake of figuring out what exactly does Lily know about Devs and the murder of Sergei. At the same time, we see Kenton telling Forest that the terms of their deal were null and void: Im not going to prison. One can only assume that it is about the murder of Sergei and the possible other dirty deeds carried out by him on the behest of Amayas clearly unhinged owner.

There is no mention of how Katie covertly exploits the Devs system for her own ends, but there is an odd scene where Forest is standing in the middle of a road, narrowly missing getting hit by two oncoming cars.

If the fourth episode was revealing, the promo for the fifth only makes things murkier.

Devs drops on FX on Hulu, every Thursday at 12 am.

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'Devs' Episode 5: Kenton threatens Forest and Katie further complicates the philosophies of Amaya - MEAWW

Physiology

Seat of wisdom: Have we always known it’s the brain? – New Scientist

Have we always known that we think with our heads? Is it instinctive?

Hazel Russman, London, UK

We havent always believed that we think with our heads. The ancient Egyptians had such a poor opinion of the brain that, during the process of mummification, they removed it through the nostrils and threw it away.

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In ancient times, Jews associated each mental function with a different part of the body. Emotion was located in the bowels, willpower in the heart and intellect apparently in the kidneys. Thus, in literal translations of the Bible, Psalm 16, verse 7 says: I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My kidneys instruct me in the night season.

Peter Urben, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, UK

Sceptics, and those of like kidney, know in their heart that many mental attitudes and activities are linguistically attributed to organs far from the head. Some of the examples we can put a finger on are purely metaphorical, but many must reflect an earlier view of physiology.

Spencer Weart, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, US

Brain trauma as many warriors must have noticed since ancient times can cause cognitive disorders. In particular, a blow to the head, far more than anywhere else, can render us unconscious.

So, naturally, the acute observer Aristotle, and his academic followers for some two millennia, concluded that the brain is an organ to cool the blood, and the seat of intelligence is the heart wait, what?

Eric Kvaalen, Les Essarts-le-Roi, France

In the Bible, there is no mention of the brain, or of thoughts being in the head. Instead, thoughts and emotions were considered to be associated with the heart (for instance, Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verse 5), the liver (Lamentations 2:11 and the original text of Psalm 16:9), the bowels (Psalm 40:8) and even the kidneys (Psalm 26:2). Some translations dont bear this out though.

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Physiology

Can You Use the Elliptical for Recovery Runs? – runnersworld.com

If youve ever followed a race training plan, you know its not just about running; its about running strategically. Thats why there are easy runs, long runs, speed runs, tempo runs, recovery runsits enough running to fill at least five or six days a week, and it can eventually do a number on your body.

The reason training plans call for so much running is the rule of specificity: Whatever you want to get good at, you have to do that type of activity to a pretty high degree, explains Ian Klein, a specialist in exercise physiology, cross-training, and injury prevention at Ohio University. Translation: To be a better runner, you have to run more. Each specific running workout has a purposefrom developing fast-twitch muscle fibers for speed to building your endurance to helping your tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones adapt to the stress of runningwhich is why its important to include all of them in a training plan.

That said, theres a little flexibility when it comes to the recovery run. The low-intensity recovery runwhich is generally done at less than 70 percent of your maximum heart rateis crucial for maintaining the base of your aerobic fitness and developing oxygen efficiency in the muscles, says Klein. But if youre injury-prone, dealing with small niggles or joint pain, or even just approaching burnout, its one workout that you can take off the road or tread and onto another piece of equipment: the elliptical.

The elliptical was literally invented to mimic the motions of running without the impact caused by runningso youre going to get a more running-specific cross-training workout than you would on a bike or in a pool. But running on the elliptical eliminates the weight-bearing and muscle-pounding that running produces, says Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at Mary Free Bed Sports Rehabilitation Performance Lab in Grand Rapids, MI.

What the elliptical does is take out the eccentric contraction, that moment when you land and prevent your body from collapsing, explains Klein. That is an integral part of running, so you do need that training; but if you get too much of it, he adds, your muscles can fatigue and break down under all that stress, which can lead to injury.

The elliptical also cuts out the push-off phase of the gait cycle, because your feet never leave the pedals. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, says Juan Delgado, C.S.C.S., director of Sports Science at the NY Sports Science Lab in Staten Island, New York. When running, the tibialis anterior muscles (which are responsible for dorsiflexion of the feet) are never under maximum tensionwhich makes them more susceptible to overuse and makes you more prone to shin splints, Delgado explains. But when youre maintaining constant contact with the elliptical pedal, these muscles will have a better isokinetic and isometric contractions, becoming stronger without the impact of the lift-off/heel strike motion, he adds.

Plus, the elliptical is more of a complete workout, equally recruiting the upper and lower body with its pendulum motion. By using your body weight as resistance, it becomes an excellent way to prepare your body for the rigors of regular running, since the muscles engaged in running will become stronger and more accustomed to carrying the body weight without the impact of hitting the floor constantly, says Delgado.

Because the elliptical is a non-weight-bearing activity, it will feel easier than a run of similar intensity. To combat this, use the elliptical for 1.5 to 2 times the duration of your run, says Buckingham. For example, a 30-minute run would be equivalent to a 45-minute to one-hour elliptical session.

Subbing in elliptical sessions on recovery days can be especially helpful for runners who have a tough time actually sticking to a recovery pace (or less than 70 percent of your maximum heart rate). Its actually pretty hard to get your heart rate up on the elliptical (without maxing out resistance), which means youll actually stay in the easy, low-intensity zone you need to be in to get the benefits of that workout.

Because using the elliptical can improve blood flow to the muscles without causing the muscle fiber damage that running does, it could actually help speed the recovery time between hard running sessions and allow you to complete your hard running days at a higher intensity, says Buckingham. And if hard days are performed at a higher intensity, performance gains will be greater.

Thats why you should always do your key workoutsspeed runs, tempo runs, and race pace runsas running efforts, says Klein. No matter how closely the elliptical was designed to mimic running, anyone whos ever stepped on a machine knows its not a perfect match. Consider it a valuable tool in your arsenal, especially on days you need to slow it down or get a little extra recovery, but not as a replacement for running.

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Can You Use the Elliptical for Recovery Runs? - runnersworld.com