Jul 25, 2016 04:04 AM
(This post was last modified: Jul 25, 2016 04:36 AM by C C.)
Martian colonists could be genetically engineered for democracy
http://nautil.us/blog/martian-colonists-...-democracy
EXCERPT: [...] Consider the ideal Mars colonist. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was founded to colonize the Red Planet, and he recently said that colonists on Mars should engage in direct democracy because “the potential for corruption is substantially diminished in a direct, versus a representative, democracy.” Makes sense. Now all Mars needs are women and men who are up for the task. Turns out, political engagement might be in the genes.
Research shows that traits associated with political engagement are heritable. Take a 2012 study by Danish geneticists and political scientists. “Given the body of evidence showing that most pro-social traits are genetically influenced it seems reasonable that people’s sense of civic duty and political efficacy are also partially heritable,” they wrote. “Utilizing two new twin studies on political traits, one in Denmark and one in the United States, we show that the heritability of political participation and political efficacy is remarkably similar across cultures.” And in a 2015 study, researchers concluded, “We show that most of the correlation between civic engagement and both positive emotionality and verbal IQ can be attributed to genes that affect both traits.”
Of course, it only makes sense to select civic-minded people to be colonists in the first place. But it stands to reason that a human colony on Mars made of democracy lovers would still benefit from gene drives reinforcing qualities associated with civic participation, ensuring that the colonists would be politically engaged enough for a direct democracy to flourish. The most practical way would be to isolate the appropriate genes in an existing population of Martian colonists by determining which are crucial to positive social traits....
Iran destroys 100,000 satellite dishes
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_des...s_999.html
EXCERPT: Iran destroyed 100,000 satellite dishes and receivers on Sunday as part of a widespread crackdown against the illegal devices that authorities say are morally damaging, a news website reported. The destruction ceremony took place in Tehran in the presence of General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, head of Iran's Basij militia, who warned of the impact that satellite television was having in the conservative country.
"The truth is that most satellite channels... deviate the society's morality and culture," he said at the event according to Basij News. "What these televisions really achieve is increased divorce, addiction and insecurity in society."
Naghdi added that a total of one million Iranians had already voluntarily handed over their satellite apparatuses to authorities. Under Iranian law, satellite equipment is banned and those who distribute, use, or repair them can be fined up to $2,800 (2,500 euros). Iranian police regularly raid neighbourhoods and confiscate dishes from rooftops....
http://nautil.us/blog/martian-colonists-...-democracy
EXCERPT: [...] Consider the ideal Mars colonist. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was founded to colonize the Red Planet, and he recently said that colonists on Mars should engage in direct democracy because “the potential for corruption is substantially diminished in a direct, versus a representative, democracy.” Makes sense. Now all Mars needs are women and men who are up for the task. Turns out, political engagement might be in the genes.
Research shows that traits associated with political engagement are heritable. Take a 2012 study by Danish geneticists and political scientists. “Given the body of evidence showing that most pro-social traits are genetically influenced it seems reasonable that people’s sense of civic duty and political efficacy are also partially heritable,” they wrote. “Utilizing two new twin studies on political traits, one in Denmark and one in the United States, we show that the heritability of political participation and political efficacy is remarkably similar across cultures.” And in a 2015 study, researchers concluded, “We show that most of the correlation between civic engagement and both positive emotionality and verbal IQ can be attributed to genes that affect both traits.”
Of course, it only makes sense to select civic-minded people to be colonists in the first place. But it stands to reason that a human colony on Mars made of democracy lovers would still benefit from gene drives reinforcing qualities associated with civic participation, ensuring that the colonists would be politically engaged enough for a direct democracy to flourish. The most practical way would be to isolate the appropriate genes in an existing population of Martian colonists by determining which are crucial to positive social traits....
Iran destroys 100,000 satellite dishes
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_des...s_999.html
EXCERPT: Iran destroyed 100,000 satellite dishes and receivers on Sunday as part of a widespread crackdown against the illegal devices that authorities say are morally damaging, a news website reported. The destruction ceremony took place in Tehran in the presence of General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, head of Iran's Basij militia, who warned of the impact that satellite television was having in the conservative country.
"The truth is that most satellite channels... deviate the society's morality and culture," he said at the event according to Basij News. "What these televisions really achieve is increased divorce, addiction and insecurity in society."
Naghdi added that a total of one million Iranians had already voluntarily handed over their satellite apparatuses to authorities. Under Iranian law, satellite equipment is banned and those who distribute, use, or repair them can be fined up to $2,800 (2,500 euros). Iranian police regularly raid neighbourhoods and confiscate dishes from rooftops....