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By BENEDICT CAREY Quick: Which American president served before slavery ended, John Tyler or Rutherford B. Hayes? If you need Google to get the answer, you are not alone. (It is Tyler.) Collective cultural memory — for presidents, for example — works according to the same laws as the individual kind, at least when it comes to recalling historical names and remembering them in a given order, researchers reported on Thursday. The findings suggest that leaders who are well known today, like the elder President George Bush and President Bill Clinton, will be all but lost to public memory in just a few decades. The particulars from the new study, which tested Americans' ability to recollect the names of past presidents, are hardly jaw-dropping: People tend to recall best the presidents who served recently, as well as the first few in the country's history. They also remember those who navigated historic events, like the ending of slavery (Abraham Lincoln) and World War II (Franklin D. Roosevelt). But the broader significance of the report — the first to measure forgetfulness over a 40-year period, using a constant list — is that societies collectively forget according to the same formula as, say, a student who has studied a list of words. Culture imitates biology, even though the two systems work in vastly different ways. The new paper was published in the journal Science. "It's an exciting study, because it mixes history and psychology and finds this one-on-one correspondence" in the way memory functions, said David C. Rubin, a psychologist at Duke University who was not involved in the research. The report is based on four surveys by psychologists now at Washington University in St. Louis, conducted from 1974 to 2014. In the first three, in 1974, 1991 and 2009, Henry L. Roediger III gave college students five minutes to write down as many presidents as they could remember, in order. © 2014 The New York Times Company
Keyword: Learning & Memory
Link ID: 20364 - Posted: 11.29.2014
by Bethany Brookshire We all experience stress, but some handle it better than others. A lot of research has focused on what makes animals and people susceptible to stress and how that, in turn, can trigger depression. It makes sense to study the condition, not the people that don't experience it. Depression and susceptibility are the broken state. Resilience seems normal by comparison. But resilience is not just the absence of susceptibility. It turns out that a protein called beta-catenin plays an active role in resilience. A new study, from Eric Nestler's laboratory at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, also identifies a large number of new targets that could help scientists understand why some people are susceptible to stress — and how they might be made more resilient. "When people study stress responses, we often just assume that in an animal that's stressed, there's an active process that creates these depression-like behaviors," says Andre Der-Avakian, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego. "But this study and studies from others have shown that resilience is also an active process." The nucleus accumbens is an area of the brain most often linked with reward and pleasure from items we enjoy, such as food or drugs. But the area also shows changes in people with depression. "It makes sense — here's a region important in responding to rewards," Nestler explains. "One of the symptoms of people with depression is that they don't derive pleasure from things in life." © Society for Science & the Public 2000 - 2014
Keyword: Stress; Depression
Link ID: 20363 - Posted: 11.26.2014
Ewen Callaway Nerve cells that transmit pain, itch and other sensations to the brain have been made in the lab for the first time. Researchers say that the cells will be useful for developing new painkillers and anti-itch remedies, as well as understanding why some people experience unexplained extreme pain and itching. "The short take-home message would be 'pain and itch in a dish', and we think that's very important," says Kristin Baldwin, a stem-cell scientist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, whose team converted mouse and human cells called fibroblasts into neurons that detect sensations such as pain, itch or temperature1. In a second paper2, a separate team took a similar approach to making pain-sensing cells. Both efforts were published on 24 November in Nature Neuroscience. Peripheral sensory neurons, as these cells are called, produce specialized 'receptor' proteins that detect chemical and physical stimuli and convey them to the brain. The receptor that a cell makes determines its properties — some pain-sensing cells respond to chilli oil, for example, and others respond to different pain-causing chemicals. Mutations in the genes encoding these receptors can cause some people to experience chronic pain or, in rare cases, to become impervious to pain. To create these cells in the lab, independent teams led by Baldwin and by Clifford Woolf, a neuroscientist at Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts, identified combinations of proteins that — when expressed in fibroblasts — transformed them into sensory neurons after several days. Baldwin's team identified neurons that make receptors that detect sensations including pain, itch, and temperature, whereas Woolf's team looked only at pain-detecting cells. Both teams generated cells that resembled neurons in shape and fired in response to capsaicin, which gives chilli peppers their kick, and mustard oil. © 2014 Nature Publishing Group
Keyword: Pain & Touch
Link ID: 20362 - Posted: 11.26.2014
By Amy Ellis Nutt In a novel use of video game playing, researchers at Ohio State have found a Pac-Man-like game, when played repetitively, can improve vision in both children and adults who have "lazy eye" or poor depth perception. In the Pac-Man-style game, players wear red-green 3-D glasses that filter images to the right and left eyes. The lazy or weak eye sees two discs containing vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines superimposed on a background of horizontal lines. The dominant eye sees a screen of only horizontal lines. The player controls the larger, Pac-man-like disc and chases the smaller one. In another game, the player must match discs with rows based on the orientation of their lines. Ten Leng Ooi, professor of optometry at Ohio State University, presented her research findings at last week's annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Only a handful of test subjects were involved in the experimental training, but all saw weak-eye improvement to 20/20 vision or better and for a period of at least eight months. Lazy eye, or amblyopia, affects between 2 and 3 percent of the U.S. population. The disorder usually occurs in infancy when the neural pathway between the brain and one eye (or sometimes both) fails to fully develop. Often the cause of lazy eye is strabismus, in which the eyes are misaligned or "crossed." To prevent double vision, the brain simply blocks the fuzzy images from one eye, thereby causing incomplete visual development. The result: lazy eye.
Keyword: Vision; Development of the Brain
Link ID: 20361 - Posted: 11.26.2014
|By Piercarlo Valdesolo Google "successful Thanksgiving" and you will get a lot of different recommendations. Most you've probably heard before: plan ahead, get help, follow certain recipes. But according to new research from Florida State University, enjoying your holiday also requires a key ingredient that few guests consider as they wait to dive face first into the turkey: a belief in free will. What does free will have to do with whether or not Aunt Sally leaves the table in a huff? These researchers argue that belief in free will is essential to experiencing the emotional state that makes Thanksgiving actually about giving thanks: gratitude. Previous research has shown that our level of gratitude for an act depends on three things: 1) the cost to the benefactor (in time, effort or money), 2) the value of the act to the beneficiary, and 3) the sincerity of the benefactor's intentions. For example, last week my 4-year-old daughter gave me a drawing of our family. This act was costly (she spent time and effort), valuable (I love the way she draws herself bigger than everyone else in the family), and sincere (she drew it because she knew I would like it). But what if I thought that she drew it for a different reason? What if I thought that she was being coerced by my wife? Or if I thought that this was just an assignment at her pre-school? In other words, what if I thought she had no choice but to draw it? I wouldn't have defiantly thrown it back in her face, but I surely would have felt differently about the sincerity of the action. It would have diminished my gratitude. © 2014 Scientific American
Keyword: Consciousness; Emotions
Link ID: 20360 - Posted: 11.26.2014
By Linda Searing THE QUESTION Keeping your brain active by working is widely believed to protect memory and thinking skills as we age. Does the type of work matter? THIS STUDY involved 1,066 people who, at an average age of 70, took a battery of tests to measure memory, processing speed and cognitive ability. The jobs they had held were rated by the complexity of dealings with people, data and things. Those whose main jobs required complex work, especially in dealings with people — such as social workers, teachers, managers, graphic designers and musicians — had higher cognitive scores than those who had held jobs requiring less-complex dealings, such as construction workers, food servers and painters. Overall, more-complex occupations were tied to higher cognitive scores, regardless of someone's IQ, education or environment. WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Older adults. Cognitive abilities change with age, so it can take longer to recall information or remember where you placed your keys. That is normal and not the same thing as dementia, which involves severe memory loss as well as declining ability to function day to day. Commonly suggested ways to maintain memory and thinking skills include staying socially active, eating healthfully and getting adequate sleep as well as such things as doing crossword puzzles, learning to play a musical instrument and taking varied routes to common destinations when driving.
Keyword: Learning & Memory
Link ID: 20359 - Posted: 11.26.2014
By Anna North The idea that poverty can change the brain has gotten significant attention recently, and not just from those lay readers (a minority, according to recent research) who spend a lot of time thinking about neuroscience. Policy makers and others have begun to apply neuroscientific principles to their thinking about poverty — and some say this could end up harming poor people rather than helping. At The Conversation, the sociologist Susan Sered takes issue with "news reports with headlines like this one: 'Can Brain Science Help Lift People Out Of Poverty?'" She's referring to a June story by Rachel Zimmerman at WBUR, about a nonprofit called Crittenton Women's Union that aims to use neuroscience to help get people out of poverty. Elisabeth Babcock, Crittenton's chief executive, tells Ms. Zimmerman: "What the new brain science says is that the stresses created by living in poverty often work against us, make it harder for our brains to find the best solutions to our problems. This is a part of the reason why poverty is so 'sticky.'" And, she adds: "If we've been raised in poverty under all this stress, our executive functioning wiring, the actual neurology of our brains, is built differently than if we're not raised in poverty. It is built to react quickly to danger and threats and not built as much to plan or execute strategies for how we want things to be in the future because the future is so uncertain and planning is so pointless that this wiring isn't as called for." Dr. Sered, however, says that applying neuroscience to problems like poverty can sometimes lead to trouble: "Studies showing that trauma and poverty change people's brains can too easily be read as scientific proof that poor people (albeit through no fault of their own) have inferior brains or that women who have been raped are now brain-damaged." © 2014 The New York Times Company
Keyword: Development of the Brain; Brain imaging
Link ID: 20358 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By Gary Stix One area of brain science that has drawn intense interest in recent years is the study of what psychologists call reconsolidation—a ponderous technical term that, once translated, means giving yourself a second chance. Memories of our daily experience are formed, often during sleep, by inscribing—or "consolidating"—a record of what happened into neural tissue. Joy at the birth of a child or terror in response to a violent personal assault. A bad memory, once fixed, may replay again and again, turning toxic and all-consuming. For the traumatized, the desire to forget becomes an impossible dream. Reconsolidation allows for a do-over by drawing attention to the emotional and factual content of traumatic experience. In the safety of a therapist's office, the patient lets demons return and then the goal is to reshape karma to form a new more benign memory. The details remain the same, but the power of the old terror to overwhelm and induce psychic paralysis begins to subside. The clinician would say that the memory has undergone a change in "valence"—from negative to neutral and detached. The trick to undertaking successful reconsolidation requires revival of these memories without provoking panic and chaos that can only makes things worse. Talk therapies and psycho-pharm may not be enough. One new idea just starting to be explored is the toning down of memories while a patient is fast asleep © 2014 Scientific American,
Keyword: Learning & Memory; Emotions
Link ID: 20357 - Posted: 11.25.2014
More than 40 percent of infants in a group who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were found to have an abnormality in a key part of the brain, researchers report. The abnormality affects the hippocampus, a brain area that influences such functions as breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, via its neurological connections to the brainstem. According to the researchers, supported by the National Institutes of Health, the abnormality was present more often in infants who died of SIDS than in infants whose deaths could be attributed to known causes. The researchers believe the abnormality may destabilize the brain's control of breathing and heart rate patterns during sleep, or during the periodic brief arousals from sleep that occur throughout the night. "The new finding adds to a growing body of evidence that brain abnormalities may underlie many cases of sudden infant death syndrome," said Marian Willinger, Ph.D, special assistant for SIDS at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study. "The hope is that research efforts in this area eventually will provide the means to identify vulnerable infants so that we'll be able to reduce their risk for SIDS." SIDS is the sudden death of an infant younger than 1 year of age that is still unexplained after a complete post mortem investigation by a coroner or medical examiner. This investigation includes an autopsy, a review of the death scene, and review of family and medical histories. In the United States, SIDS is the leading cause of death between one month and one year of age. The deaths are associated with an infant's sleep period.
Keyword: Sleep; Development of the Brain
Link ID: 20356 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By David Tuller Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are accustomed to disappointment. The cause of the disorder remains unknown; it can be difficult to diagnose, and treatment options are few. Research suggesting that an infection from a mouse virus may cause it raised hopes among patients a few years ago, but the evidence fell apart under closer scrutiny. Many patients are still told to seek psychiatric help. But two recent studies — one from investigators at Stanford a few weeks ago and another from a Japanese research team published earlier this year — have found that the brains of people with chronic fatigue syndrome differ from those of healthy people, strengthening the argument that serious physiological dysfunctions are at the root of the condition. "You've got two different groups that have independently said, 'There's something going on in the brain that is aberrant,' " said Leonard Jason, a psychologist at DePaul University in Chicago who studies the condition, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis and widely known as M.E./C.F.S. "I think you have a growing sense that this illness should be taken seriously." Both studies were small, however, and their results must be replicated before firm conclusions can be drawn. Still, other studies presented at scientific conferences this year also have demonstrated physiological dysfunctions in these patients. In the most recent study, published by the journal Radiology, researchers at Stanford University compared brain images of 15 patients with the condition to those of 14 healthy people. The scientists found differences in both the white matter, the long, cablelike nerve structures that transmit signals between parts of the brain, and the gray matter, the regions where these signals are processed and interpreted. The most striking finding was that in people with the disorder, one neural tract in the white matter of the right hemisphere appeared to be abnormally shaped, as if the cablelike nerve structures had crisscrossed or changed in some other way. Furthermore, the most seriously ill patients exhibited the greatest levels of this abnormality. © 2014 The New York Times Company
Keyword: Depression; Brain imaging
Link ID: 20355 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online The brain has a weak spot for Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, according to UK scientists who have pinpointed the region using scans. The brain area involved develops late in adolescence and degenerates early during ageing. At the moment, it is difficult for doctors to predict which people might develop either condition. The findings, in the journal PNAS, hint at a potential way to diagnose those at risk earlier, experts say. Although they caution that "much more research is needed into how to bring these exciting discoveries into the clinic". The Medical Research Council team who carried out the study did MRI brain scans on 484 healthy volunteers aged between eight and 85 years. The researchers, led by Dr Gwenaëlle Douaud of Oxford University, looked at how the brain naturally changes as people age. The images revealed a common pattern - the parts of the brain that were the last to develop were also the first to show signs of age-related decline. These brain regions - a network of nerve cells or grey matter - co-ordinate "high order" information coming from the different senses, such as sight and sound. When the researchers looked at scans of patients with Alzheimer's disease and scans of patients with schizophrenia they found the same brain regions were affected. The findings fit with what other experts have suspected - that although distinct, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are linked. Prof Hugh Perry of the MRC said: "Early doctors called schizophrenia 'premature dementia' but until now we had no clear evidence that the same parts of the brain might be associated with two such different diseases. This large-scale and detailed study provides an important, and previously missing, link between development, ageing and disease processes in the brain. BBC © 2014
Keyword: Alzheimers; Schizophrenia
Link ID: 20354 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By Sandra G. Boodman 'That's it — I'm done," Rachel Miller proclaimed, the sting of the neurologist's judgment fresh as she recounted the just-concluded appointment to her husband. Whatever was wrong with her, Miller decided after that 2009 encounter, she was not willing to risk additional humiliation by seeing another doctor who might dismiss her problems as psychosomatic. The Baltimore marketing executive had spent the previous two years trying to figure out what was causing her bizarre symptoms, some of which she knew made her sound delusional. Her eyes felt "weird," although her vision was 20/20. Normal sounds seemed hugely amplified: at night when she lay in bed, her breathing and heartbeat were deafening. Water pounding on her back in the shower sounded like a roar. She was plagued by dizziness. "I had started to feel like a person in one of those stories where someone has been committed to a mental hospital by mistake or malice and they desperately try to appear sane," recalled Miller, now 53. She began to wonder if she really was crazy; numerous tests had ruled out a host of possible causes, including a brain tumor. Continuing to look for answers seemed futile, since all the doctors she had seen had failed to come up with anything conclusive. "My attitude was: If it's something progressive like MS [multiple sclerosis] or ALS [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis], it'll get bad enough that someone will eventually figure it out." Figuring it out would take nearly three more years and was partly the result of an oddity that Miller mentioned to another neurologist, after she lifted her moratorium on seeing doctors.
Keyword: Hearing
Link ID: 20353 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By Chelsea Rice On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children and six personnel at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, before turning the gun on himself. Ever since, America has been wondering: Why? Today, after investigating and detailing every available record of the 20-year-old Lanza's life since birth, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate released a report that said: We still don't know what drove him to commit those terrible acts. But we do know he fell through the cracks of the school system, the health care system, and possibly the awareness of his own parents. Every documented moment of Lanza's life was evaluated, from mental health records that tracked his social development to school and medical records that outlined his needs—and showed disparities in the services provided to him by the state. The review did not, however, stop at Lanza. It included a review of the laws regarding special education and the confidentiality of personal records in the system, as well as "how these laws implicate professional obligations and practices." Unredacted state police and law enforcement records were also reviewed alongside interviews and extensive research with members of the Child Fatality Review Panel who led the initial investigation of that day. From "earliest childhood," according to the report, Lanza had "significant developmental challenges," such as communication and sensory problems, delays in socialization, and repetitive behaviors. Lanza was seen and evaluated by the New Hampshire "Birth to Three" early intervention program when he was almost 3 years old, and referred to special education preschool services.
Keyword: Autism; Aggression
Link ID: 20352 - Posted: 11.25.2014
By Victoria Colliver Marianne Austin watched her mother go blind from age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that affects about 10 million older Americans. Now that Austin has been diagnosed with the same condition, she wants to avoid her mother's experience. "I've seen what can happen and the devastation it can cause," said Austin, 67, of Atherton, who found out she had the disease last year. "I call it having seen the movie. I don't like that ending, I want to change the movie, and I don't want to wait 10 years until something is proven in research." About 10 percent of patients diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration will develop the form of the disease that causes permanent blindness. It's unclear just how much genetics plays a role, so there's no definitive way to predict who will progress to that stage or when that would happen. But a team of Stanford doctors think they may have found a way. In a study, published this month in the medical journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, researchers analyzed data from 2,146 retinal scans from 244 macular degeneration patients at Stanford from 2008 to 2013. They then created an algorithm that predicted whether a particular patient would be likely to develop the form of the disease that causes blindness within less than a year, three years or up to five years. For those with macular degeneration to go blind, the disease has to advance from what is known as the "dry" form to the "wet" form. The sooner a doctor can notice changes, the better chance there is to save a patient's vision.
Keyword: Vision; Development of the Brain
Link ID: 20351 - Posted: 11.25.2014
|By Christof Koch Point to any one organ in the body, and doctors can tell you something about what it does and what happens if that organ is injured by accident or disease or is removed by surgery—whether it be the pituitary gland, the kidney or the inner ear. Yet like the blank spots on maps of Central Africa from the mid-19th century, there are structures whose functions remain unknown despite whole-brain imaging, electroencephalographic recordings that monitor the brain's cacophony of electrical signals and other advanced tools of the 21st century. Consider the claustrum. It is a thin, irregular sheet of cells, tucked below the neocortex, the gray matter that allows us to see, hear, reason, think and remember. It is surrounded on all sides by white matter—the tracts, or wire bundles, that interconnect cortical regions with one another and with other brain regions. The claustra—for there are two of them, one on the left side of the brain and one on the right—lie below the general region of the insular cortex, underneath the temples, just above the ears. They assume a long, thin wisp of a shape that is easily overlooked when inspecting the topography of a brain image. Advanced brain-imaging techniques that look at the white matter fibers coursing to and from the claustrum reveal that it is a neural Grand Central Station. Almost every region of the cortex sends fibers to the claustrum. These connections are reciprocated by other fibers that extend back from the claustrum to the originating cortical region. Neuroanatomical studies in mice and rats reveal a unique asymmetry—each claustrum receives input from both cortical hemispheres but only projects back to the overlying cortex on the same side. Whether or not this is true in people is not known. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would have said. © 2014 Scientific American
Keyword: Consciousness
Link ID: 20350 - Posted: 11.24.2014
By Amy Ellis Nutt Debbie Hall undergoes external brain stimulation at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center. Hall was partially paralyzed on her left side after a stroke. Doctors are conducting a study to see if a device known as NexStim can `prep` a stroke victim's brain immediately prior to physical therapy so that the therapy will be more effective. (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center) Using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, researchers at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center may have found a way to help prep a stroke victim's brain prior to physical therapy to aid a more complete recovery. When one side of the brain is damaged by a stroke, the corresponding healthy part goes into overdrive in order to compensate, said Dr. Marcie Bockbrader, principle investigator of the study. She believes the hyperactivity in the healthy side may actually slow recovery in the injured side. The technology, called NexStim, employs TMS to prepare a stroke patient's brain for physical therapy by sending low-frequency magnetic pulses painlessly through a victim's scalp to suppress activity in the healthy part of the motor cortex. This allows the injured side to make use of more energy during physical therapy, which immediately follows the transcranial magnetic stimulation. "This device targets the overactive side, quieting it down enough, so that through therapies the injured side can learn to express itself again," said Bockbrader, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, in a new release.
Keyword: Stroke
Link ID: 20349 - Posted: 11.24.2014
by Hal Hodson Yet another smartwatch launched this week. Called Embrace, it is rather different from the latest offerings from Apple, Samsung and Motorola: it can spot the warning signs of an epileptic seizure. Embrace was developed by Matteo Lai and his team at a firm called Empatica, with the help of Rosalind Picard at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It measures the skin's electrical activity as a proxy for changes deep in the brain, and uses a model built on years of clinical data to tell which changes portend a seizure. It also gathers the usual temperature and motion data that smartwatches collect, allowing the wearer to measure physical activity and sleep quality. Empatica launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo on Tuesday and has already raised more than $120,000. Backers who pledge $169 will receive an Embrace watch. The idea for the wristband came when Picard and her colleagues were running a study on the emotional states of children with autism, measuring skin conductance at the wrist as part of the study. Picard noticed that one of the children had registered a spike in electrical activity that turned out to have happened 20 minutes before they noticed the symptoms of a seizure. "It shocked me when I realised these things were showing up on the wrist," says Picard. The whole point of Embrace is to prevent sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Its causes are not fully understood, but Picard says they understand enough to know how to reduce the chances of dying after an epileptic seizure. © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.
Keyword: Epilepsy; Robotics
Link ID: 20348 - Posted: 11.24.2014
Kate Szell "I once asked Clara who she was. It was so embarrassing, but she'd had a haircut, so how was I to know?" That's Rachel, she's 14 and counts Clara as one of her oldest and best friends. There's nothing wrong with Rachel's sight, yet she struggles to recognise others. Why? Rachel is face blind. Most of us take for granted the fact that we recognise someone after a quick glance at their face. We don't realise we're doing something very different when we look at a face compared with when we look at anything else. To get a feeling of how peculiar facial recognition is, try recognising people by looking at their hands, instead of their faces. Tricky? That's exactly how Rachel feels – only she's not looking at hands, she's looking straight into someone's eyes. Specific areas of the brain process facial information. Damage to those areas gives rise to prosopagnosia or "face blindness": an inability or difficulty with recognising faces. While brain damage-induced prosopagnosia is rare, prosopagnosia itself is not. Studies suggest around 2% of the population could have some form of prosopagnosia. These "developmental" prosopagnosics seem to be born without the ability to recognise faces and don't acquire it, relying instead on all manner of cues, from gait to hairstyles, to tell people apart. Kirsten Dalrymple from the University of Minnesota is one of a handful of researchers looking into developmental prosopagnosia. Her particular interest is in prosopagnosic children. "Some seem to cope without much of a problem but, for others, it's a totally different story," she says. "They can become very socially withdrawn and can also be at risk of walking off with strangers." © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited o
Keyword: Attention
Link ID: 20347 - Posted: 11.24.2014
By CLYDE HABERMAN The notion that a person might embody several personalities, each of them distinct, is hardly new. The ancient Romans had a sense of this and came up with Janus, a two-faced god. In the 1880s, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," a novella that provided us with an enduring metaphor for good and evil corporeally bound. Modern comic books are awash in divided personalities like the Hulk and Two-Face in the Batman series. Even heroic Superman has his alternating personas. But few instances of the phenomenon captured Americans' collective imagination quite like "Sybil," the study of a woman said to have had not two, not three (like the troubled figure in the 1950s' "Three Faces of Eve"), but 16 different personalities. Alters, psychiatrists call them, short for alternates. As a mass-market book published in 1973, "Sybil" sold in the millions. Tens of millions watched a 1976 television movie version. The story had enough juice left in it for still another television film in 2007. Sybil Dorsett, a pseudonym, became the paradigm of a psychiatric diagnosis once known as multiple personality disorder. These days, it goes by a more anodyne label: dissociative identity disorder. Either way, the strange case of the woman whose real name was Shirley Ardell Mason made itself felt in psychiatrists' offices across the country. Pre-"Sybil," the diagnosis was rare, with only about 100 cases ever having been reported in medical journals. Less than a decade after "Sybil" made its appearance, in 1980, the American Psychiatric Association formally recognized the disorder, and the numbers soared into the thousands. People went on television to tell the likes of Jerry Springer and Leeza Gibbons about their many alters. One woman insisted that she had more than 300 identities within her (enough, if you will, to fill the rosters of a dozen major-league baseball teams). Even "Eve," whose real name is Chris Costner Sizemore, said in the mid-1970s that those famous three faces were surely an undercount. It was more like 22, she said. © 2014 The New York Times Company
Keyword: Consciousness
Link ID: 20346 - Posted: 11.24.2014
Christopher Stringer Indeed, skeletal evidence from every inhabited continent suggests that our brains have become smaller in the past 10,000 to 20,000 years. How can we account for this seemingly scary statistic? Some of the shrinkage is very likely related to the decline in humans' average body size during the past 10,000 years. Brain size is scaled to body size because a larger body requires a larger nervous system to service it. As bodies became smaller, so did brains. A smaller body also suggests a smaller pelvic size in females, so selection would have favored the delivery of smaller-headed babies. What explains our shrinking body size, though? This decline is possibly related to warmer conditions on the earth in the 10,000 years after the last ice age ended. Colder conditions favor bulkier bodies because they conserve heat better. As we have acclimated to warmer temperatures, the way we live has also generally become less physically demanding, which overall serves to drive down body weights. Another likely reason for this decline is that brains are energetically expensive and will not be maintained at larger sizes unless it is necessary. The fact that we increasingly store and process information externally—in books, computers and online—means that many of us can probably get by with smaller brains. Some anthropologists have also proposed that larger brains may be less efficient at certain tasks, such as rapid computation, because of longer connection pathways. © 2014 Scientific American
Keyword: Evolution
Link ID: 20345 - Posted: 11.24.2014


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» News
NY state senator wants Alec Baldwin banned from Hollywood
Daily Caller
It's a bit late for that, isn't it? I don't see anybody lining up to go see The Shadow 2. The last time you saw Alec Baldwin in a movie* was his bit part as the sweatiest loudmouth in The Departed**, which was 7 years ago. Since then he's been on 30 Rock, which America ignored but was kept on the air because of all those times Tina Fey mocked Sarah Palin. Baldwin is pretty much finished and he knows it, which might explain why he's so angry all the time even though he's married to a gorgeous yoga instructor who's a quarter-century his junior.
But according to some folks, Baldwin shouldn't even be getting the meager roles to which he's been reduced. Politicker:
Having already conquered the rapper Lil Wayne for his alleged slights against New York City, State Senator Malcolm Smith is now calling for a boycott against actor Alec Baldwin until he seeks professional help. Mr. Smith made the call for Mr. Baldwin to be blacklisted following a New York Post story that claimed the 30 Rock star used racial slurs in a confrontation with one of the tabloid newspaper's paparazzos.
"If these allegations are true, then no television network or film studio should hire the veteran actor until he seeks help," Mr. Smith said in a statement. "In today's modern age it's a disgrace that people still use remarks that provide hatred to others based on race, religion or origin."
This is a tough one. For liberals, I mean. Baldwin is a lefty in good standing, so if you're a lefty, your instinct is to defend him. But Smith is black, so if you criticize him, you'll be called a racist. What to do? Boycotts and speech codes and such aren't supposed to bite guys like Alec Baldwin in the ass.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/20/ny-state-senator-wants-alec-baldwin-banned-from-hollywood/#ixzz2LV1KbWRH
» 8 Comments
Now, in fairness to Alec Baldwin *gags* he has been in some other stuff… like… uh…
Oh, forget it. I can't do it. I just can't.+2
I so loved him in "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Time to use his own lines against him…
"…*you are* shit, hit the bricks pal, and beat it, 'cause you are going *out*."+2
Wonder why Malcolm Smith isn't defending Baldwin's 1st Amendment protections?
Free speech doesn't simply allow the airing of differing views, it also allows us to weigh the character of others.+1
@Tim; to the lefties free speech only applies when you follow the party line else it beomes dangerous hate speech.
Anyway, Baldwin has been on the Hollywood version of the dole for the past 6 or 7 years with his role on 30 Rock (it was never a rating's winner, always running way low). For that matter so has Tim Meadows as well as Tina Fey. I suspect that you won't see Baldwin or Meadows around again anytime soon and as for Ms. Tina she won't be in front of a camera (or head writer) unless Sarah Palin comes roaring back on the National scene. In any event, they made their money for being good little soldiers. My only regret is that Baldwin decided not to run for Mayor of New York. Damn, that would have been a great campaign.+2
What's in Alec's wallet?
A KKK card, apparently.+2
This is a perfect example of karma coming around to bite you. He swore he would leave the country if GWB was elected, and he didn't. He experiences a "decline" and now someone wants him banned from Hollywood?
Alec baldwin or one of the fools screwing up NY.
Sometimes it's just impossible to decide who to root for.+1
Madame Pelosistein, (palm reader extraordinaire) sees many rolls of duct tape being used to wrap up the progressive heads that will explode over this liberal dilemma.0


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Mad about the mouse
Teacher, teacher, can you teach me?
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Epcot, it's pretty much a shell of it's former self: The Seas, SSE, JIYI and the Mexico pavillion have all been ruined. I would have preferred a park with Test Track AND --was it World of Motion. And I've never set foot in the life pavillion because my kids were really little the only time it was ever open since I started going as a grown-up and we were being very selective about what we tried to do at the time...
I don't disagree at all about Pirates and HM-- they are pretty much perfect and shouldn't be messed with and aren't being equalled very often if at all with "technology of the time" new attractions.
I may be a Disney curmudgeon but I still have Disney hope
What happened to Peter Pirate?
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Spiderman and HP both are both examples of cutting edge technology being used to spectacular results, regardless of the inspiration. In other words, had Walt had this type of inspiration for his attractions initially he certainly would have taken advantage of them. For anyone to deny Walt's intelligence otherwise is utterly ridiculous.
Further, what grand story does HM an Pirates tell? Oh, I know some see granduer and I certainly do agree that quality 'storytelling', if that's what you wish to call it (although to me it's a misnomer) is paramount in the Disney and 'new world' theme park experience ... but I do not agree that this was Walt's singlular motivation. Pishaw.
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Two things.
Talking about specific rides and relative Disney Magic: Soarin' is simply not a Disney Attraction. It is totally bereft of both theming and story. You walk into the room and the unadorned ride mech is just hanging there in front of the movie screen... and then you get a localized version of the Impressions de France experience.
Just think for a minute about that ride mech and what you (not the royal you, suggesting what someone like Walt would have made of it, but just, you know, actual you, non-Imagineer, non-creative genius you) could make of it. Think about the fans in the old If You Had Wings speed room, think about the in-seat theming of the 3D movies, think about staging and the "reveal" of the meat of the ride used in so many Disney rides (Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, even Rock 'N' Roller Coaster). Why couldn't we be on Aladdin's Magic Carpet as it was zooming out of the collapsing desert cave? Why couldn't we have been hanging from a door with Mike, Sulley, and Boo, one step ahead of Randall? Why couldn't we have been a part of any number of stories, familiar from Disney classics or newly minted, rather than being shown a movie sitting in a fake hang-glider?
The one and only reason is that they simply didn't care anymore. The mech was cool enough, no need to go overboard, right? And don't get me wrong, I thought Soarin' was a fun ride, and I'm quite sure I'll ride it again. But there is nothing about that ride that says or feels "Disney" to me, nothing that separates it from the crowd as "Only in Disney could this happen."
Which brings me to the second point, related to The Baron's exhumation of AV's post.
In Walt's day, things were simply never good enough. Yes, at some point they were opened to the world, but right up until that moment (and oftentimes after that moment), the mindset was to figure out how to make it better, how to put you deeper into the story, how to make it a more spectacular show.
No one was able to instill that mindset like Walt did, but it was Michael Eisner who made settling SOP at Disney. Will a lot of people think, as I did above, the ride mech was "cool enough?" Will they, as I admitted to above, have fun, and be willing to ride it again? Then stamp a TM Disney on it and don't bother me about it, again.
That was the damage Michael Eisner did to Disney: nothing less than tearing out its heart, its soul, the thing that made them what they were and made them different from everyone else who was attempting something similar.
I can't and won't say I never had any fun with Disney products during the Eisner era.
But I can and I will say that that son of a ***** destroyed The Magic of Disney.
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Kilimanjaro Safari - I can't see it.
Expedition Everest - I am torn. I want to stick with my teacher friend, because that queue and subsequent story to me is totally engrossing. BUT, it hinges on the Yeti. The actual roller coaster technology is fairly routine (but so is Pirates of the Caribbean). I think I would keep Everest in the elite category with a full blown terrorizing yeti.
I agree that Toy Story Midway Mania is FUN! But it is a giant video game. The theming in Tower of Terror is pretty spectacular.
By the way, I think the Spiderman ride would be the evolutionary ancestor to the amazing Forbidden Journey. So the list looks like this...
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Haunted Mansion 1969/1971 - Ultimate Ride?
Small World 1966/1971 precursor to brilliance
Carousel of Progress 1967/1975 also precursor
Pirates of the Caribbean 1967/1973
Space Mountain 1975 standard
Splash Mountain - 1989/1992
Tower of Terror - 1994 not sure about the objections.
Soarin 2001/2005 WDW Not good enough
Fully Functioning Expedition Everest? (Does it still count with the broken Yeti?) 2006
Toy Story Midway Mania - 2008 Fun, but not mythic
I have read a lot of the old posts, and I don't understand the drawbacks to Splash Mountain. Great story, animatronics (when it works), music, thrills, it seems like a classic to me.
This line of questioning doesn't get me very far. I was thinking that there would be a clear cut delineation among pre-Eisner - Eisner - and Iger. But I am not seeing much separation.
One thing is for certain, In 40 years we should have more to talk about. That would have been the case if someone of Walt's temperament was in charge. If the execs hadn't settled for ok.
What Would Walt Do?
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Dear Mr. Head!!
Another 'home run' post!!! (For those of you who glossed over it, go back and read it again! Every word of it.)
It didn't take you very long to get back in the saddle!! Glad you're back!
"Give the people everything you can give them."
"Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money."
For the best "Disney Education" on the web go to: http://www.july171955.com/
Long live the Pirate!!
I may be a Disney curmudgeon but I still have Disney hope
What happened to Peter Pirate?
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,839
I will stand by my opinion that some great aspects were added to WDW under Mikey but agree that without Walt's ideals guiding everything, the magic was doomed.
WFH and Baron were always great at always returning the the issue of SHOW, for that is what it was. Today it's just Walmart.
What Would Walt Do?
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I didnt want this thread to turn into an Ei$ner bashing moment, although I have to say Its a lot of FUN!!!
What I wanted was a critical look at how they utilized the massive land holdings they had in Central Florida. Were the resorts/hotels/motels/cheap rip off motels, the best they could do? Was MGM/Studios/Whatever it is now, really a great theme for a third gate or would it have been the ultimate Disney experience within a massive E.P.C.O.T. pavilion (the original plan)? Was AK really needed or could they have done better with a different concept altogether, instead of keeping up with the Joneses (i.e. Tampa)? Those are the questions that need answering. The overall plan. The BIG PICTURE!! Not weather Soarin has a new film or not!
OK. One last thought as long as the theme of this thread took a left turn somewhere, and its mainly for my friend, The Pirate
The evidence before the court is incontrovertible,
Theres no need for the jury to retire!
Ei$ner GUILTY OF MAGIC MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE!!
"Give the people everything you can give them."
"Disneyland is a work of love. We didn't go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money."
For the best "Disney Education" on the web go to: http://www.july171955.com/
Long live the Pirate!!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* *+*~The Snow Queen~*+* ~A girl should be two things: *+*~Classy & Fabulous~*+* +*+*~Coco Chanel~*+*+*+ *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
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~The first time I experienced Tower of Terror {Eisner}, I was expecting the typical "Power Tower" turbo drop attraction -- it was anything but. It's one of the best attractions anywhere.
~I had the same impression of Splash Mountain {Eisner} -- I went in expecting basic "log flume", but left speechless.
~Kali River Rapids {Eisner}, I had high expectations, was super impressed with the elaborate queue, but left underwhelmed.
~Dinosaur {Eisner}, was a delightful, (rough & alarmingly loud) surprise.
~Expedition Everest {Eisner} is probably one of the best coasters ever.
~Rock n Roller Coaster {Eisner}, I love the theme, it's so unique & fun!
~Original Test Track {Eisner}, super fun.
~Mickey's Philharmagic {Eisner} is so fabulous & so underrated!!!
~Unfortunately, I can't think of any new ride attractions under Iger, there must be something I've overlooked.
~I have to ask this. What has Iger done to "restore" the Magic of Disney? Because, as it pertains specifically to the theme parks, I just see a greater extension of Eisner -- excluding the very recent & very "reactive" theme park expansions.
Last edited by DRDISNEYMD; 01-19-2013 at 05:03 PM.
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First I'll respond to the two quotes that seem directed at my post.
"I do agree that Soarin' was cut short of its full potential, but it's a very nice attraction."
And that's the heart of the argument I was trying to make: "cut short of its potential... but very nice" isn't what made Disney magical in the first place. "Cut short of its potential... but very nice" is what Michael Eisner settled for, what Michael Eisner established as Disney's norm. Compare Tokyo DisneySea attractions overseen by Oriental Land Company with contemporaneous stateside attractions overseen by Michael Eisner. Eisner never tried to be the best, never raised the overall level by raising the expectations and the standard. Eisner did the the exact opposite of that.
"What has Iger done to "restore" the Magic of Disney?"
To be honest, I have no idea. I've actually been in Car 4 (are we still doing the "Car" thing?) for the better part of this past decade. After I read on the internet that more specialized merch was returning to the parks and resorts (another loss of the Eisner era was "The Fab Five" and the way the same exact merchandise starting showing up everywhere in the parks and resorts [not to mention the Disney Stores and Wal-Marts], replacing merch that was themed to individual lands and resorts, even individual rides and characters), I posted on the july171955 site a question as to whether this was a sign that positive changes were coming back, that someone along the line might "get it" and Iger, at least might not be quashing things out of pure evil delight. The responses did not fill me with much hope (along the lines of "even a blind pure evil squirrel finds a nut once in a while"), and I let it go at that. So I have no real answer for this.
I did want to mention one other thing, in regards to attributing Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain to Eisner. Over the years I've gotten flack for splitting this hair, but I believe that it's valid to split: ToT and Splash were not attributable to Michael Eisner and his policies, they were attributable to Frank Wells and his policies. I can agree that ToT is pure Disney Magic, likely the last great example of such on American soil. And Splash (which is really a dark ride, not a log flume, in its execution) is actually rather infamous for being the project that that convinced Eisner to be openly antagonistic to the Imagineering group (I wish AV were still around to tell this story, suffice to say that Imagineering missed some deadlines trying to get the ride right, and that adversely affected some pomp and circumstance Eisner wanted to enjoy. To Eisner, his self-aggrandizing dog and pony show was more important than the guests' ride experience, and Imagineering began its Eisner-directed descent into oblivion as soon as Michael no longer had to share the reins).
Eisner was CEO for twenty years, half with Wells as President, and half with Iger (Michael Ovitz? Never heard of him). It takes a long time for an institution as large as Disney to change its culture. It would take a decade or more to undo what Eisner did, and a CEO willing to undo it. I do not have any evidence to present that Iger has that willingness.
I may be a Disney curmudgeon but I still have Disney hope
What happened to Peter Pirate?
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Eisner did not give show or quality any concern in regard to the ideals Walt established. Certainly he gave 100% to his agenda, which took Disney down a different path altogether and any parallel to classic Disney was purely because it served his purpose. I get that.
But he did grow WDW into what it is today. Is that better? Probably not, in my opinion, but I don't think many of the millions of WDW visitors would agree which is the rub. As lockedinlogic points out, this Disney has no incentive to dowhat Walt fans would want. They are simply too successful with their MBA mentality, which makes me very sad.
However, should some magical Disney leadership step up (Lasseter), WDW could at least be transformed (it's possible). The skeleton and infrastructure is there should they decide to finish MGM or AK and reinvent Epcot.
I know you think I'm truly holding out for a hero lockedoutlogic, but I can't help myself.
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I think it is a Fantastic Thread.......
Walt bought up half of Central Florida for a reason: He was disgusted with the Hotels, Restaurants, Neighborhoods spawning around DisneyLand. He vowed never to have that happen again: Go in Large - anticipate Expansion!
The company died - for a time - after Walt died! The "Roy Side" took control of management. The country was in recession and there was a prolonged era of:
Finally the Disney Decade began - and - one of Eisner first decisions was to skuttle the original 10 Story boring design for what became the Swan / Dolphin. He got out of the contract and hired Michael Graves (a top 70's architect) to design the two buildings. Campy? I think so! But better then a 10 Story industrial design!
In conclusion: Eisner/Wells had their problems, but, you cannot dismiss the era and it's impact on WDW: 12 (or so) new Themed Resorts with varying price ranges, 2 New Parks, DVC, Sports Complex, 100 new Characters, DTD Expansion.
WDW Today, for good or ill, is based on Eisner's vision - not Walt's!
The question truly is: If we could revive Walt for a week and give him a tour of the WDW property (and his competitors) - would he approve? And, I ponder that question all the time!
Last edited by bom_noite; 01-20-2013 at 05:19 PM.
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"More so than many other present-day execs, friends say, Kalogridis is steeped in the company's tradition of show and service. "
I guess the question is, does he really get it?
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I may be a Disney curmudgeon but I still have Disney hope
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Under Armour, Inc. To Report Third Quarter 2012 Earnings And Webcast Conference Call
BALTIMORE, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA) will report the results of its third quarter ended September 30, 2012 on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 7:00 a.m. ET. Under Armour management will host a conference call to discuss the results beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. This call will be webcast live at http://investor.underarmour.com/events.cfm and will be archived and available for replay approximately three hours after the live event until Thursday, November 29, 2012.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110127/NE37387LOGO )
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Located in Tambon Bo Dan, the Ban Bo Dan Hot Spring is part of The Hot Spring Beach Resort and Spa and is surrounded with beautiful landscape and lush area. The warm mineral water whirling in the pond is best for the rel...
This is a small spring that sprouts up to the surface. The hot water from underground converges to form a little stream that flows down to Than Khok Khwai or Huai Khun Kaeo. The water is clear and pungent with the aroma ...
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Bo Khlueng is a natural hot stream whose water source is from the Tanao Si Mountains and is full of mineral water believed can be used for skin treatment. The water which flows all year round has temperature...
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Fang is a district in the north of Chiang Mai, of which the archeological evidence shown that it was an ancient city established during circa 641 by King Lawa Changkarat. The ancient city of Fang was also ruled under the...
This natural hot springs have been a popular tourist spot ever since King Rama V visited Ranong in 1890. There are three hot springs in the same area and it's all hot at 65 degree Celsius. It's the only hot s...
A visit to Kantang Hot Springs gets you a chance to relax in one of a very few hot springs founded inThailand. The temperature of 60 degree celsius helps release stress and muscle tensions. The hit springs is at Mu 7, Ta...
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Credit: The Art Institute of Chicago
Bertrand Goldberg, designer of the famous 1967 corncob Marina City towers, falls somewhere between Louis Sullivan and Jeanne Gang on the family tree of great Chicago architects. Goldberg died in 1997, so it's high time that his idiosyncratic midcentury modernism got the full monographic treatment. The Art Institute of Chicago's Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention (with the installation designed by Chicago's John Ronan Architects), illuminates the full scope of the architect's vision—which encompassed furniture, public housing, gas stations, and modular hospital units—with over 100 models, photos, and drawings. Shown is a drawing of the 1963 Joseph Brenneman Elementary School. Through Jan. 15. • artic.edu
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Russian Rocket Engine Ban on US Military Launches Could Affect NASA Spaceflight
May 14th, 2014
The call by one Russian official to ban Russian rocket engine use on U.S. military launches and to pull out of the International Space Station project by 2020, could have far-reaching repercussions for U.S. spaceflight if realized.
Read More »
Court Bars US Launch Provider from Buying Russian-built Rocket Engines
May 1st, 2014
The U.S. Air Force and United Launch Alliance must temporarily stop buying the Russian-made rocket engines used to launch many national security missions because of sanctions against Russian leaders, a U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday (April 30).
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US Air Force Launches Military GPS Satellite on 50th Atlas 5 Rocket
October 29th, 2014
The U.S. Air Force launched a 19-story rocket from the coast of Florida today to carry a next-generation GPS satellite into space.
Read More »
Photos: Secretive X-37B Space Plane's 3rd Mission for the US Air Force
October 18th, 2014
See photos of the third mission flown by the US Air Force's secret space plane, the X-37B.
Read More »
Secretive X-37B Military Space Plane Could Land in California Tuesday
October 12th, 2014
The U.S. Air Force's mysterious X-37B space plane will return to Earth this week, possibly Tuesday (Oct. 14), after 22 months in orbit on a secret mission.
Read More »
DARPA Wants to Test Satellite Repair Droids in Orbit
September 12th, 2014
The United States military's high-technology branch is hoping to test out on-orbit satellite servicing in orbit in the next five years.
Read More »
US Military Blows Up Hypersonic Weapon After Failed Test Launch
August 26th, 2014
The U.S. Army launched a prototype hypersonic weapon test from Alaska on Monday (Aug. 25), only to destroy the superfast vehicle seconds later when something went wrong.
Read More »
Space Plane Tech Could Power Hypersonic Aircraft for US Military
August 18th, 2014
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is studying hypersonic vehicles that would use the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE), which is intended to power the Skylon space plane, AFRL officials said.
Read More »
Lift-Off! US Air Force Launches GPS Satellite to Orbit
August 2nd, 2014
The United States Air Force launched a new, advanced GPS satellite into orbit today (Aug. 1) from Florida.
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Military Satellites Likely Saw Missile Strike on Malaysian Airlines Flight
July 18th, 2014
When a missile struck Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, it's likely that heat from the explosion was detected from space by a sophisticated network of military satellites.
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Lockheed Martin Lands $914 Million Space Fence Contract
June 5th, 2014
Lockheed Martin will build the U.S. Air Force's next-generation space surveillance system.
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Atlas 5 Rocket Launches Clandestine US Spy Satellite
May 22nd, 2014
An unmanned Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified spy satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office at 9:05 a.m. EDT (1405 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Read More »
Russia Calls for Ban of US Military Launches Using Russian Rocket Engines
May 13th, 2014
A senior Russian official said he would ban exports of Russian-made rocket engines used to launch U.S. military satellites, and added that Russia doesn't intend to continue cooperating with the U.S. on the International Space Station beyond 2020.
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SpaceX Reusable Rocket Test an 'Evolutionary' Breakthrough, Elon Musk Says
April 25th, 2014
The unprecedented reusable rocket test launched by SpaceX last week paves the way for a potentially revolutionary leap forward in the cost of spaceflight, the private company's founder Elon Musk said today (April 25).
Read More »
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Noted Fort Worth artist Julie Lazarus is presenting her recent paintings and glass sculptures at William Campbell Contemporary Art. Her exhibition, "Aquavenezia," is inspired by the architecture and reflective waterscapes of Venice. "In Venice, I observe the seeming surplus of water, filtering the colors, light and architectural detail into my own artistic vision," she writes. Her choice of vertical canvases is prompted by the upward thrust of tall buildings and the human stance to establish a familiar synergy between viewer and art.
Through Dec. 28. William Campbell Contemporary Art, 4935 Byers Ave. Fort Worth, 817-737-9566; www.williamcampbellcontemporaryart.com.
— Gaile Robinson


text:
Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Many scientists speculate that our galaxy could be full of
places like Pandora from the movie "Avatar" -- Earth-like worlds in
solar systems besides our own. That doesn't mean such worlds have
been easy to find, however. Of the 400-plus planets discovered so
far, none could support life as we know it on Earth.
"The problem with finding Earth-like planets," said Stefan
Martin, an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
CA, "is that their host stars can emit 10 million times more
infrared light than the planet itself. And because planets like
ours are small and orbit very close to their respective stars, it
makes Earths almost impossible to see."
Together with A.J. Booth (formerly at JPL and now at Sigma Space
Corp., Lanham, MD.), Martin may have developed a way to make this
almost impossible feat a reality.
Their instrument design, called a "nulling interferometer,"
observes planets in infrared light, where they are easier to
detect. It is designed to combine starlight captured by four
different telescopes, arranging the light waves from the star in
such a way that they cancel each other out. "We're able to make the
star look dimmer -- basically turning it off," Martin said.
Nulling interferometry is not a new idea, but what sets the
results from Martin and Booth apart is how effective it turned out
to be. "Our null depth is 10 to 100 times better than previously
achieved by other systems," Martin said. "This is the first time
someone has cross-combined four telescopes, set up in pairs, and
achieved such deep nulls. It's extreme starlight suppression."
That suppression could allow scientists to get a better look at
exoplanets than ever before. "We're able to make the planet flash
on and off so that we can detect it," Martin said. "And because
this system makes the light from the star appear 100 million times
fainter, we would be able to see the planet we're looking for quite
JPL's Nulling Interferometer
Nulling interferometry isn't the only way scientists can find
other Earths. NASA's Kepler mission, currently in orbit, is looking
for Earth-like planets by watching the light of faraway stars dim
slightly as their planets pass in front of them. Another method of
observing exoplanets is coronagraphy, which uses a mask to block
the optical light of a star, making its surrounding planets more
easily visible. And the proposed SIM Lite mission would also be
able to find nearby planets by observing the gravity-induced
"wobbling" of their host stars.
However, Martin and Booth's nulling interferometer could
eventually give astronomers the ability to get up close and
personal with Earth-like worlds, analyzing their atmospheres for
signs of habitability or even possibly life. "We expect to
eventually be able to see hundreds of planets with this technique,"
Martin said.
The technology that they've developed could be used on a
follow-up space mission to SIM Lite and Kepler. Martin is now
planning to test the system in conditions that better mimic a
real-life mission. Once considered the stuff of science fiction, it
may not be long before Earth-like planets, or, in the case of
Pandora, Earth-like moons of giant planets, are found to exist
other places besides the silver screen.
Airborne 12.19.14: Falcon 8X Unveiled, Sporty's 172LITE, Bizarre CA AvGas Lawsuit Settled
Aero-TV: Redbird's Roger Sharp -- Pushing The Aero-Educational Envelope
Airborne 12.17.14: Evergreen Woes, Foolish Pilot Tricks, No 757 Replacement -- Yet
See All
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text:
Powell Peralta Mike Vallely Elephant skateboard deck: This board is a modern version of Mike V's original elephant deck from 1989, Featuring a version of his first ever pro graphic.
- Mike Vallely pro model
- Size: 8"
- Ligament 7 ply construction:
Stiffer, longer lasting flex for increased board lifeThe confidence that comes from knowing your deck will never break in two, All the above at no extra cost
Good skaters are hard on boards. They don't miss little tricks, they miss big ones, and they break decks. Sometimes they break themselves too. Powell Peralta have developed LIGAMENT™ technology for their team after watching one of Jordan Hoffart's especially nasty video slams at the bottom of a big rail gap.
LIGAMENT™ technology consists of inlaying three long strips of high strength polymeric strap into the middle of each deck. These reinforcing straps are strong and flexible, like the ligaments that connect your muscles to your bones. Even when you break the board, the ligament straps will hold your deck together allowing you to ride out of it, instead of doing the groin-tearing splits. LIGAMENT™ decks weigh the same as a 7-ply maple deck, stay stiff longer than ordinary boards, and prevent the deck from ever breaking into two pieces because of the added reinforcement.
* Please note all size guides are for guidance only. Sizing conversions may vary by brand. Please contact us if you require any specific sizing information about a product
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- Surfboard Courier Delivery = £15.00
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- Standard Courier Delivery = £12.99 (orders over £60)
- Snowboards & Bodyboards - £14.99
- Surfboard Courier Delivery = £79.99
Europe Delivery:
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(Channel Islands, Eire, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands)
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- Zones 1 & 2 Snowboards & Bodyboards = £29.99
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- Snowboards & Bodyboards = n/a
for a full breakdown of our delivery rates and terms, please CLICK HERE
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text:
Semantic Web Jobs: IntraEdge
IntraEdge is looking for an Enterprise Software Engineer in Scottsdale, AZ. The person who fills this position must have the following: "Ability to lead and contribute toward the architecture principles, design standards, and coding best practices for the Software Engineering department. Ability to envision project goals, product architectural solutions, and focus on details and tasks to ensure successful implementation. Ability to perform hands on development demonstrating highly efficient coding capabilities and industry best practices using multiple software applications… Ability to articulate complex problems through application architecture artifacts and detail design documentation communicating viable architecture and design approaches in a clear and concise manner while ensuring the solution fits within the Enterprise Architecture vision." Read more


text:
Home → In The News → WKMG Orlando Local 6 News takes a look at Drink Chia!, the chia seeds beverage
Julie Broughton of Local 6 Orlando News gets the scoop on Drink Chia! and how they developed their chia seeds superfood drink.
Comments are closed.
Ronni Mendelsohn
(407) 900-1025
© 2011-2012 Drink Chia LLC All Rights Reserved.
"Drink Chia" is a delicious tasting chia seed drink that is chugable ;-). A superfood drink infused with organic chia seeds that are high in omega-3's. Those that drink chia seek adventure and believe "Fear is so last Year", they choose to "Biggie their Lives and not their Fries." Chia seeds are also high in antioxidants, b-complex vitamins, and fiber making them an ideal healthy energy source for people with an active lifestyle.Phone: (407) 900-1025. Email: email@example.com | Entries (RSS)


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Bismarck, ND
5 Stars
I would recommend this item to a friend.
July 28, 2013
The only way to describe this serum is a miracle in a bottle. While I don't suffer from any major acne or fine lines/wrinkles (yet), my skin has always seemed to be missing something and kind of blah. After only a few days of regular use, I could notice a very distinct difference. My complexion is much more even with no redness. But most impressively, my skin looks 'fresh' and healthy - it has that sort of healthy glow that I haven't seen since pre-puberty! Epic. I will never be without this serum again!
Pros:Great tingly feeling Calms redness Evens complexion A little goes a long way!


text:
Posted: Thursday, January 17th 2013 at 6:24pm
Owens back at Falcons practice, Abraham limited
By The Associated Press
FLOWERY BRANCH -- Cornerback Christopher Owens practiced with the Atlanta Falcons for the first time in nearly a month Thursday, and star defensive end John Abraham remains hobbled by an injured left ankle.
Owens had been out since injuring a hamstring in a Dec. 22 victory at Detroit. He was back on the field on a limited basis, raising hopes that he'll be able to play in Sunday's NFC championship game against San Francisco.
Abraham, listed as limited, has done little in practice after reinjuring his ankle in last weekend's playoff victory over Seattle. The Falcons hope he'll be able to play some snaps against the 49ers.
Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder) was limited for the second day in a row. Safety William Moore (hand) and linebacker Stephen Nicholas (foot) both participated fully in practice.
Associated Categories: Sports News, Professional Sports
© Copyright 2014 AccessNorthGa.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.


text:
26 December 2014
Book Reviews
CW Games
Fantasy Cricket
Games & Downloads
Stats Spider
BLIC Interview with Codemasters
25 Aug 2006
James Nixon
Cricket Web have conducted an interview with Codemasters asking their Senior Game Designer a series of questions on Brian Lara International Cricket 2007. We'd like to thank him for giving up his time.
Is BLIC 2007 a complete re-build from 2005?
No, we're building on the 2005 engine and streamlining it. It'll be more efficient, have more gameplay features and be capable of rendering far better graphics and animations.
Which feature were Codemasters most disappointed with in BLIC 2005 and how is this being improved in BLIC 2007?
That's a tough one. Probably from a gameplay point of view I'd have to say the CPU players' AI. The batsmen in particular played mechanically and conservatively. We've introduced some new AI calculations that will have CPU teams batting more aggressively, chasing required run rates and making some human errors as well as taking some inspired risks (yes, you will be able to run them out).
What were you satisfied with in BLIC 2005 and won't be changing for the 2007 version?
The easy and accessible gameplay. 2005 had a certain fun factor, and wasn't too hardcore, but still played well as a cricket sim. We've added new gameplay features, but they retain this spirit.
Have Codemasters secured player licenses for matches outside of the World Cup and Champions Trophy, so we no longer have Chris Martin being called Chris Morton for example?
Afraid not, this will be as 2005.
With the addition of online play for BLIC 2005, will anyone be able to setup a gaming server and run matches off it? Will online play include online competitions, etc?
You'll be able to play LAN games, 360 Live games, and you can also play on Gamespy Arcade. There's no reason why players can't organise matches by connecting to a host IP across the Internet, but a game does need the host to kick off a match or tournament round. We've not made plans for official competitions yet, but may do so further down the line.
One the biggest complaints about BLIC 2005 was the Batting AI in that if you scored for example 280-6 off 50 overs, the computer player would be 15-0 after 10 overs. Is this sort of thing being addressed and what is generally being done to improve the computer AI overall?
To further elucidate from question two, confidence will have an effect on CPU AI. CPU bowlers will devise a line, length and ball strategy at the beginning of each over, which they can change to fox the batsman or in response to scoring, and CPU field settings have also been overhauled to take into account scoring, and the relative abilities of the batsman and bowler.
Will we see the inclusion of power-plays?
Afraid not. Due to the limited time we have for fixes, next-gen graphics and new features, we've left this out in favour of other content.
Will we see an official editing package included with the game?
No - there's no plans for an editing package.
Are we going to see a new commentary team, or will that part of the game remain the same as the 2005 version?
Same team, and some of the commentary from 2005 will remain in, simply because it's still relevant. But we have recorded some new commentary for the World Cup and Champions Trophy modes, as well as new crowd sounds, player shouts and effects such as the thwack of leather on willow.
Will there be an auto-play feature?
There will. We'll have a feature to allow players to skip innings and one to skip overs.
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1. What's the maximum weight authorized by Luxair for my baggage?
2. Where can I find seat maps and technical information about the Luxair fleet?
3. I am pregnant and I want to fly with Luxair. Are there specific rules applying to my situation ?
4. What are the change or refund conditions of my Luxair reservation ?
5. Where can I find information about taking animals on a Luxair flight?
6. What is the Luxair special assistance to persons with reduced mobility ?
7. My Bagage has been delayed or lost after a Luxair flight. What should I do ?
8. Can children travel alone (Unaccompanied Minors) on a Luxair flight ?
9. Traveling to/from the UK : what are the Advanced Passenger Informations (API'S)?
10. When can I use the web check in, choose my seat and print the boarding pass for my Luxair flight?
11. What do "3D Secure", "Verified by Visa" and "Mastercard Secure Code" mean ?
12. What is FLASHiZ?
FLASHiZ is a mobile payment solution developed by Mobey S.A, an Electronic Money Institution. FLASHiZ allows you to pay for goods and services in stores and online with your smartphone and also make peer-to-peer transfers, whatever your bank is. Buy a flight with FLASHiZ on Luxair.lu, it's easy! Confirm your order, select FLASHiZ as payment method and scan the QR code displayed on the screen with your FLASHiZ app. For security reasons, your card number is not stored on your smartphone. For further information, please visit www.flashiz.com.
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text: Becky Lynn (Norenberg) Wyman, 43, Garrison, died on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013, surrounded by her family. She was diagnosed five years ago with breast cancer and courageously fought every day, being an inspiration to all who knew her. Funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, at 11 a.m., at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garrison. Burial will be held on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 10 a.m. at the Garrison City Cemetery.


text:
Jurassic Journey Dinosaur Exhibit at HYPE Recreation Center in Dearborn Heights
Bring your kids to welcome the Burning Tree Mastodon to Michigan at this special southeast Michigan attraction, in Wayne County May 2-12, 2013
Calling all potential paleontologists! For the first time ever the Burning Tree Mastodon visits metro Detroit for the Jurassic Journey Dinosaur Exhibit at the HYPE Athletic Center in Dearborn Heights, May 2-12, 2013.
Discovered in 1989, the 11,600-year-old skeleton is the most studied and complete remains of any animal – and at 14 feet tall, it's the third largest mastodon ever found.
Evidence exists that the 10,000-pound animal was slain by the Clovis people 9,600 years before humans were thought to exist in this area. Scientists deduced this information from the flint markings on the animal's ribs.
Add to that the fact that its intestines contained eight species of live bacteria never before found on earth, and you would think that this exhibit could be its own show. But there's more.
In addition to the Burning Tree Mastodon, attendees can see the Dilophosaurus, Greek for two-ridged lizard. This guy measured around 20 feet long and weighed as much as half a ton, with fish and meat as his favorite foods.
See both of these, and over 50 other different dinosaur replicas, in a 90-minute guided tour.
The exhibit runs 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Ticket prices are $12 for ages 14 and up, $6 for ages 4-13 and free ages 3 and under.
The HYPE Athletics Community is a charitable non-profit organization founded in 2001. Its mission is to provide services and events that strengthen the infrastructures of family through education, social services, athletics and physical fitness.
See the Metro Parent listing for more on the Jurassic Journey Dinosaur Exhibit at HYPE Recreation Center in Dearborn Heights.


text:
Five-day slog for talks but no major stumbling blocks between Kenny and Burton
Tax reform and jobs portfolio main areas of debate between Taoiseach and Tánaiste
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton after their first joint press conference yesterday. Photograph: Aidan Crawley
Less than an hour after Joan Burton became Labour Party leader last Friday week, negotiations on the future shape of Government kicked into action.
Within minutes, Burton was speaking on the telephone to Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The conversation was general and convivial.
But after Ms Burton's team made their way back to Leinster House in the heavy summer showers that pounded the footpaths between the Mansion House and Leinster House, they made the first move in a discussion process that took almost a week to play out.
It was a short document, setting out in bullet-point form the Labour priorities in government. This included the need for a social recovery as well as an economic one; a low-pay commission; action on housing; tax reform; less austere budgets; political reform; marriage equality; and more initiatives on investment at EU level.
The document's author was Ed Brophy, Ms Burton's main adviser. In the next week, it would be Brophy and Andrew McDowell, the Taoiseach's special adviser, who would work on reaching agreement on policy – which manifested itself in the 10-page document released last night. The Taoiseach's other adviser, Mark Kennelly, would be involved in the more political decisions, including departmental changes and the reshuffle on the Fine Gael side.
Burton and Kenny agreed to meet on Monday and did not speak over the weekend.
Kenny cycled the 170km Ring of Kerry, as he does every year, telling reporters at the end of it there would be significant Cabinet changes. The same was said on Monday in Brussels by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.
Policy document templateMeanwhile, behind the scenes, Fine Gael sent back a fuller document in response, with some of its priorities, including on tax and on stimulating jobs in the economy. Both sides began working on a template of an agreed policy document.
The fact that the negotiations lasted for a week suggests there were plenty of blockages, but both sides say privately the differences between the two sides boiled down to only a few issues and none of those ever seemed insuperable.
It was explained that Ms Burton's team was new to a lot of the detail with which the Taoiseach's side would have been familiar for three years. The team members needed time to read and fully understand the implications of each measure before agreeing to it. And the Taoiseach and his team made it clear that they would wait, that it was more important that agreement was reached than a deadline was met.
Labour had made it clear from the outset that they were eying up the jobs and enterprise portfolio held by Richard Bruton. The party had made the point that the job of EU commissioner was being ceded to Fine Gael and argued that should give it leverage for a key portfolio in the context of a recovery.
"Yes, there was a play for Jobs and we set out concerns very clearly," said a Labour source. "We had sought a low-pay commission and collective bargaining."
But Fine Gael was not prepared to concede this ministry.
"From day one the Taoiseach made it very clear that this was non-negotiable," said a Fine Gael source.