Friday, Dec 5, 2014


News Clips For The Day


POLICING UNDER EXAMINATION

Eric Holder: Cleveland police engaged in pattern of excessive force
By PAULA REID CBS NEWS December 4, 2014, 1:38 PM

Attorney General Eric Holder announced Thursday that "there is reasonable cause to believe that the Cleveland Division of Police engages in a pattern and practice of using excessive force," after Justice Department investigators examined nearly 600 cases of use of force that occurred between 2010 and 2013.

Holder went on to say that Cleveland and the Justice Department had agreed on a statement of principles that will lead to a consent decree.

The investigation in the Cleveland Police Department was launched in March 2013, "following a number of high profile use of force incidents and requests from the community and local government to investigate the [police department]," the report released Thursday said.

The report cited specific incidents, including a January 2011 police chase of an unarmed man, who suffered "kicks to the head" after he had "surrendered to officers and was handcuffed and prone on the ground." None of the officers filed a report on the use of force, and none "were appropriately disciplined for failing to report the use of force."

In another incident from November 2012, the report said, "over 100 Cleveland police officers engaged in a high speed chase, in violation of [Cleveland Division of Police] policies, and fatally shot two unarmed civilians. [Cleveland Division of Police] officers ultimately fired 137 shots at the car, killing both its occupants."

The unreasonable practices the Justice Department found included the following:

Unnecessary and excessive use of deadly force, including shootings and head strikes with impact weapons
Unnecessary, excessive or retaliatory use of less lethal force including Tasers, chemical spray and fists
Excessive force against persons who are mentally ill or in crisis, including in cases where the officers were called exclusively for a welfare check
Employment of poor and dangerous tactics that places officers in situations where avoidable force becomes inevitable

Justice Department investigators also said the division doesn't adequately review and investigate the use of force by its officers or fully investigate misconduct allegations or identify and respond to patterns of at-risk behavior.

The Justice Department and Cleveland Police Department so far have only agreed to come to an agreement about how to address this problem. They will work out the details of that agreement -- the so-called "consent decree" -- in the coming months, but it will include a requirement for an independent monitor who will oversee necessary reforms.

Holder invoked the names of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed in Cleveland in November, noting that there are ongoing federal civil rights investigations for each of those incidents. The Justice Department's investigation predates the recent shooting of Rice, and CBS News has learned that while that incident was not taken into consideration in the investigation, it will be considered as an agreement on changes that must be made within the Cleveland Division of Police.

"The tragic losses of these and far too many other Americans - including, just last month, the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice here in Cleveland - have raised urgent, national questions. And they have sparked an important conversation about the sense of trust that must exist between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect."

The Cleveland investigation is the same kind of investigation the Justice Department launched into the Ferguson Police Department after one of its officers, Darren Wilson, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old.

Holder made his announcement in Cleveland, where he is hosting a round table discussion as part of a tour of several U.S. cities where he will meet with local leaders and discuss relations between the community and law enforcement. He is also expected to visit Memphis, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Oakland in the coming weeks.




“Holder went on to say that Cleveland and the Justice Department had agreed on a statement of principles that will lead to a consent decree. The investigation in the Cleveland Police Department was launched in March 2013, "following a number of high profile use of force incidents and requests from the community and local government to investigate the [police department]," the report released Thursday said.... the division doesn't adequately review and investigate the use of force by its officers or fully investigate misconduct allegations or identify and respond to patterns of at-risk behavior.... They will work out the details of that agreement -- the so-called "consent decree" -- in the coming months, but it will include a requirement for an independent monitor who will oversee necessary reforms.... Holder invoked the names of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed in Cleveland in November, noting that there are ongoing federal civil rights investigations for each of those incidents.... 'And they have sparked an important conversation about the sense of trust that must exist between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect.'... Holder made his announcement in Cleveland, where he is hosting a round table discussion as part of a tour of several U.S. cities where he will meet with local leaders and discuss relations between the community and law enforcement.”

Deadly force used when unnecessary, excessive or retaliatory, abuse of the mentally ill or incapacitated individuals, employing poorly thought out and chosen tactics that put officers in the kind of danger that leads to unnecessary force – these things were found to occur too often in Cleveland. There is also a lack of proper The case in Ferguson struck me as one of “cowboy” tactics which left Officer Wilson unprepared to deal with the two young men, and of course he hadn't called the office for help, or at least not in time for them to come. Officers are often given the option of shooting to kill when they are afraid, and if they go in like a cowboy without proper backup they may often find themselves afraid. Of course, when they do have another squad car or two there they sometimes use the reasoning “waste not, want not,” with all four to six men ganging up on a suspect with the result that they beat him severely. Finally, the police department heads don't “adequately review and investigate” or discipline officers when they engage in such misconduct. The violence needs to stop when the suspect is handcuffed and on the ground. Cleveland and the DOJ will decide on an agreement or “consent decree” which should bring about changes.





NYC Police Will Be Retrained, De Blasio Says At News Conference – NPR
Bill Chappell
December 04, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton have announced plans to give training to police officers to help them treat all citizens with equal respect and with equal regard for their safety.

"These changes are happening because the people demanded it," de Blasio said.

The pair appeared at a news conference Thursday, one day after a grand jury declined to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July death of Staten Island man Eric Garner.

Speaking at the New York City Police Academy, de Blasio said the city's officers will do things a different way. De Blasio also noted that despite large protests Wednesday, only 83 people were arrested.

You can watch the live video above; we'll update this post as news emerges.

Update at 2:59 p.m. ET: Queens Leader Speaks

The Police Academy is in Queens — and Borough President Melinda Katz notes that there are 130 languages spoken in its public school classrooms.

She goes on to describe the importance of retraining all the officers at once, in an effort to shift the overall culture of the force.

Update at 2:55 p.m. ET: Among The Challenges: Ego, Adrenaline

Deputy Commissioner Tucker runs down a list of components that make up three days of training, with an emphasis on problem-solving and communication.

Calling for "smart policing," Tucker notes challenges officers face, including how to control their own ego and adrenaline.

Tucker is referring to a series of charts onstage, outlines of the in-service training.

He then says the police department's retraining push includes new ideas in law enforcement, such as "implicit bias."

Update at 2:50 p.m. ET: Details On Mentors, Training

Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker says the changes will include a new mentoring program for rookies who have graduated from the police academy.

He goes on to discuss how to train the 20,000-strong patrol force "to change and enhance the capacity of those members to engage in positive community interaction" while also being safe.

On retraining, he says officers of different ranks and duties who work together will be trained together, so they'll take their lessons back as a team.

Update at 2:35 p.m. ET: 'Reform Is Happening'

Saying that every interaction New York's police officers have with their fellow citizens will be different after they're retrained, de Blasio says, "Reform is happening here in New York City."

Some of the lessons, he says, will be in waiting for backup and supervision, along with "de-escalation."

Update at 2:30 p.m. ET: Resolve To 'Get It Right'

Saying that the grand jury's move resulted in "fundamental questions being asked" about respecting citizens' rights, de Blasio says "there is tremendous resolve in this city to get it right."

He also gave credit to New York's police force for its handling of the largely peaceful protests that erupted after Wednesday's grand jury decision.

But he added, "the way we go about policing has to change," as people seek reassurance that they will be treated fairly, equally and with respect.





New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton have announced plans to give training to police officers to help them treat all citizens with equal respect and with equal regard for their safety. "These changes are happening because the people demanded it," de Blasio said. The pair appeared at a news conference Thursday, one day after a grand jury declined to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July death of Staten Island man Eric Garner.... The Police Academy is in Queens — and Borough President Melinda Katz notes that there are 130 languages spoken in its public school classrooms. She goes on to describe the importance of retraining all the officers at once, in an effort to shift the overall culture of the force.... three days of training, with an emphasis on problem-solving and communication. Calling for "smart policing," Tucker notes challenges officers face, including how to control their own ego and adrenaline. Tucker is referring to a series of charts onstage, outlines of the in-service training. He then says the police department's retraining push includes new ideas in law enforcement, such as "implicit bias."... changes will include a new mentoring program for rookies who have graduated from the police academy. He goes on to discuss how to train the 20,000-strong patrol force "to change and enhance the capacity of those members to engage in positive community interaction" while also being safe.... de Blasio says, "Reform is happening here in New York City." Some of the lessons, he says, will be in waiting for backup and supervision, along with "de-escalation."

“But he added, "the way we go about policing has to change," as people seek reassurance that they will be treated fairly, equally and with respect.” Since I was in high school and before, there has been a dehumanization of policing and neighborhood relations. This further “militarization” of the city police forces is a shocking step in the wrong direction for America. We are “the melting pot,” not a Neo-Nazi society. We are becoming less civilized rather than more, it appears to me, and I for one am unwilling to sit around and say nothing about that. I do truly hope that the present attention that is being paid to matters of civilized “law and order,” rather than the present violent type, will produce a crop of new and improved fruit in the form of an open society with peace for all. I give thanks to Mayor Di Blassio and Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton in their retraining of the whole NPYD. That's a tall order, but it's the one that needs to occur.






Civil Rights Attorney On How She Built Trust With Police – NPR
NPR STAFF
December 05, 2014

As a civil rights attorney, Constance Rice became known in the 1990s for, as she puts it, going to war with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Rice filed lawsuits against the department, mainly over their treatment of minorities in underprivileged communities.

Following the recent decisions not to indict white cops in the deaths of two black men — President Obama has said one of his top priorities is building trust between minority communities and local police.

Rice's time battling the LAPD, and specifically captain Charlie Beck, who is now LA's police chief, eventually led to a place where there could be trust. They worked together to reform the department.

Some of that change included LAPD officers going into projects to set up youth sports programs and health screenings, things that made people's lives better and brought police and predominantly black communities closer together.

Here are some interview highlights:

On use of police force on minorities:

Cops can get into a state of mind where they're scared to death. When they're in that really, really frightened place they panic and they act out on that panic. I have known cops who haven't had a racist bone in their bodies and in fact had adopted black children, they went to black churches on the weekend; and these are white cops. They really weren't overtly racist. They weren't consciously racist. But you know what they had in their minds that made them act out and beat a black suspect unwarrantedly? They had fear. They were afraid of black men. I know a lot of white cops who have told me. And I interviewed over 900 police officers in 18 months and they started talking to me, it was almost like a therapy session for them I didn't realize that they needed an outlet to talk.

They would say things like, "Ms. Rice I'm scared of black men. Black men terrify me. I'm really scared of them. Ms. Rice, you know black men who come out of prison, they've got great hulk strength and I'm afraid they're going to kill me. Ms. Rice, can you teach me how not to be afraid of black men." I mean this is cops who are 6'4". You know, the cop in Ferguson was 6'4" talking about he was terrified. But when cops are scared, they kill and they do things that don't make sense to you and me.

On whether or not racism plays a factor in police force:

He doesn't feel like it's racism. The black community experiences it as racism, that's very clear. So what I'm saying is that for people who have to be in the business of solving this dilemma you have to be able to step into the frightened tennis shoes of black kids; black male kids in particular. You have to be able to step into the combat boots and scared cops, and racist cops, and cruel cops, and good cops. You have to be able to distinguish between all of those human experiences and bring them together. On a single platform of we're going to solve this by empathizing. We're going to solve it with compassion and we're going to solve it with common sense.

On whether improving life in poor neighborhoods causes police to be less fearful:

Not only does it cause cops to be less fearful, it causes the community to embrace them. I have taken a group of 50 cops and the chief (Charlie) Beck let me train them. I trained them in what I community partnership policing. The first thing I tell these cops is that you are not in the arrest business; you are in the trust business. We are going to train you in Public Trust Policing. It goes beyond community policing. What it does is it puts police in a position of helping a community solve its problems. These cops come into the black housing projects and they said to these populations who hate them "We know you hate us, but we're here to serve. We're going to win your trust."





“Rice's time battling the LAPD, and specifically captain Charlie Beck, who is now LA's police chief, eventually led to a place where there could be trust. They worked together to reform the department. Some of that change included LAPD officers going into projects to set up youth sports programs and health screenings, things that made people's lives better and brought police and predominantly black communities closer together.... They weren't consciously racist. But you know what they had in their minds that made them act out and beat a black suspect unwarrantedly? They had fear. They were afraid of black men. I know a lot of white cops who have told me. And I interviewed over 900 police officers in 18 months and they started talking to me, it was almost like a therapy session for them I didn't realize that they needed an outlet to talk.... So what I'm saying is that for people who have to be in the business of solving this dilemma you have to be able to step into the frightened tennis shoes of black kids; black male kids in particular. You have to be able to step into the combat boots and scared cops, and racist cops, and cruel cops, and good cops. You have to be able to distinguish between all of those human experiences and bring them together. On a single platform of we're going to solve this by empathizing. We're going to solve it with compassion and we're going to solve it with common sense.... On whether improving life in poor neighborhoods causes police to be less fearful: Not only does it cause cops to be less fearful, it causes the community to embrace them. I have taken a group of 50 cops and the chief (Charlie) Beck let me train them. I trained them in what I community partnership policing. The first thing I tell these cops is that you are not in the arrest business; you are in the trust business. We are going to train you in Public Trust Policing. It goes beyond community policing. What it does is it puts police in a position of helping a community solve its problems.”

This article contains the information that, from what I've seen, is most needed – actively substituting cooperative attitudes for combative. This article doesn't say so, but I think police officers on a wide scale would be improved by talk therapy with psychologists until they come to a point of self-understanding and the practice of contemplative thinking, rather than knee-jerk reactions of hostility, and perhaps on an ongoing basis as they confront new problem situations every day in their work. I think being a violent personality is a sign of mental illness. I know, some kids “grow up rough,” but they still should be able to refrain from doing what I call “evil.” A person with a hair trigger temper is not mentally balanced. The man who is a violent police officer is probably also a violent husband or father, and passes the inborn anger on to his children by example. If a house in a neighborhood of primarily peaceful people has a violent member, that can cause neighbors to become violent in response to that provocation. “One bad apple spoils the barrel.” If police departments could become service oriented and help the poor rather than “punishing” them, they would be a welcome force in the community. Police officers spending time mentoring the young people in poor communities would be a great help, and they would find that residents would call them when they need an officer rather than “handling it their own way,” which means taking a gun or a knife and deciding the argument that way.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/eric-garner-case-reaction-from-new-york-city-mayor-riles-police-union/

Eric Garner fallout: Cops feel "thrown under the bus," union says
CBS/AP December 4, 2014, 3:01 PM

NEW YORK -- The head of New York City's police union said officers felt "thrown under the bus" by Mayor Bill de Blasio following a Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict an officer in the death of Eric Garner, CBS New York station WCBS-TV reports.

Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said the mayor needs to do more to support New York City cops.

"What police officers felt yesterday after that press conference is that they were thrown under the bus," Lynch told reporters Thursday. "That they were out there doing a difficult job in the middle of the night, protecting the rights of those to protest, protecting our sons and daughters and the mayor was behind microphones like this throwing them under the bus."

Lynch was responding to de Blasio's speech Wednesday after the grand jury declined to charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo in Garner's death.

The mayor said he and his wife, Chirlane, have had to have painful conversations with their teenage son, Dante, about "how to take special care with any encounter he may have with police officers."

"I've had to worry over the years, Chirlane has had to worry: Is Dante safe each night?" de Blasio said Wednesday. "And not just from some of the painful realities of crime and violence in some of our neighborhoods but safe from the very people they want to have faith in as their protectors."

Lynch slammed the mayor's comments, saying "our city is safe because of police officers" and said New Yorkers should be afraid of the criminals, not the police.

"He spoke about, 'we have to teach our children that their interaction with the police and that they should be afraid of New York City police officers.' That's not true," Lynch said. "We have to teach our children, our sons and our daughters, no matter what they look like, to respect New York City police officers, teach them to comply with New York City police officers even if they think it's unjust."

On Thursday, de Blasio issued a letter to his fellow New Yorkers, calling Garner's death a terrible tragedy and outlined the city's plan to improve relations between law enforcement and the community.

"For many across our city and our nation, yesterday's grand jury ruling compounds feelings of grief with dissatisfaction and anger," de Blasio said in the letter. "This is not the end of the story - only the end of a chapter."

Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, died in July after police officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island.

In cellphone video of the incident, Pantaleo, who is white, is seen placing his arm around Garner's neck in an apparent chokehold and then taking him to the ground after Garner refuses to be handcuffed.

Garner, who was black, is heard saying repeatedly, "I can't breathe!" He died a short time later.

The New York City Medical Examiner's office ruled Garner's death a homicide, caused by the officer's apparent chokehold as well as chest and neck compressions and prone positioning "during physical restraint by police." Asthma, heart disease and obesity were also contributing factors.

The grand jury began hearing evidence in the case on Sept. 29, which included testimony by Pantaleo.

Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan released a statement Wednesday saying his office conducted a thorough investigation before presenting evidence to the grand jury.

He said the grand jury found "no reasonable cause" to bring charges against Pantaleo. To find Pantaleo criminally negligent, the grand jury would have had to determine he knew there was a "substantial risk" that Garner would die.

Twelve of the 23 jurors needed to be in agreement for any charges to be filed.

Pataleo's lawyer and police union officials argued that the grand jury got it right, saying that the officer used an authorized takedown move, not a banned chokehold, against a man who was resisting arrest. And they said Garner's poor health was the main cause of his death.

"It was just decision, a difficult decision we understand, but it was a just decision - why? Because it was based on the facts that were on the table. Not what was going on in the street or not what others may want it to be," Lynch said.

Attorney General Eric Holder said federal prosecutors will conduct their own investigation of Garner's death. The NYPD is also doing an internal investigation that could lead to administrative charges against Pantaleo, who remains on desk duty.




“The mayor said he and his wife, Chirlane, have had to have painful conversations with their teenage son, Dante, about "how to take special care with any encounter he may have with police officers."... Lynch slammed the mayor's comments, saying "our city is safe because of police officers" and said New Yorkers should be afraid of the criminals, not the police. "He spoke about, 'we have to teach our children that their interaction with the police and that they should be afraid of New York City police officers.' That's not true," Lynch said. "We have to teach our children, our sons and our daughters, no matter what they look like, to respect New York City police officers, teach them to comply with New York City police officers even if they think it's unjust."... Pataleo's lawyer and police union officials argued that the grand jury got it right, saying that the officer used an authorized takedown move, not a banned chokehold, against a man who was resisting arrest. And they said Garner's poor health was the main cause of his death.... The NYPD is also doing an internal investigation that could lead to administrative charges against Pantaleo, who remains on desk duty.”

There is a fine line between respect and fear. If black and brown young people were not confronted on a more frequent basis than white kids, and with more roughness before a polite approach is even tried, there would be no need to warn children. I would caution any child of mine, who would be white, of course, to obey police officer's commands and to avoid doing things like driving dangerously, joining gangs, selling or buying drugs, stealing, assaulting others, and mouthing off at the police. I would like them to be respectful to everybody whom they encounter, however, not just police officers, and it shouldn't have to mean grovelling. Officers should approach citizens with respect themselves, and they would get more back as a result. If Officer Darren Wilson did, as was reported by a witness, open his encounter with Brown by saying “Get the f*** on the sidewalk,” that isn't the proper amount of respect, and walking in the street is not a high crime. Police sometimes act like they are second only to God in authority. That's a problem. If the police force had the level of supervision that they should have, they wouldn't get away with that. The psychologist in the NPR article above mentions the police need to control themselves in regard to “ego and adrenaline,” and that is after all the proper reaction of an adult man in interactions. A police officer needs to be a very well balanced individual rather than merely less violent. They should be problem solvers and facilitators as well as merely making arrests.




SCIENCE


http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429983.200-shell-art-made-300000-years-before-humans-evolved.html

Shell 'art' made 300,000 years before humans evolved
03 December 2014 by Catherine Brahic

A shell etched by Homo erectus is by far the oldest engraving ever found, challenging what we know about the origin of art and complex human thought

THE artist – if she or he can be called that – was right-handed and used a shark's tooth. They had a remarkably steady hand and a strong arm. Half a million years ago, on the banks of a calm river in central Java, they scored a deep zigzag into a clam shell.

We will never know what was going on inside its maker's head, but the tidy, purposeful line (pictured above right) has opened a new window into the origins of our modern creative mind.

It was found etched into the shell of a fossilised freshwater clam, and is around half a million years old – making the line by far the oldest engraving ever found. The date also means it was made two to three hundred thousand years before our own species evolved, by a more ancient hominin, Homo erectus.


"It is a fascinating discovery," says Colin Renfrew, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge. "The earliest abstract decoration in the world is really big news."

The shell was dug up in Trinil, Indonesia, in the 1890s by Dutch geologist Eugene Dubois, and was one of many fossil finds in the area, including bones of Homo erectus and several animals.

The shell collection sat in a museum in Leiden, the Netherlands, for over a century. Seven years ago, PhD student Stephen Munro, now at the Australian National University in Canberra, was in the country for a few days and stayed with archaeologist Josephine Joordens of the University of Leiden. She was re-exploring the Dubois collection at the time, and as Munro was also studying ancient molluscs, Joordens encouraged him to take a look. Pressed for time, he photographed each one before heading back to Australia.

"A week later I received an email," Joordens recalls. "He wrote that there was something strange on one of the shells and did I know what it was?"

Ever since then, Joordens and her team have been meticulously documenting all the Dubois clams. Sediment inside them and tiny grains pulled from cracks were dated, to reveal that they had been buried between 430,000 and 540,000 years ago (Nature,

One turned out to be a tool, its sharpened edge probably used for scraping. Many were pierced where the clam's muscle attaches to the shell. When the team made similar holes in live clams, the damage to the muscle forced them open.

"It must have been a fairly quiet riverine environment with lots of shells," says Joordens. "Probably hominins living in the area exploited it." She says the entire site was buried suddenly, possibly the result of a volcanic eruption or a flash flood.

Meanwhile, Francesco d'Errico, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of Bordeaux in France, known for his work on early hominin engravings, tried to replicate the etch, down to its microstructure. He tested three pointed tools: a flint, a shark's tooth and a steel scalpel. The shark's tooth – many of which were also found at the Java site – offered the closest match.

The experiments showed that the line is too deep and straight to have been made by an idle hand. Fresh Pseudodon clam shells have a dark brown coat, so the etch would have made a striking white line. All this suggests that it was made deliberately, and yet, unlike tools, the mark has no obvious function. It may have been a decoration, or a practice run for a decoration on another object.

That's important because Homo sapiens was thought to be the first species to produce abstract, non-functional designs. No other animal, not even a chimpanzee, has ever been known to make non-functional markings.

"It's very carefully done," says Andrew Whiten, a psychologist and primatologist at the University of St Andrews in the UK. "There is a wonderfully straight section and the [etch] turns in one continuous line. That's not just intentional but careful in what strikes as a very modern way. Apes aren't doing that. It would be staggering if they did."

So did the etching have some kind of meaning for its maker? And what can it tell us about the origins of complex human thought and artistic expression?

"We cannot look into the mind of the person who made it," says Joordens. But we can speculate. One thing the marks suggest is that half a million years ago, these distant ancestors already had some sense of aesthetics.

"So far," says Renfrew, "we haven't had much indication that H. erectus was doing much other than making beautiful tools and hand axes." Some see a sense of aesthetics in the tools – perhaps even making their owners more attractive to potential mates. But that is controversial and, besides, tools are undeniably useful.

Still, d'Errico suggests the lines might have been a sort of signature, indicating ownership. That would mean they had a function of sorts, but takes nothing away from their abstract nature.

"Whether the zigzag pattern had a specific meaning or was merely a sort of doodle seems irrelevant," says David Edelman, a neuroscientist who was most recently at Bennington College in Vermont. What is significant is that the shape is not immediately linked to anything concrete or to survival.

"Regardless of intent, the very process of rendering a geometric form would seem to indicate the workings of a mind no longer tethered solely to the here and now, but capable of a uniquely abstract form of conscious 'wandering'," Edelman says.

The etch also suggests H. erectus was integrating different domains of knowledge – thought to be a key stage in the evolution of our creative minds. "Our results indicate that these shells were seen at the same time as a source of food, a raw material to make tools, and a canvas on which to produce engravings," says d'Errico.

With only a few lines on a single shell, it is impossible to say how unusual the Trinil aesthete was at the time. It's possible – likely, according to some – that many more etchings were made on materials that did not survive or remain to be found. Or the zigzag could have been the work of a rare early creative mind.

Either way, the Trinil shell offers a compelling insight. Bones tell us about how our ancestors looked and moved. They say very little about thoughts. So in the end, perhaps the most striking aspect is the etching's familiarity. "In a way," says Joordens, "it is emotionally touching, seeing something so old that looks like something you could have made yourself."

This article appeared in print under the headline "Etched in time"




“It was found etched into the shell of a fossilised freshwater clam, and is around half a million years old – making the line by far the oldest engraving ever found. The date also means it was made two to three hundred thousand years before our own species evolved, by a more ancient hominin, Homo erectus. "It is a fascinating discovery," says Colin Renfrew, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge. "The earliest abstract decoration in the world is really big news."... One turned out to be a tool, its sharpened edge probably used for scraping. Many were pierced where the clam's muscle attaches to the shell. When the team made similar holes in live clams, the damage to the muscle forced them open.... It may have been a decoration, or a practice run for a decoration on another object. That's important because Homo sapiens was thought to be the first species to produce abstract, non-functional designs. No other animal, not even a chimpanzee, has ever been known to make non-functional markings.... rendering a geometric form would seem to indicate the workings of a mind no longer tethered solely to the here and now.... suggests H. erectus was integrating different domains of knowledge – thought to be a key stage in the evolution of our creative minds.... It's possible – likely, according to some – that many more etchings were made on materials that did not survive or remain to be found. Or the zigzag could have been the work of a rare early creative mind.

“'One thing the marks suggest is that half a million years ago, these distant ancestors already had some sense of aesthetics.'... No other animal, not even a chimpanzee, has ever been known to make non-functional markings...” A sense of aesthetics and making non-functional markings – chimps and gorillas, as well as elephants, have been known to correctly use a paint brush to make marks on paper when placed before them on an easel. Of course chimps, gorillas and elephants are known to have a high degree of intelligence. In addition, however, they have hands, or in the case of the elephant a trunk. Koko the gorilla and her mate Michael, who were trained in American Sign Language, both “painted”. Koko did one that really resembled something – a vase of flowers – which she identified when asked. The flower painting was a number of rounded marks of different colors plus green. Michael did a long black line curving upward with a rounded white cap on it, and he said that it was their pet border collie. When described as a collie I could see that in the image. I think the sense of aesthetics is there in animals on down the line from us, but the impulse to make such a drawing on their own is not inborn. Koko's smart, but I don't think she would have thought to draw an image without being presented with the brush and paints. She did, however, look at children's early readers with her “mom” Penny nd listen to the stories – a psychologist, so she already understood the making of images on paper.





How well you sleep may depend on your genes – CBS
By RANDY DOTINGA HEALTHDAY December 5, 2014, 6:00 AM

How much sleep you get each night may depend to some extent on your genes, a new study suggests.

"Sleep patterns are influenced by genetic differences," said study co-author Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, a sleep researcher and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "This study is one of the first to begin identifying these genetic differences, and will hopefully help us better understand the causes of sleep disorders and their relation to other important diseases."

The findings suggest that certain genetic variations make a difference of a few minutes' sleep a night. But the research may ultimately point to a wider picture of how certain genes affect conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and diabetes, said Gottlieb.

Scientists believe several aspects of sleep -- including when and how long people sleep -- are inherited to some extent, Gottlieb said. Sleep duration, meanwhile, is connected to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and depression, he said.

It's possible that a gene variation causes sleep problems, which then cause, say, high blood pressure, Gottlieb said. But it's also possible that the gene itself directly affects both, since "most genes serve multiple functions," he added.

In the new study, researchers examined the genes and sleep habits of 47,180 people of European descent and those of 4,771 African-Americans. They identified two genetic variations tied to sleep duration, one of which was linked to about three minutes of extra sleep per night.

Then they reviewed previous studies for information about those genetic variations.

Simply put, "we identified an area of DNA that appears to influence how long an individual sleeps," Gottlieb said. Those with one of the gene variations not only slept slightly longer but also had lower levels of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and lower blood sugar levels, the study found.

The other DNA area identified -- this one linked to shorter sleep -- previously has been associated with psychiatric problems, including risk for depression and schizophrenia, the researchers said.

Jim Horne, of the Sleep Research Center at Loughborough University in England, cautioned against making too much out of the study's findings. "The effect of these genes on sleep is tiny, accounting for no more than a few minutes of a total night's sleep," he said.

"There are numerous mechanisms, maybe hundreds, in the brain affecting our sleep one way or another, all of which will be coded by one or more genes. Those looked at here are just a very few," Horne said.

Also, the study only looked at a rough measure of time spent sleeping, not whether it was high-quality sleep, Horne added. In addition, he said, there are far more powerful nongenetic influences on our sleep.

Still, Horne said the study findings are interesting and come from reputable scientists.

For now, the research won't have any immediate impact on the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of sleep disorders, Gottlieb said. But "a long-term goal of this research is improved understanding of sleep disorders, including early identification of those at risk for sleep disorders in order to prevent their occurrence," he said.

The study appeared Dec. 2 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.




"Sleep patterns are influenced by genetic differences," said study co-author Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, a sleep researcher and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "This study is one of the first to begin identifying these genetic differences, and will hopefully help us better understand the causes of sleep disorders and their relation to other important diseases."... In the new study, researchers examined the genes and sleep habits of 47,180 people of European descent and those of 4,771 African-Americans. They identified two genetic variations tied to sleep duration, one of which was linked to about three minutes of extra sleep per night. Then they reviewed previous studies for information about those genetic variations. Simply put, "we identified an area of DNA that appears to influence how long an individual sleeps," Gottlieb said. Those with one of the gene variations not only slept slightly longer but also had lower levels of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and lower blood sugar levels, the study found.... The other DNA area identified -- this one linked to shorter sleep -- previously has been associated with psychiatric problems, including risk for depression and schizophrenia, the researchers said.”

I heard years ago that the insomnia pattern of waking up in the middle of the night without being able to get back to sleep is associated with severe depression. It used to be considered a symptom of depression, but if the sleep pattern and the depression are both linked to the same gene, then it may be a “syndrome” or a part of some larger biological condition. An article a few weeks ago discussed whether the pattern of 3:00 AM wakefulness might be just another perfectly natural sleep pattern, and not a sign of severe depressive problems. I do tend to sleep soundly for four hours or so and then wake up. If I turn on my TV and look at my relaxing videotapes of various interesting subjects I can usually get back to sleep in half an hour or so, and then sleep through until the sun comes up. The sun will wake me. A cloudy day may keep me asleep longer. That used to be a problem for me when I worked because oversleeping would get me in trouble on the job. Bummer! That's one more reason I'm glad I don't work anymore.