PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ARE OUR OWN TOPICS 

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Great Decisions continues from the first week of December 2019 through the last week of April 2020 the list of topics and research links follows:

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New topics are listed here

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In December, our meetings will concentrate on topics which have been suggested by our membership. At this point, supporting materials for each and every topic will be posted here our website.

From December 2019  through January 2020 topics are:

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The Case for a Decentralized Worldwide Internet

January 28, 2020

 

What does Decentralized Worldwide Internet mean

We also will learn about

Definition of Decentralized Worldwide Internet

There is less censorship than a Centralized Internet. Ina Centralized Internet It is becoming increasingly common that governments shut down their citizens’ access to social media, as they attempt to censor reports of what is going on internally.

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Presenter: Mel Lintz

 

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Everything You Need to Know About the Decentralized Internet

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The Benefits of Decentralization

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Decentralized Web

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The Decentralized Internet Is Here, With Some Glitches

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The pros and cons of a decentralized internet

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Decentralized computing

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Centralization vs. Decentralization

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Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links

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Is the US Surrendering its Primacy in Scientific Research

January 07, 2020

 

Have we in fact relinquished our dominance by Surrendering our Primacy in Scientific Research to other countries?

The questions to you are!

How many countries are there at the present time which can surpass or even come close to our capabilities?

If there are, then which countries do you believe are capable to surpass or even are equivalent to the U.S?

 

Take a few minutes to think about it.....

 

Emerging science and technology developments can be applied in different ways across sectors and services. Many countries, including the US, Israel, Canada and the UK, (just to name a few) which regard advances in science and technology as a key factor for delivering benefits to society and the economy. However, there are many complex challenges, which include public concerns and perceptions about new scientific techniques or technology, as well as health, safety and environmental risks that may be associated with new developments.

 

 

Presenter: Mel Lintz

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China Just Overtook The US in Scientific Output For The First Time

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Oversight of emerging science and technology: Learning from past and present efforts around the world

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How to Rethink U.S. Primacy in East Asia

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The China-U.S. Relationship in Science and Technology

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US vs China - Tech War : The Battle for High Tech Supremacy

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U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations: United States-Israel Science and Technology Commission (USISTC)

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Partners in Science: The EU at AAAS

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How much research funding does the UK get from the EU and how does this compare with other countries?

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The crisis in Japan's scientific research output

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China’s Long March to Technological Supremacy

 

 

 

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Majority of Cyberattacks against the US

 

What if a foreign nation cyber attacked and took over a government’s IT network, bringing an entire nation to its feet? Does this seem like a far-flung scenario? It isn’t. In April 2018, the small independent Caribbean nation of Saint Maarten faced a total public shutdown for an entire day. The previous month, the city of Atlanta was crippled by a ransomware attack that lasted two weeks and cost nearly $3 million.

 

In the US alone, Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas and San Francisco have been victims of cyber attacks during the past year, following (ironically) a transition to smart city technology.

 

Presenter: Herb Goldstein

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Cyberwarfare in the United States

 

How the Chinese cyberthreat has evolved List of cyberattacks

 

Inside the Cyberattack That Shocked the US Government

 

October 2019 Cyber Attacks Statistics

 

Cyberattacks Against the US Government Up 1,300% Since 2006

 

Climate Change Still Seen as the Top Global Threat, but Cyberattacks a Rising Concern

 

Cyber Threats from the U.S. and Russia Are Now Focusing on Civilian Infrastructure

 

Half of all countries aware but lacking national plan on cybersecurity, UN agency reports

 

Kennan Cable No. 41: A Cyber Treaty With Russia

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Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links

 

 

 

 

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China Moscow Axis

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December 10, 2019

 

The Beijing / Moscow Axis. Much debated. Is there really one? Is China the new leader of Asia Pacific with Russia the junior partner? For now, it appears that this alliance is a mere marriage of convenience; at best an uneasy tactical relationship. The glue most certainly is their mutual hatred of The Western world led, of course, by the United States. Should our foreign policy be on a country by country basis or should we consider the strength of this alliance as a threat to the United States. The Presenter will examine these issues and leave it to our participants to assess how this supposed alliance might shape US foreign policy.

 

Presenter: Karen Berson

 

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The New Beijing – Moscow Axis

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‘‘Serious’ rivalry still drives China-Russia relations despite improving ties

 

US Obsession With Containment Driving China And Russia Closer

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China's unexpected move during huge war games with Russia shows their relationship is still uneasy

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Moscow, Beijing and Washington: A Complicated Triangle

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The Geopolitics of the Beijing-Moscow Consensus

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Chinese Immigration to Siberia: A Source of Tensions between Moscow and Beijing?

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A Nixon Strategy to Break the Russia-China Axis

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Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links

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The Worldwide Opioid Crisis

 

In order to cope with the opioid crisis we have to understand it's history.

How did it start?

The history of opium in China began with the use of opium for medicinal purposes during the 7th century. In the 17th century the practice of mixing opium with tobacco for smoking spread from Southeast Asia, creating a far greater demand.

Heroin, morphine, and other opiates trace their origins to a single plant—the opium poppy. Cultivation of the plant dates back to the earliest years of human civilization, and opium use was well known in ancient Mesopotamia.

The narcotic drug has been used both recreationally and as a medicine for centuries. Opium derivatives, including morphine, became widely used pain relievers, particularly in the 1800s. Heroin, too, was first synthesized for medical use before physicians realized its potent addictive properties.

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We will explore the many issues describing the topic in links including those listed  below:

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The deadly genius of drug cartels

 

The Story of America’s 19th-Century Opiate Addiction

 

The Opioid Crisis: A Global Problem

 

What is the best course of action when dealing with an opioid crisis?

 

And much more !!

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12/03/2019 Presenter: Mel Lintz

 

UN Report Finds Opioids Are Responsible for Nearly 400,000 Deaths Worldwide

The global opioid crisis is worse than we thought.

 

Overdosing on Regulation: How Government Caused the Opioid Epidemic

 

Opioids of the Masses

Stopping an American Epidemic From Going Global

 

Opioids responsible for most drug-related deaths in Europe, says UN Drugs Report

About 271 million people — 5.5% of the world's population aged 15–64 — used drugs in 2016,

 

How Europe’s heroin capital solved its overdose crisis

What Canada can learn from Portugal about opioid addiction, rehab and recovery.

 

Europe's silent opioid epidemic

 

Russia’s Addiction Problem

Suppressing the opioid crisis and poor treatment regimes combine for a failed strategy.

 

 

Iran's drug problem: Addicts 'more than double' in six years

 

Opioid use booming as tramadol crisis emerges in Africa - U.N. drug report

 

Europe's silent opioid epidemic

 

Russia may hold the key to solving America’s opioid crisis

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Click on the arrow below for topic information and research links

 

 

 

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The 8 of "our topics" session will start December 3, 2019

scheduled to end  the first week of May 2020

You ill receive an email prior to it's presentation.

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New topics beyond the one above will be listed at the top of this one approximately 2 weeks before presentation date.

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