Polkadot is a sharded heterogeneous multi-chain architecture which enables external networks as well as customised layer one "parachains" to communicate, creating an interconnected internet of blockchains.[citation needed] The cryptocurrency uses proof of stake.[1] The protocol was created by the Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood[2] and is developed by Parity Technologies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polkadot_(cryptocurrency) (more)

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John Ratey's Spark book ISBN:0316113506 explores the mental benefits (Personal Development) of Aerobic Exercise. (Research hasn't as fully explored the effects of Anaerobic Exercise or more passive activities like stretching and Yoga.) (more)

Gavin Wood: The Launch of Parachains. Now, phase five, the final phase in the launch of Polkadot is beginning. Polkadot is a heterogeneous scalable multichain. In its brief history, Polkadot has demonstrated a highly decentralised and inclusive staking system (anyone with as little as 1 DOT may take part in Polkadot’s staking system and be rewarded), seamless upgrades to its core logic and open, functional governance. However it has so far existed only as a single chain in isolation. With the launch of parachain functionality, this is about to change and the final vision of a heterogeneously sharded system is about to become reality. (more)

Ethereum Startup Parity Launches DIY Blockchain Tool Substrate. Parity Technologies has launched Substrate, a tool that lets users create customized blockchains for decentralized applications. (more)

By Polkadot: A Deep Dive into Polkadot. Polkadot is a next-generation blockchain and layer-0 protocol that unites multiple specialized blockchains into a unified, scalable network. Polkadot was designed as part of a broad vision for a fair, secure and resilient web that protects user interests by design (Web 3.0). (more)

Rob Behnke: How Polkadot's Parachain Model Reimagines Blockchain Security. Blockchains can be attacked in a variety of different ways. However, the most famous potential blockchain attack is the 51% attack against Proof of Work (PoW) blockchains. (more)

Joe Petrowski on Polkadot Consensus Part 1: Introduction. This series will be a discussion about security and consensus in Polkadot. In part 1, we will define some terms before getting into the details of how Polkadot creates and secures blocks. (more)

Polkadot passes the $140M mark for its fund-raise to link private and public blockchains. In effect, Polkadot is the interchange and translator between multiple blockchains which creative people developing on the Ethereum blockchain have been looking for in order to build a wealth new projects and infrastructure. (more)

Gavin Wood: Polkadot, Substrate, and Ethereum. Parity is as committed as ever to supporting and bridging “Ethereum”, however it is intended, into Substrate and Polkadot. While we are creating Substrate and its associated smart-contract infrastructure to be the world’s most powerful and joyous framework for creating new blockchains and dApps, we absolutely understand that there are many who enjoy their home in Ethereum ecosystem (more)

How To Build Your Own Blockchain Using Parity Substrate. Parity Substrate is a blockchain development framework with many cool features like upgradable blockchains, modular architecture, customizable block execution logic, and hot-swappable consensus (more)

free (sponsored/Advertising) EMR ASP (more)

Janet Woodcock (born August 29, 1948) is an American physician who is currently serving as the acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[2] She joined the FDA in 1986, and has held a number of senior leadership positions there including terms as the Director of Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) from 1994 to 2004 and 2007–2021.[3]... On January 27, 2021 a coalition of 28 public health groups and opioid organizations sent a letter to the Biden Administration regarding Woodcock's position as Acting Commissioner of the FDA. The letter said in part that "as the Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) for more than 25 years, Dr. Woodcock presided over one of the worst regulatory agency failures in U.S. history."[35] Examples of improper opioid decisions mentioned in the letter include "approving Opana without adequate evidence of safety or long-term efficacy, approving Zohydro despite a vote of 11-2 against approval by a scientific advisory committee, and approving promotion of OxyContin for children as young as 11 years old." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Woodcock

CDC mask decision followed stunning findings from Cape Cod beach outbreak. A week after the crowds descended upon Provincetown, Massachusetts, to celebrate the Fourth of July (more)

Zvi Mowshowitz: Covid-19 7/29: You Play to Win the Game. Few things warm my heart more than playing to win the game. Few things sadden me more than observing someone not playing to win the game. Usually, that means they are playing a different game instead, whether they admit it or not, and whether or not they know it themselves. The game, from this perspective, is simply that which you are playing to win, and your revealed preferences define the game’s rules and objectives. (more)

Zvi Mowshowitz: Covid-19 7/22: Error Correction. Three weeks ago, in One Last Scare ((2021-06-17) ZviM Covid 6/17 One Last Scare), I ran the numbers and concluded that most places in America would ‘make it’ without a big scary surge from Delta variant. It’s time to look at what went wrong with that calculation, which I believe to be a failure to sufficiently integrate different parts of my model (more)

Matthew Yglesias: Let's get more people vaccinated. One great piece of news about life in the United States of America in July of 2021 is that widely available mRNA Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are highly effective. (more)

Zvi Mowshowitz: Covid-19 5/6: Vaccine Patent Suspension. The Biden administration’s latest strategy for the pandemic is to suspend the vaccine patents without compensation. Our life expectancies are lower than they were last week. (more)

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2, is a variant of lineage B.1.617 of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.[1] It was first detected in India in late 2020.[2][3] The World Health Organization (WHO) named it the Delta variant on 31 May 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Delta_variant

CDC warns this is ‘pivotal moment’ in fight against delta variant (of COVID-19). The delta variant, first detected in India, now represents more than 83 percent of cases circulating in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People infected with the variant appear to carry a viral load that is more than 1,000 times that of those infected with earlier forms of the virus, allowing the virus to spread rapidly among unvaccinated people, scientists have found. (more)