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How Can Lighting Be Used to Improve Sleep, Cognition, and Memory?

In August, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) awarded a new five-year grant totaling $3.8 million to Mariana Figueiro, professor and director at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Figueiro will explore and research how lighting intervention designed to promote circadian entrainment will improve sleep, cognition, and memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which is an “at risk” or potential prodromal stage of dementia. Sleep-wake disturbances are evident in approximately 60% of individuals with MCI. Healthy sleep could improve both working and long-term memory, and in a best-case scenario, prevent onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Light is the main factor impacting a person’s sleep-wake cycle, telling the body when to go to sleep and when to wake up. “Our scientific premise is that sleep spindles, and the timing of spindles, are critical components of an interaction between electrophysiological events that provide a mechanistic explanation for memory consolidation during sleep,” Figueiro said. Sleeping patterns and the importance of rest are key elements in the short and long-term health of every person. Figueiro is among the world’s leading experts in the area of light and health, with a focus on bridging science to practical applications aimed at improving human quality of life. “Tailored lighting, when properly designed to deliver the correct amount of light at the right time, can positively impact health and well-being,” said Figueiro. “We have seen first-hand the many benefits of lighting, but it is important to get the right lighting to see the positive effects.” There’s a lot more to be discovered in this area of important research and if you are a reporter covering this topic – let our expert help with your stories and questions. The LRC  is the world’s leading center for lighting research and education. And Figueiro is among the world's leading experts in the area of light and health, with a focus on bridging science to practical applications aimed at improving human quality of life. She is available to speak with media regarding the effects of light on human health. Simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.

Could the Lone Star State go Blue in 2020? Let our expert explain if a Texas sized upset is in store

If there is one thing we have all learned from the last presidential election – it’s that nothing can be taken for granted and surprises are now to be expected in the land of U.S. politics. It’s why when the tea-leaves showed Texas potentially leaning toward the DNC in 2020, it was surprising but not entirely unexpected. “There’s a lot of apathy and smugness and laziness here on the Republican side that’s got to be reversed or there will be a shock to the system at some point,” said George Seay, a Dallas businessman and top GOP fundraiser in Texas. Demographics are slowly but surely changing the state as an influx of voters from California and other left-leaning states move to Texas. GOP support is eroding in the suburbs surrounding Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, four of the nation’s largest and fastest growing metro areas. That’s particularly worrisome to Republicans leery of Trump’s popularity with suburban voters. A Democrat has not won statewide in Texas since 1994, the longest such streak in the nation. But Trump won Texas by only 9 points in 2016, the worst showing for a Republican presidential candidate in 20 years. Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last Democratic presidential nominee to win the state. September 06, The Hill But are all the ingredients there for a Democratic takeover of the Lone Star State? Is Trump polling that low? What factors are also at play that could sway voters left? And are there any key DNC candidates that could push the vote left? There are a lot of questions to be answered and if you are a journalist who is covering the long road to next November – then let our experts help. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on U.S. politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Key Environmental Quality Research Questions Identified for North America by Multidisciplinary Team

As density in cities increase along with other global megatrends, researchers are working to address environment and health challenges in collaborative ways. Using a recently pioneered process, a multidisciplinary team of North American researchers, government agencies and businesses leaders identified priority research questions for the United States, Canada and Mexico in an effort to tackle pressing environmental quality issues. In an article published in the journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies and director of the environmental health science program at Baylor University, led the Global Horizon Scanning Project (GHSP), which focuses on identifying environmental and health issues internationally. Brooks also facilitated GHSP workshops in Africa, Australia, Central and Southeastern Asia, Europe and Latin America. “We face palpable global environment and health challenges, which require innovative understanding, tools, products and systems to prevent, diagnose and manage adverse outcomes to public health and the environment,” Brooks said. “The GHSP was initiated as part of a larger effort to identify important international research needs. It is essentially a research roadmap towards achieving more sustainable environmental quality, which is necessary to protect human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services.” As part of the study, members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s (SETAC) and the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Environmental Chemistry and Agrochemcials Divisions submitted questions that were then synthesized during a workshop by scientists and engineers from the academic, government and business sectors. “This project is intentionally inclusive, bottom-up, multidisciplinary, multisector and transparent,” Brooks said. “Answering these priority research questions will not be easy, but strategically doing so promises to accelerate progress to address grand challenges that matter to everyone.” “This report provides a comprehensive global perspective covering some of the world’s most critical environmental challenges that will impact society for decades to come,” said Sherine Obare, Ph.D., dean and professor of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering at UNC Greensboro and chair elect of the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Chemistry Division. “SETAC’s ability to engage scientists from around the globe has led to forums that identify urgent challenges including, next generation 21st century analytical chemistry methods, strategies to predict chemical exposure, understanding multiple stressors and new approaches in chemical risk assessment. This project will define the scientific directions needed to transform environmental science and engineering, globally.” “The GHSP reflected in this paper has harnessed the insights of scientists not only across North America but around the world,” said Charles Menzie, Ph.D., Global Executive Director of SETAC. “Each brings tremendous experience and a strong sense of what is needed for future research. However, the distillation of these many into a set of consensus questions provides a much needed foundation for charting our direction for research to inform environmental policy. SETAC is proud to have supported this through our global meetings and now through our journal.” A related GHSP manuscript identifying priority environmental quality questions for the Australasiaregion of Oceania was also recently published in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. GHSP efforts from Africa and Asia are ongoing with plans to report priority research questions from these global regions in the next year. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

Baylor’s Jeff Levin Named a Fellow of Prestigious International Society

Baylor scientist Jeff Levin, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been invited to become a Fellow of the prestigious International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), a multidisciplinary learned society based at Cambridge University. Founded in 2002, ISSR is the world’s preeminent scholarly organization devoted to the intersection of science and religion. The Society has only about 200 Fellows, mostly from the physical and biological sciences, philosophy, history and theology. Levin is one of the few Fellows with a background in the biomedical sciences. Levin, an epidemiologist and religious scholar, holds a distinguished chair at Baylor, where he is University Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, professor of medical humanities and director of the Program on Religion and Population Health at the Institute for Studies of Religion. He also serves as adjunct professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine and as an affiliated member of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Baylor College of Medicine. Levin is a founding father of the field of research devoted to the influence of religious faith and spirituality on physical and mental health. He has been conducting studies on this subject since the early 1980s. He came to Baylor in 2009. Levin’s work “is the culmination of a lifetime of diligent scholarship, for which he is rightly renowned worldwide, said Stephen G. Post, director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University, and an ISSR Fellow. “It is hard to imagine that any one scholar could have made such a pioneering contribution across this interface, but Jeff has been digging deep for nearly 40 learned years,” Post said. Levin’s colleagues at Baylor were excited to hear about this honor. “This is an amazing honor for a world-class scholar. This recognition is a true testament to his many important publications and remarkable career,” said Byron Johnson, Ph.D., co-director of ISR and Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences. Among the ISSR’s distinguished Fellows are several Templeton Prize laureates, Gifford lecturers and leading academic scientists and theologians in Europe and North America. “I never expected this and wasn’t sure I was even on their radar,” Levin said. “The science and religion field has become a major intellectual endeavor, but the subject of religion and health up to now has not really been acknowledged by the field or accepted in it. So this is a first—an honor for me, for sure, but also recognition of the work that so many of my colleagues and I have been doing since the 1980s.” Levin has been published in more 220 scholarly publications, including 11 books. His most recent book is “Religion and Medicine: A History of the Encounter Between Humanity’s Two Greatest Institutions,” forthcoming this fall from Oxford University Press. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE BAYLOR INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES OF RELIGION Launched in August 2004, the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) initiates, supports and conducts research on religion, involving scholars and projects spanning the intellectual spectrum: history, psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, political science, epidemiology, theology and religious studies. The Institutes mandate extends to all religions, everywhere, and throughout history, and embraces the study of religious effects on prosocial behavior, family life, population health, economic development and social conflict.

Baylor University Videos Offer Insights on Causes of Psychological Stress, Effects on the Body and How to Cope

Whether making the transition to college, starting a new job, ending a relationship or retiring, change can cause psychological stress, which in turn can make for wear and tear on the body. The good news is, we can develop coping mechanisms to reduce stress and live happier, healthier lives, say Baylor University psychologist Annie Ginty, Ph.D., and her University of California-Irvine collaborator, Sarah Pressman, Ph.D. Using a grant from AXA Research Fund — which supports projects in health, environment, new technology and socioeconomics — Ginty and Pressman produced three short videos to help students and the general public understand what stress is, what it does to our bodies and how to handle it. The videos stem from a two-year AXA postdoctoral research fellowship by Ginty, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. She investigated the relationship between biological responses to stress and adaptation during a stressful transition, particularly students’ adjustment to college. The videos, 1 to 3 minutes each, are housed on AXA’s YouTube channel and bear Baylor's new logo. “Psychological stress is bad for health; exercise stress is good,” said Ginty, who works with nonprofits to serve at-risk adolescents by providing high-intensity interval training workouts to reduce stress and improve health. “When we think about exercise, your heart rate and metabolic system increase, meaning you’re breathing harder. The rest of your muscle physiology is changing. Your body is working together to maintain homeostasis for balance. This is good stress,” she said. “But with psychological stress, the heart works much harder than the rest of the body. That metabolic imbalance can be hard on the heart and make the body more vulnerable to disease.” In the videos, Baylor students discuss the causes of psychological stress in their lives, how their bodies react and ways they handle stress. For them, a college education poses looming deadlines, fear of living up to expectations, anxiety about tests and adjusting to a new atmosphere. In the first video — "Stress and Your Health" — they describe such reactions as higher heart rate, restlessness, loss of sleep, skin breakouts, headaches and tense muscles. “If I fail at a test, I then in my mind see myself not getting into medical school, which is a pretty big domino effect,” said Devin Mangold of Wolfforth, Texas, a senior neuroscience major in the Honors College at Baylor. Such stressors can take a toll on moods and emotions, putting the physiological stress system into overdrive and possibly becoming a threat to long-term physical health — which in turn creates more stress. The second video — "Effects of Stress on Your Body" — explores how stress can affect emotions and the body. Stressed people may become anxious, sad, worried and angry. The stressors can interfere with sleep and can leave less time to exercise. People also tend to eat foods with higher fat and higher carbohydrates, said Pressman, associate professor of psychological science at UC-Irvine. That can lead to muscle tension, which can translate into injury. The third video — "Coping with Stress" — is about the importance of coping mechanisms so that minor stressors don’t turn into serious health issues. Social networking has been shown by research to reduce the effects of stress in such ways as lowering blood pressure. The best ways to cope are physical activity, a healthy diet and cognitive reappraisal. “Cognitive reappraisal” is “a fancy way of saying we’re changing how we interpret our situation,” said Danielle Young, Psy.D., clinical research coordinator of the Baylor Behavioral Medicine Laboratory in the department of psychology and neuroscience department. “It’s the difference between saying, ‘This is going to be the hardest test ever, and I’m going to fail’ and ‘This is going to be a hard test, but I’m going to do the best I can.’ Even that slight shift in thought can make you less stressed.” A recent study by Ginty of 230-plus Baylor students examined the effect of reappraising stress. “We found that if we gave brief instructions about how increases in heart rate during stress mean they were ‘ready’ and were not a ‘bad thing,’ people rated their levels of anxiety as more helpful to their performance,” Ginty said. The video encourages individuals to experiment with coping techniques that work for them. Students who appear in the video suggest methods from working out to cooking to reading to walking their dogs. “My natural demeanor is laid back, but internally, I stress myself,” said senior neuroscience major Simba Masando of Harare, Zimbabwe. Early in college, he “just went headfirst into the material” of a capstone course. “Now as a senior, I’m doing some preliminary courses I’m not necessarily interested in, but they’re required. I’ve alleviated some pressure in the major, but some of the requirements are a little more worrisome.” As a member of Baylor Behavioral Medicine Lab, what he’s learned about stress oping has been “greatly helpful” as he looks ahead to post-graduate school and his eventual goal of opening a school in Zimbabwe. “I’m an avid learner,” he said. “School is my job, as I see it, but my hobbies are learning, too. In basketball, there’s always a new move I want to learn; in piano, there’s a new technique. If you take the piano away from me, I’ll try guitar. And if you take basketball away from me, I’ll try tennis.” ABOUT ANNIE GINTY Research articles by Annie Ginty, Ph.D., include: “The behavioural, cognitive, and neural corollaries of blunted cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress,” published in  ; “Challenge and threat imagery manipulates heart rate and anxiety responses to stress,” published in  ; and “Depression and anxiety are associated with a diagnosis of hypertension 5 years later in a cohort of late middle-aged men and women” published in  ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. It provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.

Why is it so hard to pass laws to regulate guns in America? Let our experts explain

So far this year in the United States, there have been eight mass shootings taking the lives of more than 60 people. It’s tragic, but the concept of taking action to remedy this problem is still seen more as political than proactive. In fact, the possibility of being caught up in gun violence is now a part of the everyday lives of a majority of Americans. “Today, 59% of Americans say random acts of violence, like mass shootings, pose the biggest safety threat to them, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month after 31 people were killed in back-to-back rampages in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. The poll also found that 78% of Americans believe another such attack will likely unfold in the next three months. So far this year, there have been more than 250 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a widely cited non-profit that counts incidents in which at least four people other than the shooter were injured or killed.” TIME, Aug. 13, 2019 It is almost baffling why there are bottlenecks and roadblocks to finding a solution – and there are lots of questions that need to be asked. Why don’t national lawmakers pass laws regarding gun violence/mass shooting?  How has public opinion changed on gun control in the last 30 years?  How does gun violence in the U.S. compare to other countries?  What is the current state of gun control laws in the U.S.? If you need answers, that’s where our experts can help. Dr. Gregg R. Murray, professor of political science at Augusta University, is available to talk about why lawmakers are having such a tough time tackling gun violence in America. Murray’s research focuses on political behavior and psychology with specific interests in voter mobilization and turnout. He is also executive director of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences.

Is this fall’s Virginia election the canary in the coal mine for gun control?

There will be a lot of eyes on Virginia as voters go to the polls to elect its state government this November.  Virginia is just one of four states going to the polls this year and it seems like gun-control (or various forms of it) might be a key issue. In fact, Republican Tim Hugo has flip-flopped and is now favoring a Republican drafted “red flag” gun bill that would remove guns from some people considered a risk to themselves or others.  Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said suburban Republicans like Hugo and Miyares are walking a fine line on volatile issues like gun control as Democrats make inroads in those communities. Those Republicans in moderate areas feel pressure to side with their party in larger political battles, such as the one that occurred in Richmond last month, when the GOP leaders abruptly ended the special session. But they also can’t appear to be out of sync with their changing districts on guns and other divisive topics, Farnsworth said. “Delegate Hugo has to do something to appeal to suburban constituents who are moving away from a Republican Party that is represented by President Trump,” Farnsworth said, noting that the delegate won his 2017 election by just 106 votes. “By offering a response on a gun control measure, Hugo is trying to demonstrate to his voters that he is not simply another Republican willing to shut down debate on the issue before the election,” he said.  August 17 – Washington Post Could this be a sign of things to come for 2020? Are politicians actually considering gun control on both sides of the aisle? Or is this just another bait and switch by a politician looking to play both sides during a campaign? If you are a reporter covering this topic – let our experts help. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on U.S. politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

The Gun Control Debate is at a Stalemate. Can Smarter Weapons Help to Solve it?

The gun control debate is at a stalemate. America seems incapable of finding common ground on background checks, waiting periods, weapons registries and restrictions or bans on select weapons. Shooting after shooting has resulted in decades of debate but little substantive change. But Professor Selmer Bringsjord from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who recently weighed in on the issue, presented a concept that could turn the entire topic on its head by using artificial intelligence. Bringsjord accepts that America won’t get rid of its guns – so why not just make our guns smarter?  Ethically AI-enabled weapons can put American politicians back to work by shifting the debate from the weapons we should ban, to the targets we will accept. Do we allow guns to kill school children, shoppers, concert-goers? The technology of ethical AI changes the conversation.   His idea was just recently published in the Times Union: “Yet there is a solution, a technological alternative to the fruitless shouting match between politicians: namely, AI — of an ethical sort. Guns that are at once intelligent and ethically correct can put an end to the mass-shooting carnage. Consider the rifle apparently used by the human killer in the El Paso Walmart shooting. But now suppose that time is turned back to before his shots were fired on Aug. 3, and that his rifle, radically unlike the stupid one that killed, is both intelligent and ethical. This alternate-future rifle would know that it's approaching the Walmart by car and would accordingly know that it has no business being used anytime soon. Move forward in time a bit; the rifle is now in the hands of the aspiring, ear-muffed killer outside his car; but his weapon has fully disengaged itself and is locked into a mode of utter uselessness with the finality of a sealed bank vault. On the other hand, the guns in the hands of law enforcement officers who have dashed on scene know in whose hands they rest, and accordingly know that if they are trained on the would-be killer, they have every right to work well, if this criminal reveals some new threat. Notice: If people who don't actually pose a threat sufficient to warrant being shot by police can't be shot by smart, ethical guns, a fact that could lead to the welcome evaporation of a different but also vitriolic political shouting match.” -Times Union, August 16, 2019 Could AI be the answer to America’s gun problem? It’s truly a new perspective on an old issue. If you are a reporter covering this topic, let our experts help with your story. Dr. Selmer Bringsjord is the Chair of the Department of Cognitive Science expert in logic and philosophy, specializing in AI and reasoning. Dr. Bringsjord regularly speaks with media about AI and is available to speak about the concept of intelligent, ethical guns. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Nutrition Science Is Increasing Our Life Spans

Consumers are inundated daily with the latest nutrition findings popping up in their newsfeed or in advertisements touting the benefits of the latest food trend. Yet, in a recent magazine cover story, "Why Everything You Know About Nutrition is Wrong," the takeaway is that the science behind dietary guidelines is not an exact one. It can lead to confusion for the general public regarding topics such as the use of vitamins, eating wholegrain foods, low-saturated fat and low-carb foods, for example. "Nutrition science, and the interpretation of it, is not without its flaws," says Rebecca Shenkman, MPH, RDN, LDN, director of the MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at Villanova University's M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. "While we would like to believe that eating healthy is a straightforward concept, it is far from it." Many variables affect nutrition science—both the fundamental research and then consequently how it is communicated to the public—which is different from other forms of science, says Shenkman. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports that about half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The HHS' 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines are recommendations to combine healthy foods from all four food groups while paying attention to calorie limits. Nutrition science is relatively new, and while vitamin and mineral deficiencies were discovered starting in the mid-1800s, it was not until the 1970s that research began linking diet and specific elements of the diet (i.e., cholesterol) to health risks and chronic disease. "The nutrition field is a young and evolving science," Shenkman says. "And without the field's advancements, we would not see longer life spans or fewer public health concerns related to nutrient deficiencies." Eating a healthful diet can mean something different for each person, and it is important to find the right food balance that works best for one's body, lifestyle and emotional well-being. While there is evidence to support that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and limited red meat can promote health and prevent diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity), many variables go into food choices, and it is necessary for healthcare providers, governmental agencies and the public health community to help make the healthy choice the easy choice. Shenkman offers these simple tips: Focus on the quality of food, not on the amount of food. And try to slow down and eat with purpose. Eat food such as fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. These non-processed foods are found on the perimeter of most supermarkets. Try not to skimp on sleep. Proper sleep, in combination with other healthy lifestyle habits, helps promote a healthy metabolism.

Cybersecurity expert aims to protect the power grid by hacking would-be hackers

For hackers, the U.S. energy grid is a treasure trove of classified information with vast potential for profit and mayhem. To be effective, the power grid’s protection system has to be a bit like a hacker: highly intelligent, agile and able to learn rapidly. Milos Manic, Ph.D., professor of computer science and director of VCU’s Cybersecurity Center, along with colleagues at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has developed a protection system that improves its own effectiveness as it watches and learns from those trying to break into the grid. The team’s Autonomic Intelligent Cyber Sensor (AICS) received an R&D 100 Award for 2018, a worldwide recognition of the year’s most promising inventions and innovations.  “An underground war of many years” Manic calls foreign state actors’ ongoing attempts to infiltrate the power grid — and efforts to thwart them — “an underground war of many years.” These criminals aim to enter critical infrastructures such as energy systems to disrupt or compromise codes, screens login information and other assets for future attacks. The nightmare result would be an infrastructure shutdown in multiple locations, a so-called “Black Sky” event that would erase bank accounts, disable cell phones and devastate the economy. In that scenario, engineers would have less than 72 hours to restore the grid before batteries, food supplies, medicine and water run out.  With high stakes and increasingly sophisticated attackers, artificial intelligence and machine learning are key to respond to the challenges of protecting the grid’s interconnected systems, according to Manic. “Hackers are much smarter than in the past. They don’t necessarily look at one particular component of the system,” Manic said. “Often they can fool the system by taking control of the behavior of two different components to mask their attack on a third.” A nervous system for the power grid Using artificial intelligence algorithms, AICS can look holistically at an array of interconnected systems including the electrical grid and adapt continually as attacks are attempted. It is inspired by the body’s autonomic nervous system, the largely unconscious functions that govern breathing, circulation and fight-or-flight responses. Once installed, AICS acts as a similar “nervous system” for a power grid, silently monitoring all of its components for unusual activity — and learning to spot threats that were unknown when it was first installed.  To “hack” the hacker, AICS often deploys honeypots, shadow systems that appear to be legitimate parts of the grid but that actually divert, trap and quarantine malicious actors. These honeypots allow asset owners to gather information that can help identify both a threat and a potentially compromised system. “Honeypots can make a hacker think he has broken into a real system,” Manic said. “But if the hacker sees that the ‘system’ is not adequately responding, he knows it’s a honeypot.” For this reason, the system’s honeypots are also intelligently updating themselves. Manic developed AICS with his INL colleagues Todd Vollmer, Ph.D., and Craig Rieger, Ph.D. Vollmer was Manic’s Ph.D. student at the University of Idaho. The AICS team formed eight years ago, and Manic continued to work on the project when he came to VCU in 2014. He holds a joint appointment with INL.