RELATED (scivillage): What science should learn from the Epstein files
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Epstein paid for a conference of top scientists in 2006. His motives are now clear
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-572...conference
EXCERPTS: Some 100 feet below the ocean's surface, Stephen Hawking peeked through the circular porthole of a submarine and saw the brilliant blue tropical water. It was March 2006, and the famous astrophysicist, accompanied by one of his ever-present nurses, sat strapped in his wheelchair, enjoying the view of coral reefs and colorful fish off the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was his first undersea experience, and he had Jeffrey Epstein to thank for it.
[...] The "Confronting Gravity" conference was billed as a chance to discuss key issues in fundamental physics and cosmology and was described as a place where participants could "meet, discuss, relax on the beach, and take a trip to the nearby private island retreat of the science philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein."
"It was an excellent conference," said Alan Guth, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who attended the event. In fact, Epstein would go on to describe it as one of his top five professional achievements. Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, then with Case Western Reserve University, organized the event. He maintained an almost 15-year friendship with Epstein...
The 2006 Virgin Islands conference illustrates how Epstein used philanthropy to build relationships with scientists and academic institutions. NPR spoke to scientists and searched through the Department of Justice documents on Epstein to understand how he built his network of prominent scientists. Epstein's interests spanned fields including theoretical physics, evolutionary biology and computer science, and he funded conferences, research programs and individual scientists.
"Jeffrey was interested in interesting people," Krauss told NPR. [...] But if the idea was to keep Epstein's private life a secret, it wasn't entirely effective. There were hints.
Guth said that during the conference, Epstein "was around but was really quite inconspicuous. He did not act as a host. He acted as a bystander." However, "we probably never saw him without three or four young women," Guth said.
[...] Peebles attended the conference with his wife. He vividly recalls a coffee break between talks at the Ritz where he and others "noticed several young women, maybe five, maybe 10," who seemed out of place. "Several of us asked each other, 'What are they doing here?'"
"I can only tell you they were younger than the youngest women in our meeting," he told NPR. "Were they 15 or 30? I have no idea." Speaking to NPR, Krauss said the young women were Hawking's nurses...
[...] Peter Woit, a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Columbia University, didn't attend the 2006 conference. His name appears twice in the Epstein files but only in passing — both times on emails that included a general list of scientists. There is no indication of any direct involvement, though he does know several people who were connected to Epstein.
In a recent post on his blog, Woit concluded: "Epstein used his mysteriously acquired wealth to pursue his two great interests in life: the sexual exploitation of young women and hanging out with celebrity scientists."
[...] Woit said it is his sense that Epstein thought of himself as a "philosopher king" who liked to "share his brilliant ideas with these brilliant people and they would come and hang out with him." ... Epstein was eager to engage on the leading science topics of the day but had only a cursory understanding of them. Still, Woit concedes that "scientists love to have somebody who is willing to talk to them." (MORE - missing details)
From the standpoint that "hallucination" already entails manifestation or is a type of manifestation itself -- it would be circular, and in itself would not explain the latter or its association with certain matter organizations and interactions.
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Reality is not a controlled hallucination
https://iai.tv/articles/reality-is-not-a..._auid=2020
INTRO: The idea that 'reality is a controlled hallucination' has been recently popularised by figures such as neuroscientist Anil Seth. But this claim, which purports to be hard, down-to-earth science, is, in fact, bad philosophy. Philosopher and author of The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience, Evan Thompson, here argues the 'controlled hallucination' hypothesis brings nothing new to the table regarding the problem of consciousness. And there is a circularity problem: if the theory claims that reality is a hallucination, then that theory itself is part of the hallucination... (MORE - details)
Most older people in England view climate change as a serious risk
https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19939.html
EXCERPT: Those in their 50s were more likely to be highly engaged, while those in their 70s, 80s and older were more likely to be risk-aware but fatalistic...
The scientists who declared war on half of America
https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/03/09/...f-america/
EXCERPTS: With
Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World, climatologist Michael E. Mann and virologist Peter J. Hotez have written an important book... The central argument of the book
is apocalyptic.
[...] “Antiscience,” they tell us, is “politically and ideologically motivated opposition to any science that threatens powerful special interests and their political agenda” (p. 2). Mann and Hotez define opposition specifically—Republicans...
[...] More granularly, Mann and Hotez identify the threat to human civilization as coming from a Republican “antiscience ecosystem” that they sub-group into five alliterative categories, shown in the nonsensical figure below:
Much of the book is spent denigrating those the authors see as enemies within these five categories. I counted 137 people who they namecheck as part of the antiscience cabal threatening the world. Many on the enemies list are not Republicans, or even on the political right. That seeming incoherence can be quickly resolved by recognizing that the list is simply people Mann and Hotez don’t like for one reason or another.
[...] The authors have reserved some of their harshest criticism for longstanding climate advocates such as climate scientists Kevin Anderson (#105) and James Hansen (#106), and journalist David Wallace-Wells (#132), who, despite their climate advocacy bona fides, apparently got crosswise with Mann.
In particular, I laughed when I read SUS complain that climate scientist Jim Hansen’s “rhetoric has grown increasingly heated and conspiratorial” (p.161), since Mann and Hotez offer a suite of bizarre conspiracy theories of their own... (
MORE - missing details)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...-Tsar.html
EXCERPTS: A new tsar is to be created to tackle growing hatred towards Muslims. The 'special representative on anti-Muslim hostility' will be appointed to 'strengthen understanding, reporting and response', the Government said. In addition, a 'historic' definition of anti-Muslim hostility has been created to protect followers of Islam from 'unacceptable abuse and violence'.
Hate crimes against followers of Islam are at 'record levels', the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said, with many 'living in fear that they will be targeted because of how they look or assumptions over where they come from'.
But ministers insisted the new definition would also guarantee 'the fundamental right to freedom of speech' amid fears it would create a blasphemy law by the back door. The Government ditched a plan to give a definition for the word 'Islamophobia' amid free speech concerns and decided to adopt a definition of 'anti-Muslim hostility' instead.
But campaigners have warned this could be more dangerous and risks creating an even broader term which could be exploited by some groups seeking to influence political debate on matters such as immigration and counter-terrorism.
The controversial announcements are part of a wider cross-Government drive to reduce divisions in society, which it said have grown after decades of rapid change including 'technological advancements, demographic change, local industries collapsing, the increasing cost of living and the decline of vital public services'.
The MHCLG blamed 'bad actors, including from abroad' for stoking community tensions and promoting 'toxic division and extremist ideology'. It claimed that their efforts will mean millions of families 'feel a stronger sense of community, unity and national pride'.
[...] The strategy will also set out 'clear expectations' of integration for 'people looking to settle in the UK' including 'shared language, local participation and respect for shared values'. To support this, the Government will look at how English is taught, and if new technology can help more people can speak the language confidently,' the MHCLG said... (MORE - details)
Posted by: C C - Mar 10, 2026 12:22 AM - Forum: Survivalism
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https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119283
EXCERPTS: They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new UBC study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious. UBC researchers Hannah Griebling and Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram found raccoons continued solving puzzles long after retrieving the only food reward available. This behaviour reflects intrinsic motivation rather than hunger and is described as “information foraging,” because no additional food was given for continuing.
[...] The findings help explain why raccoons thrive in urban centres like Vancouver. Their success could be attributed to the cognitive and physical traits that suit urban life.
Their forepaws, rich with sensory nerves for foraging in streams, are well suited to manipulating latches and handles—often the same kinds used by humans. Solving problems for information, not just food, may give them an advantage in complex environments, helping them access garbage bins or other food sources. Vancouver’s greenspaces, waterways and generally tolerant public provide near-ideal habitat.
“Understanding the cognitive traits that help raccoons thrive can guide management of species that struggle, and inform strategies for other species, like bears, that use problem-solving to access human-made resources,” said Griebling.
Although the experiment involved captive animals at a research facility in Colorado, previous research suggests wild raccoons show similar problem-solving abilities, though researchers caution the behaviours may not be identical. “Raccoon intelligence has long featured in folklore, yet scientific research on their cognition remains limited. Studies like this provide empirical evidence to support that reputation,” said Dr. Benson-Amram... (MORE - missing details, no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1118757
INTRO: An analysis led by Mass General Brigham investigators found slower aging in older adults after two years of a daily multivitamin, with greater benefits for those who began the trial with accelerated biological age
How quickly our bodies age on a cellular level, our “biological age,” can differ from how old we actually are in years. Using data from a large randomized clinical trial of older adults, researchers at Mass General Brigham evaluated the effects of taking a daily multivitamin over the course of two years on five measures of biological aging and found a slowing equivalent to about four months of aging. The benefits were increased in those who were biologically older than their actual age at the start of the trial. Their results are published in Nature Medicine.
“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” said senior author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. “It was exciting to see benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging.” (MORE - details, no ads)
