<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5db35543dee0191785521dea-2400/nicole.jpeg" border="0" alt="Nicole Forsgren google devops dora" data-mce-source="Google" data-mce-caption="Dr. Nicole Forsgren, one of the leading experts on DevOps, and a Google researcher and strategist." /></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/google-cloud">Google Cloud</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cybersecurity">cybersecurity</a> company Capsule8 published a new report on cybersecurity and development practices of over 31,000 professionals.</li><li>Within Google Cloud and the tech industry, more developer teams are "shifting left," which means they're incorporating security checks earlier in the process, and fixing issues as they write the code.</li><li>Not only does it make for more secure software, the research says - it also frees up the developer's time, because they don't have to go through at the end and patch up security flaws and vulnerabilities. </li><li>Dr. Nicole Forsgren, who works in research and strategy at Google Cloud, also says that burnout plays a surprisingly large role in cybersecurity: A burnt-out security team makes more mistakes and misses more issues, so it's important to address.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module%3Darticle%26area%3Dsummary&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1572047841448000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHH6AC2GGZOHtGB8RKhW_Rxdw1kpg">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Before, security was the last thing on app developers' minds. </p><p>But increasingly, developers are "shifting left," says Dr. Nicole Forsgren, who works in research and strategy at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cloud-ceo-thomas-kurian-analysts-2019-10">Google Cloud </a>- meaning that developers are thinking about securing their apps much earlier in the process. In other words, developers are starting to test for security requirements and scan for vulnerabilities as they create, not after.</p><p>The term, she says, comes from thinking about the process of software development as a straight line, starting from the left and moving to the right. Traditionally, security starts further down the line, towards the right side. But it's "shifting left," in her terminology, to be closer to the start. </p><p>That philosophy is increasingly on display not only at Google Cloud itself, Forsgren said, but increasingly in the industry at large, as well.</p><p>To prove it, Forsgren points to a report that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thomas-kurian-google-cloud-sales-account-director-2019-9">Google Cloud</a> first published in August, in collaboration with the cybersecurity company Capsule8, with data from over 31,000 professionals worldwide about their security and development practices. </p><h2>Six years of research</h2><p>Forsgren says this report was the culmination of six years of research, starting when she was the founder and CEO of a firm called DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA). Google originally partnered with DORA to better understand the field of DevOps, a philosophy of combining development and operations to deliver more software faster. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cloud-thomas-kurian-salespeople-compensation-oracle-sap-2019-8">Google Cloud</a> acquired DORA in December, bringing some of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cloud-acquires-devops-research-and-assessment-2018-12">top DevOps experts</a> under its umbrella.</p><p>Her research shows that rather than having separate security and developer teams, security needs to be better incorporated into the development process, Forsgren says. "Shifting left" includes creating security-based tests and inviting information security professionals to demonstrations of their software early on.</p><p>"I'm really excited to see how many more organizations, not enough but many of them are starting to integrate security better into the process," Forsgren told Business Insider. "Security is super important. We just don't have enough security professionals. If we can embrace what's happening there, there's fantastic potential."</p><p>The benefit of shifting left is that developers don't have to spend as much time having to fix security bugs once all the code is already close to finished - because they already addressed them earlier. It means being able to get back to coding new features and products, rather than fixing flaws and vulnerability. </p><p>"This whole shifting left is really about reducing costs," Maya Kaczorowski, product manager at Google, told Business Insider. "If I can fix something before it ends up in production, it saves me time if it were to breach. It saves me time figuring out where I was affected. There's a very clear business case to why I want to do this earlier."</p><h2><strong>Thinking with a 'security mindset'</strong></h2><p>What employees can do to improve the development process at their company is to help teach the rest of their organization to think with a "security mindset," says Kelly Shortridge, vice president of product strategy at Capsule8.</p><p>"We should bake security into everything the organization does," Shortridge told Business Insider. "If we keep treating security as this arcane mystical art, we shouldn't be surprised when an organization doesn't embed security into these processes."</p><p>For example, she says, companies should think from the attacker's point of view when securing their software. Most likely, she says, attackers will try to find the easiest and cheapest way to engineer an attack, such as phishing - where an attacker pretends to be a bank, IT manager, or other trusted figure in order to get password and personal info.</p><p>Shortridge predicts that in the future, the industry will see a "dismantling of the traditional security team." She says that rather than having separate security teams that reach out to engineering teams, these teams will join together.</p><p>"One problem security has a lot of the time is there's this notion you're going to meet a perfect state of pure security and sit on a mountain and gaze on it from above and everything will be alright, but that's just a fantasy," Shortridge said.</p><h2><strong>Preventing burnout</strong></h2><p>Improving cybersecurity also has a cultural aspect, Forsgren says. Within <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-jennings-google-cloud-vmware-2019-8">Google Cloud</a>, it's working on improving productivity by improving work-life balance and preventing burnout. </p><p>Her research also shows that burnout plays a surprisingly large role in cybersecurity: A burnt-out developer, or security specialist, makes more mistakes that can lead to more problems down the line. Therefore, her study recommends that security organizations make sure its members practice self-care and otherwise do what they can to take some of the burden of guarding often-critical software off their backs.</p><p>"What it really means is finding this great workflow," Forsgren said. "I'm sure we've seen this. We can get complex tasks done. The opposite is we seem to be busy all day long and you get nothing done."</p><p>This includes making security tools easier to use and making information about security more accessible so that employees can be more productive, Shortridge says. </p><p>One example she's seen is having bots set up on the Slack chat app, which employees can use to ask about security policies, meaning the security team can spend less time answering the same questions over and over. </p><p>She also says employees can burn out from tasks like managing security configurations and maintaining documentation. </p><p>"Overall it's a lot of headaches and that contributes to burnout," Shortridge said. "Anything that can help analysts feel more productive, having to fight fewer fires, feeling less like they have the whole weight of the world on their shoulders can help alleviate burnout, which could be a fantastic thing for the industry."</p>

Google Cloud's study of 31,000 tech pros shows how working smarter and addressing burnout makes for better cybersecurity and higher productivity

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd33287021b4c21f22b3cad-2400/fox-snout bundle and snuffing tube tied with headband.jpg" border="0" alt="Fox snout bundle and snuffing tube tied with headband" data-mce-source="Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles" /><p class="source"><span>Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles</span></p><p class="caption">Archaeologists found a 1,000-year-old shamanic pouch in a cave in southwestern Bolivia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-discover-oldest-human-footprint-in-americas-2019-4">In a cave high</a> in the Bolivian Andes, archaeologists have unearthed a 1,000-year-old shamanic pouch, made of three fox heads stitched together.</li><li>The pouch - which the researchers think belonged to a dead Andean shaman - contained traces of multiple hallucinogenic drugs, including cocaine and the primary ingredients for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-health-effects-brain-and-body-2018-10">ayahuasca, <span>a psychedelic compound generally consumed in tea</span></a><span> that contains the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine, or DMT</span>. </li><li>In a new study, researchers discuss how this pouch contained the<span> largest number of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-active-ingredient-dmt-mimics-near-death-experience-2018-8">psychoactive substances</a> recovered from a single artifact in South America. </span></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.<span></span></li></ul><p><span>Shamans across central and South America have used psychotropic plants to commune with the spirit world for hundreds of years. One of the most common drug concoctions is a</span>yahuasca, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-health-effects-brain-and-body-2018-10"><span>a psychedelic compound generally consumed as tea</span></a><span> that contains the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine, or DMT</span>. </p><p><span>In Quechua, a language of local indigenous groups in South America, ayahuasca means "vine of the dead" or "vine of the soul." DMT gives the user feelings of being separated from the body, encountering mystical or otherworldly beings, having an altered perception of time, feeling peace and joy, and having heightened senses.</span></p><p>Amazonian spiritual leaders were tripping on ayahuasca long before the tea became popular in the US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-active-ingredient-dmt-mimics-near-death-experience-2018-8">over the last several years</a>. But archaeologists weren't sure just how far back in history the tradition went.</p><p>Now, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/04/30/1902174116">in a new study</a> published in<span> the journal </span><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>, archaeologists report what may be the earliest evidence of ayahuasca use in South America. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd45445021b4c3fa966c602-1778/ap18157600913618.jpg" border="0" alt="ayahuasca peru" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Martin Mejia" data-mce-caption="In this May 6, 2018, photo, Italian national Pamela Moronci drinks ayahuasca, monitored by Shaman Pablo Flores, during a session in Nuevo Egipto a remote village in the Peruvian Amazon. &amp;quotThe plant told me I had a problem in my ovaries that I was not aware of, and that is what I am working on now,&quot; she said." /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Martin Mejia</span></p><p class="caption">, Italian national Pamela Moronci drinks ayahuasca, monitored by Shaman Pablo Flores, during a session in Nuevo Egipto a remote village in the Peruvian Amazon on May 6, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In 2010, researchers unearthed a 1,000-year-old pouch made up of three fox heads sewn together in a cave high in the Bolivian Andes. Chemical analysis revealed that the pouch contained traces of multiple hallucinogenic drugs, including cocaine and the primary ingredients for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-health-effects-brain-and-body-2018-10">ayahuasca</a>.</p><p>The study authors said the pouch contained the<span> largest number of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayahuasca-active-ingredient-dmt-mimics-near-death-experience-2018-8">psychoactive substances</a> recovered from a single artifact in South America.</span></p><p><span>According to one of the study's co-authors, José Capriles, the person who owned this pouch was probably a shaman - "a ritual specialist who could intermediate between supernatural deities and the 'real world' by consuming these substances."</span></p><h2>The pouch was likely left in the cave by looters from a rival group</h2><p>The researchers weren't looking for shamanic artifacts originally. Instead, they had wanted to find evidence of early humans colonizing high-altitudes in the Andes. Cueva del Chileno, the cave in which the pouch was found, is located almost 13,000 feet above sea-level in southwestern Bolivia.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd3329d021b4c23705e9c9f-2003/cueva del chileno.jpg" border="0" alt="Cueva del Chileno" data-mce-source="Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles" /><p class="source"><span>Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles</span></p><p class="caption">The pouch was discovered in a cave called Cueva del Chileno in southwestern Bolivia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Capriles said the cave was probably a burial site, and the pouch was part of "a mummy bundle" - a collection of ritual offerings buried with important members of the community. But the archaeologists didn't find any bodies inside the cave, likely because the owner of the pouch's body ran afoul of looters.</p><p>'Mummies had an important political role in these ancient societies when there was conflict between competing polities," Capriles told Business Insider. "Mummy bundles from opposing groups were often desecrated, leading us to believe this bundle was left unintentionally when they were moving the mummy."</p><h2>The bundle contained cocaine and a handful of hallucinogens</h2><div><p>The bundle included the fox-snout pouch, as well as other artifacts like a colorful headband, tiny spatulas carved from llama bone, and a snuff tube decorated with braided human hair.</p><p>The archaeologists used radiocarbon dating to discover that the bundle was around 1,000 years old. Then, the researchers took a sample of the material inside the fox pouch, and identified trace amounts of at least three different plants. </p></div><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd33296021b4c2fa51a3c26-2400/large tablet detail front.jpg" border="0" alt="Large tablet (detail front)" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles" /><p class="source"><span>Images courtesy of Juan Albarracin-Jordan and José Capriles</span></p><p class="caption">One of two tablets found with a 1,000-year-old fox pouch that an Andean shaman may've used to grind psychotropic plants.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The pouch contained two primary ingredients of ayahuasca - dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine - as well as cocaine, bufotenine, and psilocin. The latter two substances are hallucinogenic compounds <a href="https://www.insider.com/magic-mushrooms-initiative-failed-in-denver-2019-5">found in psychedelic mushrooms</a>.</p><p>This isn't the first time archaeologists have found these substances in the fossil record. But it is the first time they've identified so many together.</p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-discover-oldest-human-footprint-in-americas-2019-4" data-analytics-position="7">Scientists have discovered the oldest human footprint ever seen in the Americas</a></em></p><p>"This is important because it suggests that this shaman had knowledge not just of how to use a single plant species, but many of them at once," Capriles said. It always suggests that the shaman who owned the pouch went to great lengths to obtain these items, by either traveling widely across the continent or trading for them, because none of the plants were native to southwestern Bolivia.</p><h2>Shamans used these substances to connect with the spirit world </h2><p><span>"This is the first evidence of ancient South Americans potentially combining different medicinal plants to produce a powerful substance like ayahuasca," study co-author Melanie Miller <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190506151842.htm">said in a press release</a>. The finding is not only proof that its owner was well-connected and well-traveled, but also knowledgeable.  </span><span></span></p><p>"A lot of these plants, if consumed in the wrong dosage, could be very poisonous," Miller added. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cd333b2021b4c22875058c4-2400/gettyimages-103432324.jpg" border="0" alt="andes shaman" data-mce-source="Juana Arias/The Washington Post/Getty" data-mce-caption="Near his home in the high Andes, Don Nazario Turpo blows through coca leaves in order to communicate wtih the spirits of the landscape." /><p class="source"><span>Juana Arias/The Washington Post/Getty</span></p><p class="caption"> Near his home in the high Andes, Don Nazario Turpo blows through coca leaves in order to communicate with the spirits of the landscape. </p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Capriles said that <span>the 1,000-year-old pouch extends our knowledge of how far back in history shamans used these substances to commune with the spirit world, embody spiritual deities, and contact their ancestors.</span></p><p>"In South America, there's been a long tradition of use, and these plants play an important role in people's lives," Capriles said. "Far from engaging with them for entertainment purposes, these plants provided people with the opportunities to interact with more subtle aspects of life."</p>       <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/avengers-infinity-war-thanos-killed-half-all-life-earth-endangered-species-2019-4">There are 7.7 billion humans on Earth today. Here's what would actually happen if Thanos destroyed 50% of all life on the planet.</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/s055Fnq0-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Archaeologists found a 1,000-year-old shaman's pouch in the Andes. It contained multiple hallucinogenic drugs, including cocaine.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a22a5adb5ce94f008b4868-1627/img_5345.jpg" alt="IMG_5345.JPG" data-mce-source="Benny Affonso" /><p class="source"><span>Benny Affonso</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>You might play Pokémon Go for fun, but for 24-year-old Benny Affonso, it's a much, much more serious endeavor.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Affonso, who is one of the top players in Los Angeles at level 33 (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Asmoris/">as Asmoris</a>), recently quit his job to play the game full time.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I stay up till 5 AM playing at night," Affonso tells Business Insider. "I need to go to every event."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Events, and bringing people together, are a key of both what Affonso loves about Pokémon Go, and how it sees a financial path for himself in it.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm extremely poor," Affonso says. "I was a cashier [at a grocery store] before this." Affonso also previously worked as a manager at a Burger King and as part-time painting instructor. He went to school for illustration.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But Affonso thinks Pokémon Go could be his ticket to making money. His plan is to be the equivalent of a club promoter, but for Pokémon Go. "It's so simple!" he exclaims. He will use his status in the game to bring people to events, and businesses will pay him for that, he explains.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He scoffs at businesses that aren't working to lure in Pokémon Go players. "You are missing out on money," he says.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a22a76db5ce92c168b477f-960/13882353_157334821359558_8841240005130736865_n.jpg" alt="Benny Affonso" data-mce-source="Benny Affonso" /><p class="source"><span>Benny Affonso</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Early on in Pokémon Go, players are prompted to join one of three color-coded teams - Team Mystic (Blue), Team Valor (Red), and the least popular of the three, Team Instinct (Yellow).</span></p><p><span>Those teams play into the competitive aspect of Pokémon Go. Players are fighting to take over "Gyms," specially-designated real-life locations. If your team is in control of the Gym, you can help reinforce it by placing your own Pokémon. But if a rival team owns that Gym, you can combine your forces with your teammates to take it down and stake your territory.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This gives Pokémon Go the potential for spontaneous, huge battles that people have to go to in person. Affonso points to an event last week at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, where players from the three Pokémon Go teams competed to see who could hold a "Gym" the longest. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instinct, the team Affonso is a part of, won.</span> </p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a22a9ddb5ce954008b4841-1152/img_5319.jpg" alt="IMG_5319.JPG" data-mce-source="Benny Affonso" /><p class="source"><span>Benny Affonso</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>The underdog</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's no accident that Affonso has chosen Team Instinct, the underdog one, the least-popular. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've never been much of a mainstream person," he says. "I've been an outcast my entire life ... I always go for the least valued." <span>Affonso</span> identifies with the oft-mocked yellow team. But it's not just that. He also loves the challenge of having to work harder to win, he says.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the tournament in Los Angeles, he said he was giving out his advice to his team about how to work around the various software bugs that have plagued Pokémon Go. "That's how we win," he says. "Information."</span></p><h2><strong>His day</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Affonso spends most of his day roaming around playing Pokémon Go, chatting with other players. They often come up to him because he dresses up as a Pokémon trainer when he goes out.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've made so many friends," he says. The social aspect of the game is what <span>Affonso</span> loves, and it's also where he sees his financial future. He doesn't care about catching them all, like Brooklyn's Nick Johnson, who is currently on a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nik-johnson-gets-worldwide-trip-to-catch-pokemon-2016-7">sponsored trip around the world</a> in pursuit of that dream.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here's why <span>Affonso loves the game: </span>"There's this sense of discovery, beating the odds, making friends, leveling up to get stronger," he says effervescently. "Real life just can't emulate."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But <span>Affonso hopes his success in <span>Pokémon Go can translate into real life - at least with regards to money. There will be players who make loads of cash off of the game, the leaders, he maintains. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span><span>He wants one of them to be him.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a22b39db5ce91c008b4832-1244/img_5352.jpg" alt="IMG_5352.JPG" data-mce-source="Benny Affonso" /><p class="source"><span>Benny Affonso</span></p><p class="caption">One of Affonso's illustrations.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pokemon-go-knockoff-china-city-spirit-go-2016-7">This 'Pokémon GO' knockoff is the most downloaded game in China right now</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1rYXVxNDE6zoy44wTf31vHUOJS_fAJoT" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1rYXVxNDE6zoy44wTf31vHUOJS_fAJoT',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This guy quit his job to play Pokemon Go full time, and he has big plans for how to make money off it

<ul><li>Ahead of our <keyword id="28240" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Independence-day">Independence Day</keyword>, we spoke to experts about what <keyword id="247986" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brand-India">Brand India</keyword> stands for today, how it has evolved the years, and what would a pitch for Brand India look like today.</li><li>We try to answer a few of these questions with <keyword id="356571" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ambi-Parameswaran">Ambi Parameswaran</keyword>, Founder, Brand-Building.com, <keyword id="3194505" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prabhakar-Mundkur">Prabhakar Mundkur</keyword>, Brand Advisor and Mentor, <keyword id="244384" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lloyd-Mathias">Lloyd Mathias</keyword>, Business Strategist &amp; Angel Investor and the former Asia-Pacific Marketing Head of HP Inc, <keyword id="175362" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harish-Bijoor">Harish Bijoor</keyword>, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc and <keyword id="247533" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthik-Srinivasan">Karthik Srinivasan</keyword>, Brand Consultant and Social Media Expert.</li></ul><br />On the occasion of our 74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day, we thought of sitting back and reflecting how far we have come as a nation in the last 74 years. A lot of work has gone behind building Brand India over the years into what it stands for today.<br /><br /> However, the year 2020 has brought with it massive changes, not just in India but across the world. The pandemic has perhaps changed how we live our lives forever. The business landscape is changing too.<br /><br /> For years now, our country’s population has made us a rather attractive market for many global players, with most of the biggest global brands trying to make inroads into India. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent clarion call for becoming ‘Vocal for Local’, has brought about a wave of enthusiasm to adopt local brands. And things are changing slowly.<br /><br /> The ban on Chinese apps have further also given rise to numerous Indian players coming into the picture and wooing consumers with their innovative, differentiated offerings.<br /><br /> So when we talk about the image of India as a brand, it is safe to say that it is ever-evolving. However, in our attempt to dive a little deeper and decode what Brand India stands for today, we caught up with some experts from the industry. They helped define Brand India for us, told us how it has evolved over the years and told where we stand in the global scheme of things, while also giving us a pitch for Brand India. <br /><br />        <div type="image" title="Ambi" msid="77526854" hostid="261"></div><br /> <b>Ambi Parameswaran, Founder, Brand-Building.com</b><br /><br /> Brand India has traversed a vast terrain in the last 74 years. From the days when the Western world gave us a few years to come apart at the seams, to becoming a basket case, economically, today we are the world’s largest functioning democracy. We have our problems and have not achieved a China-like miraculous rejuvenation, but we are not a country going out looking for aid. <br /><br /> Brand India has emerged into a brand that stands for a number of things in the minds of the global citizens. On the one hand it is seen as the originator of Meditation, Yoga and nature-based cures. On the other end, we are seen as world leaders in Information Technology services. Our hospitality industry is widely recognized as among the best in the world. <br /><br /> But there are pieces missing in all this. We are a poor country. While millions have been pulled out of severe poverty, almost 25% of Indian households live below the poverty line. <br /><br /> Is GDP a good enough measure or should we look at a different measure? While arguments may rage over that question, we cannot have a large percentage of our population going hungry, without education, without healthcare, without a proper roof over their heads. So there is a lot of work to be done.<br /><br /> Brand India, which was once set to become a global disappointment, is no longer in that corner. The world is wanting Brand India to come out shining. It is up to us to rise to this challenge and become a kind, spiritual, democratic world economic power. <br /><br /> Happy Independence Day!<br /><br />        <div type="image" title="Prabhakar." msid="77526858" hostid="261"></div><br /><b>Prabhakar Mundkur, Brand Advisor and Mentor </b><br /><br />I think we have evolved from a colonial state into a country of our own.<br /><br />But over the years we have not come to mean one thing or a few things to people around the world. Yes of course mystics, spirituality, yoga, elephants, cows, ancient civilisation, world’s largest democracy and land of diversity all seem to stay with us.<br /><br />But as a country we need to mean much more. I remember in the old days we always associated ruggedness and quality with German products. We associated quality with British and American products and so on.<br /><br />When Japan first made an entry into the world market, we associated them with cheaper products. I bought my first National Panasonic two-in-one because it was cheaper than the rest. Some people told me it would work fine but wouldn’t last very long. I was OK with that. But it didn’t take them long to overcome that reputation. Most Japanese products I have bought last me longer than anything else. I know people who finally sell their Toyota Corolla after a good 10 years because they are almost disgusted that it won’t stop.<br /><br />Or the famous triad London-Paris-New York became the epitome of fashion.<br /><br />When China entered the world economy, they were in the same situation as Japan in the 70s. Cheap products. But again, China overcame that long ago. I look at my Apple charger in my MacBook Pro and see that it says it is produced in China. And I wonder why I still can’t fit an Indian 3 pin plug into my wall socket without holding it up with matchsticks or some other packing. I wish we made plugs that would fit perfectly. Again, China is just the world’s supply hub for everything. And they can make batteries but they can make Boeings as well.<br /><br />In this context I would like India to mean something. I know that we are known for software but I am disappointed that we are known to be the cheaper software engineers around the world (code coolies) who are capable of working long hours. I also often wonder why the software that Indian engineers are producing is making the developing countries more developed. Why is that technology not available in India?<br /><br />India needs to be a value-added manufacturer of goods and services in the world economy. It’s not the samething as being an exporter. An exporter rarely dominates the world market.<br /><br />We have the chance to be the world’s supply hub. We have an advantage of being democratic, trustworthy and honest.<br /><br />But let us please leave our pride of <em>jugaad</em> behind. It’s only a low-cost ingenious solution that can work in India and nowhere else in the world.<br /><br />        <div type="image" title="Lloyd" msid="77526869" hostid="261"></div><br /> <b>Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist &amp; Angel Investor and the former Asia-Pacific Marketing Head of HP Inc. </b><br /><br /> As India enters into its 74th year as a free nation, it’s interesting to look at how we’re perceived by the world and where we clearly need to get to.As far as perceptions go, while we’ve dusted off the colonial legacy of maharajah’s and elephants, we’re still steeped into tradition, and seen as a nation that takes two steps back for every step forward.<br /><br /> While nations younger than us have moved ahead and given their citizens a better livelihood, we still find ourselves battling age old disputes, debating reservations, struggling to get basics right – education and healthcare for all; clean drinking water and functional infrastructure.<br /><br /> A word-cloud of business related attributes on India would have terms like | poor infrastructure | dysfunctional legal system | unresponsive bureaucracy | corrupt policy makers | archaic labour laws |in short a difficult environment for business. <br /><br /> On the positive side, India remains the world’s most vibrant – if sometimes floundering – democracy, with diversity that would make most continents seem homogeneous, in comparison. It’s vast and growing middle class and dramatic growth of the internet and digital services, offers a world of opportunity that Jio platforms cleverly used to woo global tech majors and some of the world’s premier funds.<br /><br /> Then of course, we have the shining stars that still make India so alluring – Yoga, Bollywood; world class management talent; tech and software geeks running the world’s back end; an emerging hub for startups; a deep culture of service and the ability to get the impossible done surmounting the odds.<br /><br /> Going forward we need brand India to build a strong culture of trust and reliability; speed, efficiency and quality, while still keeping our multicultural ethos.The lumbering elephant needs to trot… The world is waiting.<br /><br /><strong>        <div type="image" title="harish bijoor 1" msid="77526874" hostid="261"></div><br />Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.</strong><br /><br />From a state of food shortage, to one of disease and death (a very high rate of infant mortality included), a very low level of literacy and a very deep degree of poverty, Brand India has traversed many, many miles. And yes, there are ‘miles to go before we sleep’ for sure!<br /><br />India today is a robust brand in the roster of nations. Our second largest population number makes us a market for many from every nation. Additionally, higher prosperity indices make for a robust domestic consumption market itself. A strong government at the centre, a host of very positive reforms that relate to health and education in particular will lead us to the dreams that India aspires for. It is clear that India does not lack for positive policy initiatives. If at all there is a lack and lag, it is in the implementation.<br /><br />As India evolves, we need to tackle the key issue of jobs for all. And that is the only red flag for now in our brand progress.<br /><br />Brand India today represents numbers for a start. The 1.3 billion plus population number is a number no nation can ignore. The important aspect of Brand India is the fact that we are a vibrant and strong democracy. A democracy that fought for its freedom, went through early tumult of a nation in the making, and has emerged over the years as a strong force to contend with. A strong democratic force.<br /><br />The diversity of India is its other appeal. A diversity woven into a seamless unity under the nation and its positive governance structure. Yes there are differences and noises of dissent and fight of every kind, and that is indeed the true nature of India. Each and every voice of dissent is a positive voice that seeks the same goal: a strong, mature and prosperous India. That indeed is the beauty I see in the political dissent we witness today. No one is right and no one is wrong right now. Time, debate and dissent will cobble together the future for this great land of ours. That's the beauty of brand India for me.<br /><br />        <div type="image" title="Karthik sri 4_3" msid="77526877" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>Karthik Srinivasan, Brand Consultant and Social Media Expert<br /></strong><br />The pitching of Brand India depends on who it is being pitched to. For instance, if it is being pitched to voters in India, the narrative would be very different, compared to Brand India being pitched to overseas investors.<br /><br />If it were a generic pitch to no specific group in particular, I'd perhaps pitch Brand India in the following manner:<br /><br />India is all about largeness.<br />Largeness in emotions<br />Largeness in meaning<br />Largeness in faith<br />Largeness in consumption<br />Largeness in giving<br />Largeness in living<br /><br />There is good and bad in the largeness - it denotes excesses, history (largeness in time), population, loudness among others. But that unique combination makes it larger than the sum of its parts.<br /><br />India is greater than the sum of its parts.<br /><br />

Decoding ‘Brand India’

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57ffdccf52dd731a008b4bac-1214/tilda-swinton-ancient-one-doctor-strange.jpg" alt="tilda swinton ancient one doctor strange" data-mce-source="Disney" /><p class="source"><span>Disney</span></p><p class="caption">Tilda Swinton plays The Ancient One in "Doctor Strange."</p></div><p></p></div></div>Marvel's newest movie "Doctor Strange" has been accused of whitewashing the plot by changing the character of The Ancient One from Tibetan to Celtic. It's true that this is <a href="http://variety.com/2016/film/news/doctor-strange-whitewashing-ancient-one-tilda-swinton-manaa-1201908555/"><span>another missed opportunity to have a major Asian character</span></a> in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's also true that the movie goes out of its way to avoid racism and to appeal to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hollywood-movies-in-china-2016-10">the giant Chinese box office</a>.</p><p>About The Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, screenwriter C. Robert Cargill explained that the filmmakers were <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Blunt-Yet-Difficult-Reason-Doctor-Strange-Ancient-One-Isn-t-Asian-126937.html"><span>trying to avoid stereotypes and political controversy</span></a>:</p><blockquote><p>"The Ancient One was a racist stereotype who comes from a region of the world that is in a very weird political place. He originates from Tibet. So if you acknowledge that Tibet is a place and that he's Tibetan, <strong>you risk alienating one billion people … and risk the Chinese government going, 'Hey, you know one of the biggest film-watching countries in the world? We're not going to show your movie because you decided to get political.</strong>"</p></blockquote><p>Sure, some people won't buy that argument. Marvel could have, say, modernized the Ancient One while keeping the character Asian. It could have made the character Nepalese, which is where she is based in the movie. Still, you have to give Marvel some credit for swapping a racist stereotype for a new female character, and it's slightly weird to think of it simply as whitewashing when it was done in part to appeal to China. </p><p>Many other elements appear to be pro-China, too.</p><ul><li>Doctor Strange's servant in the comics, Wong, is reimagined as a master of the mystics arts in his own right - and there's a joke in the movie in which he makes clear that he doesn't work for Strange. Wong is played by the ethnically Chinese actor Benedict Wong.</li></ul><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5820c021691e882c4e8b46a9-1200/doctor-strange-benedict-wong-as-wong.jpg" alt="Doctor Strange Benedict Wong as Wong" data-mce-source="&amp;quotDoctor Strange&quot;" /><p class="source"><span>"Doctor Strange"</span></p><p class="caption">Benedict Wong plays Wong in "Doctor Strange."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li>"Doctor Strange" repeatedly emphasizes the idea that Eastern medicine can do things that go beyond Western medicine.</li><li>The movie features a major, climactic set piece in Hong Kong.</li><li>It <a href="http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/marvel-s-doctor-strange-drives-a-lamborghini-a-chinese-smartphone/306618/">uses a Chinese smartphone</a>, <span style="color: #222222;">from Huawei's Honor subbrand.</span></li><li>Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange, is <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/benedict-cumberbatchs-sherlock-holmes-huge-china-despite-being-banned-1449044">hugely popular in China</a><span style="color: #222222;"> through his BBC show "Sherlock." We're not saying Marvel cast Cumberbatch as a ploy to win over China, but we bet this fact came up, and certainly didn't hurt.</span></li><li>"Doctor Strange" debuted in China - not an unusual thing for Marvel movies, which <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-Marvel-Opens-Its-Superhero-Movies-Overseas-First-71409.html">often open overseas first</a><span style="color: #222222;">, but still worth noting.</span></li></ul><p>"Doctor Strange" had a strong opening weekend, taking in <a href="http://deadline.com/2016/11/doctor-strange-marvel-trolls-china-benedict-cumberbatch-overseas-results-international-box-office-weekend-1201849687/"><span>$325 million globally</span></a>. It was particularly strong in China at $44 million, the highest take for a new superhero franchise there and the third-highest Marvel opening after "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War."</p><p>China, which could have <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-25/china-could-beat-hollywood-by-2017"><span>the world's biggest box office by 2017</span></a>, limits distribution of foreign films to as few as 34 annually. Beijing considers aspects like local filming and China-friendly themes when deciding which movies get distribution. As such, tentpole movies with built-in appeal to China is becoming commonplace in Hollywood.</p><p>In trailers shown before a New York showing of "Doctor Strange," this reporter noticed a lot of movies that might appeal to China. "XXX: The Return of Xander Cage" opens with a shot of Hong Kong and features Chinese star Donnie Yen. "Star Wars: Rogue One" also features Yen as well as China's Jiang Wen. "Great Wall" is a Chinese historical action movie featuring Matt Damon.</p><p class="tagline">This is an editorial. The opinions and conclusions expressed above are those of the author.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/final-wolverine-movie-trailer-hugh-jackman-marvel-2016-10">Watch the new gritty trailer for the final 'Wolverine' movie starring Hugh Jackman </a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tqajl2NjE6jA0tAHbA0bZdwSa8o3eKs4" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'tqajl2NjE6jA0tAHbA0bZdwSa8o3eKs4',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Forget whitewashing: 'Doctor Strange' goes out of its way to appeal to China

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b02fe3dbef425008b5d77-1500/gettyimages-56220218.jpg" alt="Plymouth Plimoth Pilgrims Thanksgiving musket" data-mce-source="Joe Raedle / Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Joe Raedle / Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Peace between the English and the Wampanoag fell apart within a generation.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>• Most American schoolchildren grow up with the story of how the English pilgrims and Native Americans came together for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth.</strong></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>• In reality, peace didn't last between the English settlers and their one-time Wampanoag allies.</strong></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>• The two became embroiled in a devastating war just a generation after the famous feast.</strong></p><hr /><p><br />In the US, Thanksgiving is a time for family, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-photos-performers-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">parades</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-thanksgiving-pies-ranked-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lots</a> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/slow-cooker-thanksgiving-ideas-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">delicious</a> food, and, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/holiday-travel-best-time-book-cheap-flights-2017-2017-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oftentimes</a>, intense <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-and-best-days-to-travel-thanksgiving-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">travel</a> snarls.</p><p>American schoolchildren are usually taught the tradition dates back to the pilgrims, English religious dissenters who helped to establish the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts. As the story goes, friendly local Native Americans swooped in to teach the struggling colonists how to survive.</p><p>Then everyone got together to celebrate with a feast in 1621. Attendees included at least 90 men from the Wampanoag tribe and the 50 or so surviving Mayflower passengers, <a href="http://time.com/4577425/thanksgiving-2016-true-story/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to TIME</a>. The bash lasted three days and featured a menu including deer, fowl, and corn, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-was-on-the-menu-at-the-first-thanksgiving-511554/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to Smithsonian Magazine</a>.</p><p>In reality, Thanksgiving feasts predate Plymouth. You'll even find a number of localities have vied to claim the first Thanksgiving for themselves.</p><p>Settlers in Berkeley Hundred in Virginia decided to celebrate their arrival with an annual Thanksgiving back in 1619, <a href="https://pilotonline.com/news/local/history/jamestown-can-t-get-any-thanksgiving-respect/article_89c25d4f-304c-593a-afb9-befb782120d8.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to The Virginian-Pilot</a> - although <a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/11/18/the-first-thanksgiving-took-place-in-virginia-not-massachusetts/">The Washingtonian</a> reported the meal was probably little more than some oysters and ham thrown together. And decades before that, Spanish settlers and members of the Seloy tribe broke bread with salted pork, garbanzo beans, and a Mass in 1565 Florida, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/casa/planyourvisit/upload/Thanksgiving.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to the National Parks Service</a>.</p><p>Our modern definition of Thanksgiving revolves around eating turkey, but in past centuries it was more of an occasion for religious observance. The storied 1621 Plymouth festivities live on in popular memory, but the pilgrims themselves would have likely considered their sober 1623 day of prayer the first true "Thanksgiving," <a href="http://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-first-thanksgiving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to the blog the History of Massachusetts</a>. <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-true-story-of-thanksg_b_788436.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Others pinpoint 1637</a> as the true origin of Thanksgiving, owing to the fact Massachusetts colony governor John Winthrop declared a day of thanks-giving to celebrate colonial soldiers who had just <a href="https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/native-history-its-memorial-dayin-1637-the-pequot-massacre-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slaughtered 700 Pequot men, women, and children</a> in what is now Mystic, Connecticut.</p><p>Either way, the popular telling of the first Thanksgiving is what lived on, <a href="http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">thanks to Abraham Lincoln</a>.</p><p>The enduring holiday has also nearly erased from our collective memory what happened between the Wampanoag and the English a generation later.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b4cf13dbef471018b5f4a-1123/thanksgiving-brownscombe.jpg" alt="Thanksgiving pilgrims" data-mce-source="Wikimedia Commons" data-link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony#/media/File:Thanksgiving-Brownscombe.jpg" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony#/media/File:Thanksgiving-Brownscombe.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span></p><p class="caption">Our popular understanding of the history of Thanksgiving is flawed.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Massosoit, the sachem or paramount chief of the Wampanoag, proved to be a crucial ally to the English settlers in the years following the establishment of Plymouth. He set up an exclusive trade pact with the newcomers, and allied with them against the French and other local tribes like the Narragansetts and Massachusetts.</p><p>However, the alliance became strained overtime.</p><p>Thousands of English colonists poured into the region throughout the 17th century. According to "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Historic-Contact-Northeastern-Eighteenth-Contributions/dp/0806127007" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Historic Contact: Indian People and Colonists in Today's Northeastern United States</a>," authorities in Plymouth began asserting control over "most aspects of Wampanoag life," as settlers increasingly ate up more land. <a href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/american-indians/timeline-terms/epidemic-among-american-indians-new-england" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History</a> estimated disease had already reduced the Native American population in New England by as much as 90% from 1616 to 1619, and indigenous people continued to die from what the colonists called "Indian fever."</p><p>By the time Massasoit's son Metacomet - known to the English as "King Philip" - inherited leadership, relations had frayed. King Phillip's War was sparked when several of Metacomet's men were executed for the murder of Punkapoag interpreter and Christian convert John Sassamon.</p><p>Wampanoag warriors responded by embarking on a series of raids, and the New England Confederation of Colonies declared war in 1675. The initially neutral Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was ultimately dragged into the fighting, as were other nearby tribes like the Narragansetts.</p><p>The war was bloody and devastating.</p><p>Springfield, Massachusetts was <a href="http://ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu/firstpeoples/King%20Philips%20War.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">burned to the ground</a>. The Wampanoag abducted colonists for ransom. English forces attacked the Narragansetts on a bitter, frozen swamp for harboring fleeing Wampanoag. Six hundred Narragansetts were killed, and the tribe's winter stores were ruined, <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/great-swamp-fight-monument" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to Atlas Obscura</a>. Colonists in far flung settlements relocated to more fortified areas while the Wampanoag and allied tribes were forced to flee their villages.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b4c393dbef482008b5ea6-960/greatswampfightmonument2013.jpg" alt="Great Swamp Fight Monument" data-mce-source="Wikimedia Commons" data-link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Swamp_Fight#/media/File:Great_Swamp_Fight_Monument_2013.jpg" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Swamp_Fight#/media/File:Great_Swamp_Fight_Monument_2013.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span></p><p class="caption">A memorial to the Great Swamp Fight  between the colonial militia and the Narragansett tribe.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The colonists ultimately allied with several tribes like the Mohigans and Pequots, despite initial reluctance from the Plymouth leadership.</p><p>Meanwhile, Metacomet was dealt a staggering blow when he crossed over into New York to recruit allies. Instead, he was rebuffed and attacked by Mohawks. Upon his return to his ancestral home at Mount Hope, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Metacom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he was shot and killed in a final battle</a>. The son of the man who had sustained and celebrated with the Plymouth Colony was then beheaded and dismembered, according to "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Rhode-Island/dp/0762769742" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It Happened in Rhode Island</a>." His remaining allies were killed or sold into slavery in the West Indies. The colonists impaled "King Phillip's" head on a spike and displayed it in Plymouth for 25 years.</p><p><a href="http://www.wsc.mass.edu/mhj/pdfs/Weltering%20in%20their%20Own%20Blood%20Puritan%20Casualties.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In an article published in The Historical Journal of Massachusetts</a>, Montclair State University professor Robert E. Cray Jr. said the war's ultimate death toll could have been as high as 30% of the English population and half of the Native Americans in New England.</p><p>The war was just one of a series of brutal but dimly remembered early colonial wars between Native Americans and colonists that occurred in New England, New York, and Virginia.</p><p>Popular memory has largely clung to the innocuous image of a harvest celebration, while ignoring the deadly forces that would ultimately drive apart the descendants of the guests of that very feast.</p><p>Modern day Thanksgiving may be a celebration of people coming together, but that's not the whole story when it comes to the history of the day.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/psychology-trick-curb-appetite-lose-weight-2016-8">A Harvard psychologist reveals the secret to curbing your appetite this Thanksgiving</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/tPpuq4pE-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The true story behind Thanksgiving is a bloody struggle that decimated the population and ended with a head on a stick

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5783b3ca88e4a78c148b7059-560/pokemon-go-trailer.jpg" alt="pokemon go trailer" data-mce-source="Pokemon GO"><p class="source"><span>Pokemon GO</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>In just a few days,&#xa0;<span>Pokémon</span> Go has become a smash hit. Now, it's impacting all aspects of players' lives - including where they eat. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Social media reports reveal that&#xa0;<span>Pokémon</span> Go players are making their restaurant choices based on the availability of Pokémon in the area. And, restaurants are using that fact to attract customers.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The game, which launched last week, requires users to go to specific sites to "catch" </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pokémon. These sites can be anywhere from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pokemon-go-weird-ridiculous-places-2016-7">hospitals, to abandoned hot dogs stands, to a vast array of restaurants.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If&#xa0;<span>Pokémon</span><span> Go reveals that a restaurant has&#xa0;certain&#xa0;<span>Pokémon, it provides an incentive for customer to visit:&#xa0;</span></span></span></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>When you pick which restaurant you want to eat at just so you can be near a Lure Module ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PokemonGO?src=hash">#PokemonGO</a> <a href="https://t.co/NrN20fiaIa">pic.twitter.com/NrN20fiaIa</a></p>- Mr. Syndicate  (@ProSyndicate) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752224464452984832">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Pokemon GO is forcing me to change my restaurant habits. Pokemon GO is a force of nature...</p>- Artsy Omni GO  (@artsyomni) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752239875974373377">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>(Date):<br>Her: how about this restaurant?<br>Me: (checks Pokemon Go) how about the one like half a block from here?</br></br></p>- gavisaurus  (@GavinWJV) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/751291465725161472">July 8, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>WIFE: Want to get dinner at that restaurant?<br>ME: (Trying to play it cool even though I know there will be tons of Pokemon there) Yeah. Maybe</br></p>- Freddie Campion  (@FreddieCampion) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752479269415219200">July 11, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some customers are reportedly even complaining when a restaurant </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">doesn't </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have Pokémon - or, the right type of Pokémon.</span></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A customer complained that there's nothing but Weedles in our restaurant. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sorry?src=hash">#sorry</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pokemongo?src=hash">#pokemongo</a></p>- Gene Werley  (@BasedGene) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752295198789660672">July 11, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>We actually got a review complaining that there was no Pokemon in the restaurant</p>- ?Erica?  (@ericaaaburt) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752341603826606081">July 11, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>At this point, it seems like a wise business move for restaurants to begin to cash in on the success of Pokémon Go, as the game seems to be&#xa0;driving customer visits and sales.</p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Had an interesting chat at a bar/restaurant sitting between two Pokestops how their business increased by 10% since Pokemon GO came out.</p>- Sarah Anne Williams  (@SarahAnneWillia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752291887352950785">July 11, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Just told the owner of this restaurant that his place is a PokeStop. At first he was confused, then he became very excited. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PokemonGO?src=hash">#PokemonGO</a></p>- Miles Luna  (@TheMilesLuna) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/751835956987125760">July 9, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>Some players are advising restaurants to take matters into their own hands, using lures (purchasable items that attract&#xa0;<span>Pokémon) to lure in customers.&#xa0;</span></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If you run a bar/restaurant and aren't spending $10/day on lures and advertising the fact what are you even thinking. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PokemonGO?src=hash">#PokemonGO</a></p>- Eric Neustadter (e)  (@thevowel) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752281309259505664">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>At least one restaurant has already done just that.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tanghui, a high-end Chinese restaurant in Sydney, Australia, announced on Monday that the restaurant would be activating a Lure Model daily at lunch and dinner times, starting on Tuesday. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be alert with the time so that you will not miss out the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pokémon</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that you are searching for!" the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post announcing the plan. </span></p><p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTanghuiSydney%2Fposts%2F1711519435774228&amp;width=500" width="500" height="752" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smokedallas/photos/a.333751343588.153105.236033283588/10153760518478589/?type=3">A</a></span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bolsadallas/posts/1060368654011347"><span style="font-weight: 400;">number</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/treebeardsrestaurant/photos/a.139260849425252.22802.134276393257031/1437411736276817/?type=3">of</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wyomissingFamilyRestaurant/posts/886805348113330">restaurants</a> with Pokestops or Pokémon gyms nearby have taken to social media to share the news with potential customers. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If you didn't know, The Fat Grass is a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pokémon gym, so come try your luck!" a Bay City, Texas restaurant and bar posted</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fatgrassrestaurantandbar/photos/a.179923828713198.34550.179891892049725/1090734807632091/?type=3"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on its Facebook page on Saturday. </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Pledge allegiance to your team with Valor, Mystic, and Instinct inspired kamikaze shots for $2!"</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Others are offering discounts to players, such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1084708088289819/permalink/1085262694901025/">CitySen Lounge</a> in Grand Rapids, Michigan. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Major restaurant chains, such as Applebee's, have taken to social media to retweet&#xa0;&#xa0;customers catching Pokémon on the premises.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Catching Pokemon while at Applebee's <a href="https://twitter.com/PokemonGoNews">@PokemonGoNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/tYN1FOqMp8">pic.twitter.com/tYN1FOqMp8</a></p>- Jayson casillas  (@casillas_jayson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/751090740986519553">July 7, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></span></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Applebee's is lit with Pokemon <a href="https://t.co/Md5w3lgtFC">pic.twitter.com/Md5w3lgtFC</a></p>- Jessie Ziegemeier  (@jesszigg) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/752233220498939904">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>Pokémon</span> Go may be a new game, but conveniently-located restaurants - and those that are willing to lure in customers with lures - are already reaping the rewards of learning how to play. At this point, it seems inevitable that more restaurants will jump on the bandwagon, as customer demands for Pokémon grows. </span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chipotle-chorizo-review-new-menu-item-burrito-bowl-2016-7">We tried Chipotle's newest menu item, which will be available nationwide later this year</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ppZWdpNDE6abCZBT-PpS4m8Lsk7yx6Ex" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'ppZWdpNDE6abCZBT-PpS4m8Lsk7yx6Ex',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

People are starting to make their restaurant choices based on Pokemon Go

<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/556740766bb3f76e630b4887-1200-706/marvel-whisperer-new-car-for-stark_.jpg" border="0" alt="tony stark iron man"><p class="source"><span>Marvel</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Robert Downey, Jr., is not only the most important character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with an unmatched five leading parts and pivotal roles throughout.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He's also the most interesting character</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, due to inherent aspects of his story, choices by the filmmakers, and Downey's complex portrayal.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">While other characters appear static - Steve Rogers is heroic before and after becoming Captain America; Bruce Banner is a loner before and after becoming the Hulk; Thor is a bro god from beginning to end; Natasha Romanoff's dark past is only alluded to; Clint Barton is grounded whenever he's not being mind-controlled - Stark is ever dynamic.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Stark's centrality has been helpful, offering a popular human element to tie everything together. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">At the same time, it poses a risk: Downey is </span><a href="http://screencrush.com/marvel-stars-contract-status/">under contract for only two more movies</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, and he reportedly demanded a fortune for his last extension. </span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1">We've highlighted his character evolution below, with some spoilers.</span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>At the start of "Iron Man," Tony Stark is a selfish genius weapon maker.</strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670e0969beddb1470e11f7-1200-600/tony-stark-robert-downey-jr-jericho-missile-iron-man-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Tony Stark Robert Downey Jr Jericho Missile Iron Man 1"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>In a time of crisis, he makes something that can truly help the world.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670f916da811807f9cfd90-1200-706/maxresdefault-1-3.jpg" border="0" alt="tony stark iron man"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></strong></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong> </strong></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>Stark shows valor as he keeps his creation away from dark forces. He signifies his transformation when he announces, "I am Iron Man."</strong></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670c436bb3f7cd140b4887-1200-500/tony-stark-i-am-iron-man.jpg" border="0" alt="Tony stark i am iron man"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><br /></span></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">But this heroic transformation leaves him cockier than ever, as seen in "Iron Man 2."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/556729ceecad0461140e11f6-1200-600/tony-stark-stark-expo.jpg" border="0" alt="tony stark stark expo"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man 2"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1"> </span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">He gets humbled: first, by a rival engineer; second, the possibility of death; third, his own embarrassing behavior; fourth, the revelation of his father's secret accomplishments.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670c9aeab8ea25580b488b-1200-500/iron_man_2_movie_image-11-1.jpg" border="0" alt="iron_man_2_movie_image 11 1"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man 2"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1"><br>Stark completes his transformation into a selfless hero when he sacrifices himself to save the world in "Avengers."</br></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670ce96da81184639cfd93-1200-706/maxresdefault-58.jpg" border="0" alt="tony stark iron man sacrifice"><p class="source"><span>"The Avengers"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><br /></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>When he survives the sacrifice, Stark's selflessness becomes an obsession. He can't </strong><strong>stop working, building iteration upon iteration of Iron Man, while his personal relationships suffer in "Iron Man 3."</strong></span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55670dbdeab8ea22650b4885-1200-500/robert-downey-jr-as-tony-stark-in-iron-man.jpg" border="0" alt="robert downey jr as tony stark in iron man" style="line-height: 1.5em;"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man 3"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong> </strong></span></p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>When forced to save the day without his suits, however, he finally realizes that he, not the suit, is the hero. It now has new meaning when he says, "I am Iron Man."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55672d31ecad04d22b0e11fb-848-342/i-am-iron-ma.jpg" border="0" alt="iron man 3 tony stark"><p class="source"><span>"Iron Man 3"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></strong></span></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1"> </span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">Stark, an engineer unleashed, focuses on his biggest project, an artificial intelligence capable of saving earth from a threat only he understands in "Avengers: Age of Ultron."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55672e6c6da81158609cfd90-800-333/tonystark.jpg" border="0" alt="Tony Stark"><p class="source"><span>"Avengers: Age of Ultron"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1"> </span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">Has Stark caused more harm then good? An intelligent robot he unleashed, Ultron, tries to destroy the Avengers with the help of two super-powered siblings whose village was destroyed by Stark weapons.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55673154ecad042c500e11f4-970-545/ultron-970x545.jpg" border="0" alt="ultron"><p class="source"><span>"Avengers: Age of Ultron"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1"> </span></strong></p><p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">Stark sticks to his guts and helps create an android, Vision, who saves the world and becomes mankind's best hope for the future. Stark is not "worthy" to lift Thor's mystical hammer, but he has created someone who is.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5567321669bedd65380e11f6-1200-500/the-vision.jpg" border="0" alt="the vision"><p class="source"><span>"Avengers: Age of Ultron"</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><br /></span></strong></p><p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Downey may be under contract for only two more movies, but Marvel will certainly get a lot out of him. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Next year's "Captain America: Civil War" will feature Stark as an anti-hero in another promising transformation.</span></p><p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The clues are in Ultron about where we might find him next," Downey told </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=2014">Empire</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. "But what would it take for Tony to completely turn around everything he's stood for?"</span></p><p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Then we'll have the two-part climax of the Avengers, and you can bet Stark will play a central role.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roar-filmed-with-100-untamed-lions-movie-injured-2015-4">70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Nzc3hmdDr4a5heo3T-j-WFkV1wYM_fEN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'Nzc3hmdDr4a5heo3T-j-WFkV1wYM_fEN',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Tony Stark's evolution is the defining arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58c04c6d6e20041a008b4c01-2400/undefined" alt="iron fist" data-mce-source="Myles Aronowitz/Netflix"><p class="source"><span>Myles Aronowitz/Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">Finn Jones plays Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, on Netflix and Marvel's newest collaboration.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Arguably, Netflix's fourth Marvel series, "Iron Fist," was the streaming company's most highly anticipated of the season. Under great scrutiny from critics and fans, the series definitely falls short of&#xa0;great promises made by both Netflix and Marvel.<p>"Iron Fist" follows Danny Rand (Finn Jones), who returns to New York City after having gone missing for 15 years. Believed dead after a plane accident that claimed his wealthy parents' lives, Danny actually survived and was rescued by a mystical sect of monks. Schooled in kung fu and entrusted with the power of the invincible iron fist, Danny is back to reclaim his family company. But he has to choose between his familial obligations&#xa0;and his duties as the Iron Fist when a dangerous threat arrives.</p><p>Not only is it the last series in the Netflix-Marvel deal leading up to the superhero mash-up series, "The Defenders," but the&#xa0;martial-arts focus of "Iron Fist" has drawn attention among some who believe the title character should have been played by an Asian actor. The show's star, Finn Jones, even <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/iron-fist-star-finn-jones-temporarily-leaves-twitter-after-diversity-n730036" target="_blank">temporarily left Twitter after a conflict</a>&#xa0;with one such critic who accused the actor of hypocrisy after he tweeted his support of Riz Ahmed's comments about the importance of diverse representaion in entertainment.</p><p>To be clear, the source material for "Iron Fist"&#xa0;has always portrayed the character as a white male - one who was adopted by a secret order of Asian monks, but white all the same.</p><p>It's one thing (and pretty egregious, in my opinion) to cast a white actor in a role meant for a person of color, but it's another thing to blame a production for simply sticking to the script. Yes, it's progressive to cast people of color in roles originally written for white actors, but I don't think Marvel and Netflix should be held on charges of whitewashing for casting Jones and following the comic book that debuted in the 1970s. Even if appropriation of Asian culture was involved in the original work, Marvel and Netflix shouldn't be held primarily responsible for righting that wrong now.</p><p>But there are other crimes that Netflix and Marvel should be tried for in the execution of "Iron Fist," for which&#xa0;I believe they're directly responsible.</p><p>First, it doesn't live up to the quality of storytelling found in "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," and "Luke Cage." Flatly put, "Iron Fist" is boring.</p><p>For the first six episodes shown to critics, the show takes up a lot of time with Danny trying to legally prove his identity and claim his 51% of his family's company against pretty dull challenges from the children of his father's business partner, Harold and Joy Meachum (played by David Wenham and Jessica Stroup, respectively). There's a twist that supposedly ups the villain ante but it really falls limp compared to Jessica Jones' (<span>Krysten Ritter)&#xa0;</span>frightening bouts with <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/11/20/killgrave_in_netflix_s_jessica_jones_played_by_david_tennant_is_the_most.html" target="_blank">Kilgrave</a> (David Tennant) or Daredevil's (Charlie Cox) bloody and complicated feud with Punisher (Jon Bernthal).</p><p>Second, Marvel's greatest crime arrived when its TV head Jeph Loeb dubbed "Iron Fist" its first real martial-arts action show.</p><p><span>"Don't make any mistake about it, this is Marvel's foray into martial-arts films," <a href="http://collider.com/iron-fist-interviews/#jeff-loeb-scott-buck" target="_blank">Loeb told Collider last year</a>&#xa0;of "Iron Fist," "and when he opens up a can of whoop-ass, people are going to be super-super excited by what's happening."</span></p><p><span>The fight scenes in "Iron Fist" are really tired. And that's just in comparison to the other three Netflix-Marvel shows. "Iron Fist" comes nowhere close to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/into-the-badlands-martial-arts-cast-2015-12" target="_blank">the thrilling fighting on AMC's "Into the Badlands</a>," which really sets the standard for TV series featuring martial arts.</span></p><p><span>But let's keep "Iron Fist's" fight scenes in the context of the Marvel TV universe: Compare the franchise's hallway fight scenes, executed best&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/daredevil-season-2-fight-scene-2016-3" target="_blank">on both seasons of "Daredevil,"</a>&#xa0;to a similar scene in "Iron Fist," which features Danny fighting off hired goons attacking&#xa0;Joy Meachum and culminates in the tight constraints of an elevator. You'll understand what I'm talking about it.</span></p><p><span>Finally, when a show and a character are named after a great weapon, you'd expect to be blown away when it's finally unleashed. Not only is the special-effects golden glow around Danny's hand&#xa0;when he powers up subpar, but the fist is primarily used best for creating doors where ones&#xa0;don't exist and has very little impact on Danny's fight scenes. It does have some sort of specific purpose&#xa0;against its intended enemy, so maybe that's the moment when the weapon gets to really shine.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58c04f7c6e20048c018b4c08-1778/undefined" alt="iron fist jessica hanwick finn jones rosario dawson netflix" data-mce-source="Cara Howe/Netflix" data-mce-caption="From left, Jessica Henwick as Colleen, Finn Jones as Danny, and Rosario Dawson as Claire on &amp;quotMarvel's Iron Fist.&quot;"><p class="source"><span>Cara Howe/Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">From left, Jessica Henwick as Colleen, Finn Jones as Danny, and Rosario Dawson as Claire on "Marvel's Iron Fist."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>There are aspects of the show that do glow in a good way. Jones' physical presence and unkempt, bohemian style are perfect for non-fighting Danny, who was also trained in meditation and harnessing his chi. He's set apart from his slick former friends-turned-capitalist foes. Also, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTH0Hki6hRE" target="_blank">Jessica Henwick as Colleen</a>, the principled and badass master of a struggling karate dojo, community leader, and potential love interest for Danny is a standout new character. I'm told she's in production on "The Defenders" right now, which&#xa0;is a smart move. And finally, Carrie-Ann Moss and Rosario Dawson reprise their roles&#xa0;as corporate attorney&#xa0;<span>Jeryn Hogarth and tough-as-nails nurse Claire Temple, respectively, both finding a way to pop in their scenes, despite the show's flat writing.</span></span></p><p><span>Marvel and Netflix may feel like "Iron Fist" is under attack right now, but wait until the fans get to see it for themselves on Friday, March 17.</span></p><p><strong>Watch the trailer for "Iron Fist" below:</strong></p><div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/f9OKL5no-S0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-movies-best-streaming-movie-will-smith-bright-2017-2">Watch the trailer for Netflix's new $90 million fantasy-thriller starring Will Smith</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1rZHIyYTE6bEvdX10IVrexSDCon6P2xU" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1rZHIyYTE6bEvdX10IVrexSDCon6P2xU',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Why Netflix's 'Iron Fist' is a disappointing failure

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/535a8243eab8eaae0a505e28-1200-600/shaquille-oneal-4.jpg" border="0" alt="Shaquille O'Neal"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>On the sports field and at awards ceremonies, it's common to hear people thanking God. Thanks to Allah is heard less often. </p>
<p>Still, there are <a href="http://features.pewforum.org/muslim-population-graphic/#/United%20States">over 2.5 million American Muslims</a>, making it the third largest religion in the country.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">While Muslims only account for 0.8% of the population, they have faced </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/11/13-years-after-9-11-anti-muslim-bigotry-is-worse-than-ever.html">rising discrimination and prejudice</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> since the 9/11 attacks 13 years ago. With the rise of groups like ISIS now seeking to promote their brand of violent extremism, that may be unlikely to end anytime soon.</span></p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2014/07/16/how-americans-feel-about-religious-groups/">recent poll</a> reported that 62% of American's didn't personally know a Muslim, so here's a list of 10 Muslim Americans you probably will know.</p>
<h3>Dr. Oz</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dbba869bedd546e2c06ed-1200-600/dr-mehmet-oz-doctor-6.jpg" border="0" alt="dr. mehmet oz doctor"><p class="source"><span>Jason Kempin/Getty</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of "The Dr Oz Show" and vice chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, was </span><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/profiles/dr-mehmet-oz/4/">born in Ohio to Turkish parents</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. His mother's family was fiercely secular, while his father's family treated Islam as much more central to their lives. Dr. Oz has said he's struggled with his religious understanding, but describes his beliefs as a </span><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/video/islam-and-identity/140/">mystical form of Islam closely related to Sufism</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<h3>Shaquille O'Neal </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dbbc6eab8ea8e2fd373c7-960-480/shaquille-oneal-linkedin-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Shaquille O'Neal Linkedin"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>O'Neal has <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jan/11/sports/sp-shaq11">rarely spoken publicly</a> about being a Muslim, but in 2010 he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3VaLXPM3aY">did reveal</a> he intended to take the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, known as the Hajj. The Saudi government bars all non-Muslims from visiting the city of Mecca.</p>
<h3>Fareed Zakaria </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dbbe6ecad049c768e9c36-1200-600/fareed-zakaria-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Fareed Zakaria"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/journalist-fareed-zakaria-attends-the-time-100-gala-times-news-photo/113194427">Getty Images/Stephen Lovekin</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The Indian-born journalist Fareed Zakaria hosts his own show on CNN, is an editor at large for Time Magazine, and writes a foreign affairs column for The Washington Post. Zakaria was raised by Muslim parents, though he has stated he doesn't consider himself </span><a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/90760-fareed-zakaria-and-mosque/">"a particularly religious person</a>."</p>
<h3>Ellen Burstyn</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5435a41169bedd5522f8e10d-800-400/ellen-burstyn-1.jpg" border="0" alt="ellen burstyn"><p class="source"><span>Frazer Harrison/Getty</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Emmy-winning actor Ellen Burstyn appears to follow a loose form <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703376504575491923234302084">of Sufi Islam</a>, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Burstyn, known for "The Exorcist," "Requiem For A Dream," and "Political Animals," says she <a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Celebrities/Ellen-Burstyns-True-Face.aspx?p=4">believes in aspects from many major religions</a>.</p>
<h3>Aasif Mandvi</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dbe4aeab8ea7b3ed373c8-1200-600/aasif-mandvi.jpg" border="0" alt="Aasif Mandvi"><p class="source"><span>Reuters / Jonathan Ernst</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Actor and comedian Aasif Mandvi is best known for his role as a "Daily Show" correspondent. Mandvi was born in India and then spent much of his childhood in the UK before his family </span><a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/for-aasif-mandvi-cultural-irreverence-on-the-daily-show/545843">ultimately moved to Tampa, Florida</a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">. </span></p>
<p>Mandvi <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/for-aasif-mandvi-cultural-irreverence-on-the-daily-show/545843">told the Tampa Bay Times</a>, "My experience on 'The Daily Show' is that ... sometimes you get the thing that you want, but in a way that you never expected to get it."</p>
<p>"Like an important time to say something as a Muslim-American, as a brown person, as an immigrant. I feel like a lot of my work is about (exploring) that gap between cultures ... I just want to keep building on that," <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/for-aasif-mandvi-cultural-irreverence-on-the-daily-show/545843">he said</a>.</p>
<h3>Akon</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dc1a769beddf50b2c06f7-1200-600/akon-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Akon"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images / Leonard Adam</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>A self-described<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><a href="http://hollowverse.com/akon/">"spiritual man</a>,"<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> Akon has weaved his religious beliefs into his music. In his song "Senegal," </span><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Akon/_/Senegal">he raps</a>,<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> "So what you know about how God comes first in our lives, everything that we do is for Allah."</span></p>
<h3>Dave Chappelle </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dc1e26da8116033fa18fe-1200-600/dave-chappelle-10.jpg" border="0" alt="dave chappelle"><p class="source"><span>Joshua Roberts / Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>The comedian <span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Dave Chapelle has spoken about his beliefs on occasion but tends to shy away from talking about being a Muslim. "I don't normally talk about my religion publicly because I don't want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing," he </span><a href="http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1061415,00.html">told Time Magazine in 2005</a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">.</span></p>
<p>In a later interview, the comedian said a trip to Africa had crystallized his beliefs. "I'm a Muslim, I don't necessarily practice the way a good Muslim is supposed to practice but I believe in these tenants," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnZoG_Fq_j0">Chapelle said</a>.</p>
<h3>Ice Cube</h3>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dc175eab8eafe4cd373c5-1200-600/ice-cube-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Ice Cube"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images / Christopher Polk</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Rapper and "Law and Order SVU" star Ice Cube converted to Islam in the 1990s. Born and raised in LA California, </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/feb/25/icecube">Ice Cube has stated</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, "What I call myself is a natural Muslim, because it's just me and God. You know, going to the mosque, the ritual and the tradition, it's just not in me to do. So I don't do it."</span></p>
<h3>T-Pain </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542dbc1d69bedd9e6a2c06f6-1200-600/t-pain-business-insider-interview-3.jpg" border="0" alt="t-pain business insider interview"><p class="source"><span>William Wei, Business Insider</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><span style="background-color: #00ff00;"></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Grammy Award winning rapper T-Pain was born Faheem Rasheed Najm and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">He says most people aren't aware that he was raised a Muslim. "People don't even know. Me, Busta Rhymes, Lupe Fiasco - they don't even know we are Muslim. People think a Muslim has to have a turban or a big beard. It's stupid," </span><a href="http://hollowverse.com/t-pain/">T-Pain said</a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">. </span></p>
<p>However, T-Pain has also expressed broad beliefs in aspects of many religions, and has also stated that he doesn't like that religion separates people. </p>

9 Famous Americans You Probably Didn't Know Were Muslim

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab3cc2a410e841a008b4933-1052/screen shot 2018-03-22 at 151916.png" border="0" alt="DMT trip" data-mce-source="Cuppa Tea / YouTube" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcKhas3HCk" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UcKhas3HCk">Cuppa Tea / YouTube</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>DMT is a psychedelic drug that is found in many plants and animals, including humans.</strong></li><li><strong>Recreationally DMT is usually smoked or injected.</strong></li><li><strong>In the 90s, a researcher asked people to take the drug and report back what they experienced.</strong></li><li><strong>Volunteers said they experienced something "more real than real," and some were convinced of life after death.</strong></li><li><strong>Regular users of DMT report being taken to other realms, speaking to divine beings, and often come back with a new appreciation of life.</strong></li><li><strong>DMT has potential to be therapeutic in the future, but research is very much in its infancy.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />"This state... cannot be described with words," Sam*, a regular user of hallucinogenic drugs, wrote to me when he described one of his experiences with N,N-Dimethyltryptamine - known as DMT.</p><p>"It's a state where you exist in your purest form, [a state] of deep peace and happiness," he said. "This world is beyond cool to look at, and it just so seems that this is the place where we all came from, which is awesome. Spirals upon spirals began to appear and infinite spirals would emerge out of other spirals. I was happiness itself, this world is mine, and the happiness is emerging only from me."</p><p>A trip on DMT is described by users like "breaking out of a simulation." People report being able to access the true inner workings of their minds, and describe the feeling of being launched into other dimensions, where they experience their consciousness existing outside of their own bodies.</p><p>"One may experience coalescence with the very fabric of space-time, followed by the 'blast-off' into an alternate, alien realm, termed 'hyperspace' by some," another user called Eli* told Business Insider. "The alternate realm defies all conceptions that we are accustomed to and typically presents as impossible geometric fractal patterns that possess eerie familiarity."</p><p>Time and language are inconceivable, but you may experience telepathic conversations with the beings you encounter, he said. According to personal accounts, a DMT trip is different to hallucinating on other drugs, such as psilocybin (mushrooms) or LSD, because it takes you some place completely different to this world, as opposed to modifying your relationship with it.</p><p>In fact, the trip is so intense and abstract, some users have trouble explaining exactly what it's like. One user told me that attempting to write it down is essentially pointless. But a common theme among users is the opinion that tripping on DMT feels "more real than real."</p><p>Many of the users I spoke to mentioned their minds being "pulled" from their bodies, meeting alien entities or spiritual beings to guide them, in an environment of vivid circus-like colours and patterns. There are also forums on the internet dedicated to particular figures that seem to appear time and time again, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DMT/comments/7lyfiq/does_this_ring_any_bells_this_is_a_fairly_decent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such as a jester</a>.</p><h2>Research into DMT started in the 50s</h2><p>DMT was first found to be psychedelic by the Hungarian chemist Stephen Szára in the 1950s. In the 60s it was discovered in the human body, with research suggesting it is synthesised in lungs and the pineal gland in the brain. It is now believed to be widespread throughout the natural kingdom, in thousands of plants, and in every mammal that has been investigated so far.</p><p>A flurry of research throughout the 60s focused on DMT, including looking into whether it could help <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00428697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explain why some people have schizophrenia</a> (it couldn't). But then, in the 70s, DMT was placed into a restrictive legal category, and research was halted.</p><p>Rick Strassman, a psychologist and psychopharmacologist, led <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/496494?redirect=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the first new human research in the US into DMT in a generation</a> with his colleague Clifford Qualls between 1990 and 1995.</p><p>"I was interested in looking at DMT as a naturally occurring psychedelic for quite a few reasons," he told Business Insider. "One of them was being interested in the biology of naturally occurring spiritual states. In other words, in whatever manner, some of the symptoms of a near death state, a mystical experience of enlightenment, or religious, unusual dreams. One could make an argument that naturally occurring DMT was also involved in those non-drug states."</p><p><a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/mindfulness-breathing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Breathing exercises are a large part of many spiritual and religious communities</a> as a way to reach enlightenment. If DMT is in fact produced in the lungs, this would tie in nicely to how people reach "psychedelic" trance states while meditating.</p><p>In the DMT study, Strassman recruited volunteers, all of whom were experienced hallucinogen users. He asked them to take DMT in a clinical environment, and then report their experience when the hallucinations ended. With a regular dose, the effects of a DMT trip are generally over within 30 to 40 minutes.</p><p>"There were no bells, no whistles, no Buddhist statues - it was just 'here's the drug, and tell me what happened after you come down.'" Strassman said. "So it was kind of like sending people off to explore a new world and telling them to come back and tell us what they encountered."</p><p>Usually, DMT is smoked or injected, as it is broken down too quickly in the stomach to achieve any hallucinogenic effects if it's swallowed.</p><p>When people come down from a DMT high, they often report having profound experiences, such as looking back on childhood memories. Some saw abstract images that told them to spend more time with family. One woman in the study, Strassman said, came back convinced of the persistence of consciousness after death.</p><p>"One of the volunteers had a classic near death experience, and that confirmed her beliefs, and made her feel good about the prospect of dying when it happened," he said. "She said: 'If everyone knew what was awaiting them after death, everyone would commit suicide,' and I said, 'Well, don't spread the word.'"</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5abcf3808c43962b008b4a77-1138/tripping.jpg" border="0" alt="tripping" data-mce-source="h heyerlein / Unsplash" data-link="https://unsplash.com/photos/ndja2LJ4IcM" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ndja2LJ4IcM">h heyerlein / Unsplash</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>DMT is closely linked with spiritualism and death</h2><p>The link between DMT and spiritualism has been around a long time. A common theory about why DMT is in the body is that we release a large dose of it when we die. When people come back from a near death experience, and report seeing a white light or divine beings, some say this is the result of a release of DMT, which gives the brain a final, all-encompassing hallucination.</p><p>In the Amazon, ayahuasca is a combination of DMT and a plant that contains an inhibitor of the enzyme that normally breaks down DMT. The result is a DMT drink that has been used for over 500 years.</p><p>"Ayahuasca is a Quechua word and it means the vine of the dead, or the vine of the souls," Strassman said. "So that points to the belief that drinking ayahuasca somehow provides access to the realm of the dead, or the realm of disembodied spirits. That's been a belief that's circulated around ayahuasca, or DMT, for quite a long time."</p><p>There are a number of ways researchers could test whether DMT is present in near death experiences. For example, you could ask someone who has had a near death experience to take DMT, then ask them to compare the two. Strassman said he's had a few emails from people who have described a lot of similarities.</p><p>You could also potentially test the levels of DMT in someone who is having a near-death experience, or look at the expression of the gene that's responsible for the synthesis of DMT in dying people.</p><p>Strassman said there is some unpublished data that indicates DMT levels increase in the brain in dying animals. If research in this area is looked into further, the connection could be strengthened, he said.</p><h2>DMT could answer some questions about the human brain</h2><p>As for where DMT research could go in the future, Strassman said it could help us define certain aspects of consciousness.</p><p>"I'm keen on the old Aristotelian definition of the mind, with the intellectual functions and the imaginative functions," he said. "I think DMT in particular, but psychedelics in general, must likely stimulate the imaginative faculty of the mind more than the rational faculty... So it could be that once we start looking at the biology or the neurophysiology of the imaginative faculty versus the rational faculty, DMT may help us understand the imaginative faculty's function."</p><p>There are also still a lot of questions to answer, like the explanation for what DMT is doing in the body in the first place. It's clearly important, Strassman said, as it is actively transported into the brain using energy. There are very few compounds that the brain absorbs this way, such as glucose and amino acids that are required for normal brain function, but can't be made by the body on its own.</p><p>"That makes you wonder if DMT might be involved in the regulation in every day normal consciousness as well," Strassman said. "And something else that has been discovered over the past few years is that the enzyme and the gene that synthesise DMT are quite active in the retina. So it could be that DMT is regulating a visual perception in particular as well as regulation of consciousness."</p><p>What that suggests in regards to theories about us living in some sort of simulation, I'll leave up to you.</p><p>One problem with researching DMT is that it is very quickly broken down in the body. That's why a trip only lasts about half an hour. In 2016, Strassman and his colleague Andrew Gallimore <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944667/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published a paper which described a way to give DMT continuously over a number of hours</a>.</p><p>There are a number of reasons for the benefits of this: one, is the effect could be categorised more carefully, and two, the therapeutic effects it has the potential for.</p><p>"Lots of people describe the therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca... and if you could extend the DMT state you could be able to apply it for therapeutic purposes," Strassman said. "More practical experiments would be to extend the state and see if that has applications for therapy."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5abcf38e9831c069798b4755-1139/psychedellic.jpg" border="0" alt="psychedellic" data-mce-source="Chris Arock / Unsplash" data-link="https://unsplash.com/photos/iPcm529dL4k" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/iPcm529dL4k">Chris Arock / Unsplash</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Whatever its purpose, DMT has a profound impact on people</h2><p>Regular users of DMT are convinced that the drug has tons of potential, both to open people's minds and to be used in mental health treatment.</p><p>Sam believes the hallucinogenic has the ability to "raise global human consciousness and change the world in this modern era."</p><p>He said before DMT he was struggling with an existential crisis, and at times was suicidal because he couldn't see the point in anything in the world.</p><p>"It got to the point where I became so frustrated at this life that I resolved to take my own life unless I could be given a proper reason to continue living," he said. "I knew I wanted to help the world in some way but to me it just seemed hopeless to even try. The answer came to me in the form of DMT and it felt like the universe embraced me in a soothing ocean of love."</p><p>From then on, he said his cynicism was replaced by optimism. He became refreshed and energised, and felt he could start his life with a new "positive and clear outlook."</p><p>As well as the enlightenment that users of hallucinogenics tend to talk about, Sam felt DMT really pulled him back from the edge. In some sense he found the answers he was looking for, but he also had a new appreciation for living.</p><p>"I thought to myself that I must try DMT as a last ditch effort before committing to the plan of suicide. Luckily for me the outcome was better than I could've imagined and I can say that it really did save my life," he said. "I believe DMT can be utilised in a therapeutic setting as a revolutionary treatment used to heal people... The world is changing and I think we're entering a new era of human civilization."</p><p>Anthony Castellanos believes himself to be one of the most experienced users of DMT. He told Business Insider that the drug could definitely be used for treatment in reducing anxiety, stress, and depression. After one trip, he felt he had access to "inner parts" of his imagination for four months afterwards.</p><p>"With some meditation I could drift myself away into new places far from my body," he said. "I had a portal inside me that my soul could walk through that would take me into the realm of love and beauty and God. And I'm not even religious."</p><h2>There is also discouragement from some</h2><p>Like any drug, DMT should be used with caution, Castellanos warned.</p><p>"Because of its vivid infinite intensity, it has the potential to be mentally damaging," he said. "It removes one from his or her routine perception of reality, and it can be difficult for some to readjust after a trip."</p><p>Research into DMT is just getting off its feet, Strassman said. Unfortunately, some scientists are willing to write it off as a research area because they believe the concentrations of DMT in the human brain are too low to be significant.</p><p>"It's too bad those arguments are being floated because they are discouraging research into this incredibly interesting field," he said. "And that's kind of weird... Even if concentrations in the whole brain are low, that could still mean that concentrations in specific areas of the brain could be high.</p><p>"The brain is a big mysterious black box in a lot of ways, but we're understanding a little bit more and more."</p><p>All drugs come with risks, and some people see this as a barrier to recreational drugs being used openly. According to <a href="http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/dimethyltryptamine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talk to Frank</a>, the drug awareness and advice website, a bad trip on any drug, including DMT, can result in triggering mental health problems, or worsen issues someone already has. Also, it can raise blood pressure and heart rate, so may harm those with a pre-existing heart condition.</p><p>Regardless, there are many champions of DMT, both those who take it and those who want to experiment with it. And many supporters of recreational drug use argue that decriminalisation and regulation of drugs such as DMT can make their use safer and enhance the potential benefits.</p><p>Researchers may only just have started tapping into DMT's potential, wherever it came from. And wherever the research goes, there will probably be a lot of people following the story as the mysteries unravel.</p><p>"DMT is an elixir for existential dread," Eli said. "It reveals how meaningless and transient our corporeal existence is, and in that revelation, one can understand and appreciate how special it is to be alive.</p><p>"That seems paradoxical... but so does everything about this drug."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-jay-z-and-diddy-made-millions-off-of-cheap-alcohol-zack-omalley-greenburg-2018-3">How Jay-Z and Diddy used their fame to make millions off of 'cheap grapes'</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/qhWHAjCo-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

A little-known hallucinogenic drug called DMT takes people to a place that feels 'more real than real' - here's what researchers know about it

Meet Rebekah Neumann: Insiders describe the spiritual, strategic mastermind who is the driving force behind WeWork and her husband, Adam Neumann

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4fea0de4ecad04501f000008-618-464/pyschoactive_drugs.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="drugs" width="480" /><p class="source"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyschoactive_Drugs.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></p></div><p></p></div>Dear FBI agents, my name is Carole Cadwalladr and in February this year I was asked to investigate the so-called "dark net" for a feature in this newspaper. I downloaded Tor on to my computer, the anonymous browser developed by the US navy, Googled "<keyword id="621419" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Silk-Road">Silk Road</keyword> <keyword id="14721" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Drugs">drugs</keyword>" and then cut and pasted this link </span><a href="www.silkroadvb5piz3r.onion." title="">http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> into the address field.</span></p>
<p>And bingo! There it was: Silk Road, the site, which until the FBI <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/03/silk-road-underground-market-closed-bitcoin" title="">closed it down</a> on Thursday and arrested a 29-year-old American in San Francisco, was the web's most notorious marketplace.</p>
<p>The "dark net" or the "deep web", the hidden part of the <keyword id="6357247" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Internet">internet</keyword> invisible to Google, might sound like a murky, inaccessible underworld but the reality is that it's right there, a click away, at the end of your mouse. It took me about 10 minutes of Googling and downloading to find and access the site on that February morning, and yet arriving at the home page of Silk Road was like stumbling into a parallel universe, a universe where eBay had been taken over by international drug cartels and Amazon offers a choice of books, DVDS and hallucinogens.</p>
<p>Drugs are just another market, and on Silk Road it was a market laid bare, differentiated by price, quality, point of origin, supposed effects and lavish user reviews. There were categories for "cannabis", "dissociatives", "ecstasy", "opioids", "prescription", "psychedelics", "stimulants" and, my favourite, "precursors". (If you've watched <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad" title=""><em>Breaking Bad</em></a>, you'll know that's the stuff you need to make certain drugs and which Walt has to hold up trains and rob factories to find. Or, had he known about Silk Road, clicked a link on his browser.)</p>
<p>And, just like eBay, there were star ratings for sellers, detailed feedback, customer service assurances, an escrow system and a busy forum in which users posted helpful tips. I looked on the UK cannabis forum, which had 30,000 postings, and a vendor called JesusOfRave was recommended. He had 100% feedback, promised "stealth" packaging and boasted excellent customer reviews: "The level of customer care you go to often makes me forget that this is an illegal drug market," said one.</p>
<p>JesusOfRave boasted on his profile: "Working with UK distributors, importers and producers to source quality, we run a tight ship and aim to get your order out same or next day. This tight ship also refers to our attitude to your and our privacy. We have been doing this for a long time … been playing with encryption since 0BC and rebelling against the State for just as long."</p>
<p>And so, federal agents, though I'm sure you know this already, not least because the <em>Guardian</em> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/nsa-gchq-attack-tor-network-encryption" title="">revealed on Friday</a> that the National Security Agency (NSA) and GCHQ have successfully cracked Tor on occasion, I ordered "1g of Manali Charras [cannabis] (free UK delivery)", costing 1.16 bitcoins (the cryptocurrency then worth around £15). I used a false name with my own address, and two days later an envelope arrived at my door with an address in Bethnal Green Road, east London, on the return label and a small vacuum-packed package inside: a small lump of dope.</p>
<p>It's still sitting in its original envelope in the drawer of my desk. I got a bit stumped with my dark net story, put it on hold and became more interested in the wonderful world of cryptocurrencies as the value of bitcoins soared over the next few months (the 1.5 bitcoins I'd bought for £20 were <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/apr/10/bitcoin-new-high-losing-160" title="">worth £300 at one point this spring</a>).</p>
<p>Just under a month ago I was intrigued to see that <em>Forbes</em> magazine had managed to get an interview with "Dread Pirate Roberts", the site's administrator. And then, last week, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/02/alleged-silk-road-website-founder-arrested-bitcoin" title="">came the news</a> that Dread Pirate Roberts was 29-year-old Ross Ulbricht, a University of Texas physics graduate who, according to the FBI's documents, had not just run the site - which it alleges earned him $80m in commission - but had hired a contract killer for $80,000 to rub out an employee who had tried to blackmail him.</p>
<p>If that sounds far-fetched, papers filed last Thursday show that he tried to take a contract on a second person. The documents showed that the FBI had access to Silk Road's servers from July, and that the contract killer Ulbricht had thought he'd hired was a federal agent. It's an astonishing, preposterous end to what was an astonishing, preposterous site, though the papers show that while the crime might have been hi-tech, cracking it was a matter of old-fashioned, painstaking detective work.</p>
<p>Except, of course, that it's not the end of it. There are two other similar websites already up and running - Sheep and Black Market Reloaded - which have both seen a dramatic uplift in users in the last few days, and others will surely follow. Because what Silk Road did for drugs was what eBay did for secondhand goods, and Airbnb has done for accommodation: it created a viable trust system that benefited both buyers and sellers.</p>
<p>Nicholas Christin, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who conducted <a href="https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/nicolasc/publications/Christin-WWW13.pdf" title="">six months of research</a> into the site, said that what surprised him most was how "normal" it was. "To me, the most surprising thing was how normal, when you set aside the goods being sold, the whole market appears to be," he said. And, while many people would be alarmed at the prospect of their teenagers buying drugs online, Silk Road was a whole lot more professional, regulated and controlled than buying drugs offline.</p>
<p>What's apparent from Dread Pirate Roberts's interview with <em>Forbes</em> and comments he made on the site's forum is that the motivation behind the site does not seem to have been making money (though clearly it did: an estimated $1.2bn), or a belief that drugs hold the key to some sort of mystical self-fulfillment, but that the state has no right to interfere in the lives of individuals. One of the details that enabled the FBI to track Ulbricht was the fact that he "favourited" several clips from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a libertarian Alabama-based thinktank devoted to furthering what is known as the Austrian school of economics. Years later, Dread Pirate Roberts would cite the same theory on Silk Road's forum.</p>
<p>"What we're doing isn't about scoring drugs or 'sticking it to the man'," said Dread Pirate Roberts in the <em>Forbes</em> interview. "It's about standing up for our rights as human beings and refusing to submit when we've done no wrong."</p>
<p>And it's this that is possibly the most interesting aspect of the story. Because, while Edward Snowden's and the <em>Guardian</em>'s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/the-nsa-files" title="">revelations about the NSA</a> have shown how all-encompassing the state's surveillance has become, a counterculture movement of digital activists espousing the importance of freedom, individualism and the right to a private life beyond the state's control is also rapidly gaining traction.</p>
<p>It's the philosophy behind innovations as diverse as the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2013/sep/17/note-to-v-and-a-museum-guns-still-kill-people" title="">3D printed gun</a> and <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/11/28/111128fa_fact_packer" title="">sites as mainstream as PayPal</a>, and its proponents are young, computer-savvy idealists with the digital skills to invent new ways of circumventing the encroaching power of the state.</p>
<p>Ulbricht certainly doesn't seem to have been living the life you imagine of a criminal overlord. He lived in a shared apartment. If he had millions stashed away somewhere, he certainly doesn't seem to have been spending it on high-performance cars and penthouses.</p>
<p>His LinkedIn page, while possibly not the best arena for self-expression for a man being hunted by the FBI, demonstrates that his beliefs are grounded in libertarian ideology: "I want to use economic theory as a means to abolish the use of coercion and aggression amongst mankind," he wrote. "The most widespread and systemic use of force is amongst institutions and governments … the best way to change a government is to change the minds of the governed … to that end, I am creating an economic simulation to give people a firsthand experience of what it would be like to live in a world without the systemic use of force."</p>
<p>Silk Road, it turns out, might have been that world. Anybody who has seen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_%28film%29" title=""><em>All the President's Men</em></a> knows that, when it comes to criminality, the answer has always been to "follow the money". But in the age of bitcoin, that's of a different order of difficulty. Silk Road is just one website; bitcoin is potentially the foundation for a whole new economic order.</p>

<p>This article originally appeared on <a>guardian.co.uk</a></p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="http://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1jY2EzYTc0N2YxNjRjZTI3M2FkNGY1MmVmNDE1ZDdjNiZvd25lcj01ZGYyMDgwZWQ3Y2QxN2VjMjVhYWU2ZTkwYWU2MzNmMiZub25jZT01NDE0ZDMzMi1mMzIzLTRmYzktOTM3MC0xZjZmNGE1ZGEwMjAmcHVibGlzaGVyPThjMDBmYmVlNjFkNWJjZjBjNjA5MmQ4YjkyZWJiY2Ex" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

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