We make sense of the first three through programming rules and various fields of classical mechanics; the fourth is something else entirely.

For one, classical physics can predict, with simple mathematics, how an object will move and where it will be at any given point in time and space. How objects interact with each other and their environments follow laws we first encounter in high school science textbooks.

What happens in minuscule realms isnt so easily explained. At the level of atoms and their parts, measuring position and momentum simultaneously yields only probability. Knowing a particles exact state is a zero-sum game in which classical notions of determinism dont apply: the more certain we are about its momentum, the less certain we are about where it will be.

Were not exactly sure what it will be, either. That particle could be both an electron and a wave of energy, existing in multiple states at once. When we observe it, we force a quantum choice, and the particle collapses from its state of superposition into one of its possible forms.

Just as subatomic matter can exist two ways at once, it marks a strange intersection of order and disorder. While its hard to hammer down exactly what or where a particle will be, energy at the subatomic level moves only in discrete, concerted packets, or quanta, defying classical notions about continuous transfer of energy.

Then theres quantum entanglement, what Albert Einstein called spooky action at a distance. Its often described as two dice that always show the same number when rolled, together or even miles apart. When an entangled particle is measured, its partner instantaneously matches the measured particles state.

For Joanna Ptasinski, head of NIWC Pacifics Cryogenic Electronics and Quantum Research branch, this strangeness is what defines quantum: its a complex system of matter or information where these phenomena which cant be explained by classical notions of how the world works are possible.

Quantum is quirky, said Ptasinski, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering. Its essence is superposition and entanglement. Were researching the power the naval applications lurking behind this weirdness.

Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle, superposition, and entanglement are all part of a growing mathematical framework for subatomic phenomena called quantum mechanics, and it raises questions about the nature of reality as we know it. What can we learn from entangled particles for which space even vast expanses of it is no obstacle? If matter exists in many forms at once until we observe it, what role does observation play in building the world around us? And how do we harness a domain defined by potentiality?

This is what NIWC Pacific scientists explore in its labs, with its partners, and on the National Science & Technology Councils Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science. With quantum experts from across the nation, they ask: What will harnessing quantum phenomena mean for the Navy and the warfighter?

Answers fall in a few categories: sensing, computing, communications, and materials, and the Center has projects to show for each. Answers outside of practical applications have to do with building a quantum Navy: attracting dedicated talent, giving and receiving training, and contributing to national discussions about the future of quantum technology.

All answers point to a vision of a Navy equipped with even more secure communications networks, more advanced sensors, and the faster threat detection and response that comes with them. Its a vision of improved navigation, smarter autonomous systems, and more accurate modeling and simulation. Its unprecedented decision advantage at quantum speed in an increasingly uncertain world.

To Ptasinski, its more advanced supporting technologies. Thats what is needed in order for the field to mature, she said. How about a dilution fridge that isn't half the size of this office? Why not a small dilution fridge? And is that even possible?

The dilution fridge provides the low temperatures needed to measure quantum systems with accuracy. NIWC Pacifics dilution fridge functions in the tens of millikelvin colder than outer space and is one of only two across all warfare centers and the Naval Research Laboratory.

With a dilution fridge, researchers can measure and manipulate qubits, or bits of quantum information. Unlike classical bits, qubits can be in superposition of both binary values 0 and 1 at the same time. That superposition is the key to quantum computings exponential power.

Measuring the path of a qubit through steps in a quantum system is fundamental for quantum research; it teaches us how quantum systems work. And the more we know about how they work, the more we can use them to perform powerful computations.

Ptasinski explains this quantum walk by drawing what looks like a Pachinko machine on the back of this story draft. Drop a particle in at the top and use a traditional computer to figure out in which slot it will end up at the bottom, and youre looking at a major computational task. With just 10 entangled photons and eight layers of potential paths, knowing the probability distributions of where each particle will end up would require more circuits than there are stars in the universe.

Enter quantum. Run the same task on a quantum computer, and a qubits 0-and-1 superposition means more paths can be explored simultaneously. A classical computer would have to calculate the path of a bit expressing 0 separately from the path of a bit expressing 1; a quantum computer can explore both at once, allowing for faster, more intensive calculations. Its like doing linear algebra with complex numbers, Ptasinski said. And wouldnt it be fun to be able to do it with smaller, more powerful equipment?

To Ptasinski, fun would be the ability to build and entangle superconducting qubits, fit many qubits on a single microchip, and discover algorithms that would mitigate errors caused by environmental interferences. It's a very exciting field because we have a lot of puzzles that still need to be solved, she said. Our researchers dont want to work on something thats been done before. Were looking ahead at how quantum computing can solve real-life problems for the Navy.

Exploration of the new frontier wont decelerate anytime soon. Co-leads Naval Research Laboratory and NIWC Pacific established the Naval Quantum Computing Program Office Dec. 2 where quantum subject matter experts across all 14 naval warfare centers will collaborate on quantum applications for the Department of Defense.

The program office will manage access to the Air Force Research Laboratorys hub and its advanced quantum computing power on the IBM Quantum Network. First up for time in the hub is a project from NIWC Pacific.

Back in the Center's own labs, scientists and engineers are making arrangements for a new government-owned facility dedicated to quantum research. Theyll make and test their own prototypes in a lab designed to perform powerful, ultra-precise quantum experimentation.

Ptasinski continues to organize training opportunities for scientists at the Center and across the country. Soon NIWC Pacific will host a professor from the Naval Postgraduate School to teach a course on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, which will also be open to the Defense Intelligence Agency.

High performers will get a shot at a seat in IBMs Quantum Summer School, where distinguished quantum experts teach a small group of students from across the globe. Then NIWC Pacific students will make their way back to its quantum optics laboratory for hands-on experiments led by Ptasinski and her colleagues.

We have many dedicated and motivated scientists and engineers expanding our quantum portfolio, Ptasinski said when asked why NIWC Pacific is the right team for the job. Our researchers have connections to not only industry and other government labs, but also with researchers across the world. Were the U.S. experts in high-temperature superconductor sensors. Among the warfare centers, were leading quantum information science and technology.

Theres more to learn about quantum, the puzzle with no visible pieces. Zoom in and youll find shapeshifting pieces which match each other even miles apart, and a precarious system that falls out of its quantum state and into a classical one at the wrong temperature. But despite all its precarity and complexity, over hours of conversations about building a quantum Navy, Ptasinski expressed no doubts about the Centers ability to solve it.

If we are experiments away from making sense of the quantum world quanta of training, partnerships, and groundbreaking moments away then scientists at NIWC Pacific are making strides toward the answers.

NIWC Pacifics mission is to conduct research, development, engineering, and support of integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, and space systems across all warfighting domains, and to rapidly prototype, conduct test and evaluation, and provide acquisition, installation, and in-service engineering support.

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NIWC Pacific and its Partners are Building a Quantum Navy - navy.mil

April 3, 2023 Ezunial Eze Burts III has been named the new director of Duality, a quantum startup accelerator operated by the University of Chicagos Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovationin partnership with theChicago Quantum Exchange(CQE), along with founding partners theUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,Argonne National Laboratory, andP33.

Since its launch in 2021, Duality has supported 11 startups from across the globe that are developing software and hardware technologies for quantum computing, communications and sensing. Duality is now accepting applicationsfor its third cohort.The deadline to apply is April 7.

Burts joins Duality after a 20-year career with Boeing. Most recently he served as senior manager of future production systems and technology within the airplane manufacturers environmental health and safety leadership team, where he was responsible for the adoption of technology and innovative industry methods to drive safety, quality, digital transformation, factory automation, and future production strategy. Formally educated in public policy and building innovation ecosystems, Burts has worked to advance Fortune 500 science and technology programs and strategies from concept to university lab to marketplace.

Duality is the nations first incubator-accelerator devoted exclusively to supporting early-stage quantum startups, which play an important role in finding real-world applications for the revolutionary technology. The 12-month program provides entrepreneurial training, business expertise, industry mentorship, funding, access to world-class facilities, and co-location with some of the worlds leading quantum researchers in order to enable quantum technology ventures to thrive and grow.

As director, Burts will be responsible for the programs operational management and long-term financial stability as well as internal and external stakeholder engagement.

We are thrilled to welcome Eze to the Duality team at a critical time in the evolution of the quantum industry, said Dan Sachs, executive director ofDeep Tech Ventures, a unit of the Polsky Center that oversees a suite of deep tech accelerators including Duality. Eze is a natural leader and ecosystem builder. Given the complexities of quantum technology commercialization, his experience and passion will be invaluable for our founders as we continue to build a quantum hub in Chicago.

When I first visited Chicago as a young entrepreneur, I wish I had been able to participate in an accelerator like Duality with access to substantial startup investment and infrastructure, a vast multidisciplinary network of mentors and expertise, dedicated office space, tech transfer and commercialization resources, Burts said. Having a 1-year-old daughter drives home the need to provide education and opportunities for her to become a future STEM leader. I want to inspire and empower her to take on the toughest challenges that improve life for her generation.

Burts, a native of Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Management, and Planning. He received an executive certificate in global marketing from Arizona State Universitys Thunderbird School of Global Management and completed executive education courses at Harvard Kennedy School, Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, and MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a graduate of and has served as a Dynamics and Leadership instructor in the Global Logistics Professional Designation Program at California State University Long Beach. Burts also graduated from the Silicon Valley cohort of the Founder Institute, a pre-seed startup accelerator, with his startup EzuNile Industries, created to apply enhanced artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies to global industrial water treatment and reuse methods, to improve efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, he is a founding board member of Thriving Elements, a nonprofit headquartered in Seattle that provides mentorship for girls in underserved neighborhoods who are pursuing STEM career paths.

CQE looks forward to working closely with Eze as we build an inclusive quantum future, said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor and Vice Dean for Research of the Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and founding director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange. Duality has played an important role in fueling the creation of cutting-edge quantum technologies, which is critical to our regions development as the nations quantum economy. Eze will be a tremendous asset to Duality through its next stage of growth and to the regions burgeoning quantum ecosystem.

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Ezunial Eze Burts Named Director of Duality Quantum - High ... - insideHPC

IonQ showed continued growth in revenue achieving $3.8 million in the fourth quarter versus $2.8 million in the third quarter and $1.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the full year, they achieved a total of $11.1 million versus $2.1 million in 2021. Bookings in 2022 were at $24.5 million portending more growth in 2023 with an estimate of revenue between $18.4 to $18.8 million for the full year. Net loss in Q4 came in at $18.6 million versus $23.9 million in Q3 and $74 million in Q4 2021. For the full year the company showed a loss of $48.5 million versus a loss of $106 million in 2021. The company ended the year with $537 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments compared to $603 million at the end of 2021. The company is benefiting from the large infusions of cash it received from its SPAC merger in October 2021.

The company also summarized key commercial and technical highlights for the year including the acquisition of Entangled Networks, plans to construct a quantum computing manufacturing center in Bothell, Washington, improvements in the performance of their Aria processor to achieve an Algorithmic Qubit level of 25, and several customer collaborations including those with Hyundai Motors, Accenture, and the Irish Centre for High End Computing.

A press release announcing IonQs financial results has been posted on their website here and a replay of their Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Earnings Call can be accessed by filling out a registration form here.

March 31, 2023

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IonQ Releases Their Q4 and Fully Year 2022 Financial Results - Quantum Computing Report

The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) offers great potential for third-party projects to build DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, DEXs, gaming projects, and communications apps that are secure from post-quantum cryptography threats.

ZUG, Switzerland, April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) is investing significantly in applications and resources that can withstand the imminent threat of quantum computing advancements. Today, the QRL announced a grant to the Quantum Resistance Corporation (QRC) to provide a community security program for other QRL grantees, which are using the distributed network and post-quantum secure blockchain technology to securely build Layer2 applications and protocols. The QRL is the only blockchain that utilizes a signature scheme approved by the United States National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) as being post-quantum secure.

The focus of the QRC grant project announced today includes a partnership with threat intelligence firm RedSense, to provide service for other QRL grantees. These services currently include netflow-based security for the distributed QRL environment, a community security program for QRL grant groups, and monitoring and security for all core QRL infrastructure. In time QRC will support the marketing and promotion of projects that result from QRL's work to grow the community of post-quantum secure developers and the offering of future-proof digital solutions. Early projects likely to receive funding include groups running computer systems for mining and building Layer 2 protocols with the QRL, which can opt into the security services and other support offered by QRC.

Growing the community of post-quantum secure developers and future-proof digital solutions.

"We are on the brink of the greatest shift in cryptography technology since the invention of the computer. Yet as this monumental shift is happening, the world is largely unaware," said Dr. Iain Wood. "That's why the QRL community is committed to supporting the top post-quantum secure distributed network and blockchain and empowering our community members to use the QRL technology to advance solutions for post-quantum secure environments."

Grants are available to those interested in building Layer 2 post-quantum secure applications. The goal of the QRL grant program is to generate projects in support of the QRL ecosystem in the areas of open source tools, education, open source infrastructure, post-quantum research, community, and public goods. The grant program is an opportunity to get involved with a cutting-edge open source project and build on the QRL to power the post-quantum secure smart contract platform. The goal is to grow the nascent post-quantum web3 ecosystem together as a community.

More about the QRL grant program including how to apply is here.

The QRCis the recipient of a $500,000 initial grant investment to encourage the use of the distributed QRL platform, community building, and security.

SOURCE The Quantum Resistance Corporation

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Quantum Resistance Corporation to Secure and Support Grantees ... - PR Newswire

Civilizations dont last forever. Just ask the Aztecs. Or the Maya. Or fans of the original Roman Empire.

From the ancient Myceneans in the Mediterranean to the Anasazi in Arizona, societies throughout history have often gone the way of the dinosaurs and the dodo. Wars, or disease, or altered weather patterns, or natural disasters, or famine have repeatedly tipped complex regional societies past the point of stability, initiating chaos, ruin and ultimately total demise.

In his original unabridged dictionary, published in 1828, Noah Webster defined civilization as the state of being refined in manners, from the grossness of savage life, and improved in arts and learning.

Today civilization is a lot more complicated. Now civilization connotes global complexity and technological sophistication beyond anything Webster would have recognized. Civilization has become a state marked by urbanization, advanced techniques (as of agriculture and industry), expanded population, and complex social organization, as the most recent unabridged Websters dictionary describes it.

Civilizations current stability depends on a vast global interdependence of countless connected components. Food and fuel, materials for manufacturing, clothing and housing all require the cooperation of individuals, corporations and nations. Transportation, communication, economic activity anywhere affect everything everywhere (sometimes, all at once).

So far, the economic and social structures, governmental agencies and relevant public policies have managed to maintain something resembling Websters recent definition. But all that is under threat. Civilization is on the brink of breakdown. Theres no guarantee that 21st century civilization will last till the 22nd.

In fact, humankind now faces a multitude of credible existential threats of which everybody ought to be aware. Lack of space, though, requires that immediate warnings herein be restricted to the Top 10 Threats to the Survival of Civilization, with relevant movies noted. (Note to The Last of Us fans fungal zombie apocalypse would have been No. 11.)

Relevant movie: The War of the Worlds

An assault on Earth by extraterrestrials isnt exactly likely anytime soon. Even if enemy aliens are out there, theyd have to come a really long way for no good reason. Surely theyve monitored Earths TV and radio output and would decide to look for intelligent life elsewhere.

Nevertheless, if spacefaring aliens did attack, they could easily destroy all earthly civilization. Even if they appeared to be friendly at first, dont be fooled by a gift book from them titled To Serve Man. And dont think Earths microbes will save us like they did in The War of the Worlds. If aliens possessed the technological capability for interstellar travel, they would also be smart enough to wear a damn mask.

Relevant movie: Armageddon

Not an immediate concern, yet more likely than an alien invasion. After all, an asteroid has already wiped out civilization on Earth once before. True, dinosaur civilization didnt have the same kind of technology human civilization does. But a sufficiently big asteroid would certainly take down a lot of modern technology, and subsequent fires followed by global cooling (a Game of Thrones version of winter) would make a mess of the rest.

Relevant movie: Bee Movie

According to Twitter, if bees all die, humans will soon all be dead as well. That prediction appears to derive from an Albert Einstein quote found widely on the internet: If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live. Such a quote does not appear in the standard compilation of Einstein quotations, though, and nobody seems to have any evidence that he ever said it.

Still, the demise of the bees would be disastrous. Their pollination of important crops (coffee beans, for instance) keeps the world going. Bees are not the only important pollinators of course, but if some combination of pesticide poisoning and other calamities wiped out bees and other pollinating insects and animals, the consequences for humankinds food supplies would be dire. Animal pollination is of at least some importance for the majority of the worlds food crops, a 2007 study concluded.

Still, its unlikely that the human race would die out completely without pollinators. But civilization would probably collapse as the food chain (or web) unraveled, and there was no coffee.

Relevant movie: The Terminator (or Colossus: The Forbin Project)

A vast literature already exists describing the threats that artificial intelligence poses to civilization. Most such threats are minimal now, but as AI systems become more widespread, and both software and hardware become more sophisticated, AIs destructive potential will pose an accelerating threat. A 2018 paper identified dozens of scenarios for AI-generated global catastrophe.

For example, in a future in which civilization relies extensively on robots, a computer virus with AI capability could become a weapon for a malevolent cyberattack. If the attack is on a very large scale, affecting billions of sophisticated robots with a large degree of autonomy, it may result in human extinction, wrote Alexey Turchin and David Denkenberger.

And of course, putting AI in charge of things like nuclear weapons might easily become just as dangerous in real life as it is in the movies. Already the military makes use of AI technologies and, in the future, will no doubt employ AI-powered drones and other robotic weapons with increasing frequency. Military robotics could become so cheap that drone swarms could cause enormous damage to the human population; a large autonomous army could attack humans because of a command error; billions of nanobots with narrow AI could be created in a terrorist attack and create a global catastrophe, note Turchin and Denkenberger.

Relevant movie: Sneakers

Ordinary AI has the potential to be risky enough, so it shouldnt be surprising to discover that quantum computing, in principle a much more powerful technology still in its infancy, poses even more serious dangers. Overhyped as it frequently is, quantum computing nevertheless might someday be able to perform specific tasks dramatically more rapidly than todays supercomputers. One such task might be simulating the interactions of atoms and molecules in order to design new drugs or other chemicals.

Quantum simulation offers an exponential quantum speedup in understanding reaction mechanism in molecules and probing the properties of new materials, quantum scientist Benjamin Schiffer wrote in a paper last year.

In malevolent hands, such power would also enable design of more effective poisons. Using quantum computers, a novel pandemic agent could be engineered without the need for time-consuming ordinary chemical trial and error. There is an existential threat to humanity arising from the prospect of being able to run quantum simulation on a quantum computers in the future, Schiffer argues.

Relevant movie: The Butterfly Effect (title only actual movie is irrelevant)

Any sufficiently complex system is at risk of reaching a tipping point where the slightest disturbance can initiate a collapse. So a seemingly insignificant event can trigger an apocalypse. Its like the way at some point adding a single grain of sand to a large sandpile can cause it all to come tumbling down. Or the snap of a twig initiating an avalanche. Such complex systems seem stable because their complexity conceals underlying vulnerability. But the math exists to analyze such systems and predict their demise.

In 2000, geophysicists Didier Sornette and Anders Johansen warned that such analyses forecast a collapse of human population growth along with the mother of all economic crashes in the 2050s. Obviously, the economy and human population growth are key aspects of civilization as a whole. So these forecasts point to the existence of an end to the present era, which will be irreversible and cannot be overcome by any novel innovation, Sornette and Johansen wrote.

In a 2013 paper, Sornette and Peter Cauwels compared the silent march to catastrophe to the phenomenon of creep in materials, where small, unnoticeable cracks accumulate until the material suddenly fractures. Its like society today is a lobster that thinks its getting a nice, pleasant bath and doesnt notice the water getting warmer until its too late. For the world at large, the result might very well be a blood red abyss, Sornette and Cauwels wrote, the likely and very painful final stage of creep ending in the failure of existing institutions.

Relevant movie: Dont Look Up

Its already evident that social media platforms have amplified ideological idiocy propagated to deter efforts to prevent or diminish many of the threats to civilization. Anti-vaccination propaganda is a prominent example, as is the effort to dispel the dangers of climate change and block efforts to address it. Social media enables disseminators of falsehoods to manipulate the masses and intimidate governments (as well as many organizations within the supposedly legitimate mainstream media).

On its own, social media might not destroy civilization totally, just eliminate civilized discourse. But combined with other options for vast destruction, social media could accelerate civilizations devastation while impeding efforts to prevent it.

Relevant movie: I Am Legend

You would think that a pandemic that has killed more than a million Americans and many millions more people worldwide would launch a serious effort to guard against future pandemics. Instead, the pandemic has led not to strengthening of public health measures, but an official response telling everybody theyre on their own.

Institutions charged with protecting public health now say individuals should weigh their own risks, but do not provide the necessary information to weigh those risks, and ignore the fact that the vast majority of people do not possess the expertise needed to weigh risks intelligently anyway. Making pandemic mitigations a personal choice is very much like saying people should decide for themselves whether to obey stop signs or run red lights. Consequently, a future pandemic as infectious as COVID-19, but with a much higher fatality rate, could kill enough people to shred the social fabric.

This danger has long been foreseen, but mostly ignored. In 1988, molecular biologist and Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg lamented complacency about the threat of global epidemics, and warned that viruses and other microbes are formidable foes in a never-ending competition for planetary domination. In that natural evolutionary competition, Lederberg wrote, there is no guarantee that we will find ourselves the survivor.

Relevant movie: Dr. Strangelove

After World War II, nuclear war was the most likely end-of-civilization scenario, and it certainly became a popular theme for fictional accounts of civilizations demise. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, though, many people who had been holding their breath since 1945 permitted themselves to exhale. But as long as nuclear arsenals remained undismantled, the threat continued, and now it may be greater than ever.

In January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists pushed its famous doomsday clock to 90 seconds before midnight, the closest to global catastrophe in the clocks history. The publications science and security board released a statement saying the new time was motivated largely, but not exclusively, by Russias war on Ukraine. Russias thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict by accident, intention, or miscalculation is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyones control remains high.

And Antnio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, declared last year that the world now faces a time of nuclear danger as great as during the height of the Cold War. Humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation, he warned.

And of course, if Russia doesnt initiate nuclear holocaust, theres always North Korea, China, Iran and a bunch of other countries.

Relevant movie: Princess Mononoke

Scientists have been warning for more than a century that carbon dioxide emissions could alter the planet. Higher average temperatures, hotter summers, melting sea ice, severe droughts, more wildfires, more powerful hurricanes and yes, even stronger winter storms are already signaling that climate change is not a myth. International efforts to agree on steps to limit rising carbon dioxide levels have stumbled. Study after study has detailed the numerous negative consequences for agriculture, human health and social well-being. Catastrophic climate change could instigate wars, famine, revolution.

Efforts to mitigate climate change might save civilization of course. But if such efforts fail, the worst-case warming scenarios are truly apocalyptic, as Luke Kemp and coauthors warned last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. There is ample evidence that climate change could become catastrophic, they wrote. They point out that climate change has played a part in the collapse of many regional civilizations. (Theres a reason why most people have never heard of the Natufian hunter-gatherers of Southwest Asia.) Uncertainties about future climate are great enough, those authors contend, to warrant serious investigation into the prospect that climate change could result in worldwide societal collapse or even eventual human extinction.

Of course, most of the risks to the civilization are not isolated threats. Climate change could trigger wars (see No. 2) or contribute to the spread of infectious diseases (No. 3), Kemp and colleagues note. And a United Nations report last year found that analyses of numerous related systemic risks show a dangerous tendency for the world to move toward a global collapse scenario in the absence of ambitious policy and near global adoption and successful implementation. In other words, without worldwide cooperation, total societal collapse is a possibility.

Both Kemp and colleagues and the authors of the U.N. report emphasize that these warnings are not predictions but calls to action. Listing threats is not for the purpose of overdramatizing them or to suggest that everybody should surrender to an inevitable existential catastrophe.

Behavioral scientist Caroline Orr Bueno, one of the few sane voices who offsets Twitters threat to civilization with insight and intelligence about misinformation and the techniques for spreading it, warns that scaring people makes them reject the message.

The key is to get people to perceive that the threat is real, she tweets, but also that there are things we can do to effectively reverse the threat.

And therein lies the hope.

Warnings of potential catastrophes should not be taken as cause for despair, but as motivation for investigating the dangers. Analyzing the mechanisms for these extreme consequences could help galvanize action, improve resilience and inform policy, Kemp and colleagues write. After all, when drought dissolved the Natufians civilization 10,000 years ago, they had no power to affect the climate. Modern humans do have such power. They could, in principle, stop using that power to make things worse and take steps to restore civilizations safety and stability. At least until the aliens arrive.

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Here are the Top 10 threats to the survival of civilization - Science News Magazine

JEFFREY Leigh-Jones was planning a trip to the South Pole when he stumbled across a life coaching and mentoring organisation.

However, his involvement in the group ruined his life, and caused his girlfriend to get in contact with the BBC in a desperate attempt to find answers. Here's what we know.

Jeffrey Leigh-Jones, from Portsmouth, signed up to the life coaching group Lighthouse.

He believed having a mentor would help him to become more disciplined, as he was planning a solo hike to the South Pole.

His life spiralled out of control and he spent huge sums of money during his involvement with the group.

The group was set up in 2012 by British businessman Paul Waugh.

Jeffrey ended up selling his house, and invested 131,000 into the organisation.

This included giving 25,000 to the group in order to have closer involvement with them.

He also became increasingly isolated from his family, spending most of his time on secretive phone calls.

His girlfriend Dawn overheard part of one conversation, where he was told to choose between the group and her.

Jeffrey is no longer a member of Lighthouse, crediting a trip to see his father in the US as the point at which started seeing things differently.

After he said he wanted to leave, Waugh attempted to keep him hooked by sending a number of messages.

He tried to convince Jeffrey the return on his investment could take up to two years.

Jeffrey asked for a refund but the group said it would be stepping up investigations into him and his girlfriend.

It even went as far as contacting Dawn's workplace, claiming she was a dangerous internet troll.

A Very British Cult aired on BBC Three at 9pm on April 5, 2023.

It will air again on April 6, 2023, on BBC One at 11.25pm.

Those who miss the episode can watch it on BBC iPlayer.

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Who is Jeffrey Leigh-Jones and what happened to him?... - The US Sun

Ronnie Watson had a successful career in business, but his heart wasnt in it. The Buckhorn Class of 96 football and baseball player knew that he wanted to get back on the playing field as a teacher of student-athletes.

That dream came true when he became a volunteer football coach at Sparkman for the freshman team. Id leave my job at 2 oclock to get to practice, Watson said. I was also traveling a lot for business, but Id never miss a game. Id sometimes have to fly in for a game. I was working, going to school and (coaching) just to have the opportunity to do this. My wife thought I was crazy because I got to work at 2 in the morning sometimes just to get things done so Id have time for football.

Watsons dedication paid off. He was named the new head football coach at Sparkman High last month, culminating his 14 years with the program and eighth year as a full-time employee. He replaces Laron White, who retired after the 2022 season with a 34-30 record in six years in Harvest.

He completely changed the paradigm when he got here, Watson said. I want to continue building and growing off of that.

Watson, who has been the Senators head wrestling coach for the past eight years where he led the girls squad to a state title this season, said he intends to bring the four pillars he built his wrestling program on to the football team. Its R.A.R.E., he said. That stands for Respect, Aggressive, Resilience and Excellence. If we do that, were going to be doing the right things. Its not just to make them better on the football field, but to be better going through life. Its bigger than just the sport.

We have to teach life lessons for after they graduate, Watson said, thats the focus what happens after graduation. When does the coaching process stop? It doesnt. After graduation, youre supporting and backing these guys the rest of their life. Any coach worth anything knows it doesnt stop.

Watson worked with four Sparkman head coaches Roger Haynes, Timothy Gillespie, Chris Cagle and White. He became the middle linebackers coach for Gillespie and was director of football operations for Cagle. He was named defensive coordinator in Whites second year 2018.

His first defense gave up just 16.8 points per game and three of the past four Senators teams allowed fewer than 20 points a game.

Ive been doing a little bit of everything, the 45-year-old coach said. Ive done coaching stuff, administrative stuff and for the past eight years I was the head wrestling coach.

We have to get better on the little things. Im going to make sure were doing things to best prepare the kids so we can outwork teams in the fourth quarter, to have that mentality that well be able to grind in the fourth quarter. If youre tired, you cant think and execute. I want everybody to come together, and I want that Excellence part at the end of R.A.R.E.

Watson said he retired from the business world to pursue his dream after he made one realization.

I had always known in my heart I wanted to get into teaching and coaching, he said, but it was just in business the money was so good. As I got older, I found out that money is not the most important thing. Ive known since my wife and I first got married and I said to her that was what I really wanted to do. It took a few years for me to get my head on straight and do what the good Lord wanted me to do.

From a young age, I was breaking down football games. When I played, I was not the best player on the field, but I was the smartest.

At Sparkmans Ninth Grade School, Watson teaches AP World History and Honors History. Hes not certain if hell continue there or move to the high school next fall.

The Senators begin spring drills on April 25 and will finish with a game at Hueytown on May 12.

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New Sparkman football coach Ronnie Watson aims to connect with players for life - AL.com

Those memories include travel tournaments, games, and practices that his family attended, as well as playing alongside his cousin, a close defender.

Even when Im not on the field, Im always talking about lacrosse, so its definitely a vital part of my life, said Jay. Having [Brady] on the other side of the field is good, so I always have someone to trust. We balance each other out.

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Brady and Jay have always had a friendly competitiveness, helping each other get better as players and keeping each other accountable for their play. Brady, a senior attack, and Jay, a senior long pole, play opposite roles and have often tried to match up against each other in drills and scrimmages.

When they were younger, the boys switched roles during games and practices, but always came back to the same conclusion, Brady was best at attack and Jay was best at defense.

As it happens, both boys ended up playing the same positions as their fathers. Bradys father, Nate, starred on the attacking line at St. Sebastians (90) and Curry (94). And Jays father, Jamie, played defense at St. Sebastians (87) before playing one year at Babson (91). Brady wears his fathers college number (17) and Jay wears Jamies college number (19) for Natick.

Id like to see my son and nephew go out on a positive note if this is the last time they play.

Natick boys' lacrosse coach Nate Kittler, on mentoring his son, Brady, and nephew, Jay, in their senior campaigns

Now, Jamie is the program director for Natick Youth Lacrosse and Nate has been head coach at Natick since the programs inception 24 years ago. When his son and nephew entered the youth program 11 years ago, Nate jumped in.

Our families are super close, Jay is more like a son than he is a nephew, said Nate. Ever since they were born, I was hoping they would play lacrosse.

Nate has been coaching the boys with his brother since they started in youth lacrosse. While they hoped both boys would pursue lacrosse like their fathers had, the option to play other sports was always open for Brady and Jay growing up.

When they both hit high school, they both made that decision that lacrosse was going to be their sport, said Nate.

This is the first class that Nate has coached from youth all the way to the varsity level, which he says makes it a special year. He has high hopes for his team and what he believes they can achieve.

I do think there is a little bit of extra passion in it, said Nate. Id like to see my son and nephew go out on a positive note if this is the last time they play.

Im definitely nervous about whats to come, said Brady, but Im also super excited for the upcoming season and to have one last year with both of them. It just means a lot to me.

With Natick securing a 14-3 win over Wayland in the season opener Tuesday, the season is looking bright for the Kittler family and the Redhawks. Brady had a goal and four assists and Jay forced three turnovers.

While there is plenty of lacrosse left to be played this spring, Jay expects the ending to be bittersweet.

Its kind of sad to think about, said Jay. All 18 years, [Nate] has been there for us as a coach and a mentor, so for that to come to an end its a little bit sad but I think well have a great year this year and well end it off and itll be fun.

Quick sticks

After a successful run as the girls coach at Billerica, Ashley Martell was thinking of stepping away from the game this year. But the Bedford physical education teacher stepped up when boys lacrosse coach Alan Chang went on medical leave a few weeks before the season, taking over as head coach of the program.

Last Friday, Martell steered Bedford to a 12-2 victory over Nipmuc in the Buccaneers season-opener, becoming the first female coach to win a boys lacrosse game in the Dual County League, and perhaps in Eastern Mass. history. Honestly, after the first day of tryouts I was all in, said Martell, a former star at Billerica and Springfield College.

Once I stepped into the role I was surprised how receptive the kids were to me coaching. At first, I was nervous because its uncharacteristic to have a woman coach mens lacrosse. Ive never seen it and I dont think the kids have either, but after Day One, I think they were all on board and made the transition easier.

In the win over Nipmuc, senior captain Ian Grove spearheaded the Bedford defense and Richie Fedele tallied a team-high 6 points (three goals, three assists). Seniors Eric Miles and Nick Tatarczuk, and sophomore Jackson Malio also played key roles.

Lynnfield junior Jack Calichman tallied a program-record 10 assists in a 17-3 nonleague win at Gloucester Tuesday . . . Abington junior Hunter Grafton exploded for 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in a 17-12 win at Weymouth Monday, then his freshman brother, Matt, scored seven goals in a 16-8 win at Rockland Tuesday . . . Two-time defending D1 state champion St. Johns Prep opened with a 15-7 win at Xaverian Tuesday with Luke Kelly (four goals, one assist) leading the way . . . Cohasset topped defending D3 state champion Norwell, 9-8, in a thriller Tuesday.

Games to watch

Thursday, Lincoln-Sudbury at Medfield, 7 p.m. Two of the states most successful programs over the past two decades meet in an early-season tuneup under the lights in Medfield.

Saturday, Acton-Boxborough at St. Johns Prep, 11 a.m. Last April, the Revolution handed Prep its first in-state loss, 8-4, in nearly a year with head coach Pat Ammendolia out because of COVID. The rematch will have a different look on what is projected to be a sunny day in Danvers.

Saturday, Lexington at Needham, 5 p.m. The Minutemen played excellent defense in their opener to earn a 9-2 win at Wakefield and that unit will have be sharp again to try and score a nonleague win at high-powered Needham.

Tuesday, Nauset at Sandwich, 4:30 p.m. Lacrosse has been rising on the Cape for years and these programs proved it with their respective results last season. With a talented senior class returning, Nauset looks to score a big nonleague win on the road.

Tuesday, St. Johns Prep at BC High, 5:30 p.m. Since 2021, these Catholic Conference powerhouses have met eight times, including twice in the state championship. The first of two regular season bouts will serve as a measuring stick.

Correspondent Nate Weitzer contributed to this story.

Zachary Lyons can be reached at zach.lyons@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachLyons_.

Continued here:
At Natick High, lacrosse has been a way of life, and labor of love for ... - The Boston Globe

Jeff and Debbie Karam got in their Chevy Silverado, headed west and kept going. The Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and more.

It didnt rain at all, Karam said. We saw everything. It was an incredible time. It was really cool.

In the back of my mind, I started my bucket list.

At the end of that trip, Karam formulated a plan to make the 2022-23 Bethlehem Catholic wrestling season one in which he gave everything he could.

A sour-tasting end to the previous season pushed the ultra-competitive Karam to do that.Bethlehem Catholic this season won every dual meet, won every postseason team title.

And now the 55-year-old Karam is walkingaway after three decades of coaching a sport hes given most of his life to.

When we got done with individual states, Karam said, I was really tired. I thought about things the last couple weeks. I got to the point where I feel I know what the program needs, and I dont feel I can give that kind of commitment right now.

Karam won 364 times in his coaching career at Delaware Valley (N.J.), Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic. He won an absurd 88.9% of his matches while in charge of the Golden Hawks.

But it was never about all those victories, the PIAA-record nine state team titles, the 22 individual state champions or all the other accolades for Karam.

I dont know if I was a great coach, he said. But I wanted the kids to know that Coach Karam cared about them.

I had a lot of success, a lot of medals and trophies. But what meant most was the relationships with the kids. I hope my impact on them was positive. Thats why you coach, to build character and help them grow into great men one day.

Karam stepped away for the 2018-19 season to see his sons compete in college but returned a year later and the Golden Hawks returned to dominance. They didnt lose a match the last two seasons and won consecutive 3A state team titles.

Karam did not eliminate the chance for a return to coaching, but right now he is working on his bucket list.

He and his wife met the week after his last season of college competition. He had a black eye and cauliflower ear. She knew what she was in for.

Debbie Karam lived the sport every day since their twin sons, Cole and Luke, started in the sport at age 4. She sat alone in the top row of the Giant Center in March 2016 to watch Luke win the last of his three state titles.

Shell sit next to her husband again this summer, first on a plane to Seattle, then on a cruise to Alaska.

They are making plans to visit Cole, who earned his graduate degree in architecture and took a job with a firm in Miami.

Karam is a longtime Dolphins fan, so plans are in the works to see them at home for the first time during their visit.

Im not old, Karam said, but Im older. There are a lot of things I want to do. Were going to take a lot of trips, do as much as we can until the money runs out.

You never know whats on the horizon. Well figure it out as we go.

Karams ride at Bethlehem Catholic was with his best friend, Randy Cruz, riding shotgun. Cruzs job as manager of learning design at Penske kept him out of the practice room more in recent years, which has left more on Karams plate. That wore on Karam.

So, too, did the way the 2021-22 season ended with an individual state tournament that was not up to the programs standards.

Even though we were team state champions, he said. I felt there were cracks in the foundation.

Karam did contemplate retirement after the 2021-22 season. He became more committed to fixing the flaws.

He couldnt have about been happier about what transpired in his final year.

The kids around me were a privilege to coach in the room, Karam added, and the parents, too. It was a fabulous season.

But you cant sugar coat it. Its a 365-day-a-year job. If youre not fully committed, the kids know. I have to be honest with them.

Karam told Cruz as soon as he made up his mind to step down. The two took the program to unseen heights.

They wore different titles, but Karam didnt see a distinction between him and his best friend.

There is no way our program is where it is without Randy Cruz, he said. He is, hands down, the best coach Ive ever seen in a wrestling room.

Cruz has zero desire to be a head coach, so where does that leave Bethlehem Catholics program? There is no clear-cut choice on a replacement. But the cupboard is far from bare. Nine starters, including three state champions, return.

Theteam coming back is ridiculous, Cruz said. You dont leave that. But I honor and understand his decision. Its the right decision. Its time.

Filling the shoes of Karam and Cruz will be an enormous challenge.

But other national-level programs in the Lehigh Valley survived coaching changes of this magnitude (Easton and Nazareth among them).

Karam left a strong foundation in place. He takes countless relationships with those he coached, most of whom reached out within hours of his decision going public. Many took to social media to express their admiration for him.

Cruz echoed those sentiments.

Without Jeff, we probably might not end up at Bethlehem Catholic, Cruz said of himself and his two sons. Who knows where we might have ended up if not for Jeff taking that position and having a vision of creating something great.

I give credit him for having that foresight, taking us in and starting something that became a 15-year journey of great wrestling.

Cruz and Karam always have spent time together outside of wrestling. Dinners with the wives. Vacations with the families. That will continue to be a priority.

Karam knows that the chapter of his life as a health and physical education teacher at Freedom is a year or two away from ending.

But hes looking forward to the new experiences and will take the three traits that molded his career in education and coaching: He was committed, competitive and compassionate from the time he was an assistant to his brother, Jody, at Delaware Valley until the last match last month in Hershey.

I loved every minute of it, he said. I have been blessed at both ends and am very thankful.

Karam has only seen one bald eagle outside of a zoo. It happened near a McDonalds on Route 31 in Flemington, New Jersey. He was traveling for wrestling.

With that life path closed for now, he will experience more than bald eagles this summer on his journey through Alaska.

And, he cant wait to fill that part of lifes bucket.

Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or atthousenick@mcall.com

The 22 PIAA of Bethlehem Catholics champions under Jeff Karam:

Luke Karam (3)

Mikey Labriola (2)

Ryan Anderson (2)

Nate Desmond (2)

Darian Cruz (2)

Randy Cruz

Keanu Dillard

Kollin Rath

Elliot Riddick

Kenny Herrmann

Cole Handlovic

Zeke Moisey

Jake Reigel

Andrew Dunn

Joey Gould

Tyler Kasak

Bethlehem Catholic has won a PIAA-record nine state team titles under Jeff Karam:

2011-14

2016

2018-19

2022-23

Excerpt from:
Why Jeff Karam left Bethlehem Catholic wrestling: Grand Canyon ... - The Morning Call

The six-week program gives tools to prevent participants from going back into incarceration.

By Allison Joyner

To prevent a repeating cycle of imprisonment, the Henry County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) has partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) to create a program to helps those returning to society.

Last month, the Step in the Right Direction: Pathway Forward Reentry Program began at the Henry County Restorative Center to help men released from Henry County Jail develop new life skills they will use after release.

The 180-day program will feature learning modules focused on personal development, job readiness, securing housing and addressing transportation needs, among other topics. At the end of the program, the inmates will receive a certificate of completion from Morehouse School of Medicine and participate in a graduation ceremony. Resources on enrolling in government assistance programs for amenities like food, housing and healthcare are also given to participants to utilize after graduation.

This partnership will help maximize the opportunity for each inmate to succeed and prepare them for a promising future. Recidivism has been an ongoing initiative Sheriff Reginald Scandrett has had on the top of his list, said TaMarlion Carter, Director of the HCSO.

Morehouse School of Medicine buildingCredit: Morehouse School of Medicine.

Thanks to a grant from healthcare company Wellpath, which has already funded the schools life coaching program, MSM can improve health equity efforts for those who have been imprisoned.

MSM has always had a focus on equity, and when we think about health equity, we think about vulnerable populations but one of those significant populations are those currently incarcerated, said Dr. Adrian Tyndall, Dean and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs at MSM.

The program serves men whose sentence is almost complete and teaches them life skills like problem-solving, job readiness, success planning and money management, which will help them from falling back into the criminal system.

We at MSM want to help resolve their internal issues that are happening and rehabilitate them not by locking them up but by giving them a pathway forward, said Dr. Angelita Howard, Founding Dean of Online Education and Expanded Programs at MSM.

The recently opened Henry County Restorative Center was developed to support mechanisms that directly reinforce the HCSO recidivism initiative. The center uses four approaches educational enrichment, life skill enrichment, technical enrichment and self-care enrichment to help engage, equip, empower and employ those participating in their programs. More specifically, applicable inmates will be able to receive their GED, or welding, forklift, fatherhood and job interviewing principles certifications.

Sherriff Reginald Scandrett cutting the ribbon to open the new Henry County Restorative Center. (Image provided by Henry County Sherriffs Office.)

Not only is [the program] equipping the individual but its strengthening their families and the potential for the community to step in the right direction, Carter said.

Howard told SaportaReport that 30 participants are currently enrolled in the program and are motivated to use what they learn after release. Also, the Henry County Courthouse is interested in using the program for alternative sentencing instead of jail time.

Its programs like these that will equip them to go back into these dynamics because once an individual is a part of the justice-involved system, it will be downhill from there, Carter said.

HCSO is looking for more partnerships through their Henry County Sheriffs Office Foundation with local businesses and organizations. Click here to find out more.

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Morehouse School of Medicine, Henry County Sheriffs Office partner to reduce recidivism through reentry program - SaportaReport