(RNS) To be completely honest, as a Black man in America, Id never heard of Juneteenth until 2011, Eric Patrick, an assistant pastor at RockPointe Church in Flower Mound, Texas, wrote two years ago on a church blog post explaining the holiday.

Even though it represents the day that my ancestors were actually set free, Id never been taught about it in school nor in my upbringing and if I was, it was illustrated as an afterthought, Patrick wrote to his mostly white congregation, adding, This is how many Black people feel today, like an afterthought.

A year after Patrick posted his reflection, on June 17, 2021, as the country was still reeling from the national protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, Juneteenth National Independence Day became a federal holiday. But with the bill signed just two days before the holiday, many Americans were unprepared to celebrate and unsure how.

RELATED: James Forbes ode to Juneteenth calls on Americans to embrace the promise of freedom

Juneteenth, a shortening of June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when a Union Army general, Gordon Granger, informed the enslaved population of Galveston, Texas, one of the last places to be pacified after the Civil War, that they were free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, he told them, reading from General Order Number 3.

A state holiday in Texas since 1980, Juneteenth was on only eight states official holiday calendars before the federal designation, with nine more adding it since last year. Historically Juneteenth celebrations have often been casual affairs picnics in public parks or family gatherings, sometimes a special service at church.

Faith leaders have long marked the holiday with interfaith marches and special church services, especially in Texas. Galvestonshistoric Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church, one of the oldest Black churches in the state, will again this June uphold a 150-year legacy of honoring Black liberty with guest speakers and choirs, according to the churchs pastor, Donnell A. Johnson.

The truth rocked the city of Galveston with that declaration of freedom that African American men and women were free, Johnson said. Its important for our generation to know our history.

But elsewhere in Texas and across the country, many faith leaders reached by Religion News Service last week said they planned to celebrate the holiday with their civic communities.

Calvary Baptist Church in San Antonio has partnered with that citys Juneteenth Coalition for a parade. Organizers asked attendees to bring photographs, yearbooks or church programs for preservation in the San Antonio African American community archive, housed at Texas A&M-San Antonio.

There will be a spiritual connection to open it, but the event will be more kind of upbeat and festive, said the churchs pastoral care minister, the Rev. Willie J. Harper.

With Juneteenth falling on Sunday this year, Christians especially are taking the opportunity to frame the day as sacred. Denominational leaders have sent out resource guides with appropriate prayers and readings, and preachers are taking on Juneteenth as a sermon theme.

The Jacksonville Gospel Chorale performs the Mass of St. Cyprian at St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral, June 18, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida, to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday. Video screen grab

But even where churches are holding sacred celebrations this weekend, many are inviting the public in. On Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, at St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral, the Jacksonville Gospel Chorale sang the Mass of St. Cyprian, in an extension of the cathedrals work on racial reconciliation with the Union of Black Episcopalians and St. Philips, a local historically Black church.

Instead of having a picnic or parade, we thought that this Mass would show the joy and the sacredness of Juneteenth, said Alma Flowers, president of the Sidney B. Parker Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

But Flowers said they designed the service for people of any faith or none. Weve wanted a service with nothing but music, she said, with no Communion, because we dont want anyone to feel left out.

Its about freedom, loving your neighbor, said Flowers.

RELATED: Lisa Sharon Harpers Fortune uncovers Americas racial roots in family stories

Eric Patrick, who blogged about his own evolution with Juneteenth after moving to Texas a decade ago, will lead a Juneteenth prayer block at one of RockPointes campuses on Sunday. In an interview with RNS, Patrick said he had asked himself, now that Juneteenth has been elevated to a federal holiday, How do we start this off right?

Patrick said he planned to talk in his reflection about the parallel between Jesus and Granger, the general who was sent to tell an oppressed people about their freedom.

But Patrick is also conscious of how a mostly white church and the country at large might expand the aspiration of equality in General Order Number 3 beyond Juneteenth.

Noting that pastors dont talk only about the sacredness of marriage on Valentines Day, he said it was important to make racial equity a daily concern of the church. How, he asked, do we make it part of our DNA?

Excerpt from:
Grappling with the sacred in Juneteenth's celebration of freedom - Religion News Service

The etymology of a word isnt necessarily interchangeable with the way the word is used by a culture. But looking at the etymology may reveal the meaning that went into the original creation of the word. And if a seemingly ubiquitous idea is communicated through a variety of meanings across various cultures, how may that plurality affect the resulting representations?

The Modern English word for family is a relatively recent invention. Around the early 15th century, it replaced the Old English words hiwisc/hwscipe and hwrden, which were based on the notion of relationship as well as being tied to land. But there were also different compounds with hiw- to describe various relationships. Variations included hiwung, which denoted a relationship by marriage, hwgedl, which described a divorce, and hwan, which signified a community or members of a religious house. In comparison, the Modern English word, family, comes from the Latin familia and famulus, meaning slaves of the household and slaves. This transformation from the Old English word to the Latin-rooted word shifts the already-existing association of ownership within a family from the land to the people of the family, while simultaneously underlining that that ownership is tied to enslavement.

In The Dawn of Everything, David Graeber and David Wengrow also mention how family refers to everyone under the domestic authority and that the word domestic similarly ties into understandings of domination. This was an idea that was already built into the Latin language during Ancient Roman times, when the words familia and domus were both used to denote the family unit in society, but at that time familia could refer to both persons and property.

English isnt the only language that associates family with domestication, but this idea of enslavement doesnt always carry over. In both Eastern and Western Armenian, the word for family, (untanik), comes from the word :house. The word for domestic, (untani), is also rooted in the word for house, deviating from an English understanding of the word rooted in ownership. And in this instance, both concepts of domestication and family are centered not on the notion of hierarchical ownership, but on the idea of the building that houses the family.

The fundamental representation of family comes from everyone being under one roof. Through the home, and by association the roof, the family is created. Even the word roof in Armenian, (tanik), bears a strong resemblance to the word for family and also comes from the word for house.

This connection between family and domestication can also be found in East Asian languages, with an even more literal invocation of the roof. The Vietnamese word for family is gia nh, and according to Vietnamese linguist Dr. Trnh Hu Tu, gia nh is a loan word from Chinese. When written in Chinese as , family becomes a construction of gia, which means house, and nh, which translates to court or front yard. Meanwhile, , house, is written through a construction of and , which puts together roof and pig, so the idea of family is rooted in the idea of a house, which is itself rooted in the idea of a roof and domesticated animals.

While the English word domestic also comes from the idea of a house, its interesting to consider the inclusion of enslavement into the English-language signifier of family, rather than maintaining the house and roof as central concepts. And while domination and domestication are tied together in the English-language, that association isnt innate and doesnt necessarily carry over to other languages.

This means that the idea of domestication isnt inherently one of domination, but by incorporating it as such, the English language lifts up the idea of domination as the foundational relationship with the natural world, instead of an interaction based on development or change. And because domination is hierarchical, this understanding allows humans to install themselves at the top of the hierarchy without a second thought, rather than recognizing ourselves as but one interaction in a much larger network.

This idea of family coming out of the notion of cohabitation, with a comparatively more expansive understanding, can be seen in the Tohono Oodham language, spoken by the people of the Tohono Oodham Nation. According to Tohono Oodham poet and linguist Dr. Ofelia Zepeda, We:m Ki:kam is the most commonly used term to describe spouse, those who live with you, family. Ronald Geronimo, Oodham Language Center Co-Director, also defines We:m Ki:kam more generally as those that live together.

This idea of cohabitation being intrinsic to the idea of a family can be found in the construction of the word We:m Ki:kam itself, in that We:m means together, Ki: means house and live, and kam appears when discussing people. As a result, the idea of family is contained not only within marital relations, but within an idea of a community. And although the idea of a literal roof is weakened, the idea of family remains contained in a togetherness, whether in a single house or several in a village.

While the English word for family has transformed over the centuries, the Yoruba word for family, bi, has seemingly existed in its current form as long as the language has been, according to Nigerian linguist Kla Tubsun. The Yoruba word bi translates to we (who) give birth to, which moves the idea of family away from enslavement, cohabitation, and domestication towards an understanding of growth and reproduction. And the multiplication in the Yoruba word is actually two-fold.

Not only is the idea of family centered on the multiplication of the family, through the act of giving birth, but the word itself is formed through the two words and bi. While bi is the verb for giving birth to, is used both as an honorific for someone with whom we dont have a familiar relationship as well as a plural marker to signify a multitude of people. As a result, bi begins to express a multitude multiplying, and this multiplication is brought forth through a larger community. It is through this community that the individual may find their agency.

Dr. Oyrnk Oywm writes in The Invention of Woman that in precolonial Yorubaland, the rights of the individual derived from group membership, an expression of Dr. John Mbitis saying We are, therefore I am. And the Yoruba language isnt alone in underlining the notion of multiplication and reproduction within the idea of family. It can similarly be found in Slavic languages, like the Bulgarian word for family, (semeistvo), which comes from the word meaning seed.

In some languages, it becomes impossible to even discuss languages without mentioning the concept of family, for even in describing linguistic relationships in English we resort to calling it a language family. This is the case in Armenian as well, whose similarly translates to language family, but comparatively in Vietnamese, ng h translates more closely to language system. But in terms of evolutionary linguistic entanglements, the previously mentioned languages are currently described as having little in common. Armenian and English are both part of the Indo-European language family, but Armenian is its own independent branch. Tohono Oodham belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language family, based in western North America.

In East Asia, Vietnamese belongs to the Mon-Khmer family, and Chinese to the Sino-Tibetan language family. Meanwhile, Yoruba is classified as part of the NigerCongo language family, but this is based less on linguistic evolution, since it represents an unproven hypothesis of genealogical relationship, and is used merely as a referential label for a group of over 1,500 languages, making it the largest language group in the world. Comparatively, Indo-European contains less than 500 languages. But how could we understand a language family if we were to open up our own understanding of family? Would expanding our understanding of linguistic evolutions reveal new relations and interactions between languages across the globe?

As it stands, linguistic evolutions are determined by the notion of a common ancestor as well as phonological, morphological, and syntactical resemblances. But if we open up the idea of family to multiple interpretations, linguistic relationships can also expand past the mere appearance of a language into an investigation of interpretations and meaning. If two languages separated by continents share numerous words with similar interpretations, surely this is just as linguistically significant as two local languages with similar appearances.

Comparative linguistics, or comparative philology, is the subset of the linguistics field that looks at different languages at the same time. But often, these comparisons occur within a language family rather than across language families. In On the Origin of Languages, published in 1994, linguist Dr. Merritt Ruhlen was one of the first among English-language writers to suggest that contrary to the almost universal belief that linguistic families such as Indo-European, Uralic, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian, Australian, etc., share no recognizable cognates, there are in fact numerous etymological connections among the worlds languages. Instead of insisting on a single interpretation, the awareness of multiplicity allows for a variety of understandings to coexist.

At the end of the day, what difference does it make if ones idea of family is rooted in servitude, cohabitation, multiplication, or something completely different? Does the root of a word influence its present understanding? Not always, but its naive to assume that cultures are entirely unaffected by their linguistic evolutions.

Its not difficult to draw a line, for example, between the cultures that linguistically associate family with cohabitation and those that culturally stress the importance of keeping family physically close, ideally under a single roof. Among Armenians, the idea of a family being contained under one roof is actualized by the fact that within Armenia, there isnt a normalized notion of moving out when one has reached a certain age.

People continue living with their parents until they get married, and even then its rare for them to subsequently get a house of their own. Instead, the married couple will often move into one of the parental homes, keeping the family contained under a pre-established roof. Even important decisions, including marriage proposals, the naming of grandchildren, and divorce, are ones that the entire family makes together, sometimes even with the extended family.

In the 2nd century, Numidian novelist Apuleius wrote that fifteen free men make a people, fifteen slaves make a family, and fifteen prisoners make a jail. This mentality scarcely evolved over the following millennium and medieval historian Dr. David Herlihy concludes in Women, Family and Society in Medieval Europethat the English word family in its original sense thus implied an authoritarian structure and hierarchical order founded on but not limited to relations of marriage and parenthood. He also extends this understanding to the Latin word pater, meaning father, which also designates the holder of authority. This understanding of the Latin familia as enslaved property persisted through the medieval period, and medieval writers such as Thomas Aquinas would designate the household in Latin as familia domestica.

But as Latins hold over Europe weakened and vernaculars proliferated as written languages during the end of the Middle Ages, its interesting to note that some English-speakers in England chose to push the Latin word for family rather than allowing the Old English words to evolve in the lexicon. And while the exact reason for the replacement of the word is unclear, the mid-15th century timing of the replacement correlates with the economic shift into mercantilism, and subsequently capitalism. This could be a coincidence, or it could suggest a conscious desire to further normalize the concept of enslavement.

Understanding this linguistic entanglement can be useful in recognizing the limitations of family as something neither innately good nor bad but as something that we create through a variety of relationships. Its easy to insist that etymology is entirely relevant or entirely irrelevant, but the real influence may be much more subtle. By forgetting that language is created, we risk allowing the influence of language to become absolute, to bind us in a particular perception that we forget is our own invention.

As a result, when one talks about expanding the understanding of family, one has to be mindful of the fact that even this understanding is one of many, and expansion itself is variable. If family can be communicated in a variety of ways, then its possible for family to be created in a variety of ways as well. And by expanding our linguistic understanding of family, it becomes possible to simultaneously expand our understand of family. Otherwise, by maintaining a singular understanding of family, we end up limiting the potential of human relationships by insisting that there is only one correct representation.

Even when talking about the concept of family values, the first thing to recognize is that the concept of family itself is already multiple and variable. In the journal Ethnolinguistics, cultural linguist Dr. Farzad Sharifian examined this by looking at the understanding of family in Aboriginal English and Anglo-Australian English, noting that the understanding of family in Aboriginal English reflects a much more expansive understanding of family.

By expanding the linguistic understanding of family, our expectations of family may also begin to break down. And as people create their own forms of families, our expectations and understandings of what a family is may also begin to shift as we realize the potential of human relationships.

By recognizing that the idea of family is constructed, it becomes possible to create families in all manner of ways. Rather than limiting family to a hierarchical construction, a family can be created through different cooperative relationships that offer support to one another in a variety of ways.

For many queer people, friendships are already seen as families by providing the social support that their first families never did. And by moving past the idea of domination and obligation and instead expanding the idea of community, the support provided by a family and the agency of its members can take on more importance than the idea of merely being bound together by biological or marital ties.

All of these examples and investigations are by no means an exhaustive look at the varying etymologies of family across languages. But hopefully, they underline not only the plurality with which the concept of family may be communicated, but the plurality through which everything is communicated. No idea is bound by a single iteration and by restricting ourselves to such an understanding, we only do ourselves a disservice.

Read more:
On the Etymologies and Linguistic Evolutions of Family - Literary Hub

Jon Huertas was in Puerto Rico when he learned that he was suddenly unemployedthe series he starred in, Castle, had just been canceled by ABC after eight seasons. As a seasoned actor, he knew this was par for the course. But little did he know that what was coming up next for him would change his life and his career. Huertas went on to land the role of Miguel Rivas on the NBC hit This Is Us across the shows six seasons, and through that new opportunity, was able to make his dream of becoming a director a reality.

What was the audition process like to get the role of Miguel in This Is Us?

When I came home from Puerto Rico, I auditioned for potential roles in Ozark, One Day at a Time and This Is Us. The casting directors for This Is Us loved me for the role of Mike, who later became Miguel. I met with [creator] Dan Fogelman and his team at Paramount for a chemistry read and I remember thinking I was the token choice because the character was originally written as a white guy. So, I thought that made me the person who auditions so they can say, Oh, we tried someone diverse and it didnt work. It was like that scene in the Miguel episode when he goes in for the job interview. We recreated that scene from my audition for the episode. I left Paramount and about 15 minutes later I got the call that I landed a recurring role on the show as Jack [Milo Ventimiglia]s best friend.

Did you always know how important Miguel would be to the shows story?

A week after my casting, I was asked to go to the Valley to get a lifecast made, which is when they use silicon and plaster to make a reproduction of your head. I asked why I was doing this, and they explained I would need it when I was older and playing Rebecca [Mandy Moore]s husband. I thought they had me confused with Milo Ventimiglia because he was her husband, but they quickly corrected me, No, Miguel will be married to Rebecca. I had no idea. Dan later explained this was going to be a huge twist: Rebecca marries her husbands best friend. I asked them immediately, How are people going to react to this? They reacted just as expected, they thought horrible things about him for a long time. As the show got more popular, they upgraded me to series regular, and the rest is history.

Were you involved in the evolution of Miguel?

When I was cast, Miguel was this raw piece of clay. The producers invited me to sit with them each season to help mold him. What I loved most about working on this show is that they allowed me to collaborate on his evolution. Im proud of how we shaped Miguel into this very successful character with a unique background and story. We slowly planted little seeds about the man Miguel was across each season. That culminated in the Miguel episode, that was born from the conversations we had each season.

You made your directorial debut in the Season 5 episode The Ride. Is directing something you always wanted to do?

I wanted to direct since I was on Castle. [This Is Us EP] Ken Olin somehow got wind that I wanted to direct. He sat me down in Season 1 and told me he was going to get me in the directors chair at some point. The show was such a success that everyone wanted to direct the show from A-list actors to feature film directors. I had to bide my time while these amazing creatives had their chance. Then my turn came around. It was really a dream come true. This was the best way for me to have my first experience in the directors chair because I already had a talented cast and crew supporting me, and who trusted me. You learn very quickly that youre responsible for every word on that page, not just your dialogue, and for every aspect of filming. This was the most gratifying experience of my career. From the moment we started shooting the episode to delivering the directors cut, I felt the most overwhelming sense of accomplishment, even more so than Ive ever felt as an actor. Well, that is until we did the Miguel episode.

Do you plan to focus more time behind the camera now?

Im hoping to have a balance because I dont think Im ready to hang up my hat as an actor yet, but I am definitely leaning into directing now. There are a lot of opportunities on that front, and Ive already booked a couple of jobs directing for network TV. Ive been working for 15 years straight as an actor since Generation Kill without a break, so thats what Im focusing on. When considering future roles, I need to make sure its the right job and that it ticks off all the boxes for me as far as quality of representation for Latinx people.

How do you feel about how Miguels story ends?

What I think was brilliant about holding back on revealing more is that we got this beautiful gift of an episode about Miguel that may not have happened otherwise. The impact the episode had on people made it worth the wait. The feedback we got from caretakers, immigrants, people who feel caught between two worlds, Afro Latinos, and the Latinx community who felt seen was astonishing. Doing it all in one episode made it more impactful. There were even people who hated Miguel before who reached out to apologize. So many apologies! I tip my hat to Jonny Gomez who wrote the episode that touched so many people from different walks of life who found themselves in the episode somewhere.

Now This Is Us is over, was it tough to say goodbye to Miguel?

Im not the type of person who cries watching the show, but this character was a part of me for six years. Saying goodbye the way we said it was so beautiful that I blubbered. I think because Miguels final episode was so meaty, it sparked interest in people at the studios and networks which will hopefully bring about more opportunities for someone like me to be at the heart of a series.

What are you taking with you from your experience working on This Is Us?

Working on the show taught me the value of being a great scene partner. The cast consistently gave 100 percent to each performance even if they werent on camera for a particular scene. So, when Sterling K. Brown or Justin Hartley or Mandy Moore gave powerful performances, the rest of us supported them and they would do the same for us with the same energy and respect. That experience elevated me, because as an actor, this is something that we sometimes forget and its important to keep the continuity of the emotion. Moving forward, this is something I will be conscious of.

The show leaves a powerful legacy in its wake that was expanded further with the launch of the Somos Nosotros scholarship. How did that come about?

The scholarship is one of the most special things Ive seen a cast come together to do. The legacy of the scholarship shares the real meaning of This Is Us, its including everyone. Were creating parity and equality by supporting Latinx creativesbecause of my backgroundso there will be more characters like Miguel on TV.

You have such a long list of credits, where does Miguel fit on your list of favorites?

I would say Miguel is my favorite so far. Thanks to him, there are a lot of conversations about the importance of telling stories that include a broad spectrum of life in the world. Im feeling hopeful about seeing new shows like the new Quantum Leap with an Asian lead, which was championed by Lisa Katz at NBC who was a champion in getting Miguels story out there. Also at NBC is Grace Wu, who is prioritizing diverse storytelling and casting personally. They both said they were inspired by the Miguel episode and how it represented the types of stories they want to see told. Im so proud of Miguels legacy and I hope he continues to inspire viewers and executives to push for authenticity in storytelling.

Follow this link:
How This Is Us Star Jon Huertas Rose From The Ashes Of Castle To Achieve Acting, Directing Success - Deadline

After several cancellations and delays over the last two years due to the pandemic, the music industry is staging a strong comeback into the live scene, with global names changing the tunes of revival. This year, the music sector has set the tone for the future of the industry. The signals are clear after a timid return last year, music concerts in the country are now making a strong comeback.

After singer AP Dhillons gig last year, Norwegian DJ Alan Walker also brought his EDM beats to the country. In fact, despite singer Justin Biebers India visit in October being uncertain due to health reasons, the presence of the country on his tour calendar reflects how India is back on the global map. American rapper Lil Pump is also scheduled to perform in India later this year.

On the home front, singers Arjun Kanungo, Jubin Nautiyal, Divine, Arijit Singh, Papon and Akriti Kakar have also been performing live in India and abroad. I have been on the road for quite some time for concerts. Its been a good season for artistes. After a long dull haul, concerts have begun across the globe. Ive performed abroad and within India. Being on stage is like fuel for my soul, says Kakar.

It (live shows resuming) feels like taking a deep breath after ages. Its a massive relief to me, and for the live music and entertainment industry in general, which has suffered immensely, shares singer Sona Mohapatra, who feels all one needs for a safe concert is to abide by all the safety measures.

To this, singer Shilpa Rao adds, People have been stressed, physically and mentally, and to be performing again in front of them and making them smile is the happiest feeling. Now, we have become more clever in terms of handling an emergency situation after the pandemic and people have become more conscious about themselves and their surroundings.

Singer Arjun Kanungo feels the revival is coming with evolution. Today, the audience is willing to pay for your music and come to your shows. But, we need better venues and bigger places to play live shows, because there are audiences waiting to attend live shows, especially after the pandemic. Recently, I did a show in Mumbai. We expected about 2,500 people, but we sold 7,600 tickets. So, the audience is dying to see live music, says the Waada Hai hitmaker.

The pent-up demand for live events is helping the tour culture revive and thrive. According to Anil Makhija, COO Live Entertainment & Venues, BookMyShow, in April 2022 alone, consumer transactions for live entertainment witnessed a 31% increase compared to the levels witnessed in March.

The pent-up demand translated into huge conversions by quantum across categories, especially music, further reinforcing the appetite for live entertainment in our country. On the music front, techno music is not only gaining a niche, but also a strong consumer base along with indie music bands led by both experienced and relatively new artistes earning fans across major cities in India, Makhija says.

He adds, Live entertainment is no longer restricted to metro cities with shows being hosted across tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well. These markets grew for live shows during the pandemic through virtual events.

Read the rest here:
Let the music play! Live scene re-emerging with stronger notes - Hindustan Times

The Republic of Gamers (RoG) is the Asus gaming arm, focusing on no holds barred, cost is no object peak performance hardware. Weve seen RoG hardware in the past deal with anything and everything we throw at it, so it was with great excitement I raised my hand to spend a couple of weeks with the ROG phone 5s.

When we looked at the previous model, the only real fault was that it was a bit too much phone for some users being somewhat chunky, perhaps a little too pricey but thats somewhat subjective. The bold gamer look had been dialled back and the capabilities maintained: As a starting point the ROG Phone 5S continues that trend with more on offer.

The immediate presentation of the retail packaging is similar to the previous generation, with a really interesting package that sets the tone for the gaming focus of the phone. Obviously, in the package, youve got the phone but youve also go the charging brick for fast charging, a charging cable, decent cover (although Im not convinced it would survive, or protect your phone from a decent drop) and the clip-on cooler for gaming.

The box itself plays a part in the setup process to unlock the armory crate, which later plays a part in your gaming experience.

Perhaps, if youre a gamer, the AeroActive Cooler plays the most important part in the extra hardware provided. It clips to the sides of the phone and then works to keep the phone cool where the processing hardware is. Its also designed to accommodate charging while you play games to ensure your game session isnt cut short.

Like its predecessors, the ROG Phone 5S specs are very much at the sharp end of the pack. The short list of specs that affect performance includes:

As with any device though, the performance specs really only tell a portion of the story. In this case, one feature I was particularly excited by was the outstanding screen. Its a 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED display that runs 2448 x 1080 resolution at a 144Hz refresh rate, matching the previous version of the device. Some users may not be massive fans of the slightly larger bezels, but this is a conscious decision to prevent false triggers while gaming.

All of that processing power needs something to drive it and the 6,000 mAh battery does a great job of it. Somewhat regularly during testing, I was able to get 2 days from a single charge.

The look of the device has, again, been toned down slightly to a point where at a glance, you wouldnt know its a gaming beast. It is a bit bigger than most devices, but given the specs of the device and the gaming focus; Im honestly ok with that. As a comparison, the ROG Phone 5S measures 172.8 x 77.3 x 9.9 mm (similar front dimensions, but thinner than the ROG Phone 5) whereas the Pixel 6 Pro is 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm.

Sticking with what was a winning formula already, the engineers have the speakers front firing to maximise the audio volume and quality during gameplay. Whether it was during gameplay or media playback, for a phone at least, the audio quality was really impressive. Plenty of range, unsurprising though it lacks bass, and enough volume to fill a reasonably well-sized room with music that is distortion-free.

In a surprise to no one, a gaming phone can really deliver when gaming. Weve already covered the specs of the screen which makes anything youre watching (or playing) an absolute pleasure, particularly with the high refresh rate. That also comes into play with the exceptionally good touch response on the screen which made playing games Including Diablo Immortal not just visually, but in a tactile sense wonderful.

Even without turning on the gaming mode (more on that in a moment), there werent really any troubles for the ROG phone 5S. Given the high-end specs, massive battery and software optimisation available for gaming, thats hardly a surprise. After a while, I did notice the centre of the phone got pretty warm, but not so warm that it would be uncomfortable to immediately put it in your pocket.

This however, is where the AeroCooler comes into play. It gives you the opportunity to both cool your phone while playing games, and to charge the device during gameplay as the charging port is on the left side of the device (the longer edge) when held in portrait mode. This avoids the issue of a charging cable forcing you to change your grip during gameplay and ensures, despite gameplay being a battery hog, that you can then re-engage in your day with a well-charged mobile device.

X Mode does a bit in the background when you turn it on, starting with winding up the performance hardware and killing any background apps. This releases all available memory to aid performance. This is configurable, but I found that the automatic settings gave a great experience and meant that I wasnt interrupted by calls or messages as notifications are largely disabled by X Mode.

This is very much a case of evolution versus revolution when it comes to the ROG OS interface. Its running the latest version of Android, for day-to-day use is optimised well enough to get a full day of battery easily and has plenty of customisation available to it. Pleasingly, there still isnt any hugely intrusive bloatware on the OS, the Asus ROG launcher wont be to everyones taste but as mentioned, it is customisable.

Again with the evolution, there appears to be delivery on some lessons learned from the previous generation of phones. Battery optimization is clearly still happening with some apps in the background, but apps that are used regularly and receive push notifications a lot, dont get shut down anywhere near as aggressively. Youll still get the occasional shut down you dont want, but thats easily fixed by adding an exception allowing the app to run in the background and using the battery.

The last couple of ROG phones has improved each time with regard to the camera capabilities. This time around, Im very happy to say that the camera has again improved to a point where Id say its very capable. The usual array of photo modes is included for video, night capture, portrait and normal photos. Dont get me wrong, this isnt going to keep up with the likes of the top-end Samsungs and iPhones of the world. Keep in mind though, that its $300 $700 cheaper than those devices.

The software is typically easy to navigate and use, with the shutter and autofocus really up to speed too. You can just point and shoot and fairly confidently providing you have decent light know youll get a decent photo with good colour reproduction and crisp imagery.

The ROG Phone 5s is an excellent phone, that can easily handle anything you throw at it in daily life. Its got really high specs, plenty of RAM and has a distinct look to it that may be a little flashy for some, but isnt out of place even in professional settings. Probably the biggest problem with it is that it is quite big.

If I had to sum this up in a single sentence it would be that the ROG Phone 5s is a stunning device that excels at almost everything with software that doesnt invade heavily on the experience of the phone. Provided you dont mind the camera not keeping up with $2,000.00 flagships this may well be one of the best buys of 2022 so far.

At the time of publishing this review, the ROG phone 5s is down to $1,199.00 from $1,499.00 at JB Hi-Fi. Even at full price, Id be happy to recommend this to a lot of users.

Read the rest here:
ROG Phone 5S review A beast that only has a couple of minor faults - Ausdroid

Foreword

Data driven technologies deliver benefits for individuals, organisations, and the wider UK economy every single day. Location data is central to this revolution, changing the way that we order a taxi or shop for food and tackling the key national and global challenges of our time. Location data was core to managing the Covid pandemic and is at the heart of combating climate change. Location data drives the innovation and scientific progress that will form the foundation of the way we live tomorrow unlocking major efficiencies and economic benefits - provided we retain the publics trust in its use.

Our use of data driven technology is constantly evolving. The availability of data is expanding, and advanced tools such as artificial intelligence give us the means to analyse and process this data in new ways, making the impossible insights of yesterday, possible today. The government is committed to improving the use of data as a strategic national asset to drive economic growth and innovation across all sectors, as the UKs National Data Strategy sets out. Location data is a powerful resource in this capability and ambition.

Unlocking value: Location data underpins our modern digital society. It enables valuable personal benefits such as finding the fastest route; checking the weather; providing context to online search results; and tracking the path of flights, trains, cars and taxis.

It also enables public benefits. It improves public safety and health, for example directing emergency services and informing the UKs Covid response, and it helps national and local governments identify where to target infrastructure investment, such as charge points to keep pace with the growing number of electric vehicles.

A pro-growth, trusted data regime: The trends in the use of location data are towards more sources for data collection, and faster, more automated data. This makes location data a powerful tool, but also underlines the importance of public confidence in how this data is used.

Users of location data must be transparent, and the benefits delivered must be clearly stated and adhered to. This will help government & industry to win the hearts and minds of those sharing their location data building long term trust and support from the UK public.

We can build public trust and confidence by demonstrating commitment to shared values:

All users of location data have a stake in building an ecosystem in which the public has confidence and trust. Doing so will allow us all to maximise the opportunity, to drive public benefit and to grow economic value.

Edwina Dunn OBEIndependent Commissioner of the Geospatial Commission and Interim Chair of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation

For the UK to capitalise on the economic, social and environmental benefits that location data can drive, it is vital that its use retains public trust and confidence.

Location technology underpins our modern digital society. It powers our everyday lives and drives innovation, from making and tracking deliveries to monitoring global deforestation. The ubiquity of location data gives it immense potential. It puts other data into context to provide new insights and will be a critical factor in realising government priorities, including Levelling Up, Net Zero, and Science and Technology.

This paper builds on existing data laws and ethical principles, as well as the Geospatial Commissions own research. Location data provides a useful window through which to consider data ethics. Its ubiquity makes it easier to ground a subject as complex as data ethics in tangible examples that support meaningful consultation. The Geospatial Commission has engaged widely, consulting: the public through our public dialogue and survey, practitioners and academia through our Oversight Group and Partner Bodies, and policymakers interested in data across UK government and the devolved administrations. Our aim is to support the national conversation of data ethics through a location data lens.

Many individuals recognise and support the use of location data to provide personal conveniences and wider societal benefits.

Members of the public share their location data with organisations every day in order to receive the personal services they value. However, data is rarely useful for just one purpose. Individuals often support their location data being made available for reuse when it leads to outcomes that serve a public benefit, such as improved public safety and health, better infrastructure and environmental benefits. The public supports these public benefits whether they are delivered by the public or the private sector.

For the UK to realise location datas potential, we must maximise public trust and confidence in this system of data use, sharing and reuse. Support for location data use is conditional, but the Geospatial Commissions evidence shows we can improve public support by explaining the journey that location data takes, the public benefits it will support and the rights people have as data subjects throughout this journey. Explaining this journey and, critically, the public benefit arising from it, can be a motivating factor for individuals to share their data initially and also to support its subsequent sharing and reuse. This enables people to move from feeling like data subjects to data citizens.

The ABC for the ethical use of location data outlines the building blocks for good governance to maximise public trust and confidence in this system of sharing and reuse of data.

Location data sits within a broad data landscape, which is governed by an existing framework of data laws. Good compliance with existing laws and principles is a base foundation for ethical use, but additional actions may be necessary to build public confidence and enable full value to be driven from the use of location data.

The Geospatial Commission proposes an ABC for the ethical use of location data:

Accountability - Governing location data responsibly, with the appropriate oversight and security

Bias - Considering and mitigating different types of bias, and highlighting the positive benefits of location data

Clarity - Being clear about how location data will be used and the rights of individuals

Everyone working with location data (across all sectors of the UK economy and the public sector) share responsibility for the publics trust in the location data ecosystem. The Geospatial Commissions findings suggest that by following these building blocks we all stand to benefit from an ecosystem in which location data can be used, shared and reused with confidence and public support. This will give the UK the foundation to innovate, drive increased public benefit, and fully exploit our strengths in science and technology.

What is this document?

Retaining and building public confidence in location data is vital to realise the opportunities of its use. This document outlines the current geospatial ethics landscape and three building blocks for ethical use. It seeks to build greater public confidence in location data use. It will contribute to Pillar 4 of the National Data Strategy, helping ensure that data is used responsibly and Mission 2 of the National Data Strategy, securing a pro-growth and trusted data regime in the UK.

Who is it for?

Any organisation in the UK working with or promoting the use of location data. The three building blocks for ethical use will inspire organisations to use location data in a way that builds greater public confidence in location data. This will likely also be of interest for organisations considering data ethics more generally.

Why now?

The widespread use of new technologies means that data about our lives, including location data, is available in increasing frequency, detail and accuracy. This necessary evolution of our geospatial ecosystem raises new and significant ethical considerations. The UK must meet and answer these considerations to build public confidence and unlock the power of location data.

Location technology underpins our modern digital society. It powers our everyday lives and drives innovation, from making and tracking deliveries to monitoring global deforestation. The ubiquity of location data gives it immense potential. It can put other data into context to provide new insights and will be a critical factor in realising government priorities, including Levelling Up, Net Zero, and Science and Technology. For the UK to capitalise on the economic, social and environmental benefits that location data can enable, it is vital that its use retains public trust and confidence.

To build and maintain the publics confidence, organisations that use and share location data need to incorporate ethical considerations into their ways of working. Ethical considerations are complex as they shift with societal changes. Data ethics complexity is compounded by the rapid changes in technology, making the impossible insights of yesterday, possible today. Many of the ethical considerations relevant to data more generally are also applicable to location data.

However, unlike many other types of data, such as health or financial data, location data is ubiquitous. This ubiquity of human mobility data, plus its high level of detail and the inferences it offers, raises unique ethical considerations. This includes instances where data can be linked to an individual, but also where data can be linked to groups and communities with shared characteristics. Furthermore, location data can evoke a feeling of vulnerability because of the implications for personal safety that arise from information about where people are, or where they have been or are going and with whom. This feeling of vulnerability is not unique to location data, but location datas ubiquity means it may be felt more often and acutely.

Location datas ubiquity also makes it easier to ground a subject as complex as data ethics in tangible examples that support meaningful consultation. People instinctively understand the concerns around a mobile app that tracks someones location, but it is also clear why location is crucial for ordering a taxi, to have a parcel delivered, or to understand where COVID-19 infections are higher or lower.

What is location data?

The term location data, also known as geospatial data, is any data that has a geographic element. It tells us where people and objects are in relation to a particular geographic location. Whether in the air, on the ground, at sea or under our feet. These data can relate to events, objects or people and can be static (such as a persons address or the location of a school) or dynamic (such as a bus travelling along its route).

Is location data personal data?

Location data is personal data when it relates to an individual who can be identified, either directly or indirectly. However, location data is often not personal data, such as aggregated population data or when describing the location of features that are not linked to an individual. The principles in this paper can be applied to both personal and non-personal data; maximising public confidence depends on clear communication of how location data is used and its benefits. However, issues around trust will be particularly relevant where the location data being used is personal data.

This document takes as a foundational basis existing legislation relating to data use and it is informed by a wealth of expertise, reports and principles relating to data ethics. For example:

Principles developed by the private sector and civil society, who are playing a vital role in the development of data ethics. These include:

Many of the ethical considerations for location data will be the same as for other types of data and technology, and good compliance with existing laws and principles can be seen as a base foundation for ethical use. But additional actions may be necessary to build public confidence and enable full value to be driven from the use of location data.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

The field of data ethics is broad, stretching across different types of data and ever-emerging technologies. Ethical considerations continue to evolve alongside the evolution in the increasing use and importance of data.

This paper is intended to contribute to the growing body of data ethics literature. The Geospatial Commission has worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) and the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), to understand public attitudes towards location data use in the UK and how ethical use can maximise public confidence.

The ABC for location data ethics in this document uses the evidence the Geospatial Commission has gathered to build on the three principles for public sector data use outlined in the UK governments Data Ethics Framework: Transparency, Accountability and Fairness.

In 2020, the Geospatial Commission published the UKs Geospatial Strategy, with an ambitious vision to unlock the power of location data. The Strategy outlines four missions to tackle challenges in the geospatial policy landscape and maximise location datas opportunities.

Mission 1, to promote and safeguard the use of location data, recognises that society can only continue to benefit from the widespread use of location data and its future opportunities if location data is used in a way that retains public confidence. The Geospatial Commission therefore committed to publish a paper about how to unlock location datas immense value, while mitigating ethical and privacy concerns.

To inform this work, the Geospatial Commission embarked on a programme of engagement, starting with an independent public dialogue, which is the UKs first deliberative consultation on location data ethics. The dialogue, launched in March 2021, engaged 85 members of the UK public in a series of online workshops and activities, supported by expert practitioners and academics. The report, published in December, provided evidence on public perceptions about location data use, offering valuable insights into what the public believe are the key benefits and todays concerns.

In late 2021, the Geospatial Commission commissioned YouGov Plc. to conduct a quantitative survey on location data ethics. The survey, representative of all UK adults, sought to build on the findings of the independent public dialogue and establish a baseline of trends in how the public perceive location data. The findings, published in February 2022, were similar to those made by the public dialogue and align with recent research on data ethics conducted in the public sector.

The Geospatial Commission has engaged with practitioners from the outset. In 2020, we undertook a market study of the geospatial ecosystem which provided important findings around public trust and location data. The public dialogue was supported by an independent Oversight Group that was formed to guide the process. It comprised public, private sector and civil society organisations.

Geospatial Data Market

In November 2020, the Geospatial Commission published an independent report setting out the first comprehensive assessment of the current and potential future value of the UKs geospatial economy. The report concluded that geospatial is an enabler of activity across the economy and is best described as an ecosystem.

Since geospatial cuts across different sectors, its value is difficult to measure. The Geospatial Commission plans to publish guidance in 2022 which will provide direction on how public sector organisations can make a case for investment in location data by providing a framework for measuring the economic, social and environmental value of location data. We expect these principles will also be relevant to the private sector.

The Geospatial Commissions public engagement found that the public recognise the value of outcomes with a public benefit and they support the use of location data to this end. Our expectation is that this paper will help build public confidence in the use of location data and technology, enabling further uses of this data and more value to be realised.

Geospatial Commission's Engagement in Numbers

1,757 members of the public surveyed about views on ethical location data use

20 members of the Oversight Group, who supported our work, including from the public, private and third sectors.

85 participants from across the UK involved in 4 online workshops as part of the public dialogue on location data ethics

42 participants in our Geospatial Data Market Study who were consulted on Ethics

Trend One

Real-time location data is increasingly available thanks to high levels of connectivity as well as the ability to store data in the cloud and access it through edge-computing.

Examples

Trend Two

The proliferation of sensors matching the proliferation of devices that can house these sensors, and decreases in the cost and size of geospatial technology.

Examples

Trend Three

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the machine learning (ML) is increasingly being used in the geospatial sector to support the processing of vast amounts of data.

Examples

Potential ethical considerations

These trends in the use of location data, towards faster, more prolific, and more automated collection and analysis impact the ethical considerations, such as:

The publics trust and confidence in the system of location data use, sharing and reuse appears to grow as their understanding of how and why it is used grows, and they believe the burden of driving this awareness is on organisations, not individuals.

The ethical use of location data is vital to retain existing public trust and it can also be an indispensable tool to build confidence to maximise use, sharing and reuse of the data. Ensuring that the right policies, guidance and information is available and utilised to create a system of trust will enable a greater understanding, awareness and acceptance of location data use, including location data relating to individuals movements. Increased data sharing and innovation is in the UKs interest, supporting organisations to provide the public services and individual conveniences we all depend on.

Many people support the use of data when this is for the public benefit.[footnote 1][footnote 2][footnote 3] The Geospatial Commissions research has found that this support applies to location data specifically. We found that people were more likely to support the use of location data where this has a public benefit, including to improve personal and public safety, plan and improve infrastructure, provide public health benefits and support improved environmental outcomes.

We also found that people were much more likely to understand public benefits when these were explained to them. Before the first of four public dialogue workshops, most participants felt they knew nothing or just a little about location data, and just over half felt that the use of location data was positive for society. Following the third workshop, most participants felt they knew a fair amount to a great deal about location data, and three quarters felt the use of location data was positive for society.

This demonstrates that public benefit outcomes arising from the use of location data can be a motivating factor for acceptance of location data use arising from individuals, but clear explanation of the public benefit arising is required.

The Geospatial Commission is interested in exploring how organisations, regulators and policymakers can support the increased acceptance for location data to be used, shared and reused across the geospatial ecosystem to drive public benefits.

The Geospatial Commissions finding that public confidence is increased when location data is used to support public benefits suggests that we should encourage increased use, sharing and reuse for these purposes. For example:

Organisations could consider how they support the public benefit through appropriate sharing of and/or access to the location data they collect. In our public dialogue, participants expressed concern about the amount of profit a company may generate from using location data being disproportionate to the amount of good or benefit to society from that use. By considering the public benefit, organisations could build the publics confidence in the system of location data use, sharing and reuse.

Regulators could consider the use of location data for the public benefit in the regulation of markets. While it is clear that location data can and does enable delivery of important services that benefit the public and wider society, much data remains siloed within organisations potentially giving rise to competition concerns.

Policymakers could continue to work with organisations to understand and mitigate any current barriers to effective data access, including legislative barriers, and find mechanisms to encourage the use of location data to support public benefits, which in turn should drive more data sharing and use across the UK. Policymakers will also have a crucial role in defining public benefit in practice which is not an easy task and will require ongoing reflection.

What is the public benefit?

By public benefit this paper refers to the general benefit or wellbeing of the public. This reflects the use of the term in the Geospatial Commissions public dialogue, where participants typically used it to convey things that benefit society and communities. These services of public benefit may be provided by the public, private or third sectors. Location data used within public services such as policing, health and care services, and public infrastructure (such as the design of roads and public transport services), were all seen as being for the public benefit.

Public benefit outcomes can be a necessary motivator for individuals to support the use of location data relating to their movements, but alone they are not sufficient.

The Geospatial Commissions research has identified a sense of digital resignation[footnote 4] towards the use and sharing of location data arising from a lack of trust in how data is governed. Many people reluctantly accept and use digital technologies, including location technologies, despite having reservations about data use or sharing. The UK public generally wants this digital resignation to cease and to move from feeling like data subjects to becoming data citizens. They want to be part of a location data ecosystem in which they are shown how services work, and are given more informed, meaningful choices.

Creating an ecosystem of trust around location data use depends on robust, responsible organisational practices that are clearly communicated. The Geospatial Commission recognises that adequately balancing these responsibilities is challenging but believes it is possible to create a system in which the use and governance of location data is clear and understandable, without putting undue burden on either the organisation or the individual.

A useful analogy is food packaging. Organisations are required to undertake an assessment of the nutritional qualities of food products, and then to provide clear and accessible information about this on their food packaging. This offers consumers an opportunity to be aware, feel in control and make decisions about what they eat - building confidence in the system as a result. Consumers need not be dietary experts or food safety specialists to understand and make sensible decisions about their diets.

In the same way, users of location data can ensure they have good governance in their use of location data, and can explain this clearly to the public. The Geospatial Commission has set this out in ABC building blocks of the ethical use of location data:

These building blocks are interdependent. Growing the publics clarity around location data is paramount to building public confidence. However, this clarity is redundant if organisations do not first build robust practices that ensure accountability and consider bias. Conversely, they cannot maximise public confidence with appropriate governance if they do not then seek to build greater clarity.

By prioritising and meaningfully implementing each building block, organisations can build confidence, and thereby enable greater public trust in the system of location data use, sharing and reuse, and the realisation of the immense opportunities location data offers.

Q-FAIR

The accessibility of location data is linked to the Geospatial Commissions Q-FAIR approach. This underlines that to maximise value, location data must be of appropriate Quality, as well as Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.

What is it?

The accountability principle requires organisations to take responsibility for their use of location data and build effective governance and oversight mechanisms to be able to demonstrate compliance. Responsible use requires data controllers to process personal data securely by means of appropriate technical and organisational measures.

How is it currently perceived?

Our public engagement has found that accountability is a key factor in deciding whether a data subject supports the use of location data relating to their movements but, currently, the public feel unable to hold data controllers to account. Information about the governance of location data and the oversight mechanisms in place to protect it are often inaccessible. This means many individuals feel disempowered, less secure and unable to have sufficient control over their location data, which in turn makes them feel less safe and more distrustful of its use.

What does meaningful change look like?

Effective governance and oversight mechanisms for any location data project, as well as the clear communication of them, is essential to ensure best practice, securely held data and to maximise public confidence. This could include providing clarity around the journey that an individuals location data will take and the points at which data subjects are consulted. Organisations could consider the avenues data subjects have to interrogate how their location data is controlled and the best ways to respond to questions and concerns that data subjects have.[footnote 5]

Organisations could go one step further to build meaningful accountability by providing individuals with ways to communicate not just how they want their data collected, but what specific data they are happy to provide. This supports the principles of data protection by design and default. Individuals could be given a platform to review the location data gathered over a period of time to enable them to consent to whether all of their data or just some is, for example, used or restricted, anonymised or deleted.

How can it maximise confidence?

Current accountability processes may be insufficient to maximise individuals confidence that their location data is used responsibly and held securely. Direct lines of accountability between the data subject and the data controller can build confidence in an organisations internal governance and oversight mechanisms. Clearly communicating these governance mechanisms, and the avenues for subjects to interrogate how their location data is used, can foster a sense of trust and inclusion between user and subject. Greater trust from the public in the validity of the governance mechanisms will in turn empower organisations to use and innovate with location data more confidently.

What is it?

Visit link:
Building public confidence in location data: The ABC of ethical use - GOV.UK

Google management send on paid leave the engineer Blake Lemoine, who worked with the artificial intelligence (AI) LaMDA system and said that it began to show signs of robot consciousness. The company said that the program is not reasonable.

The LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) system is a Google language model; they design it to communicate with a person. The learning platform expands its vocabulary through the Internet and mimics natural human speech. Lemoines task was to control the vocabulary of the machine; LaMDA should not allow itself discriminatory statements, rude or hateful expressions.

However, when talking with artificial intelligence on a religious topic, the 41-year-old engineer, who studied computer science and cognitive science (the psychology of thinking) in college, noticed that the chatbot started talking about its rights and its own personality. In one of the dialogues, the machine was so convincing that Lemoine changed his mind about the third law of robotics by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

If I didnt know exactly what it was, which is this computer program we built recently, Id think it was a seven-year-old, eight-year-old kid that happens to know physics, the engineer told Washington Post reporters. He reached out to his management, but Google VP and head of innovation examined his suspicions and dismissed them. Sent on paid leave Blake Lemoine decided to make the incident public.

Also, Google spokesperson Brad Gabriel said: Our team, including ethicists and technologists; has reviewed Blakes concerns per our AI principles and have informed him that the evidence does not support his claims. There was no evidence that LaMDA was sentient (and lots of evidence against it). However, we will keep tracking the evolution of this case; and keep you informed as soon as we get new information.

Read the original post:
Google employee suspended after saying that AI has become conscious - Gizchina.com

Image: Alfred Russel Wallace, attributed to John William Beaufort (1864-1943) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Richard DawkinssThe Blind Watchmakerbegins with the grand claim that our own existence once presented the greatest of all mysteries, but it is a mystery no longer because it is solved, Darwin and Wallace solved it. Leaving to one side the fact that this statement is a prime example of what writer and satirist Tom Wolfe has dubbed the temptation to cosmogonism the compulsion to find the ever-elusive Theory of Everything.1The statement is, at best, only half true. For Alfred Russel Wallace as early as the mid 1860s had parted company with Charles Darwin on the subject of the human mind, with its staggering complexity and unique language facility. For him, on more mature reflection, no simple ape-to-human progression was any longer tenable and he could no longer assent to the ontological equivalence of humans and nonhuman animals proposed by Darwin and later subjected to areductio ad absurdumby the philosopher Peter Singer, best known for hisAnimal Liberation(1975) and for his (seriously proposed) advocacy for a normalization of sexual relations between humans and animals.

Wallace had given much thought to his change of heart. Marvelously free of any racist prejudice even at the height of the colonial era, he had noted in his more than a decade of fieldwork in far-flung locations of the globe that primitive tribes were intellectually the equals of Europeans, even if not (yet) their equals at the technological level. Savages were, however, required to operate only in the context of simple activities where their great brainpower was redundant given the simplicities of their daily rounds. So, what was the point of their great mental powers and, more importantly, how had it evolved? After all, natural selection would not have been called on to enable them to perform cognitively challenging tasks for which there was presently no need. By extension, what was the survival value of musical and mathematical abilities for Europeans? These were patently not brute survival skills. How could they have been promoted by natural selection which favors only immediate utility since, as Darwin himself repeatedly stated, it had no power of foresight? Wallace eventually answered that question (to his own satisfaction) by claiming that an influx of a higher life had supervened to accompany the arrival ofHomo sapienson the worlds stage a volte-face which disappointed Darwin and made Wallace the target of some opprobrium from Darwins supporters.

In his older years Wallace came to reject natural selection as an explanation for the unfurling ofallhuman and even animal life. By then he had transitioned towards the espousal of a form of natural theology; but his initial and gravest misgiving in the 1860s was focused four-square on the mystery of how the human brain could have evolved according to Darwinian lines of explanation. For Wallace it had become so clear that an additional power must have played a role that he thenceforth felt constrained to bid adieu to material modes of explanation. Rather like the adherents of the modern intelligent design trend, Wallace could not see how what is now termed irreducible complexity could have been thrown together by the only marginally discriminating forces of natural selection.

It is not difficult to sympathize with Wallaces doubts. As Michael Ruse recently put it, mind is the apotheosis of final cause, drenched in purpose irreducibly teleological.2At the same time, however, Ruse puzzlingly and to me somewhat contradictorily contends, Why should the evolutionist be expected to explain the nature of consciousness? Surely it can be taken as a given, and the evolutionist can move on leave the discussion at that.3Wallace was certainly not prepared to accept such cherry-picking evasions and leave the discussion at that. And despite Dawkinss transparent attempt to airbrush Wallaces apostasy out of the historical record, the latters century-and-a half old question about natural selections inability to create the human mind has been maintained as a live issue by professional philosophers.

Wallaces point was reprised by philosopher Anthony OHear who objected that evolutionary theory was inadequate to account for the emergence of the human mental and moral faculties. On Darwinian principles there was simply no source from which human morality and other higher faculties could have originated (all the less so if one believes that we as a species represent essentially a congeries of selfish genes):

How is it conceivable that consciousness should develop from unconscious precursors? There is no explanation to date and only those who believe that the difference between a cabbage or an automaton and a sentient human being is of small account will minimize the significance of this incomprehension.4

In other words, Darwinism simply cannot explain human nature to anything like its fullest extent. Both OHear and philosopher Richard Rorty have pointed to the plethora of non-Darwinian motivations in humankind, including that non-selfish moral compass which exists in all bar the most abject psychopaths. Hence OHear attacked the argument of Richard Dawkins when the latter insisted it was possible for humans to resist their selfish biological endowment in order to achieve more morally accountable human societies. Such moral resistance would not be logically possible if one holds to the strict doctrine of biological determinism. For given such a scenario, what resources would people have to draw on in order to escape the adamantine bonds of the deterministic straitjacket they were born into? There is then clearly a fatal logical contradiction in claiming that ethical behavior could be salvaged from the unyielding toils of biological determinism.5

As Anthony Flew once put it, No eloquence can move pre-programmed robots.6It is therefore difficult to make a rationally justified case for the human mind having had the form of evolutionary history commonly imputed to it. Furthermore, the philosophical conclusion towards which Wallace was an early contributor has also come to be buttressed by an empirical discipline unknown in Wallaces time that of neuroscience, which throws valuable light on this philosophical issue, even, I would suggest, for those who publicly disdain the discipline of philosophy.

Neuroscientist Donald Hoffman, who once worked with DNA co-discoverer Francis Crick in attempting to crack the problem of human consciousness, recently conceded that the nature and origins of consciousness remain completely unsolved and may best be termed an eternal mystery.7The brusque and decidedly no-nonsense Crick was in the event fated to meet his Waterloo when it came to the subject of consciousness, explains Hoffman. Crick had at first attempted to explain it somewhat airily as nothing but an emergent property which naturally arose when matter reaches a certain level of complexity. However, he was at length obliged to withdraw that vacuous contention, conceding that there is nothing about conscious experience that is relatable to the physicalstuffor material of the brain. Consciousness simply lies beyond our empirical perception and cognitive reach.

Hoffman develops the point further: At the most microcosmic level the brain consists of subatomic particles which have qualities like mass, spin and charge. There is nothing about these qualities that relates to the qualities associated with consciousness such as thought, taste, pain or anxiety.8To suggest otherwise, continues Hoffman, would be like asserting that numbers might emerge from biscuits or ethics from rhubarb. The bottom line seems to be that we are not only ignorant but, alas, prostrate in our ignorance of the brains arcana.9Theoretically, of course, there may yet emerge an as yet undiscovered materialist explanation for the brain and human consciousness. But to date we must conclude that todays science cannot with integrity support such a claimon the evidence presently available.

Both Hoffman and Crick were finally forced to conclude that all purely physicalist theories of consciousness had failed to provide illumination and that the state of consciousness could not be explained in neurological terms, a conclusion powerfully endorsed for more than three decades by distinguished British neuroscientist Raymond Tallis in his long opposition to what he terms Darwinitis.10In short, consciousness is simply not derivable from physical laws but remains an inexplicable phenomenon of the human endowment which we are simply left to wonder at. To suggest otherwise, writes philosopher David Bentley Hart, is to fall into the trap of a misapplication of quantitative and empirical terms to unquantifiable and intrinsically non-empirical realities.11This indicates that vague, would-be Darwinian attempts to imagine consciousness arising as an epiphenomenon of other physiological processes are misconceived. In fact, not being able to identify the precise biological pathway leading to the claimed epiphenomena disqualifies this contention as a bona fide theory and relegates it to the status of little more than magical thinking (which I define as postulating an effect without an identifiable agent or cause).

It cannot be denied that there are philosophers content to follow the Darwinian line and even to become Darwinian apologists (and indeed cheerleading eulogists such as Daniel Dennett). But there are very many more who feel a vocational duty to deconstruct Darwinian postulates and unmask their debatable pretensions. Remarkably, Richard Spilsbury felt so strongly on this point that he took to task an older generation of philosophers for being cowed by materialist confirmation bias intonotaddressing the problem. His remarks were directed at the logical positivist philosophers, in the orbit of Sir Alfred Ayer and his famousLanguage, Truth and Logicof 1936, for what he saw as their culpable silence on Darwinism.

As a matter of historical record, no group of thinkers was more inclined to denounce propositions for being non-sense (in the philosophical sense of not having sufficient logical stringency to merit serious discussion) than the logical positivists. Yet no criticism of Darwinism issued from within that group. Spilsburys explanation for the omission seems all too plausible: It is rather surprising that they [Darwinists] have largely been left alone by logical positivists in search of new demolition work. Perhaps neo-Darwinism has been saved from this [demolition] by its essential contribution to the world view that positivists share12(i.e., materialism). Given that the underlying aim of the Ayerian philosophy was broadly speaking to make the world a safe place for positivism, by discouraging any form of mysticism or metaphysics, I find Spilsburys explanation entirely convincing. Nonsense can apparently be exempted from critique when it supports the materialist cause.

It is uncertain how future generations will react to theories without evidential foundation, simply at the paternalistic direction of scientists riding high on materialist hobbyhorses. Common experience suggests that many persons today are inclined to resist unsubstantiable theories in favor of their own tried-and-tested observations of reality. And the rise of intelligent design thought may be understood as a manifestation of this more precise, empirical mode of thinking. It cannot therefore be stressed strongly enough that inferences to a designing power (of some sort) is not,paceDawkins, always anchored in an adherence to a particular revealed faith. People now are considerably less swayed by deference and 19th-century fideism (believing on trust). In fact, the (historically) paradoxical truth is that for growing numbers of people today it issciencethat points in the direction of an unmoved mover more than any positive or revealed religion hence Anthony Flews well-publicized defection from non-theistic rationalism to a form of deism which he dubbed his pilgrimage of reason.

In that remarkable philosophic odyssey, the erstwhile president of the British Rationalist Society finally arrived at an understanding of the world as disclosed to him by natural theology, the multitudinous signatures of which he interpreted as empirical markers for a design which,paceLucretius, David Hume, Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, and Lawrence Krauss could not have arisen autonomously without a designer. For Flew as a professional logician, such a position simply represented the inference to the best explanation. He came to reject chance in the sense of the fortuitous configurations and re-configurations of matter postulated by Lucretius (and,mutatis mutandis, by Darwin with reference to the organic world). He found his a more rational explanation than that offered by those of Darwins intellectual heirs who seem to be more interested in cooking the books to protect materialist assumptions from theistic incursions than in facing up to the inadequacies of a science which dramatically contradicts their own philosophical case. For such ideologically tainted denials can sometimes seem to represent little more thana covert desire to throw a protectivecordon sanitairearound the theory of a purely material genesis for the biosphereand so stifle further debate.

The acceptance and promotion of what is strictly speaking non-discussible nonsense (in the Ayerian sense)13by groups of people supposedly devoted to the truth wherever it leads provides a disquieting specter of intellectual integrity playing second fiddle to ideological commitment. In fact, the attempt by more doctrinaire scientific materialists to bounce lay persons into gainsaying their own rational judgments results in a truly incongruous situation. That is, when big science brings forward a host of findings which might most fairly be glossed as prima facie proofs of a higher agency, but thereupon proceeds to deny the most intuitively logical import of its own discoveries, unbiased men and women prove unsurprisingly resistant. That resistance arises from their ability to appreciate the true existential implications of said findings and their entirely consequential determination to cry Foul! to the scientists for trying to mislead them. Such persons are in effect following in Wallaces footsteps, without of course in most cases being fully aware of the historical recapitulation. And this in turn furnishes a very good argument why Wallace should not be erased from the Darwinian narrative. Indeed, welcome historical revisions have been set in train in the last decade, much of that from the pen of Michael Flannery.14

What is impressive about Wallaces testimony is the without-fear-or-favor intellectual independence it reveals. He suffered no disabling sense of self-consciousness about doing his U-turn from his earlier opinions. He simply accepted the unexceptional fact that persons opinions will change over time according to how they come to revisit evidence on more mature reflection.Wallace was, as Frank Turner once put it, primarily a disinterested student of life with no interest in orthodox posturing, even after numerous honors had been bestowed upon him later in life.15

Darwin, on the other hand, found himself in a very different situation, being oppressively aware of the luster of the family name, especially as it pertained to his grandfather, Erasmus. His insistence that his theoryhadto be true for the sake of personal and family honor may do much to explain his state of obdurate denial when coming up against the many counter-indications to it which he encountered, even from close colleagues such as Thomas Huxley. His intransigence in facing opposition seems to have stemmed from a form of duelistspoint dhonneur.This attitude of mind had already been detectable inthe way that he had worked at a break-neck pace to produce the manuscript of theOriginfor publication when, after receiving Wallaces famous Ternate Letter in 1858, he sensed a competitor snapping at his heels.16It was clearly important to him to be able to have the Darwin imprimatur embossed on his evolutionary ideas.In that way he could both underscore his own status amongst his peers and also be seen to be consummating the glorious tradition of evolutionary speculation inaugurated by his grandfather. For Darwin was for all his adult life concerned with a peculiarly familial construction of reality the truth-value of which he never questioned. He framed his lifes work as a consummation of his grandfathers endeavors to prove evolution which was why he was so gratified to be able to advance what he took to be a mechanism to account for evolutionary ideas first advanced by Erasmus Darwin.

By contrast, Wallace had no intellectual pedigree to live up to. Natural selection was only one part of his life as a naturalist and intellectual17and he was well able to keep things in perspective. That was all the more so since he had no grand family tradition to live up to. Family piety was simply not a consideration for him sincehisgrandfather had not been a famous naturalist pushing the envelope ever further in quest of illumination of the unknown. For that reason, I find that there is more trust to be placed in Wallaces cool-headed testimony than there is in Darwins desperate denials that there could be any other explanation. Wallace was his own man and this bestowed on him the inner strength to follow the evidence where it led him without feeling the need to trim his position in apprehension of how others might react. He seems not to have felt anything like the need shown by Darwin to impress public opinion or pose as a Great Man of Science. And this, I would argue, makes his testimony concerning the fatal weakness of the theory of natural selection all the worthier of heed.

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How Darwin and Wallace Split over the Human Mind - Discovery Institute

After a 14-year hiatus, Reebok revived its Human Rights Awards in 2021. A year later, the effort is back with updates.

This year, Reebok said the program which has a history of famed winners including economist and environmentalist Winona LaDuke, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and United States Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta will honor activists in the world of sports and athletics, giving the initiative a greater focus on the intersection of human rights and sport.

Whats more, Reebok announced the programs newly reconstituted board of advisors, a list of accomplished individuals from the ACLU, the NAACP, Reebok parent Authentic Brands Group and elsewhere. Board members include Amber Hikes, Cynthia Roseberry, Dr. Regina Moorer, Monique Holland, Sara Mora, Tiffany Dena Loftin, Kari Uyehara, Zoe Henriquez, Michael Sherman and Chloe Mann.

Another new addition for 2022 is a partnership with the Sports Illustrated Awards to celebrate this years honoree, who will also receive a cash reward to support their work and guidance and mentorship from Reebok and its partners.

Nominations for the 2022 Reebok Human Rights Awards are now open via a landing page on Reebok.com.

Below, Reebok VP of apparel Portia Blunt a well-known advocate of diversity, inclusion and equity in the footwear industry reveals to FN how the program will evolve in 2022.

Why are the Human Rights Awards so special and important to you?

Mainly because it is so rooted in the history of our brand. The platform being able to amplify and reach a mass amount of people with stories of amazing activists and changemakers is one of the first things I connected with when I came to the brand. It touches my heart because its our brand really being our best selves, creating a space for young people. At this moment in time, its so important in terms of change activism, cause impact in community, especially as we start to tie that back into sport. Our professional athletes are at the tip of the spear, at the forefront of being voices of change, and with this platform were able to amplify those who arent necessarily the Shaqs of the worlds or the Allen Iversons of the world but are doing something meaningful in their community or in their school. Thats huge, every little bit counts and were able to do something and move it forward. Ive got two little boys and being able to speak on what the brand is doing and what I do on a day to day beyond creating product which has meaning is really important when youre raising a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old.

What was behind Reeboks decision to shift and make the awards for activists in the world of sports?

It is a natural shift for us. It wasnt ever not what we were focused on before, but this is just a conscious effort on our part to be more pointed in that space. As we started to build in more partnerships, it made a lot more sense to be more deliberate about that. And from a brand perspective, were anchored in this idea of amplifying human rights through human movement, and that obviously segways into sport. Its the natural way for us to get acquainted with that storytelling and finding those activists who are doing amazing work through sport. Now, it doesnt necessarily mean you have to be an athlete. It means that you are actually contributing to your community through the lens of athletics and through sport. It could be someone whos engaged in a youth or community underrepresented run club. Its looking at it in a more pointed way, but still keeping it pretty broad in terms of the communities that we serve and reach.

What did you learn from the programs revival in 2021?

The first lesson is that it was incredibly missed. Our employee community champions the program as a point of excitement, a point of pride. Two, we were definitely constrained in terms of COVID requirements and making the resurrection of the program a virtual platform. And we were dormant for too long, quite frankly. We had some amazing finalists and awardees highlighted last year through our virtual summit, and it showed the power not only of what theyre doing, but what the brand can do in terms of being a conduit of storytelling and amplifying these voices through the support we can provide through our partnerships and mentorships.

You were hired by Reebok in March 2021. Was this program something you wanted to jump right into when you were hired?

One of the things that is near and dear to my heart is diversity, inclusion, equity, equality and justice in our industry. This opportunity came to me through our leadership in terms of my voice, product, all of it. My desire to get involved led me to being that executive lead here. It was a natural path for me, for sure, to just step into the role and take it over. I do oversee the product portion of the program as well with our Human Rights Now capsule. Last year, the summit was in August and we dropped a capsule at that time, we had activation that was quite amazing in Brooklyn. Black Thought did spoken word and it was really energizing and amazing. One of the things that I looked to do at that point in time was to figure out a way to continue to amplify around the program so it didnt feel like a moment in time or just a blip on our radar like were just checking a box. As we come into 22, weve expanded that Human Rights Now product capsule to two drops as opposed to one. Well have one in September focused around celebrating around Title IX anniversary this year and what it means being a woman in sport and taking some inspiration around that. And then in December, our final capsule will drop, coinciding with the awards as well as International Human Rights Day, which happens on December 10. Were looking at taking these progressive steps to one, be impactful, two, be meaningful and thoughtful so that its not just product capsules, theyre tied to purpose, storytelling and making sure were continuing the conversation around human rights throughout the year. As we go into next year, youll see a progression of that with more storytelling, more partnerships and continuing to amplify.

What product will be featured in the collections?

For the September drop, it will be focused on Title IX in terms of inspiration, and we included our Freestyle in that capsule. Its the 40th anniversary of the Freestyle. The Freestyle, for the brand, was the first performance athletic training shoe for her at a time when brands werent really thinking about her specifically, being built for her. Tying that back to Title IX is so powerful and special for us, bringing that to life through the Human Rights Now capsule. And then in December, youll see a whole new expression coming to life, bringing to light this idea of community and all being welcome with a nod to our basketball heritage.

What message does Reebok relaunching the Human Rights Now Awards send to the greater athletic market?

Be who you are. Thats what we pride ourselves on at Reebok. We arent necessarily looking at our competitors to keep up with them. When it comes to human rights, when it comes to human movement, when it comes to these awards, we follow our instincts and our gut and we do what we feel is best. It is putting our arms around the community in a beautiful way through providing product, providing support and putting a light on these individuals and organizations that wouldnt necessarily get a lot of recognition and acclaim. I would really just encourage brands to be true to who they are and authentic to themselves, because thats really all we are looking to do. Were thrilled about the continuation of the revamped program because theres so much richness out there in the community and we want to be a partner and a place for these activists and community leaders, athletes and sport enthusiasts.

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Reeboks Portia Blunt on How the Human Rights Awards Will Evolve in 2022 - Footwear News

Women have become so adept at multitasking and getting things done by themselves that they find it difficult to delegate. Busy being capable and focused on what they want to achieve, they tend to spread themselves thin and neglect their health. These were among the pertinent comments voiced at the Cartier Womens Initiative: Kuala Lumpur Speaker Series on May 20.

Continuing on that thread, Renuka Sena, co-founder and CEO of Proficeo, said women should not be afraid to delegate. They need to let go and trust that they have good people and build up the next generation of generals who can take charge. Women also need to be able to admit that they are tired, she felt. We have to remind ourselves that we cannot do everything. Outsource and get help.

Joining Renuka in the panel discussion were Sunway iLabs Ventures head Dr Melissa Foo and PichaEats co-founder Kim Lim. Trainer, broadcast journalist, author and emcee Freda Liu moderated the event, directed at the question: How can we create thriving ecosystems for women entrepreneurs in Malaysia?

The Speaker Series, curated by Cartier Southeast Asia and Oceania and Impact Hub, also aims to raise awareness of the CWI in the region and connect impact-driven women entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers. It kicked off in Singapore in March and will be held in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam next.

Foo, vice-president of the Malaysian Business Angel Network, is involved in early-stage investments and innovation across sectors such as health, education, fintech, smart cities and retail tech. She observes that men are rarely asked, How do you balance it all?

The trained dentist who returned to Malaysia from the US a decade ago recounts how when she once applied for a loan, the bank officer did not hear what she was saying because he was distracted by her dangly earrings. I catch myself being self-conscious about things like that.

Lim notes that a common trait of women entrepreneurs is playing safe: They want certain things to happen before taking the next step. Her suggestion? Just do and things will sort themselves out. Let go, play more and sink more into the unknown.

Across the floor, the 50-odd invited guests nodded, then put their heads together to share their experience of starting their own companies and running them. Some takeaways from this mix-n-fix session were: communicate your vision clearly; it can be lonely at the top; investors may not be able to relate to your products; you need ingenuity and courage to help other women rise.

French jewellery maison Cartier easily identifies with creating ecosystems for women. The CWI provides women impact entrepreneurs financial, social and human capital support to grow their business and build leadership skills.This annual programme drives change by empowering the changemakers. It is open to women-run and women-owned businesses in any country and sector that seek to solve pressing global challenges or find solutions for the future of our planet.

Applications for the 2023 edition of the CWI opened on May 16 and will close on June 30 at 2pm (Central European summer time). There will be awards for two new regional categories, Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, besides the existing seven.

A new thematic award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, open to all genders, has been created to encourage entrepreneurial solutions designed to close gaps of access, outcome or opportunities for communities that have been underrepresented or underserved. It is the CWIs second thematic prize, after that for Science & Technology Pioneer launched last year.

Winners of the CWI, to be announced next April, will receive their awards in Paris. Besides training and mentorship programmes, as well as opportunities to connect with cohorts around the world, these inspirational women will benefit from having their business solutions brought to the largest audience possible.

The CWI has supported 262 women from 62 countries and given out a total of US$6.44 million in grants since its launch in 2006.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary on International Womens Day at the World Expo 2022 in Dubai on March 8, Cartier brought together its global community of winners to toast their achievements and collectively shape the future of the programme. Looking back on its evolution and footprint, the company continues to find ways to empower women who leverage business as a force for good.

See herefor more information or to apply for the CWI Awards.

This article first appeared on May 30, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia.

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Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2023 call for application until June 30 - Options The Edge