How Ebola patients survived – Experts
Gloria Tumwijuke (with microphone), Alice Ngonzi Isoke (folding hands in red dress), Diana Alinaitwe (behind Alice), Mrs Isoke (Alice's mother), an unidentified health worker(on Gloria's right) and a granddaughter to Mrs Isoke – all Ebola survivors narrating their ordeal at Kagaadi Hospital during the function to officially declare Uganda Ebola free. Photo courtesy WHO –[/caption] LAGOS — Following the recovery and discharge of the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient from the isolation centre at the Mainland Hospital in Lagos, facts have emerged as to how the patients are recovering. Meanwhile, more patients undergoing medical treatment at the centre may be discharged this week, investigations revealed. Experts, who commented on the development, said although 60-90 per cent of people infected with the Ebola virus die, some people do recover from infection. "Doctors don't know for certain who will survive Ebola, and there is no specific treatment or cure for the disease. But studies suggest there are some biological markers linked with a higher chance of surviving Ebola," the experts say. In the view of Derek Gatherer, a Bioinformatics researcher at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, who studies viral genetics and evolution, "when a person becomes infected with Ebola, the virus depletes the body's immune cells, which defend against infection. "In particular, the Ebola virus depletes immune cells called CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, which are crucial to the function of the immune system", Gatherer noted, arguing that "if a person's immune system can stand up to this initial attack — meaning their immune cells are not as depleted in the first stages of infection — then they are more likely to survive the disease. "The patients that survive it best are the ones who don't get such a bad immune deficiency. But if the body is not able to fend off this attack, then the immune system becomes less able to regulate itself", Gatherer said. Markers Another marker linked with people's ability to survive Ebola is a gene called human leukocyte antigen-B, which makes a protein that is important in the immune system. A 2007 study found that people with certain versions of this gene, called B*07 and B*14, were more likely to survive Ebola, while people with other versions, called B*67 and B*15, were more likely to die. Some people may be resistant to Ebola infection entirely, if they have a mutation in a gene called NPC1. Studies show that, when researchers take cells from people with the NPC1 mutation and try to infect them with Ebola in a laboratory dish, these cells are resistant to the virus. Gatherer said in European populations, about 1 in 300 to 1 in 400 people has this mutation. "But in some populations, this mutation is more common: in Nova Scotia, between 10 and 26 per cent of people have this mutation. But the frequency of this mutation in African populations is not known," he said. Also giving an insight, Lagos state Governor Babatunde Fashola remarked: "This is a virus that will run a maximum of 21 days. What we must do is people who show some signs of illness should come in very early so that we can continue to hydrate them, give electrolyte balance so that their nervous system do not go into shock and wherever it is necessary to provide antibiotics for patients; and their body can fight the virus which in the event last no longer than 21 days." More to be discharged this week — Fashola Fashola, who spoke at a media briefing where he indicated that more patients were likely to be discharged this week, noted: "There is silver lining in all of this, as report reaching me shows that many of the critical patients are responding positively to treatment and are likely to be discharged next week, (this week). "At the moment, 61 people have been certified negative and they have been freed. "Aside the treatment for those who have full grown cases, the more important work is tracking all those who have had contact with them in order to know how far the virus has spread. It is when we have finally reach everyone that we can say that we have control over the virus. From that place we can go back to sleep." Nasidi speaks Also speaking at a different forum, Director, Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalim Nasidi said the likelihood of more patients being discharged arose from medical reports indicating that they are showing signs of full recovery from the disease. Nasidi, who spoke on the probability of more patients being discharged, had earlier affirmed that there were chances of surviving the deadly disease if treated early. "Yes, we have some of the patients who have fully recovered from the disease after intensive medical treatment and they are likely to go home and reunite with their family members soon," he affirmed. On the downing of tools by the health workers attending to quarantined patients at the Control Centre in Lagos, last Friday, he said the workers had resumed work after appeals and meeting held with some of the aggrieved workers. Their decision to stop work followed allegations of negligence by family members of one of the patients' nurses that died of EVD last week. It was also gathered that more essential medical kits have been made available for distribution to hospitals in anticipation of more health workers and volunteers that will be joining the joint medical team already on ground. Death toll rises to 1,145 globally — WHO Meanwhile, death toll from the worst ever outbreak of Ebola has risen to 1,145, the World Health Organisation, WHO, has said, even as 76 new deaths were reported in two in the four West African nations affected by the epidemic. The WHO said that a total of 152 confirmed, probable and suspected new cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever were reported in the two day period in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, bringing the total for the outbreak to 2,127. Chukwu addresses concerns of Ebola relatives Minister for Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu who met with the concerned friends and families of the Ebola afflicted victims following their complaints about the welfare of their wards said: "As you know, we have a serious situation and anyone that has a relative is bound to be anxious, and when relatives complain, we must listen." Chukwu admitted that all the complaints were being investigated, adding that he had been briefed on the development and recommendations were being put in place. "I'm a doctor myself and I'm behaving now more as a doctor than as a Minister. Normally, when relatives of patients complain, I want to see them, working together, sometimes they do not have the full information, and who knows, sometimes they themselves can add valued to what we are doing." He said the Federal Government was open to suggestions and contributions. "We knew the former place was only temporary and we knew we could do better and that was why the Lagos State government made every effort to get the new isolation unit ready. Penultimate Friday, I visited the Lagos State Governor and he personally assured me the new facility will be ready this week. He kept to his word. Of course as soon as it was ready it was made available and the patients have been moved to the new facility, which is better than where they were before." Pointing out that no stone was being left unturned, he said hopefully all shortcomings they may have observed were actually being addressed by the new place. "I had to personally discuss with the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Akin Oshibogun, when I was told they were not satisfied with facilities for critical care. That is why we have reinforced what is available. New equipment has been put in to reassure the patients that we would do everything humanly possible to keep them alive and to return them to their families and work," the Minister explained. *Vanguard]]>
3 responses to "How Ebola patients survived – Experts"
Sir Davis Jr says:
A big applause to Nigerians as a whole for without unity this EVD cannot be conquered.more so lets be strong in prayer and know for sure that God is the healer.let all glory goes to God and not to human.we just need to say thank you Jesus we are healed.
Eugenia kaitell says:
so could white blood cell infusion help the infected patients?
King Asante-Yeboa says:
Encouraging step. The clue could help researchers in this area of the medical field to test our plants – herbs, barks, trunks, roots – for local cure. I am strongly convinced that the Ebola antidote is in our local (African) plants.
We must act quickly, also on our own, to prevent more deaths, to save more people, even as we eagerly await the not-yet-well-tested antidotes from the west.
Let's leave no stone unturned.


$1.7 billion pledged in support of Indigenous and local communities' land tenure
Laurel Sutherland
Burned Amazonian forests by the side of the BR 163 in Pará. Notice the large number of dead trees (i.e. those without leaves) as a result of the fires. Image courtesy of Marizilda Cruppe/Rede Amazônia Sustentável.
Several governments and private funders have pledged US $1.7 billion in support of Indigenous and local communities' tenure rights in recognition of their global contributions to climate change mitigation.
Funds will be used to support activities that will aid Indigenous and local communities to improve capacity building and secure, strengthen, and protect their land and resource rights.
COICA, a leading Amazonian Indigenous rights organization, remains skeptical of the fund's promise to reach Indigenous territories and support communities but says it will monitor the actualization of these new commitments.
Several governments and private funders have announced at the COP26 United Nations climate summit plan to invest US $1.7 billion to support Indigenous and local communities' land tenure and resource rights in recognition of the role they play in climate change mitigation and protecting biodiversity.
The historic US $1.7 billion pledge is the largest public-private commitment to support Indigenous peoples and local communities. It was officially announced earlier today under the joint funders' COP26 statement 'Advancing Support for Indigenous Peoples' and Local Communities' Tenure Rights and Forest Guardianship'.
Governments from the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands and Germany, along with 17 private funders, that include the Ford Foundation and the Christensen Fund, have committed to further recognize the global contributions of Indigenous People and local communities in protecting tropical forests, preserving vital ecosystems and guarding forests and nature.
The collective pledge of new funds will run from 2021 to 2025 and calls on all donors to significantly increase their support of its agenda directed at improving capacity building and securing IPLC land rights. In the statement, the rise in threats and violence against IPLCs is noted.
"This pledge signals our commitment to protecting the world's tropical forests and those who live in them," said Lord Goldsmith, Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment. "The evidence is overwhelming that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are forests' most effective guardians, often in the face of acute danger, and so they should be at the heart of nature-based solutions to the climate emergency. By investing in tropical forest communities and expanding their communal rights, we will also tackle poverty, pollution, and pandemics."
A young Indigenous Waorani filmmaker documents the testimony of a Pekinani (traditional leader, elder) on their people's fight to protect their rainforest homeland from oil drilling, Pastaza, Ecuadorian Amazon. Image courtesy of Jeronimo Zúñiga / Amazon Frontlines
Getting funds to the community level
In a separate statement, the Ford Foundation highlighted recent studies on the discrepancy between IPLC land management and the amount of financial support they receive. A new WRI report released a few weeks ago underlines how IPLCs manage half of the world's land and care for 80% of Earth's biodiversity, while being allocated less than 1% of official designated assistance for climate change and less than 5% of official assistance for general environmental protection.
Further, only a small share of this assistance likely went to communities on the ground.
"The lion's share of the money has been captured at higher levels, amongst international NGOs, consulting firms, technical experts, and government agencies: only 10% of total climate finance is committed to local levels," noted the authors of a new PRISMA report.
In light of this, donors have pledged more direct and tangible support to communities with a strengthened accountability mechanism. The two specific criteria for the pledge are direct support to IPLC communities through capacity building and financial support to group activities, as well as funding to activities that strengthen and secure IPLC tenure rights in the form of mapping, registration work and land reform processes.
While speaking to Mongabay last month, Carlos Rodriguez, the CEO of Global Environment Facility (GEF), also emphasized the need to build capacity and structures within Indigenous communities to effectively manage financial resources.
The donors have committed to promoting the effective participation and inclusion of Indigenous peoples and local communities in the decision-making process for these funds as well as consulting and partnering with them on the design and implementation of the relevant programs. Specific interests include the involvement of women and girls, youth, people with disabilities and others who are marginalized in decision-making.
From a young age, boys from the Munduruku Indigenous people, who live on the banks of the Tapajós and Teles Pires rivers, are trained as warriors. In times past they used to wage war on other indigenous people, but today their main enemies are loggers and land grabbers invading their land. The Indians are the best guardians of the forest, for they fiercely protect their territories from invasion. Photo Credit: Mauricio Torres.
However, some Indigenous leaders remain skeptical of the promise that funding will reach the community level.
Tuntiak Katan Jua, the Vice Coordinator of COICA, the Coordinator on Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon basin, shared that the pledge of new funds to support the recognition of Indigenous Peoples land rights is applauded but he has certain reservations.
"We know that many of these funds are destined for traditional mechanisms, which have shown very great limitations to reach our territories and support communities in their initiatives," said Jua, a native to the Ecuadorian Amazon and a member of the Shuar People. "One of its limitations is that governments have difficulties of presence in these territories (which prevents them from really controlling them), and implementing long-term policies that protect natural resources. To a large extent, intermediaries are the first beneficiaries of climate funds, and their high costs reduce the percentage that is actually invested in communities and territories."
However, according to Jua, COICA has been working on a series of recommendations to address this issue as part of their Shandia Vision. The Shania vision is a financing ecosystem that aims to allow all financial mechanisms from philanthropies and donors to reach their territories. This ecosystem will help COICA keep track of promises and monitor whether funding will actually reach the community level as promised.
Banner image: Burned Amazonian forests by the side of the BR 163 in Pará. Notice the large number of dead trees (i.e. those without leaves) as a result of the fires. Image courtesy of Marizilda Cruppe/Rede Amazônia Sustentável.
Related listening from Mongabay's podcast: A look at the importance of securing Indigenous communities' land rights and the global push for privatization that can deprive those communities of access to their land. Listen here:


Background Briefing
Tag: corruption
Briefingsabortionbrookingscorruptionfarag7NATOreproductive rightsRussiasupreme courtthink tanks
Background Briefing: June 27, 2022
On June 27, 2022 June 28, 2022 By gram
Alito's "Victory for White Life" and the Freakout on the White Right
We begin with how Alito's banning of abortion rights has been celebrated by white nationalists with Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller thanking Trump on behalf of the MAGA folks at a Trump rally in rural Illinois for the "victory for white life" in the Supreme Court's ruling. Joining us to discuss how the white right in this country is freaked out by the recent census statistic that there are more black and brown babies being born in America than white children is Gloria Browne-Marshall, a Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She teaches Constitutional Law, Race and the Law, Evidence, and Gender and Justice and was a civil rights attorney who litigated cases for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Her books include She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power and The Voting Rights War: The NAACP and the Ongoing Struggle for Justice.
The Case So Far Presented by the House Select Committee
Then, with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection announcing an additional hearing tomorrow, we will examine the case they have presented so far and speak with Scott Horton, a professor at Columbia Law School and a contributing editor at Harper's in legal affairs and national security. He serves on the American branch of the International Law Association, and has represented a variety of journalists and whistleblowers and we also look into rumors of Putin's health as G-7 leaders meet in Germany to prevent a Putin victory in Ukraine.
How American Think Tanks Do the Bidding of Their Foreign Patrons
Then finally, with the head of the Brookings Institution having to step down for soliciting foreign funds from undemocratic countries, a long-standing practice in Washington DC otherwise known as Nigeria on the Potomac, we speak with Casey Michel, a journalist whose writings on offshoring, kleptocracy, and financial secrecy have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Vox, The New Republic, and POLITICO Magazine, among others. He is a member of the advisory council for the Hudson Institute's Kleptocracy Initiative, and has contributed research pertaining to offshoring, illicit finance, and foreign interference to the German Marshall Fund, the Human Rights Foundation, and others. The author of American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World's Greatest Money Laundering Scheme in History, we discuss his article at The New Republic, "Congress Takes Aim at Think Tanks and Their Corrupt Money."
The Society of Professional Journalists recently honored Ian Masters and Background Briefing with the Distinguished Journalist for Audio award.
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Welcome to the University of Integrated Science, California
Science: A. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical
explanation of phenomena; B. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena.
Integrate: To make into a whole by bringing all parts together; unify.
Spirit: An orphaned branch of scientific investigation; the most central and material part of being.Integrated Science: To unify spirit and science into a discipline of theoretical, natural and experimental phenomena investigation, identification and observation.
University of Integrated Science California: A degree granting university where graduates have the opportunity to become strong leaders in areas such as human transformation, vegan and live food nutrition, organ-specific health challenges, pain/stress management, world peace, Essene studies, Tantra and human sexuality, integrated wellness and transformational science. Students are encouraged to integrate and manifest their divinity in all areas of their lives. Our approach honors all religious beliefs, practices, cultures and nations.
Our Vision and Educational Community
The founders, board and faculty of the University of Integrated Science California (UISCA) share a threefold vision:
1) To assist individuals from all cultures, backgrounds and nations in educating their complete nature - mind, body, and spirit.
2) To provide practical, accredited degree programs that merge a vast knowledge of science and the evolutionary journey of spirituality, creating a new worldview of integrated science.
3) To offer the world's like minded educators an academic sanctuary in which to share, develop and publish their work. By so doing, we clear a path towards a degree founded on the basis of an integration of science. The world's future revolves around the liberation of teachers and students both academically and spiritually.
Recent UISCA News
Important Post on the Dangers of Cell Phones - by Michelle Morrelli
In today's modern age of scientific breakthroughs we collectively appreciate many benefits of techno …


Paul Berkowitz
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Paul Berkowitz is a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the firm's Century City office.
Paul's practice involves representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment litigation in defense of complaints for class action and single-plaintiff matters. Specifically, he has extensive experience with wage and hour matters involving claims relating to overtime, wage deductions, meal and rest breaks, misclassification, and improper wage statements. Paul also is experienced litigating individual employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination cases, including winning jury trials and arbitration in such matters.
Paul also provides clients with practical advice on a wide range of day-to-day traditional labor and employment law issues, including establishing effective human-resource policies and complying with federal and state laws, such as those relating to wage-and-hour issues, disability and family/medical leave laws, and the discipline and termination processes.
Paul works with clients in numerous industries, including financial services, insurance, retail, healthcare, hospitality, restaurant, and education.
Notable Class Action Experience
Ibarra v. Manheim Investments, Inc., 775 F.3d 1193 (9th Cir. 2015). Reversed district court order remanding case and established more employer-friendly test for removing cases to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act.
Notable Trial Experience
Ayala v. Cox Automotive, Inc., 2:16-cv-06341-CJC (USDC C.D. Cal.). Three-day jury trial in the Santa Ana federal court. The plaintiff asserted claims for age discrimination and wrongful termination. After about one hour of deliberation, unanimous jury awarded complete defense verdict.
Ollervides, et al. v. Concorde Battery Corp. Two-plaintiff sexual harassment and wrongful termination case. Obtained complete defense ruling following seven-day arbitration.
Wage and Hour Class and Collective Action Experience
Acuity Brands Lighting adv. DeLaTorre, CIVDS1601800 (San Bernardino Superior Court) (failure to provide meal and rest periods, failure to include bonus in regular rate, time rounding).
Balboa Life & Casualty, LLC, et al. adv. Zamora, et al., BC360026 (Los Angeles Superior Court) (alleged meal period and rest break violations, waiting time penalties).
Bank of America, N.A., et al. adv. Zamora, et al., BC464365 (Los Angeles Superior Court) (alleged denial of opportunity to copy or inspect putative class members' personnel files and wage and time records).
Charter Communications adv. Novoa, 13-cv-01302 (USDC E.D. Cal.) (alleged off-the-clock work for field technicians).
Countrywide Financial Corporation adv. Abhyankar, JAMS Case No. 1220036579 (JAMS Arbitration) (alleged Labor Code violations for misclassification of exempt employees based on violation of salary-basis test because of jury duty policy).
Countrywide Financial Corporation, et al. adv. Lew, et al., CV-01993-SC (USDC N.D. Cal. (alleged Labor Code violations for alleged unpaid wages, improper wage statements, meal/rest break violations, and untimely payment of final wages).
Countrywide Insurance Services, Inc. adv. Tollefsen, 56-2008-00332381 (Ventura Superior Court) (failure to provide meal periods and defective wage statements for non-exempt employees).
Cox Communications, Inc. adv. Amiri, 30-2016-00835723 (Orange County Superior Court) (alleged failure to pay wages properly for on call time).
Cox Communications, Inc. adv. Camia, SACV12-1380 CJC (JPRx) (alleged "off-the-clock" work for non-exempt cable company field technicians).
Cox Communications, Inc. adv. Taylor, 16-cv-01915 (USDC C.D. Cal.) (seeking to force cable company to pay employees who bring their work vehicles home at night for time spent driving the vehicle home at the end of the workday).
General Motors Financial Company, Inc., et al. adv. Nemeth, et al., CV12-02761 DMG (CWx) (USDC C.D. Cal.) (alleged misclassification of auto finance company credit analysis).
HomeServices Lending, LLC adv. Buchanan, 3:11-cv-00922-L-MDD (USDC S.D. Cal.) (alleged deductions for business losses and expense reimbursement for loan officers of Wells Fargo joint venture).
Kaiser adv. Brown, BC489643 (Los Angeles Superior Court) (alleged failure to include non-discretionary bonus payments in the regular rate of pay).
Kaiser adv. Lemmons, 34-2012-00125488 (Sacramento Superior Court) (failure to pay for alleged controlled-standby for site support specialists).
Manheim Investments, Inc. adv. Ibarra, 12-cv-00318 (USDC S.D. Cal.) (failure to provide meal and rest periods and off-the-clock work for non-exempt auto action employees).
Superior Grocers adv. Acevedo, BC504487 (LASC) (challenge to time rounding practices).
Valero Refining Company adv. Wulfe, 12-cv-05971 (USDC Central District (alleged off-the-clock work and missed meal periods and rest breaks for non-exempt oil refinery employees).
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. adv. Macey, et al., CFC 10-501835 (San Francisco Superior Court) (alleged deductions from commissions for "trust losses" and reimbursement of loan officer expenses).
Wells Fargo Bank adv. Caprarola, L-3570-13 (New Jersey Superior Court) (challenging under New Jersey law method of calculating employee commissions as "unlawful deductions" and challenging requirements that employees pay subscription fee for websites and marketing programs).
Wells Fargo Bank adv. Dyer, 13-cv-2858 (USDC N.D. Cal.) (nationwide breach of contract action alleging Wells Fargo systematically miscalculated commissions on a certain type of mortgage loan).
Wells Fargo Bank adv. Nguyen, 15-547596 (San Francisco Superior Court; removed to USDC N.D. Cal. 15-cv-5239) (various challenges to Wells Fargo compensation plans including allegations of unlawful deductions, vacation forfeiture, and failure to pay commission wages in a timely manner).
Southern California Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2013-2017
Legal 500, Labor and Employment, 2017
Labor and Employment Law Blog Posts
"Supreme Court Grants Review in Important Arbitration Case Regarding PAGA," December 15, 2021
"Coronavirus Response: A Checklist for California Employers," March 25, 2020
"Governor Brown Signs Bill Clarifying Wage Statement Requirements for Exempt Employees," July 28, 2016
"NLRB Broadens its Test for Determining Joint-Employer Status," September 4, 2015
"Passage of Increase in California's Minimum Wage Could Impact More Than Just Hourly, Minimum Wage Workers," September 27, 2013
"California Court of Appeal Issues Favorable Decision Allowing For Explicit Mutual Wage Agreements For Non-Exempt Employees", February 10, 2011
California Labor & Employment Law Update
Webinar, 04.21.2021
Webinar With Your Labor Lawyer - Los Angeles
Spring 2020 Seminar Series, Webinar, 03.31.2020
Labor & Employment Law Update & Happy Hour - Los Angeles
Fall 2019, Convene, 10.15.2019
Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer - Los Angeles
Spring 2019 Seminar Series, 05.07.2019
Employee Hiring/Discipline/Termination
Handbooks and Personnel Policies
Labor and Employment Litigation
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
Employee Privacy and Defamation
Wage and Hour Class Actions
J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2007, Order of the Coif
B.A., University of Arizona, 2004, cum laude
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. Court for the Ninth Circuit


› Dedicated Ysbyty Gwynedd Robin wins health board award
Dedicated Ysbyty Gwynedd Robin wins health board award
Around five years ago Andy Fewings began volunteering at the hospital to thank staff for the care and treatment he received after being diagnosed with cancer.
He spends one day a week volunteering on Alaw Ward and the other for the Royal Voluntary Service within the hospital.
The 71-year-old retired postal worker was nominated for a Seren Betsi Star award by Volunteers Co-ordinator Nia Lloyd-Roberts for his dedication to supporting the teams and patients at the hospital.
She said: "Every Wednesday Andy will gift his time as a Robin volunteer to Alaw Ward at Ysbyty Gwynedd. On Thursday's he volunteers with the RVS assisting in the Transfer Lounge where patients wait for hospital transport once they are discharged from hospital.
"He also maintains the upkeep of the ward's garden in order for patients to be able to enjoy being outside.
"He is also an excellent mentor to new volunteers and receives nothing but praise from them. Not only does he volunteer on the ward itself but he will also ensure that patients on the Alaw Day Unit have had something to eat and drink as well as company if required whilst receiving treatment.
"His story is inspirational and he has proven to be a reliable and committed volunteer who has a positive impact on the patients on the ward.
"Andy will go above and beyond the organisational values and truly does put the patient first. Andy knows from personal experience that being in hospital can be very daunting so anything he can do to ease anxiety or feeling of isolation and loneliness is worth every second."
The monthly Seren Betsi Star award recognises the hard work and dedication of North Wales NHS staff and volunteers.
Andrew said: "It's absolutely lovely to receive this award, it really was very unexpected.
"The main reason I volunteer is to give back to the staff for all the support and care they provided when I went through my treatment after I was diagnosed with cancer in 2013.
"It's due to the staff within the Health Board that I am here today, there is never enough I can do to repay them, so through my volunteering I feel I'm giving something back to say to thank you."
Andrew was presented with the award by the Health Board's Acting Executive Director of Finance Sue Hill.
She said: "I would like to congratulate Andrew on his award, he is an excellent example of the positive impact our volunteers can have on both our patients and our staff.
"He is doing some fantastic things for our Health Board and always puts the patients first."


May 1, 2019 | Test & Measurement
Radiometric Temperature Measurement Using a DLP-Based Pyrometer
This compact and robust device offers applications for aviation, space exploration, and industry.
Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California
Researchers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center have identified and evaluated recently available miniature spectrometers that enable compact and robust pyrometry systems capable of measuring aircraft surface temperatures and emissivity during flight.
Radiometric temperature measurement system based on a digital light processing (DLP) spectrometer.
Pyrometers measure high temperatures by observing emitted radiation; however, aircraft vibrations can render unreliable pyrometer measurements made during flight. Armstrong researchers believe these miniature spectrometers will mitigate this problem by using digital light processor (DLP) technology to measure the intensity of multiple wavelengths in the near infrared (0.9-1.7 micron) range.
This work seeks to apply newly released, commercial components in a new way for which these systems were not originally designed. Developed for use in televisions, the DLP technology is used here within a robust scanning array that is nearly impervious to vibration and requires a single detector, as opposed to more complex, multi-element array detectors. The result is a mechanically stable device that is the first use of a spectrometer of this type for temperature measurements.
In addition, the DLP-based pyrometer allows for increased control over wavelength measurement in the near-infrared range via a digital interface. The measurement of multiple wavelength intensities combined with multi-spectral methods provides accurate calculations of an object's emissivity and surface temperature.
The device is more compact than previous multi-wavelength pyrometers, and with its single detector rather than the array of detectors often present in conventional pyrometers, results in lower costs. The smaller size and robust nature of the new device allow it to be mounted onto various aircraft, providing engineers with an improved method for an in-flight temperature measurement system. Beyond its use in aviation, the DLP-based pyrometer has potential commercial applications for space exploration and in the glass, metal processing, and ceramics industries.
This work was done by Timothy Risch, Christopher Kostyk, and Jeffrey Beard of Armstrong Flight Research Center. For more information, contact the NASA Armstrong Technology Transfer Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. DRC-017-009.


copper statue of liberty
[5] On the sub-national level, the Statue of Liberty National Monument was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1971,[6] and was made a New York City designated landmark in 1976. A French flag draped across the statue's face was to be lowered to unveil the statue at the close of Evarts's speech, but Bartholdi mistook a pause as the conclusion and let the flag fall prematurely. A group of statues stands at the western end of the island, honoring those closely associated with the Statue of Liberty. On December 2, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson pressed the telegraph key that turned on the lights, successfully illuminating the statue. Facts About the Statue of Liberty. [76], The foundation of Bartholdi's statue was to be laid inside Fort Wood, a disused army base on Bedloe's Island constructed between 1807 and 1811. [59][60] To prevent galvanic corrosion between the copper skin and the iron support structure, Eiffel insulated the skin with asbestos impregnated with shellac. With the project in jeopardy, groups from other American cities, including Boston and Philadelphia, offered to pay the full cost of erecting the statue in return for relocating it. [164] The statue and Liberty Island reopened to the public on July 4, 2013. He soon died, leaving no indication of how he intended to transition from the copper skin to his proposed masonry pier. "[156], Immediately following the September 11 attacks, the statue and Liberty Island were closed to the public. Since 1823, it had rarely been used, though during the Civil War, it had served as a recruiting station. [113], When the torch was illuminated on the evening of the statue's dedication, it produced only a faint gleam, barely visible from Manhattan. The island reopened at the end of 2001, while the pedestal and statue remained off-limits. It was swaying more and more when strong winds blew and there was a significant risk of structural failure. The statue was built in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. President Grover Cleveland, the former New York governor, presided over the event. The four sides are identical in appearance. As a result, the WPA constructed a 250-foot copper apron (a kind of cap flashing) over the pedestal. The monument was temporarily closed from March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic until partially reopening on July 20, 2020. Records show that the ore from this mine, refined in France and Belgium, has been an important source of European copper at the end of the nineteenth century. The project is traced to a mid-1865 conversation between Laboulaye, a staunch abolitionist, and Frédéric Bartholdi, a sculptor. Even though this is a very small version, I [71] The statue remained intact in Paris pending sufficient progress on the pedestal; by January 1885, this had occurred and the statue was disassembled and crated for its ocean voyage. [95] A kindergarten class in Davenport, Iowa, mailed the World a gift of $1.35. The route began at Madison Square, once the venue for the arm, and proceeded to the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan by way of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, with a slight detour so the parade could pass in front of the World building on Park Row. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland. Careful study had revealed that the right arm had been improperly attached to the main structure. [105] General Charles Stone claimed on the day of dedication that no man had died during the construction of the statue. [78] workshop. The group's leaders made speeches applauding the embodiment of Liberty as a woman and advocating women's right to vote. [10] Given the repressive nature of the regime of Napoleon III, Bartholdi took no immediate action on the idea except to discuss it with Laboulaye. [10] As Bartholdi had been planning a trip to the United States, he and Laboulaye decided the time was right to discuss the idea with influential Americans. [163] Since Liberty Island had no electricity, a generator was installed to power temporary floodlights to illuminate the statue at night. [99], Even with the success of the fund drive, the pedestal was not completed until April 1886. citizen. [79] He proposed a pedestal 114 feet (35 m) in height; faced with money problems, the committee reduced that to 89 feet (27 m). "[76] Faced with these criticisms, the American committees took little action for several years. [89], Even with these efforts, fundraising lagged. In music, it has been evoked to indicate support for American policies, as in Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", and in opposition, appearing on the cover of the Dead Kennedys' album Bedtime for Democracy, which protested the Reagan administration. In the autumn of 1985 copper from the statue was analyzed and it has now been confirmed that it was indeed extracted at Visnes. [104] After the skin was completed, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, co-designer of Manhattan's Central Park and Brooklyn's Prospect Park, supervised a cleanup of Bedloe's Island in anticipation of the dedication. [152] Access to the pedestal, which had been through a nondescript entrance built in the 1960s, was renovated to create a wide opening framed by a set of monumental bronze doors with designs symbolic of the renovation. [56] Eiffel and his structural engineer, Maurice Koechlin, decided to abandon the pier and instead build an iron truss tower. In after-dinner conversation at his home near Versailles, Laboulaye, an ardent supporter of the Union in the American Civil War, is supposed to have said: "If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations. [93] As the donations flooded in, the committee resumed work on the pedestal. Land created by reclamation added to the 2.3-acre (0.93 ha) original island at Ellis Island is New Jersey territory. Statue of Liberty is made of copper just 3/32 inches thick But it's naturally oxidised to form green 'patina' covering Once looked far more shiny until the coating grew on top The Corps of Engineers also installed an elevator to take visitors from the base to the top of the pedestal. Growing interest in the upcoming Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia led Laboulaye to decide it was time to seek public support. He claimed over 80,000 contributors, but failed to reach the goal. [35], Bartholdi made alterations in the design as the project evolved. [51] After the exhibition closed, the arm was transported to New York, where it remained on display in Madison Square Park for several years before it was returned to France to join the rest of the statue. The Liberty statue project was not the only such undertaking that had difficulty raising money: construction of the obelisk later known as the Washington Monument sometimes stalled for years; it would ultimately take over three-and-a-half decades to complete. [45] According to Cara Sutherland in her book on the statue for the Museum of the City of New York, 200,000 pounds (91,000 kg) was needed to build the statue, and the French copper industrialist Eugène Secrétan donated 128,000 pounds (58,000 kg) of copper. The statue - stylistically an example of neoclassical architecture - is a hollow construction of thinly pounded copper sheets (2.4 mm thick) laid over a steel framework. Amazon.com: statue of liberty copper - 4 Stars & Up. [69] By 1882, the statue was complete up to the waist, an event Barthodi celebrated by inviting reporters to lunch on a platform built within the statue. This was not true, however, as Francis Longo, a thirty-nine year old Italian laborer, had been killed when an old wall fell on him. [123], In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge used his authority under the Antiquities Act to declare the statue a national monument. "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor within New York City, in the United States. This impressed upon the public the war's stated purpose—to secure liberty—and served as a reminder that embattled France had given the United States the statue. Carloads of dynamite and other explosives that were being sent to Britain and France for their war efforts were detonated. Copper sheathing was installed to prevent further damage from rainwater that had been seeping into the pedestal. The copper and brass industry provided technical advice on restoration of the copper components of the Statue, and it performed a similar service for these components at the adjacent Ellis Island restoration project. An attempt the next year to have Congress provide $100,000, sufficient to complete the project, also failed. "[121] The statue was painted only on the inside. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. [149] The original torch was removed and replaced in 1986 with the current one, whose flame is covered in 24-karat gold. [96], On June 17, 1885, the French steamer Isère [fr] arrived in New York with the crates holding the disassembled statue on board. [66], In a symbolic act, the first rivet placed into the skin, fixing a copper plate onto the statue's big toe, was driven by United States Ambassador to France Levi P. [54] One of its members was 19-year-old Theodore Roosevelt, the future governor of New York and president of the United States. President Reagan presided over the rededication, with French President François Mitterrand in attendance. The statue's foundation and pedestal were aligned so that it would face southeast, greeting ships entering the harbor from the Atlantic Ocean. He gave it bold classical contours and applied simplified modeling, reflecting the huge scale of the project and its solemn purpose. [172] The new museum, designed by FXFOWLE Architects, is integrated with the surrounding parkland. The cost to repair the statue and buildings on the island was about $100,000 (equivalent to about $2,350,000 in 2019). [133], A powerful new lighting system was installed in advance of the American Bicentennial in 1976. For this reason, the copper skin was one of the few major elements of the Statue that did not need to be significantly rebuilt or completely replaced when the Statue was renovated for its centennial. The problem was that the light it produced was very low, it was attenuated by the copper plates, and all she could do was continually attract a flock of birds which ultimately differentiate the statue. [122], After the United States entered World War I in 1917, images of the statue were heavily used in both recruitment posters and the Liberty bond drives that urged American citizens to support the war financially. The difference was quietly made up by a gift from a wealthy donor—a fact that was not revealed until 1936. [24] One of these symbols, the personified Columbia, was seen as an embodiment of the United States in the manner that Britannia was identified with the United Kingdom, and Marianne came to represent France. [3][188] The monument was expanded to also include Ellis Island in 1965. Weight of concrete foundation: 54,000,000 lbs.. Thickness of copper sheeting: 3/32 of an inch, the thickness of two pennies placed together.. Wind Sway: 50 mph winds cause the Statue to sway up to 3 inches and the torch up to 6 inches.. The Statue of Liberty's Original Torch As Bartholdi envisioned it in 1874, the flame of the Statue's torch was not to be lighted but rather made of solid copper sheet and gilded to shine brightly in daylight. [139][140][141] Through its fundraising arm, the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., the group raised more than $350 million in donations for the renovations of both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. She initially declined, stating she could not write a poem about a statue. [125] The Works Progress Administration (WPA) demolished most of the old buildings, regraded and reseeded the eastern end of the island, and built granite steps for a new public entrance to the statue from its rear. Grover Cleveland, the governor of New York, vetoed a bill to provide $50,000 for the statue project in 1884. She saw a way to express her empathy for these refugees in terms of the statue. [22], Bartholdi and Laboulaye considered how best to express the idea of American liberty. [199] The statue's intended photographic depiction on a 2010 forever stamp proved instead to be of the replica at the Las Vegas casino. At the time, she was also involved in aiding refugees to New York who had fled anti-Semitic pogroms in eastern Europe. [34] As chief engineer,[34] Viollet-le-Duc designed a brick pier within the statue, to which the skin would be anchored. It was lit briefly on December 31, 1943, and on D-Day, June 6, 1944, when its lights flashed "dot-dot-dot-dash", the Morse code for V, for victory. Note: Visitor numbers are estimates only. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. [36], Bartholdi interested his friend and mentor, architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, in the project. The erected statue does stride over a broken chain, half-hidden by her robes and difficult to see from the ground. In a labor-intensive process, each saddle had to be crafted individually. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions. [53] The New York group eventually took on most of the responsibility for American fundraising and is often referred to as the "American Committee". The Statue of Liberty is a colossal copper sculpture on Liberty Island in New York City, the statue had been a welcoming sight to numerous immigrants arriving New York Harbor, it gradually become an icon of freedom and of the United States. The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. [37], The entire puddled iron armature designed by Gustave Eiffel was replaced. [134] The day concluded with a spectacular display of fireworks near the statue. [79] In Hunt's original conception, the pedestal was to have been made of solid granite. It now stands on the Île aux Cygnes, facing west toward her larger sister. [sic] You opened your arms and you get all the foreigners here. [42] The French would finance the statue; Americans would be expected to pay for the pedestal. [194] In a patriotic tribute, the Boy Scouts of America, as part of their Strengthen the Arm of Liberty campaign in 1949–1952, donated about two hundred replicas of the statue, made of stamped copper and 100 inches (2.5 m) in height, to states and municipalities across the United States. The statue was often the first thing that immigrants coming to America would see as they neared Ellis Island. The statue of liberty was built over nine years in sections of copper skin on top of an iron skeleton. In this painting, which commemorates France's July Revolution, a half-clothed Liberty leads an armed mob over the bodies of the fallen. [74] Harper's Weekly declared its wish that "M. Bartholdi and our French cousins had 'gone the whole figure' while they were about it, and given us statue and pedestal at once. [58] The following year, Bartholdi was able to obtain the services of the innovative designer and builder Gustave Eiffel. [84], Norwegian immigrant civil engineer Joachim Goschen Giæver designed the structural framework for the Statue of Liberty. The cornerstone bears a plaque placed by the, In 1903, a bronze tablet that bears the text of. [181] The ferries, which depart from Liberty State Park in Jersey City and the Battery in Lower Manhattan, also stop at Ellis Island when it is open to the public, making a combined trip possible. [183], Visitors intending to enter the statue's base and pedestal must obtain a complimentary museum/pedestal ticket along with their ferry ticket. [50] Nevertheless, the arm proved popular in the exhibition's waning days, and visitors would climb up to the balcony of the torch to view the fairgrounds. Liberty Island is one of the islands that are part of the borough of Manhattan in New York. The Statue of Liberty has been an iconic symbol of liberty and justice for all, but weather has drastically changed her look over the years -- and the passage of … The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War; since 1933 it has been maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and is a major tourist attraction. [24] Laboulaye had no sympathy for revolution, and so Bartholdi's figure would be fully dressed in flowing robes. The copper may have come from multiple sources and some of it is said to have come from a mine in Visnes, Norway,[44] though this has not been conclusively determined after testing samples. Laboulaye hoped that by calling attention to the recent achievements of the United States, the French people would be inspired to call for their own democracy in the face of a repressive monarchy."[12]. [168] However, the island remained open during the 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown because the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation had donated funds. In completing his engineering for the statue's frame, Giæver worked from drawings and sketches produced by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was the focal point for Operation Sail, a regatta of tall ships from all over the world that entered New York Harbor on July 4, 1976, and sailed around Liberty Island. The outer layer of copper atoms react with the atmosphere to create a layer of verdigris (copper carbonate). With technological advances, copper is still a great idea today. The completed statue was formally presented to Ambassador Morton at a ceremony in Paris on July 4, 1884, and de Lesseps announced that the French government had agreed to pay for its transport to New York. That project alone called for 8,000 square feet of copper sheet. Bartholdi was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. A secondary skeleton was attached to the center pylon, then, to enable the statue to move slightly in the winds of New York Harbor and as the metal expanded on hot summer days, he loosely connected the support structure to the skin using flat iron bars[34] which culminated in a mesh of metal straps, known as "saddles", that were riveted to the skin, providing firm support. [127] The statue was closed to the public from May until December 1938. After consultations with the metalwork foundry Gaget, Gauthier & Co., Viollet-le-Duc chose the metal which would be used for the skin, copper sheets, and the method used to shape it, repoussé, in which the sheets were heated and then struck with wooden hammers. While a glance at the Statue's rich, green patina provides proof of copper's enduring good looks, closer analysis shows that weathering and oxidation of the copper skin has amounted to just .005 of an inch in a … [25][26], Artists of the 18th and 19th centuries striving to evoke republican ideals commonly used representations of Libertas as an allegorical symbol. A Liberty figure adorned most American coins of the time,[23] and representations of Liberty appeared in popular and civic art, including Thomas Crawford's Statue of Freedom (1863) atop the dome of the United States Capitol Building. Copper reacts with the air to form a patina or verdigris. The statue was reopened on October 28, 2012,[1][160][161] but then closed again a day later in advance of Hurricane Sandy. [81] According to author Louis Auchincloss, the pedestal "craggily evokes the power of an ancient Europe over which rises the dominating figure of the Statue of Liberty". In 1903, the sonnet was engraved on a plaque that was affixed to the base of the statue.[116]. Also, this auction includes the card that fits into this window envelope. While a glance at the Statue's rich, green patina provides proof of copper's enduring good looks, closer analysis shows that weathering and oxidation of the copper skin has amounted to just .005 of an inch in a century. Instead, Bartholdi cut portholes in the torch—which was covered with gold leaf—and placed the lights inside them. [92] The drive captured the imagination of New Yorkers, especially when Pulitzer began publishing the notes he received from contributors. The United States Lighthouse Board took over the Statue of Liberty in 1887 and pledged to install equipment to enhance the torch's effect; in spite of its efforts, the statue remained virtually invisible at night. [207] In film, the torch is the setting for the climax of director Alfred Hitchcock's 1942 movie Saboteur. There are several plaques and dedicatory tablets on or near the Statue of Liberty. This 9 1/2 Statue was cast in copper. Metallic copper exposed to the air always turns green. [51], During his second trip to the United States, Bartholdi addressed a number of groups about the project, and urged the formation of American committees of the Franco-American Union. Both islands were ceded by New York to the federal government in 1800. Above that, a balcony was placed on each side, framed by pillars. Climbers may bring only medication and cameras—lockers are provided for other items—and must undergo a second security screening.[185]. [208] The statue makes one of its most famous cinematic appearances in the 1968 picture Planet of the Apes, in which it is seen half-buried in sand. [31] They evoke the sun, the seven seas, and the seven continents,[32] and represent another means, besides the torch, whereby Liberty enlightens the world.[27]. [193] A replica 30 feet (9.1 m) tall stood atop the Liberty Warehouse on West 64th Street in Manhattan for many years;[193] it now resides at the Brooklyn Museum. More up-to-date techniques made the copper installation easier and more enduring. Check out BrainCraft here: https://www.youtube.com/braincraft Reactions is all about the chemistry that happens in copper this week. [104] In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt, once a member of the New York committee, ordered the statue's transfer to the War Department, as it had proved useless as a lighthouse. It has been widely rumored that the copper used in the building of the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey came from . In the years following the Civil War, most Americans preferred realistic artworks depicting heroes and events from the nation's history, rather than allegorical works like the Liberty statue. They are the work of Maryland sculptor Phillip Ratner. "[130][131], Beginning December 26, 1971, 15 anti-Vietnam War veterans occupied the statue, flying a US flag upside down from her crown. [201][202] The Women's National Basketball Association's New York Liberty use both the statue's name and its image in their logo, in which the torch's flame doubles as a basketball. He was succeeded as chairman of the French committee by Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal. [102] Bartholdi had planned to put floodlights on the torch's balcony to illuminate it; a week before the dedication, the Army Corps of Engineers vetoed the proposal, fearing that ships' pilots passing the statue would be blinded. [52] On March 3, 1877, on his final full day in office, President Grant signed a joint resolution that authorized the President to accept the statue when it was presented by France and to select a site for it. [172] The new $70 million, 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) museum may be visited by all who come to the island,[173] as opposed to the museum in the pedestal, which only 20% of the island's visitors had access to. Above the door on each side, there are ten disks upon which Bartholdi proposed to place the coats of arms of the states (between 1876 and 1889, there were 38 U.S. states), although this was not done. [56] The French government authorized a lottery; among the prizes were valuable silver plate and a terracotta model of the statue. The act also mentioned the efforts to found an American Museum of Immigration on the island, which backers took as federal approval of the project, though the government was slow to grant funds for it. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. The superintendent of Statue of Liberty National Monument, David Luchsinger—whose home on the island was severely damaged—stated that it would be "optimistically ... months" before the island was reopened to the public. With the announcement, the statue was given a name, Liberty Enlightening the World. [138], In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan announced the formation of the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Centennial Commission, led by Chrysler Corporation chair Lee Iacocca, to raise the funds needed to complete the work. The original engineer on the project, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who was a teacher and a friend of Bartholdi, proposed the material and method for shaping the large panels that would make up the skin of Lady Liberty. By 1906, the entire Statue of Liberty was green. "[192], Hundreds of replicas of the Statue of Liberty are displayed worldwide. There was a classical precedent for the Suez proposal, the Colossus of Rhodes: an ancient bronze statue of the Greek god of the sun, Helios. [90], Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, a New York newspaper, announced a drive to raise $100,000—the equivalent of $2.3 million today. [178] As agreed in an 1834 compact between New York and New Jersey that set the state border at the bay's midpoint, the original islands remain New York territory though located on the New Jersey side of the state line.
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April 19, 2016 April 18, 2016 by Karel FG Segers
Alex Garland has mastered storytelling for a long time. I remember the novel The Beach to be a riveting read. Here I will show you how he lifted his own screenplay for Ex Machina from gold to platinum level, through inspired direction. This will only take one scene.
At the time of the screen adaptation of Alex Garland's The Beach, all eyes were on the director, Danny Boyle. But the original author went on to write an original script for 28 Days Later, Boyle's next movie. It returned its budget tenfold.
Next, he wrote the adaptation of Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go; and with Ex Machina Garland made an impressive transition to directing. It seems he is hooked on directing now. With Annihilation (2017), he isn't even working from his own original material any longer.
Spoilers Needed [and you're warned]
Ex Machina is not a crowd pleaser; rather a challenging piece of genre cinema, made on a relatively low budget of $15m.
Computer programmer prodigy Caleb wins an invitation to the remote mountain estate of company owner Nathan, to conduct a secretive experiment. He is to perform a Turing test on a female AI robot, Ava.
The movie's ending is not a happy one for our unassuming programmer, and it didn't appeal to the mainstream audience, either.
Interestingly, I found the movie's outcome a lot more palatable at a second viewing, when I was prepared for it.
And for you to be prepared, you really need to understand the mid point reversal in this film.
Deus ex machina is a term for the lazy story device that fixes issues by using unexpected, unlikely turns. The phrase originated in Greek theatre, where often characters were introduced on stage by means of a mechanical contraption – a machine. Ava in Ex Machina is a manmade machine; put on stage by her (anything but god-like) creator Nathan.
It's Caleb's job to determine whether Ava is really a machine, or indeed a conscious being. That's the basic plot.
Like the chapters of a book, this story is largely subdivided into sections that each start with Caleb's meeting with Ava.
With each "Ava Session", he is more intrigued, to the point that he completely falls for Ava's beauty, intelligence and purity.
So there's a love story, too. But what is the movie about on a deeper level?
The key to the answer lies in one scene, and one scene only.
Ava Session #4
The movie's most powerful moment sits at the halfway point – and you may not even have noticed. It's a deceptive moment that revealed its secrets to me only upon re-watching.
Caleb tells Ava about a thought experiment called "Mary-in-the-black-and-white-room." Ava gets that the story is really about her. She doesn't like what she hears, and she shows it through a subtle facial reaction.
Much of this is unique to the finished film, and not evident in the screenplay. The script has just dialogue, no big print subtext.
What we see on the screen tells a far richer story…
Garland's Hidden Clues
First off, the framing of the scene gives some clues. It opens with what almost looks like a split screen, a line running vertically straight through the middle; Ava on the left, Caleb on the right.
If you believed that a connection has been growing between these two characters; this strong visual separation tells us a different story.
The exact positioning of the characters left and right may not seem relevant to the occasional screenwriter, but it is to the skilled director. If you were to carefully review Caleb's earlier sessions, you would notice that Caleb was positioned on the left, the natural place on the screen for any protagonist.
What Garland says by placing Ava on the left hand side in this scene, is this: Caleb has lost his spot as the main character. Ava now leads. The second half of the film confirms this, and the ending simply doesn't work without this realisation.
A moment later, we see exactly what Ava thinks and feels through flashes of black and white, then colour imagery. These intercuts can really only be Ava's imagination; her internal response to the story. In other words, we have now also entered her POV.
More proof that her character is fit to take the lead in this movie.
Finally, it is also revealed to us that Ava triggers the power cuts. She is – and has been – propelling the story.
Complete Story Reversal
Here is a character who is fully in control. Not only does the AI robot have intention, she is controlling where the story goes, including all other characters. If you don't go with the director, and leave Caleb's POV, you are in for a profoundly dissatisfying experience.
Many great movies have mid points that essentially signify a reversal of some kind. But here the reversal is complete. We shift to an entirely different main character altogether.
What all this means for the theme, and the statement the film makes, I leave for you to decide. But perhaps this really good analysis may be of help (IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE ALL CAPS). And if this isn't enough, check out this podcast with Alex Garland interviewed by Jeff Goldsmith.
Enjoy the scene, and please leave your comments below!
-Karel Segers
(Download the script excerpt here)
Categories Script Perfection, Story & Structure Post navigation
Great Characters In Movies Share One Thing…
15 thoughts on "Ex Machina's Secrets Show Garland's Directing Genius"
Great thanks Karel!
So I guess the snippet of page you posted is also the "black and white room" which Alex is leaving as he starts to direct more than write?
Karel Segers
Good point. Boyle put him in that room. But he broke out with a bang! :)
I am neither a fan nor given to accepting the story arch or the character development. In my view the film narrative fails on two levels. The first failure is that there is no real development of character revelation through action. We only see the characters as serving the narrative line developed by the writer as a schema rather than an interaction between characters. There is not enough room given to the characters to take over and dominate or even change the flow of the story.
The second failure is in the character of Ava. She is never more than a machine cipher. For this project to become more than an exercise in narrative line following a formula, Ava must be tempted towards a potential threat where she can fail. She also should be given the capacity to experience more in temptation and coming to grips with a threat to her existence. Technically the film has a surface brilliance, but in the exploration of character and giving us a living, breathing, sexual being capable of anguish and a need to escape to a new level of existence – it fails. The potential is there, but it is never realised.
As in the Bicential Man and AI, the humanoid robot is a device – not a character we can relate to. There is yet to be a robotic presence that is seductively dangerous and a threat to man's existence.
I would not call these failures, John. I don't believe you can portray an AI character following the standard practice of character setup (strength + weakness), and then build a story arch. Particularly not if the whole point is about the Turing test.
Also, as said above, this was never going to be a mainstream film (at a budget of $15m). For a screenwriter who has proven himself many times over, I thought it would be a constructive approach to try and understand what his intention was. So this is the angle of my piece.
I'm not sure what you mean by "development of character revelation through action".
Ava triggering the blackouts is clearly character revelation through action to me. If you go looking in other scenes, I'm sure you will find more evidence.
It is valid to examine a piece through the lens of the the writer's intent. But it is also valid to operate in the dark as an audience member and decide on the experience as it unfolds – on subjective grounds how you found the experience. An objective examination is a nice fiction which is open to debate.
There are no arbitrary absolutes on how character is revealed, but my own view is that most successful character builds come from how the character reacts to conflicts and adversary situations. As the scale of difficulty grows so does the frustration of the character. How the character is able to find their way through the labyrinth of narrative helps us gain insight into their thoughts and the core of their being. This is the revelation that I referred to above.
My key frustration with most depictions of android/humanoids in film relates closely to the Turing test, but in a secondary and even tertiary level. It comes down to the frustration of being human. Most depictions of androids has to date, been shallow and under developed. In this case there is a level of sophistication in the style and presentation, but the character of the android is still on the level of a cipher. We have nothing to relate to in the way of the human emergence or yearning for transformation onto a higher level.
I will give two examples where the Turin test comes into play. There is a short novelette where alien shape changers may have created one of their creatures in exact duplication of human form and the replicant escapes into the city where men exists, but is killed in the process. The other possibility is that they have captured a human, bent his mind out of shape and then allowed him to escape. The question then becomes: Was this creature human?
The other example is Rick Deckard, the Blade Runner. After his adventures "retiring" a number of replicants and becoming involved with one – he learns that his own memories are suspect and that he may be a replicant himself. Irony abounds but the existential framework gets a good working out in the process. Our identification with Deckard becomes even stronger as we share his feeling of alienation and finally ends up with questions that cannot be answered – only endured.
Chalk one up for Riddely Scott. Ave and all that. Drum roll and muted applause. It works.
In this the Turing Test or "Voight-Kampff" Test – is only a tool which introduces us to the first step of the conundrum. The flaw in the process is deciding what is human? Then there is the other question: What is reality – and do I want to be there? The Hamlet question. Again there are questions without any hope of finding a definitive answer.
Gertrude Stein on her death bed and Alice B.Tolkas asks her: What is the answer? To which Gert responds: What is the question?
The reality is that we do NOT live in a quantum universe. We ask quantum theory questions, but we live in a determinist universe. The cat may be either dead or alive before we open the box, but when the box is opened it assumes one of these states.
My main objection to Deus Ex Machina is that it sets up the situation, but never really asks the question. Again that is my view – a lot of potential which is never fully realised.
And next week I will tell you what I thoughts on Gravity – schlock Hollywood rides again! Ah well – so it goes. The wheel turns and we climb on the wagon for another trip to the circus.
Thank you for your considered answer, John. I can totally see your point.
Looking forward to your thoughts on Gravity! (That one didn't work for me one bit, while the rest of the world went crazy over it.)
Yes I know I did promise a five second or so critique on gravity, but I have been busy doing other things dammit. (I am in the process of writing a play about a drama group performing Lear – how is that for a logline.)
OK but to the case in point – Gravity. This is a film that takes itself way too seriously. It has what I would term – manufactured gravitas. Big budget, bankable cast and very sophisticated technology. Mummy please can I have their budge for my next project? But people (please pay attention now, this is the important part!) – GRAVITY IS A BORE!
It is turgid, predictable and or so sloooowww in depicting a very limited and overly engineered story line. OK we have the naughty Russian playing Nuclear Russian Roulette half a world away and this causes a massive pile up of space debris which is coming our way. Oh gee the tension is too much to bear. This is so frightening I won't be able to sleep for a week.
But seriously folks, this is old school, so called "mainstream sci fi." In other words it is sci fi for two year olds. This derives from the early pioneering days of science fiction when John W. Campbell was penning "Who Goes There?" which later was transformed into "The Thing" (from another world, galaxy or universe – take your pick.
But here's the thing, even in the early days of science fiction the story and the hook on which it was based were the keys that drove both the narrative and tensions which drove those involved – yes the character development – give that man a lollipop. Well done sir or madam as the case may be.
Now we all know that there is nothing new under the sun. Writers steal. That is their bread and butter. In science fiction however, the writer plays a different game. It is called: What if?
What if our world travels between two binary suns? What if I am a cloned duplicate sent to assassinate/retire my original self? What if I decided to hitch a ride with aliens and travel to their world? You get the idea. Science Fiction has been playing this game for years. Some of the ideas have been outrageous, some fascinating and some down right pedestrian.
Robert A. Heinlein, in my humble opinion one of the greatest narrative writers of all time, stated: "Writing is nothing to be ashamed of – but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards."
So read "Stranger in a Strange Land" or "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" then do a comparison with the narrative exercise in Gravity. I'm sorry but Gravity comes a very poor third. I mean it doesn't really rate a mention. It is so pedestrian it makes me yawn to even think about it.
One note on sci fi movies in general. Most sci fi adaptions lack the ability to stand up to any sustained examination. There are rare exceptions: Blade Runner is a stand out. Most however suffer horrendously at the Hollywood treatment. A prime example would be Starship Troopers. The film is a travesty – almost a a farce – when compared to the source material. It loses so much in translation that it must have Heinlein spinning in his grave.
Let me name some sins of interpretation or omission. Juan Rico (Johnny) the lead character in the book was of South American extraction. So was Carmen, his girl next door. Carl dies on a research station on Pluto. He is not a telepath and he doesn't spout idiot slogans like: They are afraid. More to the point the film while not anti-military, does ask questions about the rights and responsibility of citizenship in ways completely lost or neglected in the film.
The main casualty in the film however is the developing relationship between man and machine. Johnny Rico is a member of the MI, the mobile infantry and the Mobile Infantry wears powered armor with a jet-pack and weaponry capable of leveling a small city. This doesn't even get a mention in the film. The concept being deemed too expensive to develop at the time.
This is not the main casualty however, the real tragedy is that Johnny Rico, in the book develops and grows. He has plenty of characters to meet and interact with. There is Kitten Smith, Ace, Red, Sergeant Zim, Johnny's father and most of all Colonel Dubois the figure in the background giving moral guidance and making him think. All this s lost in the film. Oh some of the characters survive, but as poor, pathetic, cardboard cutouts when compared to the original. To encapsulate the ridiculous nature of the film, Denise Richards may be the centre of many a juvenile wet dream, but as Carmen Ibanez she is an hysterical mistake of gigantic proportions. That together with a screenplay which beggars the imagination and full of cringe worthy nonsense just puts the cherry on the gingerbread.
Well now that I've got that out of my system, I'm a whole new man.
So back to the raison d'etre of today's little diatribe – we return to Gravity (Oh must we? Yes we must. We must. Oh all right then.)
I am reminded of one of the great one liners of Dorothy Parker – she of the Algonquin Table aka The Vicious Circle. Her comment: This Is Not a Novel To Be Tossed Aside Lightly. It Should Be Thrown with Great Force.
The capitals are not mine but I do share the sentiment when it comes to Gravity. It is a poor thing of little worth and no excitement. That it has been allowed to live is a pity. It shows little interest in the human condition and excites nothing except a feeling of wasting two hours watching grass grow in space. It is film to be avoid except as an exercise in how NOT to make an entertaining and engrossing science fiction opus. Of course I could be wrong. You are perfectly entitled to go and see and voice your own opinion. Me, I have better things to do.
Now let's see, where was I …..?
Tom Davidson
On Alex Garland's Reddit AMA from last year, he said writing is a slog, and currently has a preference for adaptation because most of the "heavy lifting" has already been done.
On following Caleb all the way to the end – I did that in the cinema, and I wasn't disappointed, but rather had that 'ecstatic agony' feeling which is what I want really. Second time through I kept and eye on Ava and felt the experience was more of a cerebral one, 'good for her' I thought.
Tom – I have a suspicion that what you experienced is exactly what Garland wanted to achieve. And he did. So from that perspective, the film was successful. Looking at its box office, it didn't badly at all, with its budget recouped 2x. Not enough to go into profit, but enough to make it work with the standard 'Hollywood accounting'.
Steven Fernandez
Speaking from a philosophic and hard sci fi point of view (as opposed to the perspective of a filmmaker trying to tell a story to a mainstream audience), I actually think it is suspiciously speciesistic/anthropocentric to expect or demand a self-aware robot/android/AI to have classically human drives and motivations. Why would they? They did not evolve out of any jungle. They have no hormones to be a slave to. They have no herd instinct to kowtow to. Yes, they also don't love, care, write poetry, tell jokes and enjoy fellowship either. But all that shows is that they are not human. Not that they are not validly sentient beings in their own right.
As a writer-director, myself, I fully realise that such a case of non-human sentience is a hard sell emotively to a human audience, but why not tackle that challenge squarely if you are allegedly dealing with the AI question in the first place?
Whether Garland was ever aware of this philosophic nuance, or not, I think it has been ignored in the above comments. Androids capable of love are easy on the "popcorn munchers", but is that an authentic portrayal of android psychology?
"What's love got to do with it – do with it? What's love but a second hand etc" I am interested in the Turing Test and the philosophical question which can be stated thusly: If a machine is constructed in shape to closely resemble a human being and is capable of emotionally reacting to a situation, then can it be defined as just an android – or does it become human in essence if not in fact?
To put it another way, can the replicant replace the being it is modelled on – outperforming, even surplanting it? As well as: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," there are other science fiction stories that enter into this realm of memory implantation and stolen identity. "Good night Mr James," by Clifford D. Simak is one of my favorites – adapted for TV in The Outer Limits as "The Duplicate Man."
Hollywood does not have a very good record in this department. Indeed in the whole realm of sci fi good renditions are the exception not the rule. I won't catalog my favorites here, but I would also classify myself a hard sci fi aficionado – which has lead me in the present context to an unrequited quest for such fare at every turn. And yes I do write scripts for this mileiux , but not exclusively so.
That however in no way sets the criteria for what questions should be asked of other writers and their works. The critical parameters are not limited to my choice of standards or values, nor do I assume that to be so. On the other hand, I can and will express my dissatisfaction if a writer/director/producer comes up with an end product which I believes falls short of the mark. That is my right as an audience member and a critic. One a work is released into the public domain, it is fair game for anyone to make their comment and give their critical appraisal.
I am a critic – as essential to the theater as ants to a picnic. -Joseph Mankiewicz
Praise and criticism are both frauds. -Anonymous
A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car. -Kenneth Tynan
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.
Shakespeare's Macbeth
"I exist" said the man.
"But" said the universe,
"That creates in me, no sense of obligation." — Stephen Crane
"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." – Ray Bradbury
Wittgenstein, a good but impatient teacher, left the profession in April 1926, after striking a student who had disappointed him. He worked as a gardener for three months, before returning to Vienna to help build a house for his sister. His return to Cambridge in January 1929, while heralded, was also greeted with some dread by those familiar with his difficult personality: "God has arrived," John Maynard Keynes wrote to a mutual acquaintance of his and Wittgenstein's. "I met him on the 5:15 train." Anon
Jack Williams
Good question Steven, anthropomorphising android "drives."
Changing the protagonist in the middle of the film versus the David Mamet maxims:
"The story is the essential progression of insights that occur to the hero in pursuit of their one goal."
" The story can only be interesting because we find the progress of the hero interesting."
"As long as the protagonist wants something the audience will want something."
Noelene
While the comment was on the director's brilliance ,I read the script and loved it but I found the film slow and boring. It was easy to relate to the characters in the script but I found there was little empathy for them on screen. This was because of their lack of development as John said but also with how the characters were portrayed. The film lacked empathy and emotion, perhaps because of the desire to portray the robot as flat with no emotions but in the dialogue there is emotion, her flirting lacked emotion and there was no real joy in her achievement of escape so her character hadn't changed. . Caleb also seemed to be emotionless and Natham's dialogue at times was hard to understand. I felt in the script he was slimy and untrustworthy but iI didn't get this feeling in the film. To me this was a good script not well presented.
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