Saturday, 3 May 2025

Can We Credit Human Creativity to Blind Evolution?

Does the evolution of brain chemistry explain novels, speeches, and innovative ideas? Pat Flynn explored that critical question with Dr. Eric Holloway and Professor Robert J. Marks in a recent episode of the Mind Matters podcast. Delving into a chapter from their book Minding the Brain, they focused on the “information cost” of creativity. They argue that the complexity involved in generating meaningful phrases surpasses the computational resources of the universe. That is a challenge to naturalistic explanations and suggests a need for an external source of creativity.

Defining Creativity

Creativity is defined through the lens of the Lovelace test, proposed by Selmer Bringsjord, which posits that a creative act by a computer must exceed the intent or explanation of its programmer. Dr. Marks emphasizes that artificial intelligence, including large language models, operates within the bounds of programmed instructions, lacking true creativity.

Dr. Holloway distinguishes creativity from randomness. Creativity cannot be reduced to probabilistic distributions because random processes lack the intentionality required for meaningful output. This distinction sets the stage for questioning whether evolutionary processes, often equated with randomness, can account for human creativity.

The Information Cost of Meaning

Mountain climbing is a useful metaphor to illustrate the challenge of generating meaningful phrases. The “summit” represents a meaningful phrase, and the “climb” represents the process of reaching it through random selection of letters from a 27-character alphabet (including spaces). Meaning is broadly defined as any string of letters corresponding to words in a dictionary.

The authors argue that creating meaningful phrases requires an extraordinarily high amount of information. They calculate that even with the universe’s computational capacity — estimated at 10^244 bits based on Planck cubes and Planck time units — only a 268-character phrase could be generated randomly. Even hypothesizing parallel universes (up to 10^1000) would only marginally increase this number to 1,380 characters, underscoring the exponential difficulty of the task.

The Role of Active Information

Active information is introduced as the guidance needed to navigate the metaphorical mountain. Without it, random processes are as likely to succeed as any other path, per the No Free Lunch theorem.

Dr. Marks illustrates this with an analogy: finding an Easter egg in Wyoming. Without accurate guidance, the search is futile. An active information source like “you are getting warmer” or “you are getting colder” is needed to find the egg.

If we use the mountain climbing metaphor instead, active information is like an escalator on the side of the mountain that lets you reach the summit more easily.

Metaphysical Considerations

The discussion also touches on a metaphysical argument by philosopher Richard Taylor (1919‒2003), who argued that meaning cannot arise from random processes. Using the example of rocks forming the phrase “Welcome to Wales” by chance, Taylor argues that such an arrangement, if truly random, lacks intentionality and thus cannot convey meaning. Even if random processes could produce such a meaningful arrangement, the absence of a mind behind it negates its semantic content. Creativity requires a non-random, intentional source.

Implications for Creativity’s Source

The findings challenge naturalistic accounts of creativity, suggesting that the ability to generate meaningful phrases exceeds the universe’s computational resources. The authors propose that human creativity, suffused with semantic and intentional content, points to a non-material or external source of active information.

The need for active information implies an intelligent design, potentially guiding evolutionary processes or directly enabling human creative capacities.

Take Away

The Mind Matters podcast discussion casts doubt on the ability of evolutionary processes to account for human creativity. By demonstrating the immense information cost of even simple meaningful phrases and the necessity of active information, Holloway and Marks demonstrate that naturalistic explanations fall short. Their work invites further exploration into the origins of creativity, noting that the genius of the human mind requires an external, intelligent source beyond the material world.

Friday, 2 May 2025

GROK on Hitler's persecution of JEHOVAH'S Witnesses.

The Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses was a brutal and systematic campaign rooted in the regime’s ideological opposition to the group’s religious convictions and refusal to conform to Nazi authority. Jehovah’s Witnesses, known for their strict adherence to biblical principles, rejected Nazi ideology, refused to swear allegiance to Hitler, perform military service, or participate in Nazi rituals like the Hitler salute. This defiance made them a target, as the Nazis viewed their non-conformity as a direct challenge to their totalitarian control.

From 1933, when the Nazis seized power, Jehovah’s Witnesses faced escalating persecution. Their literature was banned, meetings were raided, and thousands were arrested. By 1934, the Gestapo intensified efforts, seizing property and sending members to concentration camps. In the camps, such as Dachau, Buchenwald, and Ravensbrück, they were marked with a purple triangle, a symbol distinguishing them from other prisoners. Estimates suggest around 10,000 Witnesses were imprisoned, with 2,500 to 5,000 dying due to execution, torture, or harsh conditions. Unlike other groups, Witnesses could often secure release by signing a declaration renouncing their faith, but most refused, viewing it as a betrayal of their beliefs.

them from families to be raised in Nazi-aligned households or institutions. Despite this, Witnesses maintained clandestine networks, distributing literature and holding secret meetings, often at great risk. Their resilience stemmed from their apocalyptic worldview, seeing persecution as a test of faith and a sign of the end times.

Post-war, their suffering was less acknowledged than that of other groups, partly because their persecution was driven by religious rather than ethnic or political factors. However, their stand against Nazism remains a striking example of resistance through non-violent conviction.

On Darwinism's aspirations to hard science status

Physics Envy Is Not Helping Evolutionary Biology

David Coppedge

One of Murphy’s Laws of Technology facetiously avows, “Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, volume, humidity, and other variables the organism will do as it darn well pleases.” Can such a law be tested with an ammeter or a differential equation?

“Physics envy,” a term sometimes used to disparage the “soft sciences,” expresses the desire of biologists to share the scientific prestige of physics which has been highly esteemed since Newton for its mathematical precision. Launch a cannonball, calculate the force on a dam, or fly a spacecraft, and if the initial conditions and variables can be measured accurately, physicists can usually predict the outcomes meticulously. The laws of physics, expressible with differential equations and tensor calculus, can even predict new laws. But can evolutionary biologists predict the size and time of emergence of a small predator in an ecosystem overpopulated by mice? Hypothesizing “methinks it is like a weasel” is uncomfortably vague.

Organisms Obey Physics, But…

To be sure, the bodies of organisms will obey the laws of physics. When launching a human cannonball, physicists can predict where to place the net. The power output of an electric eel can be measured with voltmeters. The luminosity of fireflies submits to photometry. Terms such as entropy and enthalpy can also be used to model processes of photosynthesis in plants.1

That’s not the kind of physics that evolutionary biologists envy. They want to predict what evolution will do, or post-dict what it has done. Sometimes they try too hard to imitate physicists in their stories by borrowing their terms. One recent paper,2 for instance, attempted to describe “The emergence of eukaryotes as an evolutionary algorithmic phase transition.” They’ve compared a saltational evolutionary change, in effect, to water going from liquid to steam.

During the first phase of this process, corresponding to prokaryotes, protein length follows gene growth. At the onset of the eukaryotic cell, however, mean protein length stabilizes around 500 amino acids.

Supposedly this is when the water starts exhibiting convection before boiling.

While genes continued growing at the same rate as before, this growth primarily involved noncoding sequences that complemented proteins in regulating gene activity. Our analysis indicates that this shift at the origin of the eukaryotic cell was due to an algorithmic phase transition equivalent to that of certain search algorithms triggered by the constraints in finding increasingly larger proteins.

In physics, phase transitions are reversible. Steam can condense into liquid water again. The authors of this paper want to present a major step up the ladder of evolutionary progress.

Perhaps their “phase transition” language can be forgiven for its pictorial value. They never explain, though, how the prokaryotes broke through this phase to emerge with new organelles, a nucleus, and new molecular machines like the spliceosome. With the magic word “emergence,” they simply allege that it happened.

The emergence of the eukaryotic cell, most likely arising from the symbiosis between two previously unrelated organisms — an archaeon host cell and a bacterium that would become mitochondria — brought a new cellular structure with membrane-bound nucleus and organelles. Without this evolutionary event, the posterior evolution of multicellular organisms represented by animals, land plants, and the majority of fungi would not have been possible.

Feel the tension (another physics term measurable with instruments). The authors struggle to make their model look like a physics paper. They even derive the tension with equations.

Our blend of theoretical and empirical approaches will ultimately uncover how the tension between a conserved process of gene growth and the constraints on the increasingly longer proteins resolved in a phase transition signaling the emergence of the eukaryotic cell.

Later they are even more explicit that their model belongs in the physics category, even like astrophysics. But in drawing this comparison, they point out an embarrassing gap.

Our portrait of a phase transition is in agreement with the lack of intermediate forms behind the emergence of eukaryotes — what has been termed a black hole at the heart of biology. Previous work has also highlighted the shift between prokaryotes and eukaryotes on the basis of energetic constraints, or metabolic allocation. Our results add an algorithmic dimension to this view emphasizing the role of constraints. It reconciles the contingency of evolution — exemplified by the random exploration of the search space — and the universality of physics.

Evolution, they hope, has reached the pinnacle of physics. Time to self-congratulate!

Importantly, our framework has an unparalleled predictive power, as shown by its ability to predict not only the specific laws governing the growth of genes and proteins across the entire evolutionary history, but also the precise moment in time at which eukaryotes emerged and the critical mean gene length at which this occurred.

Unsurprisingly, the press release from Gutenberg University celebrates the achievement of its homeboys. “The study recently published in PNAS not only answers essential questions, but is interdisciplinary, combining computational biology, evolutionary biology, and physics.” Great. Now use the equation to calculate the evolutionary emergence of the weasel in deep time with 6-sigma precision.

No Weasel Words Allowed

At The Conversation, Kathleen Garland and Alistair Evans from Monash University also appeal to physics for their evolutionary theory. “A secret mathematical rule has shaped the beaks of birds and other dinosaurs for 200 million years,” their article proclaims — which is a bit odd, for it is not the tradition of physicists to keep their mathematical rules secret.

We can feel their physics envy in the essay:

Finding universal rules in biology is rare and difficult — there seem to be few instances where physical laws are so pervasive across all organisms.

But when we do find a rule, it’s a powerful way to explain the patterns we see in nature. Our team previously discovered a new rule of biology that explains the shape and growth of many pointed structures, including teeth, horns, hooves, shells and, of course, beaks.

This simple mathematical rule captures how the width of a pointed structure, like a beak, expands from the tip to the base. We call this rule the “power cascade”.

After this discovery, we were very interested in how the power cascade might explain the shape of bird and other dinosaur beaks.

Few would complain about rule-governed processes in embryonic development, where physical pressures between cells and flows of material follow laws of fluid mechanics under genetic control. They’re not talking about those. They’re talking about Darwinian evolution, as they stated in the preceding sentence:

By studying beaks in light of this mathematical rule, we can understand how the faces of birds and other dinosaurs evolved over 200 million years. We can also find out why, in rare instances, these rules can be broken.

Their photos show the hooked beak of an eagle, the long bill of a spoonbill, the short snout of an ostrich, and the curved bill of a godwit. “All these bird beaks follow the power cascade rule of growth, despite being used for very different purposes,” they boast. Their physics-like model explains all — except when it doesn’t. “While rare, a few birds we studied were rule-breakers.” The Eurasian spoonbill (pictured at the top) evolves as it darn well pleases. “Perhaps its unique feeding style led to it breaking this common rule,” they sigh, as they return to Just-So Storyland.

Playing Games

A look through another paper in PNAS is sure to satisfy physicists with its equations and matrices.3 Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT) with its apparent mathematical precision comes close to mollifying physics envy. Unfortunately, these authors come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

We argue that it is crucial for the field of evolutionary game theory to emphatically acknowledge that the replicator dynamics is more limiting than previously acknowledged (or fully appreciated) in terms of the biological systems that its predictions can apply to. Here, we have discussed a fundamental limitation of the replicator dynamics, the implications of which had not been reconsidered or explicitly acknowledged as a substantial caveat, even as the field moved to address other limitations, e.g., that the replicator dynamics ignores stochastic effects, that it muddles growth rates and interactions, or that it apparently ignores more realistic genetics and demography. This fundamental assumption — that the game is the only source of fitness differences — is so likely to be broadly violated across natural systems, that the potential for paradoxical findings and unproductive debates is very high.

Stochastic effects ensure that the organism will do as it darn well pleases.

A week later in Current Biology,4 John Harte discussed another biological field where failure is always an option. He summarized an ecological model that demonstrated only partial success:

A theory-derived ecological equation of state relating biodiversity, productivity, abundance and biomass in ecosystems has been tested with satellite-derived proxy forestry data. Predicted failure of the relationship in disturbed ecosystems is partially supported but further ground-based analysis is needed.

Biology Is Not Physics

Biology, with all of its subdisciplines, is an ancient science worthy of esteem for the wealth of insights it brings. But it’s not physics. Biology is largely observational and taxonomic, and its explanations tend to be statistical (i.e., messy). Like Garland and Evans admitted, rare are the instances where identifiable causes yield predictable effects in law-like regularity.

Irregularity is due to the nature of the beast. Animal algorithms predict behaviors en masse but there will always be exceptions. Evolutionary biologists invest great hope in the exceptions, the mutations, the innovations, that they believe “nature” will “select” to drive a population to new fitness peaks (but see this). Much as they would like to wrap the magic word “emergence” in equations, the nature of biology balks at being reduced to physics. I asked Paul Nelson about this. He replied:

I don’t think the problem in biology, however, is physics envy, as much as it is reality denial, or, more charitably, trying to use the wrong analytical / explanatory tools for the phenomena at hand. Imagine Caravaggio trying to paint this eye … with house paint rollers, or spray paint. Ain’t happening. “Physics envy” is really the belief that “equations will suffice,” when the data — a single protein, for instance — simply cannot be expressed as any mathematical relation. Amino acid sequences (and their nucleotide templates) are highly incompressible. If you want a histone or a kinase, you need the complete sequence, and math will not contain enough detail to specify that sequence…. If a scientist denies reality by trying to use the wrong tools for the data at hand, he will produce nonsense.

The incompressibility in biology is a feature, not a drawback. It’s what makes our world beautiful with wildflowers, towering redwoods, majestic whales, and individual human faces. When it comes to explaining origins, evolutionary biologists seek to alleviate physics envy in vain. They’ll find more relief, I believe, in teleology. On that, see the new book by David Klinghoffer about the thought of ID biologist Richard Sternberg, Plato's Revenge: The New Science of the Immaterial Genome.

GROK on aristotle's take on body and soul.

Key Points:

Matter: The physical "stuff" or potentiality of an object (e.g., wood for a table).

Form: The actualizing principle that makes an object what it is (e.g., the shape and function of a table). For living things, the form is the soul (psyche), which organizes and animates the body.

Unity: Matter and form are not distinct substances but two aspects of a single substance. A living being, like a human, is a unified whole, not a soul trapped in a body.

Soul and Body: In humans, the soul (form) is the principle of life, movement, and thought, inseparable from the body (matter). The soul isn't a separate entity that survives death in Aristotle's view, unlike Plato’s dualism.

Causality: Form relates to Aristotle's four causes, especially the formal cause (what a thing is) and final cause (its purpose or function).

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Real life tony stark is a game changer?

GROK on the western schism.

Yes, there were times when multiple popes presided simultaneously, primarily during the Western Schism (1378–1417). During this period, rival factions within the Catholic Church elected different popes, leading to competing claims to the papacy:

Western Schism (1378–1417): After the death of Pope Gregory XI, the election of Pope Urban VI in Rome was contested. A group of cardinals, dissatisfied with Urban VI, elected Clement VII, who set up a rival papacy in Avignon, France. This created two lines of popes: one in Rome and one in Avignon. At its peak, there were three claimants to the papacy:

Rome: Urban VI, Boniface IX, Innocent VII, and Gregory XII.

Avignon: Clement VII and Benedict XIII.

Pisa (1409–1415): A council in Pisa attempted to resolve the schism by electing Alexander V (and later John XXIII), creating a third line of popes.The schism was resolved at the Council of Constance (1414–1418), which deposed the rival popes and elected Martin V as the sole pope.

Another earlier instance was the Great Schism of 1130–1138, when two popes, Innocent II and Anacletus II, claimed the papacy after a disputed election. Innocent II eventually prevailed.

These periods of multiple popes were driven by political, regional, and ecclesiastical disputes, leading to competing claims rather than a unified papacy.Another earlier instance was the Great Schism of 1130–1138, when two popes, Innocent II and Anacletus II, claimed the papacy after a disputed election. Innocent II eventually prevailed.

These periods of multiple popes were driven by political, regional, and ecclesiastical disputes, leading to competing claims rather than a unified papacy.

GROK'S pregame analysis of a hypothetical Sherlock Holmes vs. Lex Luthor chess match up

A chess match between Sherlock Holmes and Lex Luthor would be a fascinating clash of intellects, each bringing unique strengths to the board. Here’s a breakdown of how it might go:

Sherlock Holmes:

Strengths: Holmes, as depicted by Arthur Conan Doyle, is a master of observation, deduction, and strategic thinking. His ability to read opponents and anticipate moves would make him a formidable chess player. He’d likely excel at recognizing patterns and exploiting subtle mistakes, treating the game like a puzzle to unravel.

Approach: Holmes would play methodically, focusing on positional play and long-term strategy. He’d analyze Luthor’s body language and habits (e.g., hesitations or nervous tics) to predict his moves. His improvisational brilliance, seen in cases like A Study in Scarlet, suggests he could adapt to unexpected tactics.Weakness: Holmes might overthink or become distracted by trying to “solve” Luthor’s psychology, potentially missing simpler, direct threats. His reliance on logic could also make him vulnerable to unorthodox or chaotic moves.

Weakness: Holmes might overthink or become distracted by trying to “solve” Luthor’s psychology, potentially missing simpler, direct threats. His reliance on logic could also make him vulnerable to unorthodox or chaotic moves.

Lex Luthor:

Strengths: Luthor, as a DC Comics supervillain, is a genius strategist with a knack for outmaneuvering even Superman. His intellect is paired with ruthless pragmatism, making him a dangerous chess opponent. He’d likely prepare extensively, studying Holmes’ known games (if any) and devising traps tailored to his opponent’s style.

Approach: Luthor would play aggressively, favoring sharp, tactical lines to pressure Holmes early. He might employ psychological warfare, taunting Holmes to disrupt his focus, as seen in his manipulations in stories like All-Star Superman. His access to advanced technology (e.g., AI simulations) could give him an edge in preparation.Weakness: Luthor’s arrogance could lead to overconfidence, causing him to underestimate Holmes’ unconventional brilliance. His need to dominate might push him into risky positions, especially if Holmes baits him into overextending.

The Match:

Opening: Luthor might choose a sharp opening like the Sicilian Defense to test Holmes’ tactical acumen, while Holmes could opt for a solid, flexible setup like the London System to keep options open and observe Luthor’s tendencies.

Middlegame: Holmes would likely focus on subtle positional advantages, slowly building pressure while dodging Luthor’s tactical traps. Luthor, meanwhile, would push for complications, aiming to overwhelm Holmes with aggressive piece play.

Endgame: If the game reaches an endgame, Holmes’ precision and patience could give him an edge, especially in a simplified position where calculation trumps bravado. However, Luthor’s cunning might shine in a chaotic endgame with imbalanced material.Outcome:

Edge to Holmes: Holmes’ ability to read people and adapt on the fly might frustrate Luthor, whose plans often rely on opponents following predictable patterns. Holmes’ experience solving complex mysteries suggests he could outmaneuver Luthor in a battle of wits, especially if Luthor’s ego leads to a critical misstep.

But Luthor’s no slouch: If Luthor anticipates Holmes’ deductive approach, he could use misdirection—perhaps sacrificing material to create a position too complex for even Holmes to untangle in time.Verdict: In a single game, I’d lean toward Holmes winning 55-45, thanks to his superior intuition and adaptability. In a longer match, Luthor’s preparation and stamina could close the gap, but Holmes’ ability to learn his opponent’s style would likely keep him ahead. It’d be a tense, brilliant battle, with both players pulling out every trick.

If you want a deeper analysis of specific chess strategies they might use or a fictional play-by-play of a game, let me know!Verdict: In a single game, I’d lean toward Holmes winning 55-45, thanks to his superior intuition and adaptability. In a longer match, Luthor’s preparation and stamina could close the gap, but Holmes’ ability to learn his opponent’s style would likely keep him ahead. It’d be a tense, brilliant battle, with both players pulling out every trick.

If you want a deeper analysis of specific chess strategies they might use or a fictional play-by-play of a game, let me know!

Real life tony stark says we are definitely in the jetson's timeline

GROK's pregame analysis of the(hoped for) bruce wayne vs. Lex Luthor chess match

Bruce Wayne (Batman) vs. Lex Luthor in a chess match would be a battle of intellect, strategy, and psychology, given their respective personas and skill sets. Here's a breakdown of how it might go:

Bruce Wayne's Strengths

Strategic Genius: As Batman, Bruce is a master tactician, often planning several moves ahead in combat and detective work. This translates well to chess, where foresight and adaptability are key.

Psychological Insight: Bruce is adept at reading people, using his understanding of opponents' motivations to outmaneuver them. He could exploit Lex's ego or overconfidence.

Discipline and Focus: Bruce's training and mental fortitude allow him to stay calm under pressure, avoiding impulsive moves.

Preparation: Bruce is known for studying his enemies obsessively. He'd likely analyze Lex's past games (if any) and tailor his strategy accordingly.Lex Luthor's Strengths

Super-Genius Intellect: Lex is one of the smartest humans in the DC universe, with expertise in science, strategy, and manipulation. His raw intellect could give him an edge in calculating complex chess positions.

Ruthless Ambition: Lex plays to win at all costs, potentially making bold, aggressive moves to unsettle Bruce.

Psychological Warfare: Lex is a master manipulator, capable of taunting or distracting Bruce to throw him off his game.

Experience: Lex's wealth and status suggest he’s likely played chess at a high level, possibly against grandmasters, giving him practical experience.Lex Luthor's Strengths

Ruthless Ambition: Lex plays to win at all costs, potentially making bold, aggressive moves to unsettle Bruce.

Psychological Warfare: Lex is a master manipulator, capable of taunting or distracting Bruce to throw him off his game.

Experience: Lex's wealth and status suggest he’s likely played chess at a high level, possibly against grandmasters, giving him practical experience.The Match

Opening: Bruce, cautious and methodical, might opt for a solid, flexible opening like 1.d4 or 1.e4, aiming to control the center and probe Lex’s strategy. Lex, confident and aggressive, could choose a sharp opening like the Sicilian Defense or King’s Gambit, trying to seize the initiative early.

Midgame: Bruce’s ability to anticipate Lex’s plans would shine here. He’d likely play positionally, setting traps and waiting for Lex to overextend. Lex, however, might push for complications, sacrificing material for an attack to overwhelm Bruce’s defenses.

Psychological Dynamics: Lex would try to rattle Bruce with taunts about Gotham’s crime or his parents’ death. Bruce, stoic but human, might feel the sting but would counter by subtly baiting Lex’s ego, goading him into risky moves.Endgame: If the game reaches a technical endgame, Bruce’s discipline could give him an edge, as he’d grind out a win through precise calculation. However, Lex’s brilliance might allow him to find unexpected resources, especially if he’s behind.

Endgame: If the game reaches a technical endgame, Bruce’s discipline could give him an edge, as he’d grind out a win through precise calculation. However, Lex’s brilliance might allow him to find unexpected resources, especially if he’s behind.

Outcome

Close Match: Both are near-equal in intellect and strategy, so the game could go either way. Bruce’s edge lies in his patience and ability to exploit mistakes, while Lex’s strength is his creativity and willingness to take risks.

Likely Winner: Bruce Wayne, slightly favored. His ability to stay calm and read Lex’s intentions could lead to Lex overplaying his hand. Bruce might lure Lex into a trap, capitalizing on a single miscalculation to secure victory.

Final Verdict: Bruce wins in a grueling match, possibly after Lex falls for a subtle positional trap in the late middlegame. However, Lex would demand a rematch, claiming he was "distracted by bigger plans."Outcome

GROK on may day

May Day, celebrated on May 1st, has a dual history rooted in ancient traditions and modern labor movements.

Ancient Origins: May Day traces back to pre-Christian Europe, particularly Celtic and Germanic festivals. It marked the beginning of summer, celebrated as Beltane in Celtic cultures, with rituals like bonfires, dancing around maypoles, and crowning May Queens to symbolize fertility and renewal. Romans celebrated Floralia, honoring the goddess Flora with flowers and festivities. These pagan traditions persisted, evolving into secular spring celebrations across Europe, with maypole dances and village gatLabor Movement: In the 19th century, May Day became synonymous with workers’ rights. On May 1, 1886, U.S. labor unions organized a nationwide strike for an eight-hour workday, culminating in the Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where a bomb explosion during a protest led to deaths and heightened tensions. In 1889, the Second International, a socialist organization, declared May 1st as International Workers’ Day to commemorate the Haymarket martyrs and advocate for labor rights. It became a global day for demonstrations, strikes, and celebrations of workers’ solidarity, especially in socialist and communist countries.

Modern Observance: Today, May Day is a public holiday in many countries. In some, like the UK, it retains its spring festival character with traditional dances and fairs. In others, particularly in Europe and Latin America, it’s a day of labor protests and political rallies. In the U.S., it’s less prominent, with Labor Day in September taking precedence, but some activist groups still mark it. The holiday’s meaning varies by region, blending ancient rituals with modern social justice themes.

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

GROK on Jewish philosopher Philo's Logos.

Intermediary Between God and Creation Philo viewed God as completely transcendent—perfect, beyond comprehension, and separate from the imperfect material world. To explain how such a God could create or interact with the universe, Philo introduced the Logos as a mediator. The Logos acts as God’s agent, facilitating the creation and governance of the world without compromising God’s transcendence.

2. Divine Reason and Blueprint Drawing from Platonic philosophy, Philo described the Logos as the divine reason or mind. It contains the ideal forms or blueprints of everything in existence, serving as the rational principle that brings order and intelligibility to the cosmos. In this sense, the Logos is the organizing force behind the universe.

The Word of God Philo linked the Logos to the Jewish concept of God’s creative word, as seen in Genesis (e.g., "And God said, 'Let there be light'"). He identified the Logos as the spoken word through which God brings the universe into being. Beyond creation, the Logos also serves as the medium of divine communication, such as in revelation and prophecy.

4. Firstborn of CreationPhilo referred to the Logos as the "firstborn" or "eldest" of all created beings, highlighting its unique role and preeminence. Though distinct from God, the Logos is closely tied to Him, often described as God’s image or reflection, through which all things are made.

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Yet another skrimish in the war of the titans

Sunday, 27 April 2025

GROK on the Andromeda paradox

What is the andromeda paradox?

The Andromeda Paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity illustrating how simultaneity is relative. It involves two observers moving relative to each other, say on Earth, with one walking toward the Andromeda galaxy and the other away from it. Due to the relativity of simultaneity, their "now" slices—events they consider simultaneous—differ.

For the observer moving toward Andromeda, their "present" includes events in Andromeda's future compared to the other observer’s "present." The time difference can be significant—potentially days or years—depending on their relative velocity and the distance to Andromeda (about 2.5 million light-years). This arises because light signals from Andromeda take time to reach Earth, and the observers' motion tilts their planes of simultaneity in spacetime.

The paradox highlights that events simultaneous for one observer may not be for another, challenging intuitive notions of a universal "now." It’s not a true paradox but a consequence of Einstein’s theory, where time and simultaneity depend on the observer’s frame of reference.

Saturday, 26 April 2025

GROK on Isaac Newton's christology.

Isaac Newton's Christology, or his views on the nature of Christ, was deeply unconventional for his time and rooted in his intense study of scripture and early Christian texts. Newton, a devout but heterodox Christian, rejected the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, which holds that God exists as three co-equal persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Instead, he leaned toward a form of Arianism, a non-Trinitarian theology that views Jesus Christ as a distinct, subordinate entity to God the Father.

Key points of Newton's Christology include:

Rejection of the Trinity: Newton believed the doctrine of the Trinity was a corruption of original Christianity, introduced by later church councils (notably Nicaea in 325 CE). He argued it was not supported by the earliest biblical texts and was a product of theological and political compromise.Subordination of Christ: Newton saw Jesus as the Son of God, divine in a sense, but not co-equal or co-eternal with God the Father. He viewed Christ as a created being, exalted by God but ontologically inferior, aligning with Arian or semi-Arian views.

Scriptural Basis: Newton’s Christology was grounded in his meticulous analysis of the Bible, particularly the Greek New Testament. He studied early manuscripts and believed that passages supporting the Trinity, like the Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7-8), were later interpolations.

Historical Corruption: He argued that the early church, especially after the 4th century, distorted Christ’s true nature under the influence of Greek philosophy and Roman imperial politics. He saw Athanasius, a key Trinitarian figure, as a corrupter of doctrine.Scriptural Basis: Newton’s Christology was grounded in his meticulous analysis of the Bible, particularly the Greek New Testament. He studied early manuscripts and believed that passages supporting the Trinity, like the Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7-8), were later interpolations.

Historical Corruption: He argued that the early church, especially after the 4th century, distorted Christ’s true nature under the influence of Greek philosophy and Roman imperial politics. He saw Athanasius, a key Trinitarian figure, as a corrupter of doctrine.Secrecy: Newton kept his views private, as anti-Trinitarianism was considered heresy in 17th-century England and could have cost him his position at Cambridge or even his life. He expressed his beliefs in private manuscripts, such as Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture and Paradoxical Questions concerning the morals & actions of Athanasius & his followers.

Christ as Mediator: Newton emphasized Christ’s role as a mediator between God and humanity, a divine figure chosen by God to fulfill a redemptive purpose, but not as God Himself.Newton’s Christology reflects his broader approach to theology: rigorous, skeptical of tradition, and driven by a desire to return to what he saw as the purity of early Christianity. His views were shaped by his study of patristic writings, Jewish theology, and his rejection of metaphysical speculations ungrounded in scripture. While his scientific work overshadowed his theological writings, his Christological beliefs were a central part of his intellectual life, though they remained largely hidden during his lifetime.

If you want specific details from Newton’s manuscripts or how his views compared to other contemporary theologians, let me know!Newton’s Christology reflects his broader approach to theology: rigorous, skeptical of tradition, and driven by a desire to return to what he saw as the purity of early Christianity. His views were shaped by his study of patristic writings, Jewish theology, and his rejection of metaphysical speculations ungrounded in scripture. While his scientific work overshadowed his theological writings, his Christological beliefs were a central part of his intellectual life, though they remained largely hidden during his lifetime.

If you want specific details from Newton’s manuscripts or how his views compared to other contemporary theologians, let me know!

On an interstellar visitor

Darwinism is universal acid to sound culture.

John West on Darwin’s Culturally Corrosive Idea

Andrew McDiarmid

On a classic episode of ID the Future, catch the first half of a public talk by political scientist John West on how Darwinism has poisoned Western culture. In the lecture, delivered at the Dallas Conference on Science and Faith, West explores how Darwin’s purely materialistic theory of evolution has drained meaning from nature, undercut the idea of inherent human dignity, and fueled the rise of scientific racism in the 20th century. Dr. West is author of Darwin Day in America: How Our Politics and Culture Have Been Dehumanized in the Name of Science.

Download the podcast or listen to it here.

Friday, 25 April 2025

The universal acid of theism?

File under "well said" CXVII

"My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart."

Psalm ch.7:10 New International Version

GROK on building an ethical android

Ensuring humanoid robots remain ethical as they become more autonomous involves embedding robust frameworks into their design, deployment, and oversight. Here’s a concise breakdown of key strategies:

Ethical Programming: Hardcode foundational ethical principles, like Asimov’s Three Laws or variations, into their core decision-making algorithms. These should prioritize human safety, non-maleficence, and respect for autonomy, while allowing flexibility for context-specific moral reasoning.

Transparent AI Models: Use interpretable AI systems so developers and users can understand how robots make decisions. Black-box models should be avoided to ensure accountability and traceability of ethical choices.

Continuous Oversight: Implement real-time monitoring systems to track robot behavior. Autonomous robots should have "ethical kill switches" or remote intervention capabilities to halt actions that deviate from ethical norms.

Value Alignment: Train robots on diverse, inclusive datasets reflecting global ethical perspectives to avoid cultural biases. Regularly update these datasets to adapt to evolving societal values.

Regulatory Frameworks: Establish international standards and certifications for ethical robot behavior, enforced by independent auditing bodies. These should mandate regular ethical stress-testing of autonomous systems.

Human-in-the-Loop: For high-stakes decisions, require human approval or supervision to ensure robots don’t act unilaterally in morally ambiguous situations.

Public Engagement: Involve ethicists, policymakers, and the public in shaping the moral parameters of robots to ensure broad societal acceptance and trust.

Challenges include balancing autonomy with control, resolving conflicting ethical principles, and preventing malicious reprogramming. Ongoing research, like that from groups such as the IEEE’s Ethically Aligned Design initiative, emphasizes iterative testing and global collaboration to address these issues.

Living fossils?

The east india company: a brief history

Thursday, 24 April 2025

GROK on the historicity of christians having to fight wild beast in the imperial roman empire.

1Corinthians ch.15:32NIV"If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die.”"

Yes, Christians were sometimes forced to fight wild beasts in the arenas of Imperial Rome as a form of execution or public spectacle. This practice, known as damnatio ad bestias ("condemnation to beasts"), was a brutal punishment used by Roman authorities, particularly during periods of persecution under emperors like Nero (54–68 CE) and Diocletian (284–305 CE). Christians, viewed as threats to Roman religious and social order due to their refusal to worship pagan gods or the emperor, were among those subjected to this fate.

Historical accounts, such as those by early Christian writers like Tertullian and Eusebius, describe Christians being thrown to lions, bears, or other wild animals in amphitheaters like the Colosseum. The Acts of the Martyrs, a collection of early Christian texts, also records instances of believers facing beasts as a test of faith. For example, during the persecution under Nero, Christians were reportedly killed in various ways, including being mauled by animals, as described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his Annals (15.44).

However, the frequency of such events may have been exaggerated in later Christian tradition to emphasize martyrdom. Not all Christians faced beasts; some were crucified, burned, or executed by other means. The spectacle of Christians fighting or being killed by animals was partly intended to entertain crowds and deter others from joining the faith.

If you want more details or specific examples, let me know!However, the frequency of such events may have been exaggerated in later Christian tradition to emphasize martyrdom. Not all Christians faced beasts; some were crucified, burned, or executed by other means. The spectacle of Christians fighting or being killed by animals was partly intended to entertain crowds and deter others from joining the faith.

Return of the mastodon?

GROK 3 on the league of nations.

The League of Nations was an international organization established on January 10, 1920, following World War I, with the aim of maintaining global peace and preventing future conflicts. Proposed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson as part of his Fourteen Points, it was formalized through the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the League was the first major attempt at a permanent international body to promote cooperation and resolve disputes diplomatically. However, its effectiveness was limited by structural weaknesses, lack of enforcement power, and the absence or withdrawal of key nations.

Origins and Formation (1918–1920)

Context: World War I (1914–1918) caused unprecedented devastation, killing millions and destabilizing economies. The desire to prevent another such war drove the creation of an international body.

Wilson’s Vision: In 1918, Wilson’s Fourteen Points outlined a plan for peace, with the League as a cornerstone to foster collective security and diplomacy.

Treaty of Versailles: Signed in June 1919, it included the Covenant of the League of Nations, outlining its structure and objectives. The League officially began operations in January 1920.

Membership: Initially, 42 countries joined, growing to 58 by the 1930s. Notable absences included the United States, whose Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles due to concerns over sovereignty and isolationist sentiments.

Structure and Objectives

Main Bodies:

Assembly: All member states had one vote, meeting annually to discuss global issues.

Council: A smaller body with permanent (e.g., Britain, France, Italy, Japan) and rotating members, addressing specific crises.

Secretariat: Administrative arm, led by a Secretary-General.

Permanent Court of International Justice: Established in 1922 to settle legal disputes between nations.

Objectives:

Prevent war through collective security and diplomacy.

Promote disarmament, international cooperation, and humanitarian efforts (e.g., health, labor standards).

Administer former colonial territories through mandates (e.g., Middle East, Africa).The League achieved some successes in its early years, particularly in minor disputes and humanitarian work:

Dispute Resolution:

Aaland Islands (1921): Mediated between Sweden and Finland, granting the islands to Finland with autonomy guarantees.

Upper Silesia (1921): Resolved a German-Polish border dispute through a plebiscite and partition.

Greece-Bulgaria (1925): Halted a potential conflict after Greek incursions into Bulgaria.

Humanitarian Efforts:

Tackled refugee crises, notably for Russians and Armenians post-war.

Combated global health issues (e.g., typhus epidemics) through the League’s Health Organization.

Addressed human trafficking and opium trade.

Mandates System: Oversaw territories like Palestine (Britain) and South West Africa (South Africa), though criticized as veiled colonialism.

Challenges and Failures (1920s–1930s)

The League’s weaknesses became evident as global tensions rose:

Structural Flaws:

Unanimous voting in the Assembly and Council paralyzed decision-making.

No military force to enforce decisions; relied on economic sanctions or moral pressure.

Key Absences:

The U.S. never joined, weakening the League’s authority.

Germany joined in 1926 but left in 1933; Japan left in 1933; Italy in 1937; the Soviet Union joined late (1934) and was expelled in 1939.

Major Failures:

Manchuria Crisis (1931–1933): Japan invaded Manchuria, and the League’s condemnation (Lytton Report) led to Japan’s withdrawal from the League. No effective action was taken.

Abyssinia Crisis (1935–1936): Italy invaded Ethiopia. The League imposed sanctions, but Britain and France’s reluctance to enforce them (e.g., Suez Canal access) allowed Italy’s conquest.Disarmament Failure: The 1932–1934 Disarmament Conference collapsed as Germany, under Hitler, rearmed and left the League.

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and German Aggression: The League was sidelined as Nazi Germany annexed Austria (1938) and Czechoslovakia (1939), and the Spanish conflict raged without League intervention.

Decline and Dissolution (1939–1946)

World War II: The League was irrelevant during the war (1939–1945), as its mechanisms failed to prevent aggression by Germany, Italy, and Japan. It held its last Assembly in 1939.

Soviet-Finnish War (1939): The League expelled the Soviet Union for invading Finland, its only such expulsion, but this had little impact.

Dissolution: In April 1946, the League formally dissolved, transferring its assets and some functions (e.g., mandates) to the newly formed United Nations (UN).Legacy:

The League’s failures highlighted the need for a stronger international body, influencing the UN’s design (e.g., Security Council with veto powers).

Its humanitarian work and technical organizations (e.g., health, labor) laid groundwork for UN agencies like WHO and ILO.

Demonstrated the limits of collective security without universal participation and enforcement.

Google AI on whether it would be coherent for an agnostic to embrace ID

Yes, an agnostic can believe in intelligent design. Agnosticism is the view that the existence or non-existence of God is unknown or unknowable, while intelligent design (ID) is a theory that proposes an intelligent cause for the origin of life rather than natural processes. An agnostic could accept the evidence presented by ID for a designer without necessarily committing to a specific God or religious belief.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Agnosticism and the Knowability of God:

Agnostics believe that the existence or non-existence of God is not something that can be definitively proven or disproven through scientific or philosophical means. They may hold that the question is ultimately unanswerable or that the answer is beyond human comprehension.

Intelligent Design and the Role of a Designer:

Intelligent design proponents argue that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, rather than purely natural processes like evolution. They often point to complexities like irreducibly complex biological systems as evidence for a designer.

The Agnostic's Position:

An agnostic can agree with the ID argument for a designer without needing to believe in a specific God or religion. They may acknowledge the apparent evidence for design without committing to a particular divine entity.

Examples:

Some individuals who are agnostics on the existence of God might still be open to the idea of an intelligent force behind life, even if they don't believe in a particular deity.

In essence, while agnosticism focuses on the unknowability of ultimate reality, intelligent design focuses on the apparent evidence for a designer in the natural world. An agnostic can accept the ID claim without committing to a specific religious or theological framework.

https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/seeking-god-in-science-an-atheist-defends-intelligent-design/

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Sea turtles global positioning system for the win.

Sea Turtles and Their Trusty Magnetic Compass

Eric Cassell

Many different animals use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate when migrating. Because of their impressive long-distance migration, birds are probably the animals best known for their feats of navigation, including the use of a magnetic compass. Sea turtles also well known for impressive navigation and migration.

The magnetic field has three components — declination (angle relative to true north), inclination (angle relative to horizontal), and intensity (field strength). The inclination angle points straight down at the North Pole, is horizontal at the equator, and points straight up at the South Pole. All of the magnetic field components vary geographically. Unlike latitude, there is no regular variation in the Earth’s magnetic characteristics with longitude, which means there is no simple relationship between the detected field and the actual longitude. A simple compass only detects horizontal direction.

Despite this, as described in my book Animal Algorithms1, research found a mechanism in loggerhead sea turtles that allows them to use the magnetic field to calculate longitude, information the turtles use to navigate on their migration journey in the North Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, it was also previously determined that spiny lobsters can detect longitude as well as latitude, and can orient in the proper direction toward home from a distance of 23 miles. Being able to detect multiple components of the magnetic field, specifically the intensity and inclination, enables animals to form a bicoordinate map. The use of this map sense provides much more accurate navigation capability than is available with just a simple compass.

Magnetic Compass Memory

A recent paper published in the journal Nature examined several aspects related to how sea turtles use the magnetic field. One was their ability to remember specific geomagnetic locations. The other was to attempt to determine which magnetoreception system that sea turtles employ. Regarding the first aspect, one conclusion from the research is that, “The results provide strong evidence that loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) can learn the magnetic signatures of specific geographical areas. Such an ability has, to our knowledge, never before been demonstrated in any animal.”2 The paper explains the findings in more detail, “Our results demonstrate that turtles can remember the magnetic signature of an area over time spans relevant to their migration patterns; turtles continued to recognize the magnetic field in which they had been fed 4 months after the conditioning period, despite having no additional exposure to the learned magnetic field. Results also demonstrate that turtles can learn the magnetic signatures associated with more than one location.” The practical implication of the results could explain how sea turtles can accurately return to their nesting beaches and foraging regions, even after long time periods. Sea turtles can go several years between visits to their home nesting beaches.

Magnetoreception Mechanism

Despite a significant amount of research and discoveries about the use of the magnetic field by animals, as stated in the Nature paper, “The biophysical mechanism or mechanisms underlying the magnetic map and compass senses have not been determined unequivocally in any animal.” Previous research has shown that determination of specific magnetic signatures requires the detection of both inclination and intensity. Several different mechanisms of magnetoreception have been proposed. One of the mechanisms is the so-called “radical pair theory” that light induces the formation of radical pairs, and that the spin state of these electrons is influenced by the magnetic field. This is a chemical process, with the leading hypothesis involving cryptochrome, a photoreceptive protein.

The research documented in the Nature paper included an experiment to determine if radio frequency fields affect turtle’s magnetoreception. If that is the case, it would provide confirmation that detection is based on the radical pair mechanism. The results showed that the map sense was not affected by radio frequency fields, but that the magnetic compass is affected. The results appear to indicate that the magnetic map sense of sea turtles does not rely on chemical magnetoreception. The authors of the paper observe that the results indicate that, “Two different mechanisms of magnetoreception probably exist in sea turtles; a mechanism underlying the compass sense that is disrupted by radiofrequency fields, and a mechanism underlying the map sense that is not.”3

The obvious question is: Why would an animal have two different mechanisms of magnetoreception? The paper’s authors speculate that the turtle migration pattern is achieved, “In part by using their magnetic map sense to identify magnetic signatures encountered along the route and then using their magnetic compass sense to swim in appropriate directions to help them progress along the migratory route.”

Indicating Intelligent Design

The authors speculate on the origin of two different methods of magnetoreception, “In principle, dual mechanisms might arise if the optimal way to detect direction differs from the best way to detect magnetic parameters associated with positional information, resulting in two magnetic senses, each optimized for different tasks.” Of course, just because it makes logical sense from the standpoint of optimal biological design, it does not mean it will occur through the Darwinian process of random variation and natural selection. In addition, there is a significant difference between a relatively simple directional compass and a true map sense. The latter requires several elements: detection of multiple components of the magnetic field; construction of a map; conversion of the magnetic field measurements to map coordinates; storing coordinates of locations in memory; and, relating a destination goal to the map coordinates. All of these elements exhibit specified complexity that is indicative of intelligent design.

Notes

Eric Cassell, Animal Algorithms (Discovery Institute Press: Seattle, 2021).

Goforth, et al., “Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles,” Nature, Vol. 638, 8052 27 February 2025, 1015-1022.

Goforth, et al., “Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles.”

Tuesday, 22 April 2025

Yet even more on the future of energy.

How to reinvent architecture?

Monday, 21 April 2025

Even mouse brain for the win?

Even a Mouse Brain Reveals Staggering Complexity

Denyse O' Leary

The science media have been ablaze recently with a major achievement: Princeton neuroscientists have mapped the staggering complexity of a cubic millimetre of the visual area of a mouse’s brain — about a poppy seed’s worth. That was a remarkable achievement on account of the complexity of even a mouse’s brain.

Mouse Meets Matrix

PBS tells us that the mouse gave the scientists’ data by watching, among other things, The Matrix: (1999):

Thanks to a mouse watching clips from “The Matrix,” scientists have created the largest functional map of a brain to date — a diagram of the wiring connecting 84,000 neurons as they fire off messages.

Using a piece of that mouse’s brain about the size of a poppy seed, the researchers identified those neurons and traced how they communicated via branch-like fibers through a surprising 500 million junctions called synapses.

The massive dataset, published Wednesday by the journal Nature, marks a step toward unraveling the mystery of how our brains work. The data, assembled in a 3D reconstruction colored to delineate different brain circuitry, is open to scientists worldwide for additional research — and for the simply curious to take a peek.

“HOW A MOUSE WATCHING ‘THE MATRIX’ HELPED SCIENTISTS CREATE THE LARGEST MAP OF A BRAIN TO DATE,” APRIL 9, 2025. THE PAPERS FROM THE PROJECT ARE HERE

At the New York Times, science writer Carl Zimmer provides a bit of perspective.

The human brain is so complex that scientific brains have a hard time making sense of it. A piece of neural tissue the size of a grain of sand might be packed with hundreds of thousands of cells linked together by miles of wiring. In 1979, Francis Crick, the Nobel-prize-winning scientist, concluded that the anatomy and activity in just a cubic millimeter of brain matter would forever exceed our understanding.

“It is no use asking for the impossible,” Dr. Crick wrote.

Forty-six years later, a team of more than 100 scientists has achieved that impossible, by recording the cellular activity and mapping the structure in a cubic millimeter of a mouse’s brain — less than one percent of its full volume. In accomplishing this feat, they amassed 1.6 petabytes of data — the equivalent of 22 years of nonstop high-definition video.

“AN ADVANCE IN BRAIN RESEARCH THAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED IMPOSSIBLE”, APRIL 9, 2025

At the New York Times, science writer Carl Zimmer provides a bit of perspective:

“It is no use asking for the impossible,” Dr. Crick wrote.

“AN ADVANCE IN BRAIN RESEARCH THAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED IMPOSSIBLE”, APRIL 9, 2025

Materialism’s Last Stop

The underlying message of Zimmer’s article is that the human brain is really the same sort of thing, just more complex, and we will reduce it to a map. And, although no one quite says it, the human mind is to be understood as merely the output of a complex brain. The news release from Princeton made that clear:

“It’s just a beginning,” [team co-lead] Seung said. “But it’s opening the door to a new era of realistic brain simulations. And so the next question becomes — and people will ask — can that ever be done with a human brain? And then the next question is, well, even if you could simulate a human brain, and it was very faithful, would it be conscious?”

When asked what he thought about it, he laughed. “I don’t have any more authority to make a statement on that than you do. But when people say, ‘I don’t believe a simulation of a brain would be conscious,’ then I say, ‘Well, how do you know you’re not a simulation?’”

SCOTT LYON, “SCIENTISTS MAP THE HALF-BILLION CONNECTIONS THAT ALLOW MICE TO SEE,” APRIL 9, 2025

The problem with Seung’s reasoning is, of course, this: If we don’t know that we are not simulations, we also don’t know that anything we think we know is real. Life in The Matrix is a high price to pay in order to maintain a materialist view of the mind.

And if it takes a hundred scientists to map a cubic millimeter of a mouse’s brain, even the material world — never mind the immaterial world of the mind — is not likely to have a simple explanation.

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