Christianophobia

British journalist Rupert Shortt documents and examines the persecution of Christians around the world ? a problem of which many Westerners are unaware.

By Rayyan Al-Shawaf / May 16, 2013

Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack By Rupert Shortt Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company 328 pp.

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In the introduction to his focused yet far-ranging Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack, Rupert Shortt points out that ?[o]ne reason why Western audiences hear so little about religious oppression in the Muslim world is straightforward: young Christians in Europe and America do not become ?radicalized,? and persecuted Christians tend not to respond with terrorist violence.?

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Another reason for the silence, he adds, stems from the fear that criticizing Muslims will prompt charges of racism. A third explanation lies in the fact that many liberals in the West look askance at Christianity in the developing world due to a simplistic and often historically inaccurate belief that its spread was bound up with Western imperialism.

Shortt, religion editor at the (London) Times Literary Supplement and biographer of Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury), begins with the premise ?that freedom of belief and association are unqualified goods? and proceeds to examine countries ? including several non-Muslim ones ? that deny them to Christians.

Shortt relies on interviews he conducted in seven countries he visited, reports released by international Christian aid organizations as well as Amnesty International, and scholarly and other books. In some ways, he follows in the footsteps of Paul Marshall and co-authors, who have long written about persecution of Christians and whose findings are among the references he cites. Throughout, he eschews polemics and unhesitatingly criticizes both historical and recent Christian violence against Muslims and others.

Shortt makes a very good point regarding the title of his book, which, technically, would refer to fear of Christianity. ?I am aware that ?Christianophobia,? like ?Islamophobia,' is an elastic term, perhaps implying a passive attitude, unlike the more active ?anti-Semitism?; and that prejudice should be distinguished from more overt forms of ill will manifested in state ideology or various sorts of behavior,? he observes. ?However, neither ?anti-Muslimism? nor ?anti-Christianism? has caught on, so Christianophobia seems to me a valid term.??

So, why are Christians discriminated against and even persecuted? Reasons are varied, and Shortt strives, with a good deal of success, to provide context. In Vietnam, China, and North Korea, all of which are totalitarian and have been Communist to varying degrees, the regimes fear alternative sources of authority, as well as some Christians? association with the West.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/F9ti2DT5Ftg/Christianophobia

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Google and NASA Snap Up D-Wave Quantum Computer

Except what they obviously intend to use it for - large scale decryption of SSL traffic so the data can be mined by Google (for profit) and the Government (to oppress).

If that's their intent, they'll be sorely disappointed, since D-Wave's machine has only 512 qubits (where as all new SSL certificates are at least 1024 bits). More importantly, the machine is not a general purpose quantum computer and can't run Shor's algorithm.

Besides, NSA is already able to break 1024 bit RSA using conventional computing (not to mention the possibility of much cheaper side channel attacks). See e.g. Schneier [schneier.com].

If we are optimistic, it may be possible to factor a 1024-bit RSA modulus [before 2020] by means of an academic effort on [a] limited scale.

- Kleinjung et al., 2010 [iacr.org], my emphasis

The same paper gives an estimated difficulty

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/F-MWwpuqvus/story01.htm

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A Small Shock To The System May Help Brain With Math

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Ever get stuck on these?

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Stimulating the brain with a very small electrical current through the forehead could boost a student's ability to learn and remember basic mathematics, a provocative experiment suggets.

The work, published online Thursday by the journal Current Biology, could help those who struggle with mental arithmetic. But the study was small and the long-term effect wasn't profound.

The study tested something called transcranial random noise stimulation, a technique that sends a tiny current to the brain.

The current, generated by a small electronic device, is delivered through two electrodes attached to the temple. The electricity seems to affect the brain's neurons, which themselves use electrical signals to communicate with each other.

The results are preliminary, and alpha parents seeking an edge for their children shouldn't risk electrocution. "Do not try this at home," says Jackie Thompson, a psychologist at the University of Oxford in the U.K.

Some studies suggest that up to 1 in 5 of us has difficulty learning basic math, according to Thompson. Thompson and her colleagues thought that very slight electrical stimulation could help. Electrical stimulation has sometimes been shown to boost basic cognitive skills, Thompson says.

To find out if it could help with more complex brain functions, the team tried mathematics. They took 25 students and asked them to memorize a series of made-up mathematical equations. For example, 4 # 12 = 17. The idea was to test their ability to memorize sums that they hadn't seen before.

All the students had two electrodes stuck to their foreheads, but only half received the tiny electrical signal. The signal was too small to be felt, and even the researchers conducting the tests didn't know who had received a signal and who hadn't.

When they went back and checked, they found that those who had received the stimulation appeared to memorize their sums faster and better than those who hadn't. Moreover, the effect seemed to last for six months after the stimulation. But it wasn't as strong.

Researchers aren't quite sure how it works, but co-author author Thompson says that the electrical signal may get brain cells synchronized: "Kind of like if you have eight rowers in a boat, if they're all rowing together they go faster," she says.

Researchers hope that their new technique could eventually be developed into a tool to help those with learning disabilities, or anyone who finds they are severely math challenged. But Thompson says that more research is needed to see what method of stimulation works best.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/16/184544875/a-small-shock-to-the-system-may-help-brain-with-math?ft=1&f=1007

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PFT: Cards GM says Mathieu best playmaker in draft

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Tracing Doug Whaley?s move from Wall Street to Bills G.M.

The Dolphins signed undrafted rookie T Rupert Bryan and plan to move him to fullback.

Do the changes on the defensive line foreshadow scheme changes for the Patriots?

Jets G Vladimir Ducasse knows he has one more chance with the Jets.

With Rolando McClain officially out of the picture, here?s how things look at inside linebacker for the Ravens.

Five students have received $20,000 in college scholarship money from the charitable organization run by Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

Browns G Jason Pinkston feels great after returning to the field for the first time since he developed a blood clot in his lung last year.

Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com thinks Antonio Brown can prove himself as a No. 1 receiver with the Steelers this year.

After spending 2012 on injured reserve, Texans K Randy Bullock is excited to actually do some kicking.

Said Colts coach Chuck Pagano of WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, ?We are very fortunate to get him on board. Big, fast, long athletic guy, that can go up and find the football and can certainly stretch a defense and take the top off the secondary, off the backend.?

The new-look Jaguars jerseys seem to be selling well.

Titans rookie CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson has made a habit of learning quickly on the football field.

It?s hard to find a weakness when it comes to Broncos LB Von Miller.

Chiefs defenders are enjoying the aggressiveness in this year?s defensive scheme.

Josh Cribbs is looking forward to playing for Raiders special teams coach Bobby April.

A move to guard looks like it is working out well for Jeromey Clary of the Chargers.

A call for the Cowboys to add Collin Klein?to their roster.

Aaron Curry believes he can be an impact linebacker for the Giants.

How will the Eagles use their tight ends this season?

Some disbelief about reports of Redskins interest in RB Tim Hightower.

How much did the Bears spend on undrafted free agents?

The Lions? defensive backs should be tested frequently in 2013.

A group of Packers players went to Iowa to fire up the team?s fans in the state.

Vikings LB Chad Greenway wants you to be a farmer.

Said Falcons coach Mike Smith of the team?s belief in high-character players, ?We win in the locker room first.?

Several Panthers rookies made a good first impression.

The Saints signed DT Isaako Aaitui to a two-year deal.

Going one-on-one with Buccaneers rookie DT Akeem Spence.

Cardinals rookies are getting plenty of chances to impress their coaches.

G.M. Les Snead has completed his overhaul of the team?s scouting and personnel departments.

RB Marcus Lattimore was left inspired by his first meeting with new 49ers teammate Frank Gore.

On Friday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee is signing a bill that will allow people to get Seahawks license plates.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/15/cardinals-gm-mathieu-could-be-the-best-playmaker-in-the-draft/related/

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Clam fossils divulge secrets of ecologic stability

May 15, 2013 ? Clam fossils from the middle Devonian era -- some 380 million years ago -- now yield a better paleontological picture of the capacity of ecosystems to remain stable in the face of environmental change, according to research published today (May 15) in the online journal PLOS ONE.

Trained to examine species abundance -- the head counts of specimens -- paleontologists test the stability of Earth's past ecosystems. The research shows that factors such as predation and organism body size from epochs-gone-by can now be considered in such detective work.

Back 380 million years ago, New York was under the Devonian sea. Today, the fossils found in the rocks of this region have become well known for documenting long-term stability in species composition -- that is, the same species have been found to persist with little change over a 5 million year period. But research has found that species abundance in this ancient ecosystem went up and down, generating debate among paleontologists whether the fauna, as a whole, was also stable in terms of its ecology.

A team of Cornell, Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) -- an affiliate of Cornell -- and University of Cincinnati researchers revisited this debate by examining the ecological stability of the Devonian clam fauna.

"To understand how these species fared in the Devonian, you have to look at how they interacted with other species. There is more to ecology than just the abundance and distribution of species," said Gregory Dietl, Cornell adjunct professor, earth and atmospheric sciences, and a paleontologist at PRI.

The research, "Abundance Is Not Enough: The Need for Multiple Lines of Evidence in Testing for Ecological Stability in the Fossil Record," was written by Judith Nagel-Myers, paleontologist, PRI; John Handley, PRI; Carlton Brett, University of Cincinnati professor of geology; and Dietl.

The scientists took a new approach to testing ecological stability: In addition to counting numbers of clams, they examined repair scars on fossil clams that were left by the unsuccessful attacks from shell-crushing predators, and the body size of the clam assemblage as it yields biological information on the structure of food webs.

"Surprisingly, predation pressure and the body size structure of the clams remained stable, even as abundance varied," said Nagel-Myers. Possible mechanisms that explain the clam assemblage's stability are related to the dynamics of food webs -- the same mechanisms operating in food webs today. In one mechanism, predators switched between feeding on different clam species as their abundance varied.

The ancient Devonian ecosystem was more complex than previously thought, as it cautions scientists against basing conclusions on a single factor. Said Dietl: "Our results thus raise serious doubt as to whether ecological stability can be tested meaningfully, solely based upon the abundance of taxa, which has been the standard metric used to test for ecological stability in paleoecology."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/h9DvRjAsaXI/130515174029.htm

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Cholesterol-lowering drug may reduce exercise benefits for obese adults

May 15, 2013 ? Statins, the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, are often suggested to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease in individuals with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders including excess body fat and/or high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and/or cholesterol. However, University of Missouri researchers found that simvastatin, a generic type of statin previously sold under the brand name "Zocor," hindered the positive effects of exercise for obese and overweight adults.

"Fitness has proven to be the most significant predictor of longevity and health because it protects people from a variety of chronic diseases," said John Thyfault, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at MU. "Daily physical activity is needed to maintain or improve fitness, and thus improve health outcomes. However, if patients start exercising and taking statins at the same time, it seems that statins block the ability of exercise to improve their fitness levels."

Thyfault says many cardiologists want to prescribe statins to all patients over a certain age regardless of whether they have metabolic syndrome; the drugs also are recommended for people with Type 2 diabetes. He recommends that cardiologists more closely weigh the benefits and risks of statins given this new data about their effect on exercise training.

"Statins have only been used for about 15-20 years, so we don't know what the long-term effects of statins will be on aerobic fitness and overall health," Thyfault said. "If the drugs cause complications with improving or maintaining fitness, not everyone should be prescribed statins."

Thyfault and his colleagues measured cardiorespiratory fitness in 37 previously sedentary, obese individuals ages 25-59 with low fitness levels. The participants followed the same exercise regimen on the MU campus for 12 weeks; 18 of the 37 people also took 40 mg of simvastatin daily.

Statins significantly affected participants' exercise outcomes. Participants in the exercise-only group increased their cardiorespiratory fitness by an average of 10 percent compared to a 1.5 percent increase among participants also prescribed statins. Additionally, skeletal muscle mitochondrial content, the site where muscle cells turn oxygen into energy, decreased by 4.5 percent in the group taking statins while the exercise-only group had a 13 percent increase, a normal response following exercise training.

Thyfault suggests that future research determine whether lower doses of simvastatin or other types of statins similarly affect people's exercise outcomes and thus their risk for diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Starting a statin regimen after exercising and obtaining a higher fitness level may reduce the drugs' effects on fitness, he says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia. The original article was written by Kate McIntyre.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Catherine R. Mikus, Leryn J. Boyle, Sarah J. Borengasser, Douglas J. Oberlin, Scott P. Naples, Justin Fletcher, Grace M. Meers, Meghan Ruebel, M. Harold Laughlin, Kevin C. Dellsperger, Paul J. Fadel, John P. Thyfault. Simvastatin impairs exercise training adaptations. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.02.074

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/HGgePthEP6g/130515151945.htm

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Arias back in court as jury ponders death option

PHOENIX (AP) ? Jodi Arias heads back to court Wednesday as jurors consider whether the death penalty should be an option for sentencing the former waitress after convicting her of first-degree murder last week.

Arias spent the weekend on suicide watch before being transferred back to the all-female Estrella Jail on Monday where she will remain held until her sentencing.

The so-called "aggravation" phase of the trial is set for Wednesday, during which jurors will deliberate one more time to weigh the death penalty option.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez must convince the panel that the murder was committed in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner. This phase will be a mini-trial of sorts, as both sides call witnesses to present testimony to jurors ? the defense in an effort to spare Arias' life, the prosecution to at least have a shot at a death sentence.

Martinez will likely call the county medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the victim to explain to jurors how Travis Alexander did not die calmly and fought for his life as evidenced by the numerous defensive wounds on his hands and feet. The lead detective on the case also will likely testify about the crime scene in an effort to show jurors just how much blood was spread around Alexander's bathroom and bedroom as he struggled to fend off the attack.

It wasn't clear who the defense would call to testify in an effort to get the death penalty off the table.

If jurors find the killing fits the definition of cruel and heinous, the panel will recommend either life in prison or death during the next and final penalty phase of the trial.

If the panel finds no aggravating factors exist, jurors will be dismissed and the judge will determine whether Arias should spend the rest of her life in prison or be sentenced to 25 years with the possibility of release.

"I think this jury is going to listen to everything, but they're going to come back very quickly and find that indeed the state has shown beyond a reasonable doubt the crime was committed in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner," Phoenix criminal defense lawyer Julio Laboy said. "This was a cruel death and one in which he (Alexander) knew he was dying."

Arias stabbed and slashed Alexander nearly 30 times, shot him in the forehead and slit his throat from ear to ear, leaving the motivational speaker and businessman nearly decapitated before she dragged his mutilated body into his shower where friends found him about five days later.

The 32-year-old Arias admitted killing her onetime boyfriend Alexander on June 4, 2008, at his suburban Phoenix home. She initially denied any involvement then later blamed masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said it was self-defense when the victim attacked her after a day of sex.

Prosecutors said she planned the killing in a jealous rage as Alexander wanted to end their affair and was planning to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Testimony began in early January. The jury reached its verdict last Wednesday after about 15 hours of deliberations over four days.

All 12 jurors ? eight men and four women ? unanimously agreed the killing was premeditated.

Minutes after her conviction last week, Arias granted an interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ while in a holding cell at the courthouse, only adding to the circus-like environment surrounding the trial, which has become a cable TV sensation with its graphic tales of sex, lies and violence.

"Longevity runs in my family, and I don't want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place," a tearful Arias said in the interview. "I believe death is the ultimate freedom, and I'd rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it."

Despite Arias' comments that she would rather die than be in prison for life, she cannot choose the death penalty. It is up to the jury to recommend a sentence.

Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday the agency would not grant anymore media interviews with Arias after receiving a court order prohibiting authorities from facilitating the requests. The order came shortly after a closed door meeting with the judge and attorneys in the case.

If jurors on Wednesday find Arias' crime deserves consideration of the death penalty, the trial will move into yet another ? and final ? phase, during which prosecutors will call witnesses, including members of Alexander's family, aimed at convincing the panel she should face the ultimate punishment. Arias' attorneys, meanwhile, will also call witnesses, likely members of her family, in an attempt to gain sympathy from jurors to spare her life.

"This case is not over. There's a lot left and without question, victory still awaits the defense if they can save her life and keep her off death row," Laboy said. "It was such a difficult set of facts and circumstances for her defense to overcome, from her multiple lies to the crime scene to the physical evidence ... If despite all of those things, they can save her life, they've still won."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arias-back-court-jury-ponders-death-option-071142088.html

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