You know what they say: new year, new you. And in the world of aesthetics, that resolution couldn’t be easier to achieve. According to experts, 2025 will be the year of cutting-edge work, such as new-age skincare treatments and nearly invisible plastic surgery. Namely, the “invisilift” is on the rise. Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Anil Shah, who practices in Chicago, said that getting a facelift before looking too aged is key for slowing down the aging process on the face. “Facelifts are absolutely the most requested procedure for patients in their 40s and 50s,” Shah explained to Salon Today . “When done early like this, it’s preventative, not restorative. Not only does this make for an incredibly natural outcome, but it allows patients to stop the clock, so to speak, for a good 10 to 15 years.” Also referred to as “early-intervention facelifts,” younger candidates for the procedure often see longer-lasting results, Dr. Sean Alemi, a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, told Forbes . “Millennials are turning 40 and looking for new solutions for facial aging and skin laxity that do not include filler,” he said. The change in preference signals a shift back to more naturally looking aesthetics, which has previously been called a “ De-Kardashian-ification ” or a “Great Deflation.” Chin implants are also expected “really take off in 2025,” Dr. Cat Chang, a Beverly Hills board-certified plastic surgeon, told Forbes. Her patients in particular, she added, have complained of having “weak chins.” “While on the pricier side, this procedure has minimal downtime, improves face shape and also defines the jawline,” she told Marie Claire . Non-invasive treatments for wrinkles and lifting are also expected to soar in popularity, such as Sofwave , which uses ultrasound technology to boost collagen production. Experts in the industry also predict that regenerative skincare — such as products that contain defensins, which are regenerative molecules, or exosome therapy — will gain traction in the new year. Exosomes, in tandem with red light therapy, have also been used in hair restoration treatments in people with menopausal hair loss. Shah called the combination of treatments a “game changer” for stimulating hair growth. Similarly, skincare treatments to counteract “ inflammaging ,” or aging caused by inflammation, could also be the next big thing in aesthetics. “I anticipate that exosome and stem cell treatments will rise in the coming year and beyond,” Chang said. “It’s hard to say exactly what that will look like, but it’s becoming more attractive for people to have their own stem cells harvested and injected back into the skin, as opposed to foreign substances.” Experts in the industry believe that the development of AI will also play a role in new-age techniques for rejuvenation and aesthetics. “Artificial intelligence is set to transform the world of aesthetic medicine,” said Dr. Patrick Byrne, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “By using AI to analyze facial features, guide cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, and predict evolution of interventions over time, surgeons will be able to deliver outcomes that are more nuanced and precise than ever before.”
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African politicians seeking to head the African Union detailed their plans on Friday for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade among other issues. Raila Odinga of Kenya, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They participated in a two-hour debate Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries in the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. Odinga said that two permanent seats with veto power were “a must for Africa” and that this was “only fair” since the continent has more than 50 countries. Randriamandrato urged member states to cease the opportunity and “speak with one voice on the choice of who will represent Africa in the UNSC.” The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, who has served for two terms. The African Union has faced several challenges that include conflict in member countries and political coups that have seen five member states expelled from the union, making regional security a major theme in Friday’s debate. Youssouf said that regional security could be enhanced if the resources for a regional standby force were increased to reduce the overreliance on foreign partnerships for resources. “When there is no unity of purpose among neighboring countries peace will be compromised,” Youseff said. Randriamandrato encouraged countries to take charge of their internal security while cautioning that foreign military bases should be “a thing of the past” because they “could be a source of conflict.” Despite the continent’s young population of 1.3 billion that is set to double by 2050, regional trade has faced challenges that were addressed in the Friday debate. Odinga said that Africa had a “huge domestic market” that it could leverage on for economic transformation by opening up opportunities for trade between African countries. Youssouf proposed a payment compensation system that would ensure countries don’t lose out while trading in different currencies adding, “are we going to have a single currency, why not?” Randriamandrato said that regional economic blocs like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa had a huge role to play in easing inter-Africa trade. The African Union has several proposed reforms on its structure and leadership aimed at achieving its purpose, and all candidates promised to implement the reforms if elected. Youssouf said that key reforms in the union were facing a funding bottleneck and that “it has to change,” adding that he wouldn’t impose it on member states but would “advocate for it.”Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly?
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Kroger Reiterates Its Commitment to Lower Prices and Initiates New $7.5B Share Buyback ProgramA 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also sought to be CEO and in an email outlined a plan where he would “unequivocally have initial control of the company” but said that would be temporary. He grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka power Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." Deebo's struggles The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." Defense declining The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. Under pressure With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable.A newly released Senate intelligence report has criticized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for its handling of cases related to the mysterious health condition known as Havana Syndrome. The declassified report, released on Friday, alleges that the agency's approach has "greatly complicated" the treatment and understanding of the condition, which has affected U.S. personnel and their families around the globe. Newsweek contacted the CIA on Friday via its online form for comment. Why It Matters As reported by Newsweek , the U.S. government has previously faced criticism for not taking the issue of Havana Syndrome seriously enough and the report would appear to confirm this. According to the 18-page report, titled "Review of CIA's Efforts to Provide Facilitated Medical Care and Benefits for Individuals Affected by Anomalous Health Incidents [AHIs]," the CIA's response has been marred by inadequate communication and "messaging challenges," inconsistent medical support, delayed compensation and a dismissive attitude toward affected individuals. These failures have hindered efforts to provide proper treatment and left many victims struggling to access benefits. "CIA has provided benefits and compensation to many AHI reporters, but ease of access to these programs has been inconsistent and affected by CIA's organizational position on AHIs," the report states. What To Know Havana Syndrome, first reported in 2016 by U.S. diplomats in Cuba , is characterized by symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, cognitive difficulties and even possible brain injuries. While the exact cause remains elusive, theories have ranged from targeted microwave attacks by Russia to environmental factors. The syndrome has since been reported in other locations, leading to further concerns about its scope and origins. As reported by Newsweek , more than 1,000 people in the U.S. and elsewhere are now thought to have been affected by Havana Syndrome. A study published by the National Institutes of Health in March 2024 offered no further insight into the causes of the condition. However, a joint investigation published earlier this year alleged that a Russian military intelligence unit known had experimented with "exactly the kind of weaponized technology experts suggest is a plausible cause for the mysterious medical condition," and raised further questions over the U.S. intelligence community's confidence in dismissing foreign intelligence influence. In response to the issue, the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021 was signed by President Joe Biden in October 2021. The Senate Intelligence Committee report released Friday stated in its findings that: "In sum, the absence of a clear case definition for AHIs, uncertainty surrounding the origin of AHIs, and CIA's evolving organizational position have greatly complicated CIA's ability to consistently and transparently facilitate medical care, provide compensation and other benefits, and communicate clearly about AHIs to the workforce." The report revealed that despite a growing number of cases, the agency was slow to standardize protocols for identifying and treating victims. The report stated that the CIA facilitated AHI-related medical care for nearly 100 CIA-affiliated incidents, but many individuals faced obstacles to timely and sufficient care In addition, the Senate committee highlighted discrepancies in how different agencies, including the Department of Defense , handled Havana Syndrome cases. This lack of coordination further complicated efforts to provide a unified response. "AHI clinical research studies have identified unexplained clusters of symptoms, but CIA has stopped collecting clinical data on AHls while DOD research efforts continue," the report said. Overall, the report found that the CIA's response to AHIs negatively affected AHI reporters and led to a trust deficit with portions of its workforce. "The Committee assesses that, since CIA's analytic position is that it is "very unlikely--that a foreign adversary is responsible for reported AHIs, then counterintelligence analysts' involvement in such determinations has made it difficult at times for AHI reporters' claims to be adjudicated on their individual merits," the report said. "Additionally, many AHI reporters experienced a significant moral injury as a result of how they perceived CIA's treatment of them." Previous investigations concluded that it was unlikely that Russia or another foreign adversary had used microwaves or other forms of directed energy to attack American officials. As reported by Newsweek and The Associated Press (AP), the agency has faced criticism from those who have reported cases and from advocates who accuse the government of long dismissing the array of ailments. What People Are Saying CIA Director William Burns previously defended the agency's efforts to address Havana Syndrome and emphasized the CIA's commitment to supporting affected personnel vowing to prioritize their care and recovery. Burns said: "I want to be absolutely clear: these findings do not call into question the experiences and real health issues that U.S. government personnel and their family members — including CIA's own officers — have reported while serving our country," said Burns in a statement, as reported by AP. "We will continue to remain alert to any risks to the health and wellbeing of Agency officers, to ensure access to care, and to provide officers the compassion and respect they deserve." While the Senate report has brought renewed attention to Havana Syndrome, many questions remain unanswered. The IC committee said: "The Committee wants to emphasize that CIA's facilitated medical care and benefit programs need not be locked in stone. As the U.S. government learns more about AHls, CIA can and should modify both the programs and benefits offered as well as the eligibility criteria and application processes for those programs. "In the meantime, as research continues, the IC must err on the side of providing more facilitated medical care and support to it employees and other affiliated personnel rather than less. This should be the default position for all of CIA's AHI-related efforts. " What Happens Next The Senate report concludes with recommendations for the CIA going forward: "CIA should develop written policies for medical care and benefit programs associated with AHIs and other counterintelligence-related health incidents that include clear eligibility criteria and adjudication processes for determining how access to such programs will be provided to individuals who seek these benefits." "These policies should be made available to CIA employees and the congressional intelligence committees. As research into AHIs progresses, CIA should periodically review these policies to ensure that these benefit programs and the criteria used to determine eligibility reflect the U.S. government's latest understanding of AHIs," the report states.
Do animals have conscious experiences? This past April, a group of biologists and philosophers unveiled The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness at a conference at New York University in Manhattan. The statement declared that there is “strong scientific support for attributions of conscious experience to other mammals and to birds.” It also said that empirical evidence points to “at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience” in all vertebrates and many invertebrates, including crustaceans and insects. Researchers have found myriads of indications of perception, emotion, and self-awareness in animals. The bumblebee plays. Cuttlefish remember how they experienced past events. Crows can be trained to report what they see. Given these findings, many believe there should be a fundamental shift in the way that humans interact with other species. Rather than people assuming that animals lack consciousness until evidence proves otherwise, researchers say, isn’t it far more ethical to make decisions with the assumption that they are sentient beings with feelings? “All of these animals have a realistic chance of being conscious, so we should aspire to treat them compassionately,” says Jeff Sebo, director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy at New York University. “But you can accept that much and then disagree about how to flesh that out and how to translate it into policies.” Sasha Prasad-Shreckengast is trying to get into the mind of a chicken. This is not the easiest of feats, even here at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, a scenic hamlet in the rolling Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. For decades the sanctuary has housed, and observed the behavior of, farm animals – like the laying hens Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast is hoping to tempt into her study. Chickens, it turns out, have moods. Some might be eager and willing to waddle into a puzzle box to demonstrate innovative problem-solving abilities. But other chickens might just not feel like it. Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast also knows from her research, published this fall in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, that some chickens are just more optimistic than others – although pessimistic birds seem to become more upbeat the more they learn tasks. “We just really want to know what chickens are capable of and what chickens are motivated by when they are outside of an industrial setting,” Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast says. “They have a lot more agency and autonomy. What are they capable of, and what are they interested in?” In other words, how do chickens really think? And how do they feel? And, to get big picture about it, what does all of that say about chicken consciousness? In some ways, these are questions that are impossible to answer. There is no way for humans, with their own specific ways of perceiving and being in the world, to fully understand the perspective of a chicken – a dinosaur descendant that can see ultraviolet light and has a 300-degree field of vision. Yet increasingly, scientists like Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast are trying to find answers. What they are discovering, whether in farm animals, bumblebees, dogs, or octopuses, is a complexity beyond anything acknowledged in the past. (At least in Western culture, that is. The 17th-century philosopher René Descartes, for example, ushered in an influential idea that understood animals to be mere mechanical “automatons.” Ascribing feelings or emotions to animals, he and his many followers believed, was misguided.) Researchers have found myriads of indications of perception, emotion, and self-awareness in animals. The bumblebee plays. Cuttlefish remember how they experienced past events. Crows can be trained to report what they see. As a result, a growing number of scientists and philosophers believe there is at least a realistic possibility of “conscious experience” in all vertebrates, including reptiles and fishes, and many invertebrates. Given these findings, many believe there should be a fundamental shift in the way that humans interact with other species. Rather than people assuming that animals lack consciousness until evidence proves otherwise, isn’t it far more ethical to make decisions with the assumption that they are sentient beings with feelings? Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast’s study takes place in the wide hallway of Farm Sanctuary’s breezy chicken house. Unlike in pretty much any other chicken facility, the birds here come and go as they please from spacious pens. Following up on her previous research, she has designed a challenge that she hopes will appeal to most of her moody chickens. It is a ground-level puzzle box, with a push option, a pull option, and a swipe option. Birds are rewarded with a blueberry when they solve a challenge. There is also a free treat option in the puzzle box, a way for the researchers here to measure something called “contrafreeloading.” This term describes a behavior animals demonstrate when they choose to work for a reward rather than just freeloading from readily available food. (Scientists are still debating why most animals contrafreeload. They are also interested in the exception to the rule: the domesticated cat, who appears perfectly happy to take food without expending any effort.) Team members monitor a series of gates to the puzzle block, opening them when the birds are inclined to enter and letting them out if the chickens have had enough. The idea of consent – which is a basic, foundational principle in the study of human behavior – is also a hallmark of animal studies here at Farm Sanctuary. To the uninitiated, this might sound absurd, with images of chickens signing above the dotted line. But it is not actually all that rare. Studies of dogs, dolphins, and primates all depend on the animals agreeing, in their own way, to participate. Behavioral data would be skewed without it. And before she came to Farm Sanctuary, Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast worked in a canine cognition lab. Few people would bring their pet dogs in for research and then force them to do things they don’t want to do, she points out. So consent matters from both a scientific point of view and an ethical one, she says. A group of Biologists and philosophers this past April unveiled The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness at a conference at New York University in Manhattan. The statement declared that there is “strong scientific support for attributions of conscious experience to other mammals and to birds.” It also said that empirical evidence points to “at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience” in all vertebrates and many invertebrates, including crustaceans and insects. Since April, hundreds more scientists and moral thinkers around the world have added their names. Spearheaded by Kristin Andrews, professor of philosophy and the research chair in animal minds at York University in Canada, the idea emerged from conversations she had with two colleagues, Jonathan Birch, a philosopher at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Jeff Sebo, director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy at New York University. The three were talking about all the new research demonstrating the complexity of animals’ inner lives. They wondered if there was a way to highlight how these studies were shifting attitudes. “People were dimly aware that new studies were identifying new evidence for consciousness – not only in birds, but also reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and then a lot of invertebrates, too,” says Dr. Sebo. “But there was no central, authoritative place people could look for evidence that the views of mainstream scientists were shifting.” Discovery after discovery over the past decade has illuminated an increasingly complex, communicative, and feeling world of nonhuman creatures. For instance, trees communicate, and fungal networks send messages throughout a forest. Species such as sea turtles and bats use electromagnetic fields, a force we cannot even perceive, to guide their movements and migrations. Snakes see infrared light, birds and reindeer see ultraviolet light, and dolphins use sound waves to navigate underwater. Author and journalist Ed Yong uses the German term umwelt to describe an organism’s unique sensory perspectives. His book “An Immense World” details the various ways animals experience their world. He uses the metaphor of a large house with many windows looking onto a garden. Each animal has its own window. But there are other windows as well, each with a different view of the same place. We humans have our own window, our own particular umwelt . Our eyes see only certain wavelengths and frequencies of light. Our ears perceive limited ranges of sound. Our noses have limited ranges of smell. For generations, the dominant perspective has been that the human perspective is the best view in the house, with the most complex and complete picture of reality. But there hasn’t been a species studied over the past 20 years that hasn’t turned out to exhibit pain. There hasn’t been a species that hasn’t turned out to be more internally complicated than people expected, Dr. Andrews says. “There hasn’t been any animal that we’ve looked at and asked, ‘Do they feel pain with the set of pain markers that are well established?’ And we’ve said, ‘Oh, yeah, there’s zero evidence,’” she says. “We don’t find any of them. “So my view is that we’re going to be finding these kinds of indicators of cognitive behavior, of behaviors indicating animals feel pain or feel pleasure, in probably all animals.” But does that mean consciousness? “Just that word, ‘consciousness,’ is the problem,” Dr. Andrews says. “The thing that everybody in the field agrees on is that consciousness refers to feeling – ability to feel things. ... But then if you start asking people to give a real, concrete definition of consciousness, they’re not able to do it.” The concept of consciousness has kept a small army of moralists, physicists, and theologians busy for generations. Today there is an entire field called “consciousness science,” in which academics debate the philosophical and physiological meanings of the word. The concept, after all, can take on different tones. Anesthesiologists have one interpretation of “conscious.” Psychologists have another. Philosophers and religious scholars also have their own varying views. An increasing number of mainstream scientists and researchers also point to a consciousness that is outside individuals, sometimes called “universal consciousness.” For the purposes of the declaration, researchers said, they focused on what is called “phenomenal consciousness.” This is the idea that “There is something that it’s like to be a particular organism,” explains Christopher Krupenye, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Phenomenal consciousness can be a bit of a hard concept to get one’s head around at first, he says. But it basically means that an animal experiences the world not as a machine, but as a being. Phenomenal consciousness is what you are experiencing right now in your body with the sight of words on a page as you read this article. There is another type of consciousness often called “metacognition,” in which a being is aware of what’s going on in its own mind. It is recognizing, for instance, that the temperature you feel is unpleasant, and then thinking that perhaps you should turn up the thermostat. It is recognizing that the words on the page are too small and that you should grab your reading glasses. “Theory of mind” is another connected concept. You recognize that another person reading this article is not you, but that they can have an experience similar to yours. Current research, including Dr. Krupenye’s, suggests that both dogs and primates display all these forms of consciousness. In one of his studies, for instance, he was able to track eye movements of chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans in order to gauge whether or not they expected an unseen ape to see them through a transparent barrier. He found these primates were able to assume another being was having a similar but different experience from what they were having themselves, given their own perspective on the world. Other studies show that dogs look to their owners for assistance when they do not understand a command, and that they look for clues and more information when they are having difficulty solving a task. Researchers believe this indicates dogs recognize their own ignorance – a sign of metacognition. But of course there’s no way to prove, or even fully understand, what dogs or apes are experiencing, Dr. Krupenye says. “You’re identifying one of the core philosophical challenges in this area of research,” he says. “With the case of phenomenal consciousness, in humans we take it as the case that if they verbally report they feel X or Y, we agree that’s what they are feeling. With animals, we can’t ask directly for them to verbally report.” So researchers use alternative indicators to gauge how a nonhuman animal is thinking or feeling – such as tracking eye movement. But even this gets tricky. What about an animal whose umwelt isn’t visual at all? “My dog’s experience of the world is much more dominated by smell data and much less by sight data,” says Dr. Sebo. “Different kinds of experiences might cause them different bodily pleasure and pain, but also different emotional pleasure and pain.” For years, researchers were cautioned not to anthropomorphize their subjects, or bestow human traits upon other animals. Most scientists still agree with many of the tenets of this. Dogs, for instance, don’t necessarily like what humans like, and most researchers agree that it is ethically important to keep those distinctions in mind. Think here about a dressed-up poodle. Its clothing and accessories are about human preferences. But the poodle might prefer an odor on the neighbor’s lawn. That’s a dog preference. Ethicists say it is important to be aware of this distinction, and not behave as if the poodle actually loves pompoms. Many animal researchers now say worries about anthropomorphism went too far. The human umwelt might be different from those of other animals, they say, but there is still a deeper quality of being-in-the-world that is similar. Heather Mattila, a biologist at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, generally tries to sidestep the question of consciousness in the bees she studies – even though it’s what most interests her students. Trying to determine consciousness leads down a complicated philosophical path, she says. It is difficult to prove anything. She is an empirical scientist, which is all about working with solid, replicable studies. But in her personal opinion, there’s no question: Bees likely have consciousness. She watches bees map locations, share information, and dance in a way that appears excited when they have found a particularly tasty food source. (She has learned to write “vigorous” rather than “excited” in research papers to avoid sparking the critiques of reviewers.) Other researchers have also detected play behavior in some bees. All in all, the insect’s behavior reminds her of the rescued dog she grew up with – an animal that convinced her that other species had full personalities and cognition. “In a human mind, we would just assume consciousness is involved,” Dr. Mattila says. But assuming consciousness in other species brings up profound moral quandaries. If it turns out that animals do have feelings, or if they do participate in this big, amorphous concept called consciousness, what would that mean for the way humans interact with the rest of the living world? The scholars who signed the New York declaration tried to stay ambiguous on that point. “All of these animals have a realistic chance of being conscious, so we should aspire to treat them compassionately,” says Dr. Sebo at New York University. “But you can accept that much and then disagree about how to flesh that out and how to translate it into policies.” For Dr. Mattila and others, the possibility of consciousness has meant limiting the extent to which her scientific experiments cause harm. “I know many strict vegans would not approve of me keeping honeybees on campus, but I feel like I’m supporting them,” Dr. Mattila says. “I specifically try to do experiments that don’t cause them pain or suffering. ... I try to let them have a good life and observe how they operate within that good life.” But it also has her thinking more broadly about how humans and other animals cross paths and interact with each other. Should the real possibility of complex animal consciousness make a difference in where we build roads? Should it guide how we “consciously” take control of ecosystems? And should it impact how, and what, we eat? Such ethical considerations could impact an array of human activity. “It’s culturally inconvenient to think that animals are conscious,” Dr. Mattila says. Especially farm animals. Although research on animal sentience and intelligence has expanded to include a host of different species, there is still a gap when it comes to the animals we kill for food. The agricultural industry has long focused on animal welfare within the context of the food system, and there have been industry-wide efforts to slaughter animals in the most humane way possible. But a group of international researchers in 2019 published a report in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science that found a decided lack of information on the “physico-cognitive capacities” of farm animal species. While there has been loads of research on animal husbandry, there has not been all that much investigation into animals’ conscious experiences outside their role as food products for humans. To Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast and others at Farm Sanctuary, there are clear reasons for this. The first is that we generally want to distance ourselves from those creatures we eat. Multiple studies have shown that meat-eaters engage in something called “cognitive dissociation” to help alleviate the discomfort that comes if one starts to learn about the emotions or physical experiences of a pig or cow or chicken. But there are also funding issues. Most scientific research on farm animals is funded by agricultural schools focused on industrial practices or is funded by large agribusiness companies themselves. And farm animals generally live in a way that some scientists say is not conducive to understanding individual sentience. “When you’re thinking of chickens, specifically in a barn with 30,000 chickens, you can’t see an individual,” says Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast. The study she published this October focused on the behavior of Cornish hens – usually slaughtered after they reach 6 weeks of age. There isn’t a lot of existing information about the Cornish hen’s interior life, she says, because they aren’t usually allowed to live long enough to study as adults. Farm Sanctuary is explicit in its promotion of a vegan diet – it was founded by a California-born animal activist named Gene Baur, whose work revealing animal cruelty at industrial farms and slaughterhouses helped lead to animal welfare laws. Because of that, however, critics have called its animal science research biased – a charge researchers here reject. “There’s no reason to not offer somebody the benefit of the doubt of sentience, the benefit of the doubt of consciousness, and to provide research methods that respect their agency and autonomy,” Ms. Prasad-Shreckengast says. “You can still do really good science with those ethics in place.” On tours at Farm Sanctuary, guides introduce visitors to goats who make family groups; cows who, when no longer confined to dairy barns, prance and play and take care of their young; and pigs who, given the space, build themselves nests in a barn but go outside to relieve themselves. It is an explicit effort to introduce humans to the individuals within other species, says Mr. Baur. The purpose is simple: to normalize empathy for fellow creatures. “What we’re trying to achieve here are relationships of mutuality with us and other animals, where everyone benefits by the interaction, instead of relationships of extraction, where those with power take from those without,” he says. Promoting a vegan ethic, however, isn’t the only valid way to understand the relationship between humans and farm animals – even for those convinced they have consciousness. For Dr. Andrews, the key thinker behind the New York declaration, the question of how to live in a world of infinite consciousnesses has more to do with negotiation than with moral absolutes. She believes it is impossible to completely avoid causing harm. The bacteria on our skin are disrupted when we wash. Animals in the wild eat other animals. When she finds flower- eating aphids in her garden, she kills the insects to save the plants. “It’s about acknowledging that harms are part of life, and we’re committing some harms, but we’re trying to minimize the harm that we do when we’re making our choices,” Dr. Andrews says. It’s also recognizing that humans are not separate or unique, but part of an ecosystem with a dazzling array of individuals and understandings of the world – and a dazzling array of consciousness. “It’s driving us to see ourselves as part of an integrated system of biology,” she says. “And that is probably better for the planet.”(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, blasted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou for her agency approving illegal border crossers as sponsors for illegal border crossers. At a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing , Biggs also pointed out that the sponsors were found to be committing Social Security and other fraud under her watch. Biggs addressed rampant fraud in a program created by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for inadmissible citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who don’t qualify for admission into the U.S. Under Mayorkas, they were flown into the country through a CHNV parole program, used a CBP One phone app to apply for entry, and were released into the country. Part of the process requires having a “supporter” fill out an application on behalf of the CHNV parolee. While Mayorkas claimed app user parolees and supporters were thoroughly vetted, multiple Office of Inspector General reports disproved this claim, expressing security risks at airports. In August, flights of CHNV illegal border crossers were temporarily suspended after a USCIS internal review found that tens of thousands of CHNV fraudulent applications were processed. Supporters used fake Social Security numbers and phone numbers and listed the same physical address on nearly 20,000 applications, according to the report, The Center Square reported . Biggs asked Jaddou if she disputed the fact that supporters used the same Social Security Number on CHNV applications, which “happened at least 3,200 times. The same phone number used at least 3,300 times. The same supporter email address was used on applications nearly 2,000 times.” Jaddou said she didn’t have the report in front of her and didn’t dispute it. “You don’t really want to admit there’s this much rampant fraud,” he said. Biggs next cited examples of fraud that weren’t fixed. “The same exact 184-word response was used on more than 1,800 applications by nearly 194 CHNV supporters,” he said. “More than 460 nonexistent zip codes were used on supported applications on behalf of more than 2,800 CHV aliens. You can dance around and say you don't have the report in front of you, but these are the facts. This program is rife with fraud.” As of Aug. 6, DHS had approved more than 80,000 CHNV supporters for the program who were in the U.S. on a temporary basis. USCIS approved 224 CHNV parolees who were already in the country illegally as sponsors for CHNV parolees that came after them, meaning illegal foreign nationals were sponsoring illegal foreign nationals. USCIS also approved 28,322 illegal foreign nationals shielded from deportation through Temporary Protected Status as CHVN supporters; “19,865 SLEs approved as CHNV supporters, 311 DACA recipients approved as CHNV supporters, 1,300-plus aliens in the U.S. on temporary visas approved as CHNV supporters, 64 refugees approved as CHNV supporters, 19,112 conditional permanent residents approved this season as CHNV supporters,” he said. “That is the program that you are administering. I'm not talking the aliens. I'm not getting into the violation of law of the U.S. code 1182, which states that the use of parole is supposed to be a case-by-case basis.” Biggs said the supporter application process was so rampant with fraud that it was temporarily shut down but wasn’t fixed. The fraud is “still ongoing. We're waiting for the next report to confirm that these things are still going on,” he said. In addition to the USCIS report, a U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security investigation found that "as of mid-October 2023, there were 1.6 million inadmissible aliens awaiting travel authorizations through the CHNV program” and DHS was using 50 airports worldwide to fly them in, The Center Square reported . None flown into the country have a legal basis to enter the U.S. before being paroled through the CHNV program, DHS documents the committee obtained state. "All individuals paroled into the United States are, by definition, inadmissible, including those paroled under the CHNV processes," one of the DHS documents states. The CHNV parole program was among more than a dozen that House Republicans identified as illegal and cited as reasons to impeach Mayorkas. According to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data , more than 852,000 illegal foreign nationals were processed and released into the country through the CBP One App and more than 531,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans deemed inadmissible were released into the country through the CHNV parole program, as of October. Under the Biden administration, more than three million illegal border crossers were reported from CHNV countries, The Center Square reported . Many have been directly linked to violent crimes committed against Americans, The Center Square reported .
All zodiac signs have their own characteristics and traits which define someone’s personality. Wouldn’t it be helpful if you started your day by already knowing about what’s going to come your way? Read on to find out whether the odds will be in your favour today. ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20) You might need to acquire some financial knowledge before investing. Welcoming positive news at home will bring you happiness. Aspiring entrepreneurs can initiate the initial steps toward business creation. Health improvements are evident due to your changed dietary habits. You are consolidating recent academic accomplishments for long-term gains. Love Focus: Those looking forward to meeting the one they love may have to wait longer. Lucky Number: 4 Lucky Colour: Grey TAURUS (Apr 21-May20) This is an ideal moment to consider property investments carefully. Business ventures might deliver consistent profits from agreements and projects. Domestic matters may not be particularly peaceful right now. It’s crucial to prioritize wellness by enhancing dietary choices and posture. Caution on the road today will benefit you greatly. You may resolve a property matter with thoughtful diplomacy. A younger family member may excel academically, making you proud. Love Focus: Expect comfort and closeness in your relationship today. Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Silver GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21) Expect previously lent money to return with added interest. You could be unintentionally neglecting your family lately. Work may bring favourable outcomes, supporting your career progress. Following a healthy lifestyle can keep you feeling well. A quick out-of-town trip might be planned for an event. Carefully approach discussions around property-related issues today. Success is likely with diligent efforts academically. Love Focus: Misunderstandings in love may worsen, so handle with care. Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Cream CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 22) Financial stability is assured, but future planning is crucial. A family gathering may occur, bringing everyone together joyfully. Work might demand extra effort to prove your skills. Avoid overthinking and focus on maintaining a positive outlook. Travel may tempt you as your adventurous side awakens. Despite distractions, you’re likely to stay focused academically. Love Focus: Your love life seems steady, with no major changes. Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Peach LEO (Jul 23-Aug 23) Money might come in through various revenue sources presently. Younger family members could greatly improve your household atmosphere. A relaxed lunch with colleagues could boost your spirits. Your body and mind may feel well-aligned today. Avoid travel plans for now, as the timing isn’t favourable. An academic pursuit may offer satisfying mental engagement. Love Focus: You may feel love and warmth for your partner deeply. Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Brown VIRGO (Aug 24-Sep 23) Today might bring challenges due to your impulsive actions. You could learn about managing finances as wealth expands. Family time is enjoyable, with a shared meal brightening the day. Property issues might reach a favourable settlement today. Including leafy greens may boost your digestive health effectively. You’ll focus on your preparation for a competition. Love Focus: Singles could meet someone special and feel it's right. Lucky Number:5 Lucky Colour: Golden LIBRA (Sep 24-Oct 23) Starting to save now may prevent future financial strain. Differences in opinions might affect your modern outlook negatively. Regular workouts and detoxification can enhance physical well-being. Your dream role might be just within your reach soon. Avoid consuming unhealthy fats to maintain cholesterol levels. Your guidance may benefit young learners significantly. Love Focus: Long-term couples may discuss taking their love further. Lucky Number: 22 Lucky Colour: Dark Blue SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22) Minor gains could flow in from different revenue sources. Family disagreements might create a tense household atmosphere. Travel plans may turn out to be lucky this time. Physically, you may radiate good health and a positive mindset. A promising business deal might come your way soon. Your adventurous nature could lead you somewhere exciting today. Love Focus: Someone new may leave a surprising impact on you. Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Red SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21) Consider a side hustle if seeking additional income streams. External support could help manage stress and conflicts effectively. Business opportunities may lead to a profitable partnership soon. You may feel fit and active, with your health remaining strong today. Focus and persistence will likely ensure academic success. Love Focus: Singles might meet someone new, starting a fresh chapter. Lucky Number:7 Lucky Colour: Purple CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 21) It’s time to understand stocks, shares, and property investments better. Enjoy reconnecting with your favourite cousins and siblings soon. Exam preparations might feel challenging, requiring focus and dedication. Building physical stamina could improve fitness at this stage. Business dealings may need to be a bit more transparent. If travelling is your plan, today feels perfect for an outing. Love Focus: Your love life might be neglected due to other priorities. Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Magenta AQUARIUS (Jan 22-Feb 19) Handle financial matters cautiously to avoid unnecessary expenses today. No unexpected work issues should disturb your mental balance. A solo trip may satisfy your need for self-reflection. Returning home to harmony will provide a comforting environment. Avoid highly acidic foods for better digestive health. Academic results could turn positive with consistent effort. Love Focus: You may view love from a unique, surprising perspective now. Lucky Number:5 Lucky Colour: Orange PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20) No major debts or large expenses are expected soon. Those attending interviews may receive favourable responses shortly. Persevere in your fitness goals for optimal health progress. Time with loved ones brings emotional satisfaction and peace. Travelling to meet a cherished friend might bring joy soon. A property issue could require legal assistance. Love Focus: Spending quality time could strengthen your relationship greatly. Lucky Number:3 Lucky Colour: Yellow
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each and every week, “Pet Pals TV” shares a fun, interesting, and informative story about our-four legged and furry friend population. On the latest “Pet Pals TV,” host Patty Spitler was joined by the first lady of Indiana, Janet Holcomb, as she introduces the new first dog of Indiana, Ollie. Ollie is a 16-week-old miniature Schnauzer joining the Holcomb family. Schnauzers were bred for pest control and to be a guard dog, so the family got Ollie who takes after the Holcomb’s late pet Henry , also a Schnauzer. “(Schnauzers) were bred to think for themselves and hunt on their own, so they’re very, very smart and they’re very creative and resourceful,” Holcomb said. Ollie is a very social dog, Holcomb said. “He’s met a lot of people and that’s one of the benefits to getting him while we were still in office,” Holcomb said. To see Ollie in action, watch the video above!Pig manure fertilizer could boost corn yield
Op-Ed | Why do we allow criminals to steal millions from the poorest New Yorkers?ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. Announces Guidance for January 2025 Dividend Rate per Common Share