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http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fthe-conversation-us%2Fpublic-health-research-re_b_10887472.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dscience%26ir%3DScience&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Public Health Research Reduced Smoking Deaths -- It Could Do The Same For Gun Violence  
By Sandro Galea, Boston University and Michael Siegel, Boston University

After the most recent mass shooting in the U.S. at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said:

Other politicians echoed that sentiment. But prayers are not going to fix the fact that each year 30,000 deaths and many more injuries are caused by firearm violence. Recognizing gun violence for the public health problem it is might.

So what does it mean to view firearm violence as a public health problem? And how does that change the debate Americans are having about gun violence?

A public health perspective on firearms

First, and most importantly, viewing firearms violence as a public health problem means declaring that the current situation is unacceptable, and preventable.

We did not successfully tackle the AIDS epidemic until we made it a national health priority, an act marked by the passage of the Ryan White Care Act in 1990. Today this position is reflected by the federal government's commitment to ensure that at least 90 percent of HIV-infected individuals in the U.S. are properly treated by 2020. Federal funding has increased over the course of the epidemic, and the government is spending US$28 billion on domestic HIV prevention and treatment programs during the current fiscal year.

Second, treating firearm violence as a public health problem also means conducting research to identify the underlying causes of the problem and to evaluate potential strategies to address it. For instance, research may reveal common sense structural changes - such as firearm safety features - that limit the potential damage that can be done by guns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has avoided conducting research on firearm violence since 1996, when Congress passed an appropriations bill barring the CDC from using funds to advocate or promote gun control.

In 2012 President Obama ordered the CDC and other federal bodies to resume research on firearms violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. But Congress has yet to allocate a single dollar for CDC research on firearm violence.

While the the National Institutes of Health is undertaking firearms research, very little funding is allocated for it, on the order of just $2 million over three years. That's not much out of the NIH's nearly $32 billion budget for fiscal year 2016.

Third, a public health perspective on firearm violence means moving beyond blaming individuals and toward societal programs and policies to curb this epidemic. Just as individual smokers are not to blame for the tobacco epidemic, individual gun owners are not to blame for what is a much larger societal problem.

Taking a broad, societal approach is exactly what we have done with other public health problems, such as smoking. Public health research helped identify a proven set of programs and policies that denormalized smoking, such as limitations on smoking in public places and anti-smoking media campaigns. Thanks in large part to these societal-level public health interventions, cigarette smoking prevalence dropped to its lowest level in history last year.

And fourth, a public health approach means the "public" is included in the discussion. This means that we need to listen to concerns across sectors, including gun owners, gun dealers, law enforcement officials and public health advocates. With a public health problem of this magnitude, everyone should be at the table. That might seem impossible now, given the deep polarization on both sides of the gun control debate. However, a lack of willingness to even discuss potential solutions to the problem is simply unacceptable.

A recent collaboration between the public health community and gun dealers to reduce firearms-related suicide in New Hampshire offers an example of what this might look like.

So what does that kind of research look like?

In 2013, Boston University's School of Public Health started to conduct research aimed at understanding social norms about firearms and gun culture. We have also created a dedicated Violence Prevention Research Unit. So what have we found so far?

In a 2013 study, we linked state homicide data from the CDC with data on gun ownership, which revealed a strong relationship between levels of household gun ownership and firearm-related homicide rates at the state level. We found that this relationship is specific to homicides committed by offenders who are known to the victim.

Earlier this year, we published a study that documented a strong link between gun ownership levels and firearm-related suicide rates. These findings suggest that responding to mass shootings by arming teachers and ordinary civilians is not only unlikely to reduce homicide rates, but the resulting increase in the prevalence of firearms might actually increase deaths from both homicide and suicide.

We have also found a strong relationship between the implementation of state laws that require universal background checks for all gun sales and lower rates of firearm-related homicide.

These findings suggest that the loophole in federal law that allows unlicensed dealers to sell guns to any individual without conducting a background check may be contributing toward higher rates of firearm violence. On June 20, the Senate blocked four gun control measures, including a measure to close the loophole for background checks.

Where our research is headed

Our future work will explore the impact of various state firearm policies and identify policies that are specifically effective in reducing urban violence, which disproportionately impacts the African-American community.

Even though much of this work has been done without external funding, it is essential that Congress allow the CDC to do its job and conduct research on gun violence, and that other federal agencies like the NIH increase allocations for research in this area.

Allocating $0 for research, as CDC currently does on a problem that results in more than 30,000 deaths each year, is not how we handle a public health issue.

Sandro Galea, Dean, School of Public Health, Boston University and Michael Siegel, Professor of Community Health Sciences, Boston University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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science  

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Thirty Meter Telescope may not be built in Hawaii, say astronomers  
Officials will decide early next year whether to build the protest-hit telescope at new site  
science  

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http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Finternational%2Feurope%2Feurope-must-give-britain-time-to-reflect-after-brexit-vote-a-1102112.html%23ref%3Drss&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
The Waiting Game: Playing for Time After Brexit  
Two weeks after the EU referendum, Britain's political elite is crumbling and the country still has no plan for Brexit. The next government -- and also the Europeans -- will have to pick up the pieces.  
general  

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http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Finternational%2Feurope%2Fopinion-after-brexit-vote-fears-balkan-states-will-be-forgotten-a-1102165.html%23ref%3Drss&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Opinion: Don't Forget the Western Balkans  
Following the Brexit vote, attention in the EU is likely to shift to internal debates on the future of European integration. But it's important that Europe not forget the Western Balkans, for whom the prospect of membership in the bloc is an important motivator for peace.  
general  

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Interview with Juncker and Schulz: 'Deadly for Europe'  
The presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission, Martin Schulz, 60, and Jean-Claude Juncker, 61, talk about the consequences of the Brexit vote, the failures of EU leaders and their early morning phone calls.  
general  

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http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdailyoverview.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F147098743619&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8  
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with more than...  

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with more than 10 million residents in its metropolitan area. Formerly known as Saigon, the city is expected to grow to 13.9 million by 2025. This stunning photo was sent to us by @imnardzval (at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

 
images  

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let's create a scarf!  

marco18678 posted a photo:

 
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/354095589435308156/  
Flower longhorn beet  

Flower longhorn beetle (Xestoleptura crassicornis) collected in Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada, and photographed at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (sample ID: BIOUG22381-D09; specimen record: http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_RecordView?processid=GMOSK841-15; BIN: http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_BarcodeCluster?clusteruri=BOLD:AAF2123)

 
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Daily Dozen — Photos  
Daily Dozen — Photos -- National Geographic Your Shot  
pin-images  

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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/281543706160098/  
Columbia lilies on H  
Columbia lilies on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington (© Dennis Frates/Alamy) 2016-07-08 [www.bing.com/search]  
pin-images  

%feed  
http://thenextweb.com/offers/2016/07/08/become-confident-web-developer-javascript-coding-2016-bundle-96-off/  
Become a confident web developer with the JavaScript Coding 2016 Bundle (96% off)  

If you're interested in a future in coding, the JavaScript Coding 2016 Bundle is a perfect launchpad to your expertise-driven success as a web developer. For a limited time, you can pick up this great offer for only $59 from TNW Deals. The architecture behind the internet we use every day, JavaScript serves as the engine behind all modern browsers from Chrome to Firefox, utilized in front-end development frameworks and libraries around the world. Through a dozen comprehensive tutorials, the coding bundle will develop a strong foundation of knowledge in essential front-end subjects such as Sammy.js, Agility.js, Ember.js, Node.js, jQuery, AJAX,…

This story continues at The Next Web  
technology  

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https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/4-10-july-2016/facebook-creates-wireless-internet-system-developing-world/  
Facebook creates wireless internet system for developing world  

Facebook has announced it is developing wireless internet access hardware and software that can be used in areas where the current infrastructure doesn't support connectivity.

OpenCellular is designed to tackle the problem of 4bn people around the world still not having basic internet access, while 10% of the world's population live outside the range of cellular activity, according to the United Nations' Broadband Commission.

The hardware is currently the size of a shoe box and can support up to 1,500 people as far as 10km away.

2G, LTE and Wi-Fi

Due to the system's computing and storage, it can be used as a network-in-a-box or purely as a cellular access point, meaning that it can be customised to provide internet access in the form of 2G, LTE or Wi-Fi.

It has also been adapted to take in multiple input power sources, including PoE (power-over-ethernet), solar, DC, external batteries (seal lead acid) and internal battery (lithium-ion).

In order to withstand extreme weather conditions such as high winds and rugged climates, the OpenCellular device has sensors to monitor temperature, voltage and current, and can be deployed by one person at a range of heights from a pole a few metres off the ground to a tall tower or tree.

“more affordable connectivity”

Facebook's main goal in developing the technology is to make it affordable for operators and entrepreneurs to deploy networks in places where coverage is currently minimal or non-existent.

The social media company has said it will open-source the hardware and software design, making it freely available and more cost-effective for existing and potential operators.

In a post on his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg writes: “OpenCellular is the next step on our journey to provide better, more affordable connectivity to bring the world closer together.”

The system is currently being tested in labs at Facebook HQ in California. So far it has been able to send and receive text messages, make voice calls and use 2G data connectivity.

Images from OpenCellular 

The post Facebook creates wireless internet system for developing world appeared first on Design Week.

 
design  

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https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2016/jul/08/trippy-visions-of-the-future-architecture-graduate-shows  
Life in Technicolor: 11 trippy visions of the future by student architects  

From Game of Thrones-inspired castle estates to spiralling pink robo-slides, this year's graduate architecture shows offer a window to escapist fantasy lands

Architects might be known for wearing black, as if in permanent mourning for the lives they once had, and for spending months searching for the perfect shade of grey. But judging by this year's student shows, that monochromatic hegemony is under threat: the next generation appears to be plotting a psychedelic revolution.

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design  

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https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jul/08/chairman-mao-neo-naturists-occult-the-week-in-art  
Chairman Mao, neo naturists and the occult the week in art  

Merseyside comes alive with art and Antony Gormley laments the ‘termites' nests' of today's cityscapes. All that and more in your weekly art dispatch

Colour and Vision
This exploration of visual experience across the natural world has everything from fossils of the first creatures to develop eyes in the ancient seas to an installation about the Newtonian spectrum. Science and art come together in what should be a mind-expanding show.
• Natural History Museum, London, 15 July-6 November.

Continue reading...  
design  

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https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/08/gundam-edmonton-how-city-worthy-blown-up-anime  
Gundam trashes Edmonton: how the city became worthy of being blown up  

Forget New York, let alone Tokyo: as reader Greg Whistance-Smith points out, the wildly popular Japanese anime show Mobile Suit Gundam has rather bizarrely chosen quiet Edmonton, Alberta as the backdrop for its two-part season finale

One of the peculiar honours shared by the world's major cities is a knack for getting destroyed on screen. Residents of London, New York and Los Angeles have seen their cities fantastically ruined by natural and manmade disasters alike. None have experienced this quite as frequently as Tokyo: radioactive monsters, giant robots, supernatural forces and earthquakes have taken turns smashing the city in films and television shows for the past 60 years. Meticulously depicting a city's demise is, if nothing else, a declaration of its importance: these places are worth destroying.

In Edmonton, a quiet city at the northwestern tip of the Canadian prairies, those images of mass destruction seem exhilaratingly foreign. Edmonton is often forgotten not just in discussions of cities but in discussions of Canadian cities; or else it is humorously acknowledged as a place with endless winters and harsh, Soviet-like architecture. Those half-truths noted, the city nevertheless has its gems, among them an incredible river valley, one of the world's biggest universities (the University of Alberta), and a thriving arts scene, including the world's second largest fringe festival after Edinburgh. It's one of the youngest cities on the continent, with a median age of 36.5, and the northernmost city of more than 1 million people.

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design  

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https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/4-10-july-2016/dad-new-blood-reveals-pencil-award-winners/  
D&AD New Blood 2016 reveals Pencil award winners  

D&AD's New Blood Pencil 2016 winners have been revealed, after being selected from a list of entrants from a total of 58 different countries.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at Village Underground, London last night, to coincide with the final day of the D&AD New Blood Festival.

To apply, entrants needed to be in full-time or part-time education, recent graduates or under the age of 23.

Black, White, Yellow, Graphic and Wood Pencil winners

Applicants were tasked with designing their projects for a particular brief by various brands, such as Dr. Martens: Celebrate Dr. Martens' Unique Brand Using Radio's Unique Platform.

From the entries, the judges chose two overall Black Pencil and four White Pencil Winners. A further 24 young creatives were awarded a Yellow Pencil, with 58 being given a Graphite Pencil and 111 a Wood Pencil.

Paul Drake, D&AD Foundation director says: “D&AD New blood is all about inspiring the next generation, which is where our ‘Win One, Teach One' mantra really comes to life.”

“Winning a New Blood pencil is a huge turning point in a young creative's career. Not only are they recognised for being the best at what they do, but they get access to a wealth of contacts and advice from professional award Pencil winners and industry experts alike.”

We've rounded up the winning entries below.

Black Pencil winners

James Wuds, Bottles of Squash
Brief by Dazed: Declare Independence in 15 Seconds

James Wuds decided to interpret Dazed's brief by portraying “the feeling of being a teenager” in a series of short black and white video clips.

The videos capture the moments when you are not yet old enough to get away from your parents but are in the midst of your search for identity. Or as Wuds describes it: ‘fizzy drinks and bottles of squash”.

Jonny Kanagasooriam, creative strategy director, Dazed Media, describes Bottles of Squash as a “truly excellent stand out piece of work. Funny, poignant, cool and accomplished.”

Polina Hohonova, Retro Serif
Brief by Monotype: Use the Power of Typography to Activate Your Cause

Retro Serif seeks to revive a lost Russian language. Hohonova has used letters such as I, Ѳ and Ѣ that were abolished by the Communist Party after the Russian Revolution in 1917, due to their association with “High Russia” and the now defunct Tsarist regime.

Reviving these characters is a protest against the prescribed dictatorship of the language.

Craig Oldham, creative director & founder of Office of Craig Oldham, says: “Rarely does a piece of work have the potential to inspire change and have such a profound impact on culture and society.”

White Pencil winners

Laurens Grainger and Matt Kennedy, Every Minute Matters
Brief by Amnesty International/WPP: Break Barriers Between Young Adults and Amnesty International

These students from School of Communication Arts 2.0 have come up with a campaign for Amnesty International that allows young adults who only call home every two weeks on average to donate their wasted monthly phone minutes to refugees who, without a credited SIM card, are unable to call home at all.

Every Minute Matters would allow these minutes to be transferred onto an Amnesty International SIM card, which would then be distributed at refugee camps around the world.

Chloe Lam and Ryan Ho, Ford Fu
Brief by Ford: Team Up With Ford To Mobilise City-Wide Change

In response to Ford's brief, the two Falmouth University students targeted Shanghai's ageing population, which make up over a third of the city's overall population.

Using Ford's InfoCycle and E-Boke technology, with one click Ford Fu tokens send a GPS check-in to an older person's loved one, while two clicks calls a taxi and a third alerts emergency services.

Kegan Greenfield, Better Together
Brief by Monotype: Use the Power of Typography to Activate Your Cause

The Chelsea College Art students have given a simple, modern update to the Moon Type that was designed by William Moon for visually impaired people back in 1845.

The new version Moon Two is a hybrid of the original typeface and Roman script. It aims to bridge the gap for children with normal sight and those who are visually impaired, who are often required to choose either visual language or a tactile alternate during the early stages of education.

Elisa Beretta, Rosita Rotondo, Alessandro, Prestia, Massimo Mazzucca and Giulia D'agosta, Human Filter
Brief by WWF: Activate A Global Conservation Community

Students from the Academy of Communication Foundation in Milan, Italy are hoping to tackle air pollution with their project for WWF.

Their proposal is simple by washing clothes with a photocatalytic water solution, people are able absorb the same amount of nitric oxide produced by a car every day.

A WWF organised marathon that aims to spread the message could turn every runner who participates into a “human filter”.

See the full list of winners here.

The post D&AD New Blood 2016 reveals Pencil award winners appeared first on Design Week.

 
design  

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/07/nevermind-the-concrete-national-trust-to-show-the-beauty-of-croydon  
Never mind the concrete: National Trust to show the beauty of Croydon  

Bowie hated it. Peep Show besmirched it. The London suburb may get a bad rap in popular culture, but now there is the chance to see a different side

David Bowie absolutely hated the place while Kirsty MacColl hoped it might one day be blown up. But the National Trust profoundly disagrees it wants people to love Croydon.

The organisation, best known as custodian of some of Britain's most beautiful country houses, is turning its gaze on to the 60s and 70s high rise office blocks of a London suburb that always seems to spark extreme opinions.

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design  

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https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2016/jul/08/fancy-a-jar-celebrities-cork-their-dreams-for-the-bfg-in-pictures  
Fancy a jar? Celebrities cork their dreams for The BFG  in pictures  

A new public art installation, The BFG Dream Jar Trail, opens across the UK on Saturday. Celebrities were tasked with coming up with a dream to inspire and improve children's lives, which was then made into a sculpture and popped into a jar. These will be displayed round the country through the summer before being auctioned for Save the Children. We let the light in on some of the best …

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art  

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https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jul/08/chairman-mao-neo-naturists-occult-the-week-in-art  
Chairman Mao, neo naturists and the occult the week in art  

Merseyside comes alive with art and Antony Gormley laments the ‘termites' nests' of today's cityscapes. All that and more in your weekly art dispatch

Colour and Vision
This exploration of visual experience across the natural world has everything from fossils of the first creatures to develop eyes in the ancient seas to an installation about the Newtonian spectrum. Science and art come together in what should be a mind-expanding show.
• Natural History Museum, London, 15 July-6 November.

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art  

%feed  
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jul/08/chairman-mao-neo-naturists-occult-the-week-in-art  
Chairman Mao, neo naturists and the occult the week in art  

Merseyside comes alive with art and Antony Gormley laments the ‘termites' nests' of today's cityscapes. All that and more in your weekly art dispatch

Colour and Vision
This exploration of visual experience across the natural world has everything from fossils of the first creatures to develop eyes in the ancient seas to an installation about the Newtonian spectrum. Science and art come together in what should be a mind-expanding show.
• Natural History Museum, London, 15 July-6 November.

Continue reading...  
art  

%feed  
http://www.designboom.com/art/jason-briggs-grotesque-porcelain-objects-07-08-2016/  
jason briggs' grotesque porcelain objects are surrealistically erotic  

the objects express strong sexual references—at once abstract, but laced with figurative forms and life-like textures, bordering on being pornographic.

The post jason briggs' grotesque porcelain objects are surrealistically erotic appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

 
art  

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https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jul/08/this-weeks-new-exhibitions  
Five of the best... art exhibitions  

David Hockney | Jorge Otero-Pailos | Liverpool Biennial | David Bomberg | Etel Adnan

Britain's most famous living painter is a master of the portrait, capturing entire decades and states of mind in such iconic works as Mr And Mrs Clark And Percy and Beverly Hills Housewife. His new series 82 Portraits And 1 Still-Life paints a picture of the 21st century through portraits of friends including architect Frank Gehry and artist John Baldessari. Everyone poses in the same lemon-yellow upholstered chair as Hockney eyeballs them in often delicious detail.

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art  

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDailyGalaxyNewsFromPlanetEarthBeyond/~3/2qXLLs52ATM/alien-mindscapes-sea-changes-in-the-search-for-advanced-intelligent-life.html  
“Alien Mindscapes" --Radical New Changes Called for in Search for Advanced Intelligent Life  
 
astronomy  

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Exoplanet "Unlike Any Other Known World!" Discovered --Three Suns and a 550-Year Orbit  
 
astronomy  

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https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2016/jul/08/newly-discovered-planet-is-in-a-three-star-system-video-animation  
Newly-discovered planet is in a three-star system video animation  

This animated video shows a gaseous planet with three suns and a mass four times that of Jupiter. Located 320 light years away in the constellation of Centaurus, the planet, discovered by an international team of astronomers and known as HD 131399Ab, orbits around only the brightest of the three stars which is thought to be around 80% more massive than our own sun

• Planet with three suns spotted by astronomers

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astronomy