The Democrats Helped Bring About Trump’s Return By David Moscrop Tomorrow Donald Trump will take the oath of office again. By spurning economic populism and embracing Bush-era Republicans, Democrats helped pave the way for his second inauguration. Kamala Harris and Liz Cheney laugh during a moderated conversation at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal…
Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, poses with a four-legged friend. Lee, who is also director of the NASA Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, will discuss whether we are alone in the universe at a Silicon Valley Reads program set for Feb. 1 at the Milpitas Library. (Courtesy photo)
Far-reaching talk
Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, will discuss whether we are alone in the universe at a Silicon Valley Reads program set for Feb. 1, 2-3 p.m., at the Milpitas Library.
SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an alien technology hunt that is now in its seventh decade. Lee first proposed that while there are likely many advanced civilizations across the universe, there may actually be very few within any given galaxy. He will explain the factors that come into consideration in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, why we might be alone in our galaxy, what it means for the future of human interstellar travel and why SETI should aim to detect advanced civilizations in other galaxies.
The theme for the 2025 Silicon Valley Reads is “Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World.” Throughout February and March, Silicon Valley Reads will offer over 150 free events in partnership with schools, libraries, and community organizations across Santa Clara County.
Some events require advance registration. For a complete calendar of events and registration information, visit siliconvalleyreads.org/calendar.
Young Writers Contest
Jack London State Historic Park is accepting entries for its 10th annual Young Writers Contest for sixth- through-eighth-grade students. Entries should be short stories about a group of friends on a camping trip who get stranded in the wilderness and discover a mysterious set of footprints.
For contest rules and entry forms, visit https://jacklondonpark.com/annual-young-writers-contest. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, and winners will be announced by April 21. Prizes are $300, $200 and $150 for first, second and third place, respectively.
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Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, poses with a four-legged friend. Lee, who is also director of the NASA Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, will discuss whether we are alone in the universe at a Silicon Valley Reads program set for Feb. 1 at the Milpitas Library. (Courtesy photo)
Far-reaching talk
Dr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, will discuss whether we are alone in the universe at a Silicon Valley Reads program set for Feb. 1, 2-3 p.m., at the Milpitas Library.
SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an alien technology hunt that is now in its seventh decade. Lee first proposed that while there are likely many advanced civilizations across the universe, there may actually be very few within any given galaxy. He will explain the factors that come into consideration in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, why we might be alone in our galaxy, what it means for the future of human interstellar travel and why SETI should aim to detect advanced civilizations in other galaxies.
The theme for the 2025 Silicon Valley Reads is “Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World.” Throughout February and March, Silicon Valley Reads will offer over 150 free events in partnership with schools, libraries, and community organizations across Santa Clara County.
Some events require advance registration. For a complete calendar of events and registration information, visit siliconvalleyreads.org/calendar.
Young Writers Contest
Jack London State Historic Park is accepting entries for its 10th annual Young Writers Contest for sixth- through-eighth-grade students. Entries should be short stories about a group of friends on a camping trip who get stranded in the wilderness and discover a mysterious set of footprints.
For contest rules and entry forms, visit https://jacklondonpark.com/annual-young-writers-contest. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, and winners will be announced by April 21. Prizes are $300, $200 and $150 for first, second and third place, respectively.
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Millions of TikTok users in the United States can no longer watch videos on the social network after a federal ban on the application came into effect. The application was removed from major app stores on Saturday night, including those operated by Apple and Google, while its website informed users that the platform was no longer available.PUBLICIDADThe service cut began a few hours before the law came into effect.PUBLICIDADHow was the TikTok ban in the United States?When users opened the TikTok app on Saturday night, they found a pop-up message that prevented them from scrolling through videos and said: “Sorry, TikTok is not available at the moment. A law has been enacted that bans TikTok in the United States…Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now.”.However, the message also included a glimmer of hope for users in an upcoming negotiation between the social network and the next president, Donald Trump.”We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office,” the notice continued, referring to Trump’s promise in the last hours to “save” the platform. The company told its users to stay tuned.The only option the message gives to American users is to close the application or click on another option that takes them to the platform’s website. There, users are shown the same message and are given the option to download their data, an action that TikTok had previously said could take days to process.Apple stated on its website that the TikTok and ByteDance apps were no longer available in the United States, while visitors in the country might have limited access. “Apple is required to comply with the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.”If you already have these applications installed on your device, they will remain on your device. However, they cannot be re-downloaded if they are deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible,” the statement said, adding that the change could affect performance, security, and compatibility with future versions of iOS and iPadOS.”TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, posted a video thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the United States and for “a strong defense of the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship”.”We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used words to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connect with the world, and generate over 60,000 million views of his content in the process,” Chew said.What was Trump’s promise regarding TikTok?In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was considering granting TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating. If this extension occurs, Trump—who in the past has been in favor of banning the platform—said it would “probably” be announced on Monday, the day he assumes the presidency. The CEO of TikTok is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration with a privileged seat.In Washington, lawmakers and government officials have long expressed concerns about the implementation, which they see as a threat to national security because it is Chinese-owned.TikTok belongs to ByteDance, a technology company based in Beijing that operates the well-known video editing application CapCut and Lemon8, both also blocked since Saturday night.On Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the national security risk posed by TikTok’s links to China outweighs concerns about limiting the freedom of expression of the app or its 170 million users in the United States.As it is written, experts said that the law does not require TikTok to remove its platform, so it is not clear if the company voluntarily shut it down or if it was unable to maintain the service after losing access to support from its technology providers. The company did not respond to questions sent this week about its plans.
Donald Trump is on the eve of becoming only the second United States president to begin a non-consecutive term. Grover Cleveland, more than a century ago, was the other. Non-consecutive terms have occurred in other countries, particularly in Western Europe and the Americas. Around the time that Cleveland entered American history books, William Gladstone kept…
DIONNE GLEATON
A retired Orangeburg educator and administrator has written a book to highlight the grit, resilience and vision of her husband, a famed photographer, author and inventor who is also the founder of the state’s first and only civil rights museum.Barbara Johnson-Williams, who is president of the Orangeburg Branch of the NAACP, has written a book titled “Immersed: The Unconventional Journey of a Man, Mission and Museum.”
The 224-page book chronicles the inspiring story of Cecil Williams, her husband of 32 years. His photographs have helped preserve the African-American experience of the second half of the 20th century.Johnson-William’s book gives the community another glimpse into her husband’s treasure trove of images, more than 200 of which are featured in the publication.As revealed by its title, the book provides the author’s intimate, inside perspective on her husband’s mission and the museum which is now under construction.
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Through deep personal anecdotes, Johnson-Williams unveils the trials, triumphs and ingenuity that defined William’s life.“Whenever he puts his mind to something, he makes it come to fruition. … I’m a big proponent of doing mission work, and he’s on his mission,” Johnson-Williams said.An official book signing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Orangeburg County Library.
The $100 price of the book includes a donation to the museum. The book is published by Williams, who has published more than 200 books over more than three decades.“He’s always said, ‘Why don’t you write a book?’ He was like, ‘Write a book about yourself.’ I said, ‘You’ve got a lot to offer. Let’s kind of start with you,’” Johnson-Williams said.Johnson-Williams said she, along with Williams and his late sister, Brenda, came up with the idea of developing a civil rights museum in 2019, with the book’s last chapter describing how the museum began to take shape.The South Carolina Civil Rights Museum is currently located at 1865 Lake Drive. It will eventually be moved to Railroad Corner as part of Orangeburg’s downtown revitalization.
Railroad Corner is located at the intersection of Russell, Magnolia and Boulevard streets. The corner is being developed by Orangeburg University District Partners LLC.“The museum is underway. The foundation is just about coming out of the ground. We expect sometime before the end of January, maybe to see some steel rising from the foundation and maybe the pouring of the pad on which the museum sits,” Williams said.“It’s a two-story museum. Earlier, the contractors were saying that the museum would be finished by June, but I don’t believe it’s going to be until like December 2025,” he said.He said it feels “amazing” to be so close to the museum’s completion.“The 11,000-square-foot building is three times bigger than our present museum. We can’t wait until we occupy it and bring this to Orangeburg. We feel South Carolina’s and Orangeburg’s history deserves something like this,” Williams said.“It would also be the catalyst of other business activities going on there, including an S.C. State (University) dormitory, Claflin (University) dormitory, restaurants, things like that,” he said.Johnson-Williams said she is equally excited to have a book which she hopes gives readers not only a glimpse into William’s determination to fulfill his goals, but also help them tap into their own.“He always told me how he could not go to Clemson University because of segregation. There were a lot of things that he had to go through in order to get to where he is now. He never gives up. If he has an idea, rest assured that it’s going to take place,” she said.Johnson-Williams continued, “All of it goes right back to the museum. We want people to keep learning about things that he has done. I can go to the museum sometimes and on any given week see something different.”The book is exclusively available now in the museum’s gift shop and online website at www.cecilwilliams.com/shop-books.
Contact the writer: [email protected] or 803-533-5534. Follow “Good News with Gleaton” on Twitter at @DionneTandD
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Mother Jones illustration; David Zalubowski/AP, Patrick Semansky/AP, Alex Brandon/AP, Mihoko Owada/AP Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. The below article first appeared in David Corn’s newsletter, Our Land. The newsletter comes out twice a week (most of the time) and provides behind-the-scenes stories and articles about politics, media, and…
Octopus arms use a segmented nervous system for precise movement and sensory control of suckers, forming a spatial map called “suckeroptopy.” Research revealed that similar structures exist in squid tentacle clubs but are absent in non-sucker regions, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to different environments. Credit: Cassady Olson
The large nerve cord that runs along each octopus arm is divided into segments, allowing for precise movement control and forming a spatial map of its suckers.
Octopus arms exhibit remarkable dexterity, capable of bending, twisting, and curling with an almost limitless range of motion. Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered that the nervous system controlling these movements is segmented. This specialized circuitry allows octopuses to exert precise control over their eight arms and hundreds of suckers, enabling them to explore their surroundings, manipulate objects, and capture prey with extraordinary precision.
“If you’re going to have a nervous system that’s controlling such dynamic movement, that’s a good way to set it up,” said Clifton Ragsdale, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology at UChicago and senior author of the study. “We think it’s a feature that specifically evolved in soft-bodied cephalopods with suckers to carry out these worm-like movements.”
The study was recently published in Nature Communications.
Anatomy of Octopus Arms and Nervous System
Each octopus arm has a massive nervous system, with more neurons combined across the eight arms than in the animal’s brain. These neurons are concentrated in a large axial nerve cord (ANC), which snakes back and forth as it travels down the arm, every bend forming an enlargement over each sucker.
Octopus bimaculoides. Credit: Cassady Olson
Cassady Olson, a graduate student in Computational Neuroscience who led the study, wanted to analyze the structure of the ANC and its connections to musculature in the arms of the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides), a small species native to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. She and her co-author Grace Schulz, a graduate student in Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, were trying to look at thin, circular cross-sections of the arms under a microscope, but the samples kept falling off the slides. They tried lengthwise strips of the arms and had better luck, which led to an unexpected discovery.
[embedded content]Octopus arms move with incredible dexterity, bending, twisting, and curling with nearly infinite degrees of freedom. Credit: Cassady Olson
Using cellular markers and imaging tools to trace the structure and connections from the ANC, they saw that neuronal cell bodies were packed into columns that formed segments, like a corrugated pipe. These segments are separated by gaps called septa, where nerves and blood vessels exit to nearby muscles. Nerves from multiple segments connect to different regions of muscles, suggesting the segments work together to control movement.
Functional Insights: Segmental Control and “Suckeroptopy”
“Thinking about this from a modeling perspective, the best way to set up a control system for this very long, flexible arm would be to divide it into segments,” Olson said. “There has to be some sort of communication between the segments, which you can imagine would help smooth out the movements.”
Nerves for the suckers also exited from the ANC through these septa, systematically connecting to the outer edge of each sucker. This indicates that the nervous system sets up a spatial, or topographical, map of each sucker. Octopuses can move and change the shape of their suckers independently. The suckers are also packed with sensory receptors that allow the octopus to taste and smell things that they touch—like combining a hand with a tongue and a nose. The researchers believe the “suckeroptopy,” as they called the map, facilitates this complex sensory-motor ability.
Octopus bimaculoides. Credit: Cassady Olson
To see if this kind of structure is common to other soft-bodied cephalopods, Olson also studied longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii), which are common in the Atlantic Ocean. These squid have eight arms with muscles and suckers like an octopus, plus two tentacles. The tentacles have a long stalk with no suckers, with a club at the end that does have suckers. While hunting, the squid can shoot the tentacles out and grab prey with the sucker-equipped clubs.
Using the same process to study long strips of the squid tentacles, Olson saw that the ANC in the stalks with no suckers are not segmented, but the clubs at the end are segmented the same way as the octopus. This suggests that a segmented ANC is specifically built for controlling any type of dexterous, sucker-laden appendage in cephalopods. The squid tentacle clubs have fewer segments per sucker, however, likely because they do not use the suckers for sensation the same way octopuses do. Squid rely more on their vision to hunt in the open water, whereas octopuses prowl the ocean floor and use their sensitive arms as tools for exploration.
While octopuses and squid diverged from each other more than 270 million years ago, the commonalities in how they control parts of their appendages with suckers—and differences in the parts that don’t—show how evolution always manages to find the best solution.
“Organisms with these sucker-laden appendages that have worm-like movements need the right kind of nervous system,” Ragsdale said. “Different cephalopods have come up with a segmental structure, the details of which vary according to the demands of their environments and the pressures of hundreds of millions of years of evolution.”
Reference: “Neuronal segmentation in cephalopod arms” by Cassady S. Olson, Natalie Grace Schulz and Clifton W. Ragsdale, 15 January 2025, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55475-5
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation.