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Viome Life Sciences Raises $54M To Accelerate Development of its mRNA Platform for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapeutics for Chronic Disorders,…

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Viome Life Sciences, a mission-driven systems biology company aiming to help individuals improve their health, today announces its raise of $54M in a pre-series C convertible funding with participation from existing investors and new investors. This raise follows a $56M series B round announced in November 2019, bringing Viome's total funds raised to date to over $125M.

The latest round of funding will support expanded clinical research targeting aggressive cancers and chronic diseases, eventually leading to the development of early-stage diagnostics and therapeutics. Viome Life Sciences has partnered with leading medical clinics to research pancreatic cancer, bile cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, gynecological cancers, and head, neck, and shoulder cancers. The results of the clinical trials will be used to expand the ability of Viome Life Sciences' proprietary mRNA platform to screen for early-stage cancers. Viome Life Sciences is also doing clinical research using its proprietary mRNA platform to develop much-needed therapeutics targeting Alzheimer's, metabolic diseases, and mental health.

This fresh capital validates a year of tremendous growth by the health and life sciences leader and will be used to accelerate the development of Viome's mRNA platform focused on prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutics for chronic disorders, cancers, and aging. Viome Life Sciences recently hired healthcare veteran Dr. Emmanuel Hanon (former Global Head of R&D, Vaccine, at GSK) to drive this effort, and under his leadership, the company received FDA breakthrough device designation for its mRNA technology and AI platform to screen for early-stage oral cancer and throat cancer. Most recently, Viome and GSK announced a clinical validation trial and expansion of their partnership to develop new therapeutic interventions for select cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Viome has relocated its lab operations to a state-of-the-art, 25,000 sq. foot laboratory in Bothell, Washington, to support its exponential increase in consumer demand. With this relocation, Viome has been able to increase capacity by 10 times when processing samples and reduce the turnaround time for results down to 2 weeks or less. The increased capability has also supported Viome's recent expansion to 15 new countries: Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

"The technological advancements that Viome has been able to make in the last year are nothing short of remarkable, and would not be possible without the support of our dedicated team. With each new development, we are getting that much closer to making illness optional and empowering individuals to own their own health and wellbeing," said Viome Life Sciences Founder & CEO Naveen Jain. "We are privileged to have the continued support and backing from our investors and board, and look forward to an even more dynamic year ahead."

Returning investors for this round include Khosla Ventures, West River Group, Glico, Physician Partners, and Bold Capital Group, showing their continued support and confidence in the company's growth and success. Ocgrow Ventures also participated in this round as a new investor. Harish Consul, Founder & CEO of Ocgrow Ventures will be joining as a Board Observer.

"Viome is rapidly scaling to become a global leader in the longevity space, to promote better health outcomes today and our future generations, with exceptional innovation," said Harish Consul, Founder & CEO, Ocgrow Ventures."The Viome team continues to accelerate leading AI-driven techniques to analyze gut microbiome data, which is leading to breakthrough new discoveries to help solve the root causes of so many chronic diseases to benefit all humanity."

"The future of healthcare is individual and personalized, and few companies have been driving innovation in this space as rapidly as Viome," said Vinod Khosla, Founder & CEO of Khosla Ventures. "We are proud to support Viome's efforts to find early diagnostic and potential therapeutics for chronic disorders and cancers."

"Viome has made incredible progress in a short amount of time toward solving some of the biggest healthcare problems facing our society today," said Erik Anderson Founder & CEO of West River Group. "We are proud to be able to support Viome in working toward a world without chronic diseases and cancers."

"Extending the healthy, human lifespan is a goal I share with my dear friend Naveen Jain, and his continued exploration of gene expression through Viome's proprietary mRNA technology is helping to make this a reality," said Dr. Peter Diamandis, Co-Founder of Bold Capital Partners. "Since its founding, Viome has set and achieved audacious goals and I am excited to see what Naveen is able to achieve in the next five years."

About Viome Life Sciences

Viome Life Sciences is a mission-driven systems biology company founded in 2016 totackle the epidemic of chronic diseases, cancer, and aging. To help individuals improve their health and to better understand the root of chronic diseases, Viome is strategically split into two divisions. Viome Consumer Services is focused on growing its established consumer products including tests, nutrition plans, and supplements. Viome Health Sciences is devoted to advancing its precision diagnostics and therapeutics platform. By conducting mRNA analysis at a mass scale, Viome is digitizing human biology and ultimately stopping the onset and progression of chronic diseases. Recently, Viome garnered FDA Approval for its unique mRNA technology and AI platform to detect cancers and has already successfully developed over 30 predictive models for some of the most prominent chronic diseases. For more information, visit https://www.viomelifesciences.com/

Media Contact

Kendall Donohue

viome@factorypr.com

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Rally Cycling rebrands as Human Powered Health – Canadian Cycling Magazine

Building on 15 years of bringing the best of North American cycling to a global audience, Circuit Sport announced on Monday a new vision of what a racing team can stand for. The new team will be known as Human Powered Health.

Human Powered Health will be a wellness platform built to empower people to take control of their own physical and mental well-being. It will spread the message that cultivating healthier habits and living a more active lifestyle can lead to dramatic improvements in health and wellness.

Human Powered Health represents more than racing, more than athletics, said Charles Aaron, managing director and founder of Circuit Sport. Its about reminding people that they have more power over their health than they think. We want to support people, mind and body, and use our platform to inspire them to take small, simple steps towards greater health and well-being.

In previous iterations of its teams, Circuit Sport has continually gone beyond the traditional sports marketing model with health and wellness-minded campaigns like Inspired Bikes, Body Positivity, Healthy Habits, and Longevity.That will expand and evolve as the Human Powered Health platform grows into a hub for health and wellness content with its athletes as the main mouthpiece. New brand partnerships will allow the team to incorporate data analytics across sleep, nutrition, movement, and health care to support its followers on their health journey.

The team will also launch a Discord channel that will serve as a hub for fans, partners and clients interested in all things Human Powered Health. Hosted by the team and with regular appearances by professional riders, the channel will be a place to share ideas on how to live healthier lifestyles.

Human Powered Health joins the Womens WorldTour in 2022. It is the realization of a dream that began 10 years ago with the formation of the womens program. The move makes Human Powered Health the first co-ed team to send its women to the top division of the sport before its men.

Following a sensational season that included victories in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Denmark, France, and Turkey, the mens program continues in the ProTeam ranks with its sights set firmly on the WorldTour.

Rally Cyclings Sara Poidevin challenges you to create healthy habits

We couldnt take this step without the support of our partners and their shared vision for the future, added Aaron. Weve shown our ability to win bike races around the world but what sustains us is creating connections and empowering people.

Circuit Sport is currently aligning with brands that stand for something bigger than their product, a vital step to building the foundation of Human Powered Health for years to come. These brands, which will be announced in the coming weeks, share the belief that our collective health matters.

In a world navigating a pandemic, and where obesity and heart disease are at all-time highs, there has never been a more important time for each of us to invest in our health and inspire those around us to do the same. Building connections and sharing encouragement and knowledge are pivotal to empowering people to lead healthier lives.

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Here’s why closing the skills gap is key to digitalization – World Economic Forum

According to the engineer and entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, in the next ten years we are likely to experience as much technological change as in the past 100 years. The technologies of the fourth industrial revolution are set to become far more widespread and accessible. They will also converge in ways that create new value.

Companies and governments around the world are developing modernization strategies to use these new technologies, which include artificial intelligence, cloud-based services and internet of things. The success of any organization's digital transformation, however, is not entirely dependent on state-of-the-art technology; it depends on human capital, too. This is one aspect of technological change management that persistently gets forgotten.

Human security as an after-thought

Security is often an after-thought in technological design and implementation, despite the grave threat cyber attacks pose to business continuity, service delivery and intellectual property protection. With the rise of more advanced encryption and security protocols, malicious actors have increasingly sought to compromise the weakest link the human beings who interact with these systems. It is no surprise that ransomware attacks have increased threefold in just the first half of 2021. The cybersecurity skills gap becomes more acute as new technologies create more complex digital supply chains. Here are some key ways to increase human security:

According to the 2020 Forums Future of Jobs report, skills gaps in the local labour market and the inability to attract the right talent remain among the leading barriers to the adoption of new technologies. Building a future-proof workforce will depend on properly defining the skills needed, and providing opportunities for people to train. The cybersecurity sector needs a diverse range of experience, expertise and thinking to tackle the enormous challenges ahead.

Skills gaps and the inability to attract the right talent remain among the leading barriers to the adoption of new technologies.

Image: World Economic Forum

While science and technology skills remain an important foundation, analytical skills are equally important in dealing with big data. Marketing and communication skills are also needed to work with business stakeholders, as are legal skills, when it comes to interpreting complex regulatory policies.

Solving the workforce challenge will require business leaders to rethink and define effective systems for upskilling individuals and capabilities. Building this workforce of the future will rely on partnerships between businesses, government agencies and academic institutions.

2. Security awareness as a core element of workplace upskilling

Today some new graduates are already finding that they need to upskill even at the beginning of their first job. Many companies have understood that the longevity of higher education is decreasing, and that in order to maintain relevant expertise in their workforce, they need to be proactive about upskilling. The American telecommunications company AT&T, for example, has dedicated $1 billion to upskilling and educating its workforce.

What is still lacking, however, is a prioritization of cybersecurity awareness. People outside the IT and cybersecurity functions need training in this area in order to make better decisions on the design, the operation and oversight of digital infrastructure. As organisations adopt new technology, software and digital processes they need a cybersecurity education plan to keep employees informed and aware of any dangers.

The World Economic Forum's Centre for Cybersecurity is leading the global response to address systemic cybersecurity challenges and improve digital trust. We are an independent and impartial global platform committed to fostering international dialogues and collaboration on cybersecurity in the public and private sectors. We bridge the gap between cybersecurity experts and decision makers at the highest levels to reinforce the importance of cybersecurity as a key strategic priority.

Our community has three key priorities:

Strengthening Global Cooperation - to increase global cooperation between public and private stakeholders to foster a collective response to cybercrime and address key security challenges posed by barriers to cooperation.

Understanding Future Networks and Technology - to identify cybersecurity challenges and opportunities posed by new technologies, and accelerate forward-looking solutions.

Building Cyber Resilience - to develop and amplify scalable solutions to accelerate the adoption of best practices and increase cyber resilience.

Initiatives include building a partnership to address the global cyber enforcement gap through improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public-private collaboration in cybercrime investigations; equipping business decision makers and cybersecurity leaders with the tools necessary to govern cyber risks, protect business assets and investments from the impact of cyber-attacks; and enhancing cyber resilience across key industry sectors such as electricity, aviation and oil & gas. We also promote mission aligned initiatives championed by our partner organizations.

The Forum is also a signatory of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace which aims to ensure digital peace and security which encourages signatories to protect individuals and infrastructure, to protect intellectual property, to cooperate in defense, and refrain from doing harm.

For more information, please contact us.

3. Hire personnel with a combination of technology expertise and mentoring capability

It is not enough to have a digital transformation plan that meets deadlines and budgets. It needs to be implemented in a way that is compatible to an organizations culture. People are the most important assets in an organization, and as such it is important to consider where they sit in the different technology adopter categories.

People are the most important assets in an organization, and it is important to consider where they sit in the different technology adopter categories.

Image: http://blog.leanmonitor.com/early-adopters-allies-launching-product/

It is not uncommon for some people to resist technological change in their personal life or at work. There should be designated staff to facilitate technology education, and to offer coaching to staff during any technological transition. These people should be effective communicators who are versed in technological change management, technology and risk management. They need the right personality to support employees as they grapple with new technology and new risks.

The unprecedented growth of new technologies reminds us that our digital systems are an intractable part of the way business is done in the 21st century. These digital systems must include not only technical cybersecurity measures, but also a thoughtful analysis of the workforces skills and how it contributes to a sustainable culture of security.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Watson professor named ASME fellow for three decades of electronics packaging innovations | Binghamton News – Binghamton University

Moores Law packing twice as many transistors on the silicon every 18 months has driven our technological revolution over the past 50 years. The processing power that once took entire buildings of computer banks now fits into the palm of your hand, giving smartphones access to all the knowledge of the internet.

In the past few years, though, as semiconductor manufacturers are making circuits measured in single nanometers, Moores Law appears to be coming to an end. (For scale, 1 nanometer is a billionth of a meter, smaller than a strand of human DNA.)

To accommodate consumer expectations for even smaller and powerful devices, researchers are increasingly looking to electronics packaging a term that encompasses everything apart from the chips themselves. The field always has been important to ensure the proper functioning and longevity of devices, but now it is more critical than ever.

Professor SB Park a faculty member in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Department of Mechanical Engineering has researched electronics packaging for nearly 30 years. As the director of Binghamton Universitys Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC), he and his team have made key discoveries that improve how everyday devices work.

In appreciation for his groundbreaking research and contributions, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recently named Park a fellow of the organization, which includes more than 90,000 members in 135 countries worldwide. Only about 3% of members become fellows.

ASMEs fellow grade is the highest elected grade of membership within ASME, said ASME President Mahantesh Hiremath. It recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

Park said he is honored by the recognition and hopes that it brings more attention to the research being done at Watson College.

It is a meaningful recognition, and also a way of promoting my ideas and my Universitys division to the wider world, he said. To be promoted to fellow, you have to proactively reach out to the technical communities by organizing conferences and symposiums, and by promoting a certain technology or bringing more attention to a certain field.

Park earned his BS and MS from Seoul National University in his native Korea, and his PhD at Purdue University. Before coming to Binghamton in 2002, he worked on electronics packaging for seven years at IBM Corp.s Microelectronics Division, but he originally had a very different career path in mind.

When they approached me and offered the job as a packaging engineer, I knew what IBM was but because I was an aerospace engineer, I didnt have any clue why they would need me. Is IBM packaging chocolate cake or something? he thought.

In fact, they were doing something very similar, trying to protect electronics from drop shock and packing more into each device without ruining the electronics by the heat generated internally. I studied fracture and failure in aircraft, and they recognized that my background and expertise could effectively contribute to solving the problems they faced.

Although he works in academia now, Park believes the experience and knowledge he acquired during his time in industry has been vital to the success of IEEC, his colleagues and students. Many others on his IEEC team have similar experiences working at tech firms.

About 70% of my research groups projects are associated with industry, and we have weekly meetings with the sponsoring companies, he said. All of my graduate students are directly connected with industry on a weekly basis. It is not just theoretical engineering it is real engineering as they work toward their dissertations. They know the industry languages and what the hot topics are at their companies, which could be their future employers.

To explain the challenges that electronics packaging faces, Park makes an analogy to an automobile: When you build a car with a powerful engine, such as a 500-horsepower engine, you need stronger axles to handle that strain, a top-notch steering system that keeps you on the road and excellent brakes that will stop the car before a collision. Similarly, as silicon chips get smaller and powerful, the accessories that help it to maintain its level of performance must also shrink and be resilient.

Much like an urban area with a growing population occupying a finite amount of space, one way to make everything fit is to start thinking three-dimensionally, but stacking components faces one big problem: How to dissipate the heat buildup?

Heat is the biggest threat for any electronics, Park said. When creating a three-dimensional design, how do we take the heat out? For the topmost component, we can use conventional methods, but what about the middle ones? Its going to be well cooked in the middle!

Finding solutions for future generations of electronics is a daunting mandate to fulfill, but Park is always looking ahead and eager for what comes next.

Every day, the research is fun, and that is making me busy with joy, he said. Im really grateful to be having this opportunity in my life.

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Texas A&M Seeks Dogs With Cardiac Condition For Study On Heart Drug – Texas A&M University Today

Dr. Sonya Gordon and Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm.

Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the second most-common acquired cardiac disease in dogs.

In its early stage, called the preclinical stage, dogs are apparently healthy to their owners, but beneath the surface, DCM causes a progressive enlarging and weakening of dogs hearts. Over time, dogs with DCM will progress to the diseases clinical phase and develop congestive heart failure (fluid in the lungs).

But what if owners of dogs with DCM had the ability to extend the amount of quality time they spend with their beloved four-legged friends?

Through The REPAIR Study (Rapamycin Treatment inPreclinical Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy), cardiologists at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH) are investigating the use of the drug rapamycin in dogs with preclinical DCM.

Rapamycin, which will be distributed by the Ireland-based company TriviumVet, is a drug that affects both the immune system and metabolism; it has been shown to improve heart function and reverse age-related changes in rodents with heart disease.

The primary objective of our study is to determine if rapamycin is safe for use in dogs with preclinical DCM, as well as to evaluate the effects of this medication on heart size and function in these dogs, said Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, an SATH cardiology resident whose work on The REPAIR Study is part of her residency research.

To complete this study, the SATH is looking to enroll 12 dogs with preclinical DCMno more than six Doberman Pinschers (the breed most commonly affected by DCM) and up to two dogs of any other breed.

Eligible dogs must be older than 3 years, be on a stable dose of pimobendan (Vetmedin) for at least 60 days prior to the screening examination, have no evidence of congestive heart failure, and not be receiving diuretic (furosemide) medication.

We know that despite proof that pimobendan (Vetmedin) can delay the onset of heart failure and death, disease progression is relentless and dogs with DCM are still destined to die from this disease, said Dr. Sonya Gordon, cardiology professor, Eugene Chen Chair in cardiology and principal investigator for The REPAIR Study. Pimobendan treatment works by reducing heart size and improving function, essentially resetting the clock; however, that clock continues to tick. We are optimistic that the addition of rapamycin will yield additional benefits that translate into increased health span and lifespan in dogs with preclinical DCM.

For this study, we require participants to continue to receive pimobendan because it is proven to be beneficial and represents the current standard of care; we are just adding rapamycin, Gordon said. Living longer is great, but the real goal is to live betterthats what health span is all about; it is the part of life when you feel great, even if you have disease.

As a cardiology resident, I see firsthand how devastating DCM is for patients and their owners. While pimobendan is an important medication that has been shown to have significant beneficial effects in dogs with DCM, we must continue to investigate additional therapies with the potential of increasing longevity, as well as enhancing the quality of life in dogs with this heartbreaking disease, Malcolm said.

Those selected to participate in the trial will take a pill three times a week and will be required to visit the SATH for enrollment screening, as well as three additional times over six months.

While this trial will hopefully lead to larger studies, its important for owners to know that if the drug works, their dogs would be eligible to continue to receive chronic treatment with rapamycin, Gordon said.

There will be no cost to owners of dogs participating in this trial; TriviumVet, the sponsor, will cover the costs for diagnostic testing, rapamycin, and Vetmedin for the duration of the study.

This is a really stand-up company. They are all about the dogs and they have a potential game changer here, because if it works its going to have a far-reaching impact, Gordon said. If we move forward with a larger study after this investigational study, Texas A&M will serve as the lead investigational site.

Rapamycin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use and has been used safely for decades. While cardiac disease such as DCM is not among the labeled indications for which the drug is currently prescribed in humans, Gordon and Malcolm believe this trial could have important implications in human medicine given the similarities of heart disease among dogs and humans.

We are delighted to be able to bring our proprietary, novel veterinary rapamycin formulation to clinical trials in dogs and cats for a multitude of diseases, said TriviumVet CEO Louise Grubb. Our partnership with Texas A&M for The REPAIR Study has been an incredible synergy given their cardiology expertise and passion for research. The potential of this drug is far-reaching and we look forward to continuing our research with Texas A&M across cardiology and other target disease areas.

Owners with dogs diagnosed with preclinical DCMincluding those diagnosed within the past two yearsthat are interested in enrolling their dogs in this study should email tamucardiology@cvm.tamu.edu with REPAIR Study in the subject line.

For more information, including the list of exclusion criteria, visit the CVMBS Clinical Trials webpage.

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The Nature Corner: Aging – The Coastland Times – The Coastland Times

By Ernie Marshall

Some years ago, I took a walk along a stretch of Reedy Branch, a tributary making its way to the Tar River, with a tree specialist to pick his brain about the trees we encountered. There were a lot of old trees, virgin forest perhaps since the area was once farmland back when farmers didnt attempt to clear and farm the bottomlands or floodplains. We talked about the different look of aging trees, coming near the end of their lifespan of a century or more. Their crowns thin out, less full with fewer branches and less foliage, they often develop some lean, no longer have that straight and tall look and the oaks and hickories no longer bear nuts. They seem to look old, as if imitating our changes with age, a bit bent over and balding. They even seem to get a look of wisdom earned with age. Everything in nature ages just as do we.

Some trees are quite aged, being the oldest living things on Earth. Redwoods get to be at least 2000 years old and sequoias over 3000. Both are topped by the bristle pine, which lives 5000 years or more.

Longevity in nature is a very wide spectrum. Most herbaceous plants live only a few months, then disperse seeds to start anew. Many insects live only a matter of days or weeks. The tiger swallowtail sipping nectar in your garden may be gone tomorrow. At the other extreme, stars go through a cycle from birth to demise that lasts billions of years, when they burn all of their hydrogen and perhaps go out with a bang as a dazzling supernova. (No cause for alarm, our sun should last another five billion years, being about half way through its life span.)

Aging is not to be confused with immortality, the fact that all of us will die at some point. Aging is part of life, death is lifes opposite. We tend to think that we fear our own death. Perhaps what we fear is dying, an end stage of the life process. I think the first century B.C. Roman philosopher Lucretius summed it up by saying we have nothing to fear in our death, because when I am here death is not, and when death is here I am not. Mark Twain puts it this way: The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

To make more interesting comparisons between the life spans of living things and get closer to home, let us consider what has been called the heartbeat hypothesis that all mammals whose longevity ranges roughly from the pygmy shrew that lives only a year or so to the bowhead whale that may live 200 years live for the duration of about one billion heartbeats.

Consider the following instances:

Pygmy shrew 1.02 billion total heartbeats (1300 bpm, 1.5 year average lifespan)

Mouse 1.31 billion (500 bpm, 5 years)

Cat 1.18 billion (150 bpm, 15 years)

Human 2.24 billion heartbeats (60 bpm, 71 years)

Horse 0.93 billion (44 bpm, 40 years)

Elephant 1.03 billion (28 bpm, 70 years)

Notice that the larger the animal gets, the slower its pulse rate. A cat is roughly 100 times larger than a mouse, but its heart rate is about a third as rapid as that of the mouse. The pygmy shrew, with it very rapid pulse, burns itself out in a year or so.

Note who breaks the one billion heartbeat rule us, humans. We get something like twice what other species get. If we followed the rule, our life expectancy would be 35 years instead of 71 years. (It is commonly thought that human life span has increased through history. It seems not, that the Bible three score and ten is fairly constant, considering only death from old age, not disease, accident, death in tribal warfare, death in childbirth, etc.).

There is a plethora of hypotheses about why our species is an exception to the one billion heartbeat rule. I will leave you to ponder or research this. I would like instead to ponder the one billion heartbeat rule.

Heartbeats seem a better measure of life than years, the pulse of a life sustaining organ in our bodies, rather than Earths annual trip around the sun.All of a sudden we have a yardstick for the lives of us and our fellow mammals.Or do we?

My dog Bullitt ages at about seven times the rate that I do. Does that mean because of his more rapid heartbeat (and metabolism) that he experiences time differently? Does his lifetime feel as long as mine?Does he experience a difference in my wife and I being away for an hour for an errand and our being a way for a weekend?Humans seem hyperconscious of time.We make plans for the future and remember the past (or worry and regret). Does my dog just live in the moment, an ever-repeated present?

Despite our dependence on watches and calendars, the experience of time with humans is largely subjective.An hour spent in a hospital waiting room for news about cancer or a newly arriving baby seems much longer.An hour with a cherished friend seems much briefer.

And since Einstein, there is no longer a cosmic yardstick in physics for the universe at large for measuring time. (The question what time is it on the moon? is totally meaningless.)

Oh my, a stroll along a stream bank looking at trees has led us to bumping into Albert Einstein. Time to conclude thiscolumn. May you have a long life, age well and fill your time with bright and memorable moments.

Editors Note: This column originally appeared in The Coastland Times in September 2020.

Ernie Marshall taught at East Carolina College for thirty-two years and had a home in Hyde County near Swan Quarter. He has done extensive volunteer work at the Mattamuskeet, Pocosin Lakes and Swan Quarter refuges and was chief script writer for wildlife documentaries by STRS Productions on the coastal U.S. National Wildlife Refuges, mostly located on the Outer Banks. Questions or comments? Contact the author at marshalle1922@gmail.com.

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