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The study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, looked county by county across the United States between 2013 and 2015. It found that where pharmaceutical companies spent more on meals, travel and speaking fees for doctors, there were more opioid prescriptions — and more fatal overdoses.

Question To what extent is pharmaceutical industry marketing of opioids to physicians associated with subsequent mortality from prescription opioid overdoses?

Findings In this population-based, cross-sectional study, $39.7 million in opioid marketing was targeted to 67 507 physicians across 2208 US counties between August 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. Increased county-level opioid marketing was associated with elevated overdose mortality 1 year later, an association mediated by opioid prescribing rates; per capita, the number of marketing interactions with physicians demonstrated a stronger association with mortality than the dollar value of marketing.

Meaning The potential role of pharmaceutical industry marketing in contributing to opioid prescribing and mortality from overdoses merits ongoing examination.

Continue reading “Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing of Opioid Products With Mortality From Opioid-Related Overdoses” | >

This was the first part in an interview series with Scott Aaronson — this one is on quantum computing — other segments are on Existential Risk, consciousness (including Scott’s thoughts on IIT) and thoughts on whether the universe is discrete or continuous.

First part in an interview series with Scott Aaronson — this one is on quantum computing — future segments will be on Existential Risk, consciousness (including Scott’s thoughts on IIT) and thoughts on whether the universe is discrete or continuous.

See ‘Complexity-Theoretic Foundations of Quantum Supremacy Experiments’

Continue reading “Scott Aaronson — The Winding Road to Quantum Supremacy” | >

“Hear from leaders across science, academia, and business as they share the latest research and scientific advancements, industry innovation, and their perspective on how these domains will evolve,” Amazon’s re: Mars site says. Speakers from Amazon, MIT, UC Berkeley, NASA and Harvard are on the docket.

Amazon announces a new re: Mars conference that will gather experts in machine learning, robotics, automation and space in Las Vegas.

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Hybrid vs Heirloom Vegetables with Levi.

What is the difference between hybrid and heirloom? Are hybrids bad? Are they natural? What is an heirloom? How old is an heirloom? Those questions and more are answered in this episode of Levi Explains.

.99 Heirloom Vegetable Seeds: http: www.migardener.com/store

Continue reading “Levi Explains Hybrid Vs. Heirloom Vegetables | S1:E8 | MIgardener” | >

Interview with Scott Aaronson — covering whether quantum computers could have subjective experience, whether information is physical and what might be important for consciousness — he touches on classic philosophical conundrums and the observation that while people want to be thorough-going materialists, unlike traditional computers brain-states are not obviously copyable. Aaronson wrote about this his paper ‘The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine’ (found here https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0159). Scott also critiques Tononi’s integrated information theory (IIT).

Scott discusses whether quantum computers could have subjective experience, whether information is physical and what might be important for consciousness — he touches on classic philosophical conundrums and the observation that while people want to be thorough-going materialists, unlike traditional computers brain-states are not obviously copyable. Aaronson wrote about this his paper ‘The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine’ (found here https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0159). Scott also critiques Tononi’s integrated information theory (IIT).

Questions include:

Continue reading “The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine” | >

Blockchain shows major potential to drive positive change across a wide range of industries. Like any disruptive technology, there are ethical considerations that must be identified, discussed, and mitigated as we adopt and apply this technology, so that we can maximize the positive benefits, and minimize the negative side effects.

Own Your Data

For decades we have sought the ability for data subjects to own and control their data. Sadly, with massive proliferation of centralized database silos and the sensitive personal information they contain, we have fallen far short of data subjects having access to, let alone owning or controlling their data. Blockchain has the potential to enable data subjects to access their data, review and amend it, see reports of who else has accessed it, give consent or opt-in / opt-out of data sharing, and even request they be forgotten and their information be deleted.

Continue reading “Blockchain: 6 Key Ethical Considerations” | >

Prince Philip’s driving days don’t appear to be numbered just yet after a replacement Land Rover was delivered to him today — less than 24 hours after his horror smash.

The black Freelander — an exact replica of the one Philip wrote-off yesterday — was driven off the back of a lorry and into Sandringham at around Midday.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, who had to be pulled from the wreckage, told police he had been ‘dazzled by the sun’ before the collision near the Norfolk estate at 2.45pm yesterday.

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I wonder how many people it will feed.

80 Acres Farms, an Ohio-based vertical farming startup, has raised private equity funding from Virgo Investment Group, a private equity firm from San Francisco for the construction of what it says will be the first fully automated indoor farm.

AgFudnerNews can reveal that the deal was worth more than $40 million in equity capital, according to sources close to the deal.

The funding will go towards the completion of 80 Acres’ Hamilton, Ohio facility, which was announced last year and is set to be partially operational in the next few months.

Continue reading “80 Acres Farms Raises m to Complete ‘First Fully Automated Vertical Farm’” | >