Pentagon's DARPA researchers learn to control rat's brain over Internet

AFP Photo/Mauricio Duenas

Government mind control may not be as farfetched as it sounds: after 15 years of research, scientists have found a way to transmit information from one brain to another, thereby controlling the thoughts of its test subject.

Scientists have successfully captured the thoughts of a rat in Brazil and electronically transmitted them through the Internet to the brain of a rat in the US. The Brazilian rat had been energetically running around in a lab. When the American rat received the brain waves of its South American counterpart, it immediately began to mimic the behavior – despite the thousands of miles between them, Reuters reports.

Scientists refer to the technique as a “brain link”. The $26 million study of brain-machine interfaces was funded by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which ultimately hopes to have this technology available to humans.

By linking human brains together, scientists believe they can combine brainpower to solve problems that are too difficult for one person to handle alone, Duke University Medical Center neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis told Reuters. Nicolelis refers to this link as an “organic computer”, and said scientists will first test it out on monkeys to determine its feasibility.

But not all researchers are excited about the prospect of brain manipulation.

“Having non-human primates communicate brain-to-brain raises all sorts of ethical concerns,” one neuroscientist told Reuters.  “Reading about putting things in animals’ brains and changing what they do, people rightly get nervous.”

This sort of technology raises the concern about the possibility of using humans or animals as soldiers in battle, the scientist added.

While the idea may be unbelievable to some, neurobiologists claim that brain-machine interfaces have actually moved far beyond what is publicly known. Andrew Schwartz, a University of Pittsburgh neurobiologist, says that the experiment with the rats “is of limited interest” considering other advances in the field.

“It’s cool that the stimulus came from another brain” rather than an electrical device,” bioengineer Douglas Weber told Reuters. “[But] many labs have shown that animals can detect electrical stimuli delivered to the brain. This paper simply shows that the animals can detect electrical stimuli… from another rat’s brain.”

The same team of DARPA-funded researchers have also been able to send rats brain signals that caused them to press a lever a the sight of a red light, distinguish narrow openings from wide ones, and poke water a water port with their nose.

But by granting $26 million to scientists to develop this sort of technology, DARPA is likely expecting the research to be of use to the Pentagon at some point – whether it’s for problem-solving or other uses not yet defined.

http://rt.com/usa/rat-brain-darpa-pentagon-645/

Celebrating a Pope-Free World

Latest News, Reflections and an Important Leaflet from The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State and Kevin Annett

In this Update:
1. Fifteen countries are now part of our movement! Meanwhile, more Cardinals desert the sinking Papal ship, and The Court Order is served on the Guilty Cowards  -  Reports from the front line

2. This Saturday, the ITCCS global online radio program will feature some of the Citizen Jurors who found the Pope, Queen Elizabeth and Canada guilty of Genocide – On March 2 at 4 pm EST, 9 pm GMT on www.blogtalkradio.com/wethejury

3. What will happen next Monday, March 4 – and Beyond … and What You can Do

4. This Friday, California Public Television will broadcast the complete Proceedings, Evidence and Verdict of our Common Law Court of Justice, to a viewership of millions of people

5. Our French activists launch a new ITCCS blogsite,  and

6. A a leaflet for you to distribute at churches this Sunday.

…………………….

From Slovenia to Fiji to the Vatican itself, the Momentum Grows

It isn't only the half million hits on our websites that show that the world is aflame from the spark we've ignited.

Over the past few days, hundreds of people in fifteen countries have pledged their support to our Tribunal to occupy churches and help perform Citizens' Arrests of criminal heads of church and state in Rome, London and across Canada.

"This is the answer to a life time of hoping" commented an elderly aboriginal survivor of a Saskatchewan Christian internment camp – read, "residential school" – who contacted our Tribunal after he heard our Court's verdict.

"Count me in. I may be eighty two but nobody will keep me from occupying the local catholic church. Those priests killed my brother in there and now they're going to answer for him."

People from as far away as the Pacific islands, South Africa, China and a dozen European countries, as well as across North America, are being recruited to launch public actions against their local Catholic churches after March 4, when International Citizens Arrest Warrants will be issued by the Common Law Court in Brussels.

In Canada, more than twenty United and Anglican churches have also been targeted for picketing or occupation that week, along with Catholic cathedrals. Protestors even plan to strike at the Archbishop of Canterbury's church and Buckingham Palace.

These church occupations will grow and culminate in a Global Week of Reclamation during Easter, March 24 -31.

Not coincidentally, the top Catholic official in England, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, suddenly resigned this week and announced he would not vote at the Vatican Conclave on March 15 to elect a new Pope. This unprecedented defiance may indicate a collapse in the disciplinary chain of command within the church, since Cardinals' attendance at the Papal Conclave is normally mandatory.

Meanwhile, Common Law Court officers have begun to serve the Order of Compliance to the thirty officials found guilty of Crimes against Humanity last Monday, including Joseph Ratzinger, Elizabeth Windsor, top Roman Cardinals and Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada. All of the accused parties seem to be in hiding.

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Common Law Court! Tune in on Saturday to learn Why

The Vatican black ops department swung into full gear after last Monday's Court verdict, spreading the Big Lie throughout the Italian and world corporate media that our Court is a fabrication of one man – Kevin Annett.

In response, two of the Citizen Jurors from the Common Law Court who found the Pope and others guilty will be featured on the new blog talk radio program We the Jury this Saturday, to describe why they volunteered for the historic position and voted as they did.

The Jurors are Lisa Shannon from the United States and Melanie Spencer from the Netherlands. They'll be joined by ITCCS activists from Ireland John Deegan, Gerry O'Donovan and Dave O'Brien, who have led and will continue church occupations in that country.

This two hour We the Jury program will be broadcast this Saturday, March 2 at 4 pm EST, 9 pm Greenwich time, at www.blogtalkradio.com/wethejury. Hosts will be Kevin Annett and Bill Annett, with producers Marcie Lane and Claudia Julien, who are of aboriginal descent.

Can we really place Caesar under Arrest? What will Happen on and after March 4, 2103?
by Kevin D. Annett

People are dreadfully concerned these days that arresting folks like Lizzie Windsor and ex-pope Joe the Rat won't be possible for people like us. But the truth is, of course we can arrest them – with enough resolve, and numbers, and by not playing by their rules.

Remember, first of all, that "arrest" simply means to stop someone or something – and we are already doing that. These child killers are cowering in confusion because of our work. And as for physical detention, well, they are presently hiding out in their palaces under massive security, like any guilty criminal, encased in lies and fear. I'd call that imprisonment.

But beyond all that, the right of citizens to perform their own arrests on convicted criminals – even when they're "rulers" – is enshrined in customary law and such doctrines as the Claim of Right and Necessity Defense in common law, which compels citizens to act when the authorities refuse to, out of a higher need to protect the community that supersedes any statute law.

So on March 4, if the thirty guilty parties don't surrender themselves to our Officers, our Court will issue International Citizens' Arrest Warrants, of one year duration, which any man or woman anywhere can use to empower themselves to enforce the lawful Verdict of February 25, 2013 issued by our Common Law Court.

In other words, hundreds of people will be armed to perform these arrests on anyone shielding the Thirty from arrest, as well as on the culprits themselves – AND on any of their accomplices, like known child raping priests through the Catholic, United and Anglican churches.

Think of it: an army of Common Law Peace Officers, roaming fifteen countries, perpetually armed with the power to arrest these criminals, banish them from our communities, occupy their churches and seize their assets and properties!

I call that having an impact. It's actually the launching of a civil war. But see my article ("What will we do with the Freedom we have Won?") for more of a perspective on why we are unbeatable – once we overcome our own fears and illusions.

Lights, Camera … Lighting up the Truth this Friday, March 1!

Millions of Americans will watch the full proceedings of our Trial and Conviction of the Pope and his cohorts during March, thanks to the good people of Napa Valley Television in California.

Starting this Friday, and every Friday evening in March, at 11:30 pm Pacific time, the full evidence used to convict the Thirty will be broadcast by Napa TV and will be permanently archived as well as live streamed to any other network or service. Any local public access TV station can then broadcast our full four hour Court sessions. So prod your local broadcasters, educators and librarians to access and broadcast this historic evidence.

Here is the link to the broadcast, commencing this Friday at 11:30 pm pacific time, and 7:30 am (Saturday) GMT in Europe:

http://napatv.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=3

Et Maintenant! La Revolution, en Francais!

Our compatriots in Paris have created an exclusive ITCCS blog site in French, which you can find at:

http://eglisesetpedophilie.blogspot.fr/

Spread the word among Francophones, s'il vous plait … and link up with the French ITCCS network.

Kevin Annett will be speaking in Paris and throughout France during the last half of May as part of his European speaking and organizing tour.

And finally, Leaflet and Occupy a church for Jesus … and the missing children

Please print off the leaflet this Sunday, March 3, and distribute it to parishioners at your local Catholic church, and at United and Anglican churches as well. It gives church goers a chance to join with our movement and take back their own churches from the criminals who run it, with their money.

Good luck! Keep us informed of your work and film any of your public actions.
More updates will follow after March 4.

ITCCS Central – Brussels

http://itccs.org/2013/02/28/celebrating-a-pope-free-world/

C4L: Countdown to spending sell-out

Earlier today, the Senate rejected proposals from both Republicans and Democrats to stop the automatic budget cuts set to go into effect at midnight on Friday.

While the Democrat plan would have raised taxes on high earners, the "alternative" some Republicans were pushing would have handed over Congress' power of the purse directly to the President!

Legislators in D.C. are scrambling over $85 billion in cuts in the rate of growth in spending, only $44 billion of which will be implemented this year.

Under the "sequester," instead of increasing spending by $1.7 trillion over the next ten years, spending will increase by $1.6 trillion.

Remember, the President's budget proposal for FY 2013 was $3.8 trillion.

These "cuts" won't even cover how much the federal government will borrow in one month alone!

As I wrote to you earlier today, House and Senate leaders are expected to meet with President Obama this Friday to discuss a way to avoid even these drop-in-the-bucket cuts.

It's already become crystal clear this year how fast Republican "leaders" have been willing to sell taxpayers down the river.

So I need your help to make sure they and their colleagues on Capitol Hill receive one LOUD message from the American people - get serious and enact REAL CUTS, RIGHT NOW!

If you haven't already, I hope you'll join C4L in demanding an end to the federal government's out-of-control spending by signing your REAL CUTS, RIGHT NOW petition.

And if you've already signed it, I hope you'll pass it along to your contacts to help grow our numbers on this crucial issue.

As usual, stay tuned to CampaignForLiberty.org and our Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest developments on the spending fight and other critical matters facing liberty-minded Americans.

In Liberty,

John Tate
President

P.S. Earlier today, the Senate rejected proposals from both Republicans and Democrats to avoid the automatic budget cuts set to go into effect at midnight on Friday.

But these "cuts" are only in the rate of spending's growth and won't even cover what the government will borrow in a month!

If you agree it's time for legislators to get serious and enact legitimate reforms, please sign our REAL CUTS, RIGHT NOW petition today and pass it along to your contacts!

And if you can, any financial support you can give C4L at this time - even $10 or $15 - will go a long way toward expanding our efforts on the frontlines of the fight for liberty.

       


Because of Campaign For Liberty's tax-exempt status under IRC Sec. 501(C)(4) and its state and federal legislative activities, contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions (IRC § 170) or as business deductions (IRC § 162(e)(1)).

www.CampaignForLiberty.org

Software patents, trolls, and the fight for innovation | EFFector 26.5

In our 632nd issue:

Software Patents and the Rise of Patent Trolls

In most issues of EFFector, we give an overview of all the work we're doing at EFF right now. In light of this week's announcement of the SHIELD Act, we're doing a deep dive into a single issue: Software Patents and the Rise of Patent Trolls.

Beloved podcasts like the Adam Carolla Show and HowStuffWorks are under attack. They and other podcasts are getting sued for, well, podcasting. And they're not the only victims—developers are being targeted for building mobile apps, and offices around the nation are being attacked for using ordinary networked scanners. These creators are only a few of the thousands of victims of one of the biggest threats to innovation: patent trolls.

Patent trolls are entities that don't create products themselves, but instead buy patents and make money from lawsuits. Trolls often make broad claims of infringement based on patents of questionable validity, and most defendants choose to settle because of the outrageous nature of patent litigation. It is risky and expensive—and trolls offer settlement amounts that, although incredibly burdensome, are cheaper than a lawsuit, which can often cost well into the millions of dollars.

This week, Congress made huge strides with the introduction of the SHIELD Act—a bill that, if passed, would become the first legislation to directly address the problem of patent trolls. The Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes (SHIELD) Act, introduced by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) in the House, directly targets the trolls' incentive model. The bill creates a system where if a troll loses in court because the patent is found to be invalid or there is no infringement, then it pays the other side’s costs and legal fees.

This bill marks an important step toward ending the patent troll problem for good. We encourage you to tell your lawmakers to support the SHIELD Act. Read on and discover how patent trolls became such a problem.

The Flood of Software Patents

Software patents are relatively new phenomena; the software industry grew from nothing into a mature business without any need for patent protection. For decades, the Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) was generally reluctant to issue patents that covered software. But in the mid-1990s, the Federal Circuit (the court that hears patent appeals) first held that an algorithm implemented in a general-purpose computer could be patentable.

This opened the floodgates for software patents. The PTO now issues about 40,000 software patents a year. That's more than 100 per day. Unfortunately, the quality of these patents has tended to be very low. On average, examiners spend only 18 hours reviewing each patent application. This is not nearly enough time to properly check if the invention is new. To make things worse, the claims in software patents (this is the language that is supposed to mark the boundaries of the invention) are often vague and overbroad—giving unscrupulous patent owners the ability to claim that their patent covers a wide range of technology.

The Rise of The Patent Troll

The rise in such broad software patents created an environment ripe for patent trolling to surge in popularity. Since 2005, the number of patent troll lawsuits per year has skyrocketed—a four-fold increase to over 5,000 lawsuits every year. By 2012, for the first time ever, more than half of all patent suits were brought by trolls.

Patent trolls often sue with weak software patents, so when they are actually challenged in court, they usually lose. From 1995-2011, patent trolls won fewer than 25% of cases that went to judgment. And the most aggressive trolls fare even worse: of the most frequently litigated patents (those asserted in eight or more lawsuits), the trolls won fewer than 10% of their cases.

Unfortunately, patent litigation is so expensive that it is often cheaper to pay the troll to go away. Even for smaller companies, the average cost of defending a patent case all the way through trial approaches $2 million. Despite these costs, some companies—like Newegg and Twitter—have fought back and won. But the astronomical expense of patent litigation means that most defendants will settle.

With the explosion of patent troll lawsuits, most technology companies can expect to be targeted at some point. The patent troll motto seems to be: if you build anything, we will come. The result is that patents—especially the vague and overbroad software patents beloved by trolls—act as a disincentive to innovate and create.

Trolls Target Startups and End Users

In recent years, patent trolls have increasingly targeted smaller firms that are less likely to fight back. A recent study showed that more than half of the firms sued by patent trolls have less than $10 million in annual revenue—with startups being a common target.

Another disturbing trend is patent trolls going after end users for everyday tasks. For example, a patent troll has sued restaurants, hotels, and companies for using Wi-Fi. And another troll has blanketed the nation with letters demanding that companies pay $1,000 per employee for using standard office technology like scanners and email.

Software Patents Hurt Innovation

In the hands of patent trolls, software patents are a tax on innovation. And this tax is getting bigger every year. In 2011, companies made $29 billion in direct payouts to patent trolls. And the overall cost to the economy has been estimated at about $80 billion per year. Every dollar spent fighting or paying off a troll is a dollar not spent on launching new products and creating jobs.

And the harm caused by software patents goes beyond the problems with trolls. Patent wars—such as the fight between Apple and Samsung—mean that companies are competing in the courts instead of the marketplace. In 2011, both Apple and Google both spent more on patent litigation and buying patents than they did on research. When some of the nation’s flagship technology companies are spending more on patents than they are on actual innovation, it is clear that the system is broken.

What EFF is Doing to Fix the Problem

EFF has outlined seven proposals to begin the conversation about setting things right through our Defend Innovation campaign. Individuals can sign on in support or leave comments with their own ideas for fixing the problems behind software patents. We will compile these comments and signatures and use them as the basis for a report we will present to Congress later this year. The proposed fixes include shorting the length of software patents, requiring running code to be included in patent applications, and codifying an innocent infringers defense.

We're also meeting with tech companies to hear their thoughts on the current software patent system, and we will include those views in our paper. Set up a meeting with us for your company—your on-the-ground experiences and opinions are crucial for reform.

EFF is one of the only organizations in the world taking on patent cases with the intent to narrow and invalidate bogus software patents. Though patent lawsuits take many years, we're proud to say that our Patent Busting Project has already taken down several overbroad patents. To find out more information about our software patent work, including blog posts and infographics, check out our patent issue page.

Today, we're excited to join many in the EFF community in supporting the SHIELD Act, which is based on one of the proposals put forward in Defend Innovation. This bill would make it so that patent trolls pay the legal fees if a patent in a lawsuit is invalid or if there's no actual infringement. This act is a simple, important change that would help deter patent trolls from bringing egregious lawsuits upon businesses and innovators. Please join us in fighting for the SHIELD Act by telling your lawmaker you support it.

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Our members make it possible for EFF to bring legal and technological expertise into crucial battles about online rights. Whether defending free speech online or challenging unconstitutional surveillance, your participation makes a difference. Every donation gives technology users who value freedom online a stronger voice and more formidable advocate.
If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.

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Editor: Adi Kamdar, Activist
editor@eff.org

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Back issues of EFFector

Members make it possible for EFF to fight for your rights. Become a member today.

Announcements EFF and FIRE Happy Hour The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and EFF are hosting a happy hour event at South End Grill 'n' Bar in San Francisco. Come say hello! February 28, 2013 San Francisco, CA Yale ISP: Location Tracking and Biometrics Conference EFF Staff Attorney Jennifer Lynch will participate on a panel on biometrics, license plate readers, and drones at Yale Law School's Information Society Project. March 3, 2013 New Haven, CT U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona Annual Conference EFF Senior Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann will speak on computer crime at the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona Annual Conference. March 7-9, 2013 Tucson, AZ SXSW A number of EFF staff will be heading down to Austin for SXSW this year. Come by our panels or stop by our booth and say hello. March 8-13, 2013 Austin, Texas 15 Year Retrospective of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Hosted by Santa Clara Law's High Tech Law Institute, this conference will look at the past, present, and future of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry and Senior Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann will speak. March 15, 2013 Santa Clara, CA CryptoParty SF II: Enciphered Boogaloo CryptoParty is a worldwide series of events aimed at spreading information and know-how about privacy, security, and encryption tools. It exists to empower beginners and more advanced cypherpunks alike. March 23, 2013 San Francisco, CA

EFF on

SPLC: Hatewatch Headlines for February 28, 2013

Hatewatch is a weekly summary of the latest news about hate and extremism compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Week of February 28, 2013

Hatewatch Blog

Ohio Neo-Nazi Busted for Weapons was Tracking Jewish, Black Leaders

Facebook Heterosexual Pride Page Compares LGBT People to Nazis

Hatewatch Headlines

CT Connecticut Man Arrested in Anti-Gay Shirt Dispute
Norwich Bulletin | Feb. 28, 2013

CO Lawyer Questions Dolores Schools Hate-Symbol Ban
KKCO 11 News | Feb. 28, 2013

FL Sikh Shot in Suspected Hate Crime
WFTV | Feb. 26, 2013

FL Daycare and Church Targeted in Hate Crime
WSVN | Feb. 25, 2013

ND ND School Investigating Fans in KKK-Style Hoods
USA Today | Feb. 23, 2013

OH FBI Issued Warnings on Ohio Gun Suspect
San Fransisco Chronicle | Feb. 22, 2013

MT Helena Man Admits to Hate Crime
Independent Record | Feb. 21, 2013

BREAKING: United States Supreme Court Rules 4th Amendment Null And Void!

Expert Reveals The Technocratic Architecture of The Nwo

Mysterious Loud Booms Heard and Felt All Over Tucson - 2/27/13

Mysterious Booms Shake Tucson, AZ - KVOA Live Feb. 27, 2013

Tucson Mystery Booms Prompt 911 Break-in Calls - Audio