If something becomes appalling and unconscionable when you imagine it being done to a human, it should not be done to any other animal, writes Shannon RayWed 5 Apr 2023 08.19 EDT

• https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/05/we-shouldnt-eat-animals-whether-they-are-intelligent-or-not

I agree with Elle Hunt’s view that the perceived intelligence of an animal shouldn’t determine whether or not we eat them (Octopus farming turns my stomach – but are some species really more worthy than others?, 30 March). She is absolutely right that our idea of intelligence is biased towards human abilities, accounting for neither those cognitive areas in which animals outperform humans, nor those animals who simply haven’t been put through “intelligence tests” yet.

So, I find her conclusion – that we should eat higher-quality, more local meat – slightly baffling. Absolutely, we should avoid factory-farmed meat (both terrestrial and aquaculture), but we are kidding ourselves if we believe that there is any humane way to slaughter livestock or club octopuses. A general rule of thumb: if something becomes appalling and unconscionable when you imagine it being done to a human, it should not be done to any other animal, either – at least not by choice.

The American novelist Jonathan Safran Foer showed in his book Eating Animals that the trip to the slaughterhouse and the journey down the assembly line are full of fear and suffering, even for those animals who live (truncated) “free-range” lives. George Monbiot has likewise pointed out that organic, pasture-fed meat is not a solution.

The clear and obvious solution is for those of us who have a choice in what we eat each day to simply adopt a nutritious, plant-based diet and abstain from meat altogether – the kind with legs and the kind with fins. Once we accept that responsibility, we can start making real progress.
Shannon Ray
Oxford

PHYSICS06 April 2023

https://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-simulated-a-black-hole-in-the-lab-and-then-it-started-to-glow

ByMICHELLE STARR

Simulation of a warped and spinning black hole. (Yukterez/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

A synthetic analog of a black hole could tell us a thing or two about an elusive radiation theoretically emitted by the real thing.

Using a chain of atoms in single-file to simulate the event horizon of a black hole, a team of physicists observed the equivalent of what we call Hawking radiation – particles born from disturbances in the quantum fluctuations caused by the black hole’s break in spacetime.

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This, they say, could help resolve the tension between two currently irreconcilable frameworks for describing the Universe: the general theory of relativity, which describes the behavior of gravity as a continuous field known as spacetime; and quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of discrete particles using the mathematics of probability.

For a unified theory of quantum gravity that can be applied universally, these two immiscible theories need to find a way to somehow get along.

This is where black holes come into the picture – possibly the weirdest, most extreme objects in the Universe. These massive objects are so incredibly dense that, within a certain distance of the black hole’s center of mass, no velocity in the Universe is sufficient for escape. Not even light speed.

That distance, varying depending on the mass of the black hole, is called the event horizon. Once an object crosses its boundary we can only imagine what happens, since nothing returns with vital information on its fate.

https://1eda40a57295807d18c43813804a9211.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

But in 1974, Stephen Hawking proposed that interruptions to quantum fluctuations caused by the event horizon result in a type of radiation very similar to thermal radiation.

If this Hawking radiation exists, it’s way too faint for us to detect yet. It’s possible we’ll never sift it out of the hissing static of the Universe. But we can probe its properties by creating black hole analogs in laboratory settings.

This has been done before, but in a study published last year, led by Lotte Mertens of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, researchers did something new.

A one-dimensional chain of atoms served as a path for electrons to ‘hop’ from one position to another. By tuning the ease with which this hopping can occur, the physicists could cause certain properties to vanish, effectively creating a kind of event horizon that interfered with the wave-like nature of the electrons.

The effect of this fake event horizon produced a rise in temperature that matched theoretical expectations of an equivalent black hole system, the team said, but only when part of the chain extended beyond the event horizon.

This could mean the entanglement of particles that straddle the event horizon is instrumental in generating Hawking radiation.

The simulated Hawking radiation was only thermal for a certain range of hop amplitudes, and under simulations that began by mimicking a kind of spacetime considered to be ‘flat’.

This suggests that Hawking radiation may only be thermal within a range of situations, and when there is a change in the warp of space-time due to gravity.

It’s unclear what this means for quantum gravity, but the model offers a way to study the emergence of Hawking radiation in an environment that isn’t influenced by the wild dynamics of the formation of a black hole. And, because it’s so simple, it can be put to work in a wide range of experimental set-ups, the researchers said.

“This, can open a venue for exploring fundamental quantum-mechanical aspects alongside gravity and curved spacetimes in various condensed matter settings,” the researchers explained in their paper.

The research has been published in Physical Review Research.

An earlier version of this article was published in November 2022.

Photo by: Utah DWR

By: Laura Polacheck

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/drought-record-snowfall-will-decrease-deer-hunting-permits-again-this-year

Posted at 11:07 AM, Apr 04, 2023

and last updated 10:36 AM, Apr 04, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY — For the fifth consecutive year, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is recommending a decrease in the number of general-season deer hunting permits, but is seeking public feedback on this and other hunting recommendations starting April 4.

DWR manages deer, elk, and other wildlife populations in the state to maintain healthy populations, and weighs several factors for doing so.

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“There are a few things that can negatively impact deer populations in Utah,” DWR Big Game Coordinator Dax Mangus said. “Those include poor or limited habitat, predators and weather — either extreme, ongoing drought or really heavy snowfall, like we had this winter.

“The most important factors that drive deer population numbers are the survival rates of doe deer, fawn production and fawn survival after the winter. The way we hunt buck deer in Utah doesn’t drive deer populations, but what happens with deer populations drives how we hunt buck deer.”

To protect the deer population in Utah, the DWR is proposing the following

• Northern Utah: Proposing a decrease of 4,800 permits (about a 20% decrease from last year).
• Central Utah: Proposing an increase of 600 permits (a 4% increase from last year).
• Northeastern Utah: Proposing a decrease of 1,000 permits (about an 11% decrease from last year).
• Southern Utah: Proposing an increase of 3,275 permits (about a 28% increase from last year).
• Southeastern Utah: Proposing an increase of 450 permits (about a 3.5% increase from last year).

“For several years, we have had more demand for deer hunting in Utah than we have the supply for,” Mangus said.
“We are recommending a decrease for both buck deer and antlerless deer permits again this year, but the circumstances of individual deer populations vary greatly across the state. We use the best available data and our management plans to make proactive recommendations for the herd health of our wildlife.”

Elk are impacted differently by drought and severe winter conditions because survival of adults typically remains high, so DWR biologists are recommending a slight increase in public draw bull elk permits for the 2023 hunts.

DWR has several other proposals, including a ban on attaching electronics in essentially any type of hunting weapon.

They also are proposing a prohibition on using cellphones or two-way radios to aid in stalking an animal.

Other recommendations include prohibiting the use of visual-enhancement technology, including drones, aerial imaging, electronically amplified calls, or night vision devices to locate big game or locate protected wildlife.

“We value innovation but also recognize that common-sense regulations limiting the use of technology for hunting can preserve hunting traditions into the future and can increase opportunities for hunters,” DWR District Wildlife Biologist Derrick Ewell said.

For information about public meetings on these recommendations or to share feedback, go the to DWR’s website.

by Joseph EricksonTue, April 4th 2023, 9:58 AM PDT

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/peta-to-barbeque-lifelike-baby-near-charleston-city-market-on-wednesday-meeting-street-wciv-easter

FILE- PETA to barbeque ‘lifelike baby’ near Charleston City Market on Wednesday (WZTV)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Supporters of animal rights group, PETA, will be hosting a barbeque in downtown Charleston on Wednesday. On the menu, per the organization – a “lifelike baby.”

“Babies don’t belong on the barbecue at Easter or any other time of year, whether that baby is a piglet, a lamb, or any other sentient being,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes that anyone who is disturbed by the idea of chowing down on a child will think about extending their compassion to all other animals and choose a vegan meal instead, something PETA is ready to help facilitate.”

READ MORE: Firefighters save puppy from fire at South Carolina hotel

According to PETA, supporters will be wearing chefs hats and aprons and holding signs that read, “Leave Babies Off the BBQ. Go Vegan!” while standing at the corner of South Market and Meeting streets.

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They’ll also be handing out vegan starter kits.

The demonstration is scheduled for noon.