H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA
Image Source: Courtesy Simmavanh family
A welder and father of four who arrived in the U.S. as a child refugee from Laos four decades ago now faces deportation, highlighting the human impact of the country’s ongoing immigration enforcement. Boudylam “Lam” Simmavanh, 48, has lived in Orrville, Ohio, since 1986 and has built a life around his family, his work, and his community.
Simmavanh’s family began gathering letters from relatives, friends, and community members in February, vouching for his character and contributions to Orrville. They sought to demonstrate why he should be allowed to remain in the town he calls home.
Former Orrville mayor David Handwerk, who taught Simmavanh and his siblings, described him as a positive role model. Simmavanh’s son-in-law, Korbin Sprowls, praised his loyalty and devotion to family, while a friend, Rachel Wallace, warned of the devastation deportation would bring to his wife and children. NBC News obtained more than two dozen such letters describing him as a hardworking mentor and community member.
Simmavanh has worked as a welder for 25 years. On Oct. 28, after 18 years of regular ICE check-ins, he was detained at an appointment, his family said. They argue that his case illustrates how law-abiding individuals contributing to the country can be swept up in aggressive immigration actions.
DHS has said Simmavanh is in the country illegally and has faced removal orders, while his supporters emphasize that the charges stem from a 1999 domestic incident for which he received probation after contested representation. They contend the case is more complex than DHS portrays.
As advocacy continues, Simmavanh’s family and supporters say they are fighting to keep a devoted husband and father in the United States, where he has built a life, a family, and a career.
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and sub-editor covering science and geopolitics.
User wearing the R-HEXSuit. Credit - Dr. Emanuele Pulvirenti
Astronauts lose significant amounts of muscle mass during any prolonged stay in space. Despite spending 2-3 hours a day exercising in an attempt to keep the atrophy at bay, many still struggle with health problems caused by low gravity. A new paper and some further work done by Emanuele Pulvirenti of the University of Bristol’s Soft Robotics Lab and his colleagues, describe a new type of fabric-based exoskeleton that could potentially solve at least some of the musculoskeletal problems astronauts suffer from without dramatically affecting their movement.
Currently, to combat problems such as muscle, strength, and bone density loss, astronauts spend upwards of three hours a day doing exercises, including the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), which attempt to mimic compound weightlifting, and the T2 (COLBERT) Treadmill, which has harnesses that hold the astronaut in place while running on it. Unfortunately, neither of these solutions seem to be consistently effective, with astronauts still experiencing significant strength loss even while using them.
Larger exoskeletons, on the other hand, are typically rather bulky and weigh a significant amount. That might not matter once the suit is actually on the ISS or the Moon, since the lower gravity eliminates a lot of the issues with heavy objects. But, they are also notoriously uncomfortable, making it less likely the astronauts would be able to function normally while wearing them.
Enter the R-HEXSuit. This is a custom designed flexible exosuit intended to be worn underneath clothing. It’s made of textiles combined with Bubble Artificial Muscles (BAMs). These pneumatic artificial muscles have plenty of advantages, including being light, inexpensive, and able to lift up to 1,000 times their weight. The suit they are integrated in is only 1.4kg, and has a unique ability to both provide assisted muscle power and resistance to force the astronauts to use force similar to how they would on Earth when doing everyday tasks.
The suit was designed (and hand sewn) by Dr. Pulvirenti, who apparently got some assistance from his grandmother with the sewing. Artificial muscles, which are composed of an outer nylon layer and an inner thermoplastic layer, can be expanded or contracted as necessary. They are sewn to other fabric components, such as a waistband and knee straps (in the resistive configuration).
To test the assistive version of the suit, the team traveled to the Exterres CRATER facility, which is the largest lunar simulation facility in the southern hemisphere. The suit itself was integrated into a spacesuit, and the researchers watched the biomechanics of test subjects moving about and carrying things on different types of lunar surfaces. The test was part of the “World’s Biggest Analog” mission where over 200 scientists ran lunar-focused missions while operating out of mission control in Austria.
User showing range of motion in the R-HEXSuit. Credit - E. Pulvirenti et al.
Prior to the research work on the assistive version, the resistive version underwent some testing at the Locomotion on Other Planets (L.O.O.P) facility at the University of Milan. There, the test subjects were harnessed to a vertical suspension system to simulate lunar gravity and provided a treadmill, so they could essentially pretend they were walking on the Moon. They found the resistive version of the suit increased the metabolic requirements of walking on the Moon to about what the requirements were for walking on the Earth. They also think that is representative of having the right kind of resistance to eliminate the detriments of the low-gravity environment, though they still need to do a longer-term follow-up story to prove that out fully.
The only downside of the exosuit seems to be its comfort, with users rating it only 3.1 out of 5 on a post-use survey. In particular they seemed unhappy with how the straps over their knees rubbed on their shins. But, according to the authors, that can be improved upon in the next round of design. Also, as of now, the resistive and assistive configurations are separate layouts, and they can’t easily be switched - but again, the authors hope to add that capability soon.
For now this R-HEXSuit is still a long way from being used in space. But its unique, lightweight, and unobtrusive design make it stand out from other potential space-based exoskeletons. If they manage to fix the comfort issues, and especially if they are able to switch from an assistive to resistive configuration, there’s a decent chance that some further evolution of this particular exosuit will see some use in space.
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and sub-editor covering science and geopolitics.
The cycle of rise and decline over the centuries has established some basic tenets of power, including that civilizations can still collapse even when they are set up for success. This lesson is relevant for today’s world, in which short-termism and populism risk derailing what should be a bright future...
Credit: (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)
Every generation believes that it is living in an unprecedented era with unique challenges. But time and again, the same patterns and motivations have weakened and even destroyed civilizations, or strengthened them and enabled them to flourish. To learn from the past requires recognizing its symmetries and resonances.
For example, the rise and decline of powers over the centuries has established some basic tenets. Chief among them is that when a dominant power faces two rivals, the rival that does not enter into conflict with the dominant power is usually the one that triumphs.
In the late 18th century, Great Britain prevailed over the Netherlands (the dominant power of the period), while France, the other contender, who went to war against the Netherlands, never became a superpower. In the early 20th century, the United States prevailed over Great Britain largely because of the wars between the United Kingdom and its other rival, Germany.
Another lesson is that empires collapse when they can no longer afford to finance the security of their hinterlands and trade routes. Spain’s Golden Age came to an end when it could no longer fund the military expenditure required to defend its colonies. Great Britain’s empire depended on naval supremacy that could not be maintained. The Soviet Union fell because it confused greatness with over-armament.
A third lesson is that, even when civilizations are set up for success, they can collapse under the weight of unforced errors. For example, at the start of the 20th century, the West seemed primed for prosperity: with the advent of electrification, the automobile, the telephone, the radio, and air travel, technological progress was accelerating, while the vicious cycle of poverty and war appeared to be broken.
Global trade was booming (particularly between Great Britain and Germany), democracy was advancing (even in Russia, where the 1905 revolution heralded a new era of freedom), and European rulers were on good terms - George V was a first cousin of Wilhelm II and Nicholas I (who were third cousins). And by 1908, an institutional architecture for resolving global conflicts had been designed.
But World War I disrupted this golden age. Inventions designed to liberate mankind became weapons of destruction, and the illusion of progress died in the trenches. For decades, Europe convulsed with war and hatred, unbearable humiliation, and barbaric revenge. Despite the certainty that this time would be different, the continent went up in flames.
The world is experiencing something similar today: We should be on the cusp of a prosperous future. Never has humanity’s potential been so immense. The shift to cleaner power could bring the fossil-fuel era to a close. Scientific breakthroughs could drastically change our lives by curing diseases that have defied treatment, developing a near-limitless source of clean energy, freeing humans from the most arduous tasks, and much more.
Many countries have recognized the importance of addressing climate change and protecting the planet. Millions of hectares – from Kivu to the Amazon – are being reforested. The High Seas Treaty seeks to protect30% of the oceanby 2030. Banks are incorporating biodiversity considerations into their balance sheets. GDP is slowly giving way to other measures that value health, equality, and well-being. The world’s youth are making themselves heard, women are gaining access to decision-making positions, and societies, acutely aware that they face shared challenges, are engaging in dialogue.
And yet, as in the beginning of the 20th century, the worst-case scenario is unfolding. Authoritarianism has become ever more widespread, subverting even the most established democracies. If we are not careful, AI could destroy billions of jobs, power new weapons, and erode cognitive skills. The environment continues to deteriorate, and the climate crisis is deepening, owing to the millions of tons of greenhouse-gas emissions still being released into the atmosphere. Rising sea levels, drying rivers, and failing crops have forced millions of people to migrate. Wars are multiplying around the world, and conflicts over food and water are set to rise.
Most democratic governments are paralyzed, postponing necessary reforms until after the next election. As globalization comes under attack, fear of the other, nostalgia for a nonexistent purity, and disdain for knowledge have resurfaced. This has resulted in division, exclusion, and mistrust – the conditions on which populism thrives. Collective intelligence gives way to individual anger, exactly as occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.
More worryingly, and with no precedent, we face common challenges – climate change, poverty, epidemic risks, and misuse of technology, in particular AI – that affect humanity as such. Saturated with screens and video games, and still obsessed with national rivalry, we forget to think about the global future and allow powerful national interests to dominate policymaking. This is how civilizations die. This is how human civilization may die.
To avert this outcome, we must not forget the lessons of the past. We must understand that it is time to think as one human species and to fight common challenges. We must build on global cooperation and not the geopolitical selfishness of nation-states. The interests of future generations should come first, which implies a new emphasis on altruism. Perhaps one day we will look back at 2025 as the year when humanity could have taken a turn for the worse, but instead, for the first time in centuries, chose life.
