text:
19 November 2014
The International Centre for Theoretical Physics was set up to seed science in the developing world; 100,000 researchers later, it is still growing.
The dust in Kathmandu cloaks everything. It carpets the streets with a dingy layer. Women cutting waist-high grass are wearing face masks to keep it out. And it settles on the dilapidated buildings of Tribhuvan University (TU) — the biggest scientific establishment in Nepal.
Narayan Adhikari, however, has managed to stay clean. Clad in an impeccable white shirt and black trousers, he adds his motorbike to a collection of some 20 others parked haphazardly in front of a 3-storey building, the university's physics department. Before entering his tiny lab, the 44-year-old researcher removes his shoes to keep the dirt out. In the lab are a dozen desktop computers, which the department received in 2009 — before that, there were none. Power blackouts happen every day, lasting for up to 16 hours, and the Internet connection works "maybe one day a month", Adhikari says.
Despite this, for the past eight years Adhikari and his students have been producing a stream of theoretical-physics papers on the properties of materials such as atom-thick graphene. It is a rare — if not unique — achievement for a physics lab in Nepal, and Adhikari's contributions are also helping to build up his department as a whole, by boosting the number of PhD students being trained there. "Doing physics in a country like Nepal is a real challenge," he says.
01 October 2014
The tank looks oddly out of place here on the windy Pampas of western Argentina. Surrounded by yellow grass and spiky thorn bushes, the chest-high plastic cylinder could be some kind of storage container — were it not for the bird-spattered solar panels and antennas on top.
More tanks can be seen in the distance, illuminated by a crimson Sun dropping behind the far-off Andes. "Some locals think that the tanks influence the weather: they make it rain or snow, or make a dry season," says Anselmo Francisco Jake, the farmer who owns this stretch of land. "But I know they don't. I know they catch cosmic rays."
Jake is right. There are 1,600 of these tanks, spaced over a 3,000-square-kilometre expanse that could fit all of Luxembourg with room to spare. Together they comprise the Pierre Auger Observatory: a US$53-million experiment to reveal the mysterious origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, the most energetic subatomic particles known to exist.
But for all its size, the array has fallen short. After almost ten years of hunting, it has observed dozens of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, but has not managed to solve the mystery of where they come from. As a detector, "the device worked twice as well as we expected", says project co-founder James Cronin, a retired astrophysicist at the University of Chicago in Illinois. But the particles seem to be coming from all over the sky, with too little clustering for researchers to pinpoint the sources. "It's up to nature with experiments like this one," he says. ---> Keep reading
17 September 2014
We are the unwitting subjects of subtle mind games to make us better passengers. And it sometimes starts before we even board.
On a United Airlines flight from Newark to Denver in August, a small piece of plastic caused an unexpected diversion to another airport – and headlines around the world. It started when one passenger had used a "Knee Defender" – a $21.95 piece of plastic that attaches to the tray table and blocks the seat in front in an upright position. A furious row ensued, with name-calling and drinks being thrown – and the plane had to make an emergency stop in Chicago, with police escorting both passengers off the flight.
The use of the Knee Defender is an extreme example of some of the tricks we use to try and make our commute – by bus, train or plane – that little bit more comfortable. The fight for space on public transport can turn the meekest among us into a rebel. But while we might be aware of the tricks we pull to afford ourselves that extra bit of space, we're not necessarily aware of those being played on us by transport operators – the "nudge".
Persuading people to do the right thing when they're travelling is a nuanced business. The nudge is the unspoken ushering towards a way of acting that makes life easier for everyone, be it on a cramped Tube train or a commuter flight. So how do they trick us into behaving the way they want – ideally without us even noticing they are doing it? ---> Keep reading
20 July 2014
Black holes suck – but do they have mirror twins that blow? A far-flung space telescope is peering into galactic nuclei to spot one for the first time
PHYSICS is full of opposites. For every action, there's a reaction; every positive charge has a negative; every magnetic north pole has a south pole. Matter's opposite number is antimatter. And for black holes, meet white holes.
Black holes are notorious objects that suck in everything around them. Famously, not even light can escape their awesome gravity. White holes, in contrast, blow out a constant stream of matter and light – so much so that nothing can enter them. So why have so few people heard of them?
One reason is that white holes are exotic creatures whose existence is speculated by theorists, but ... ---> Keep reading(Subscribers only)
11 May 2014
06 May 2014
Novels are typically for reading, but a recent study attempted to create an entirely new art form by translating the emotions of the written word into music.The work could transform the way people interact with literature and spark new ways to visualize information, such as audiovisual e-books that generate music according to the emotions on the page or novel music apps, the researchers said."Given a novel in an electronically readable form, our system — called TransProse — generates simple piano pieces whose notes are dependent on the emotion words in the text," said Saif Mohammad, a computer scientist at the National Research Council Canada. ---> Keep reading
The aurora is more than just a breathtaking display of light. It may also hold the secret of a magnetic phenomenon related to the nuclear fusion powering the sun. This secret could even help create nuclear fusion in the lab, says a team of researchers.
Nuclear fusion is a reaction that combines the nuclei of two atoms into one. The process powers stars, but getting a self-sustained fusion reaction going on Earth is very difficult, and has so far eluded scientists. For example, in February, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California made headlines when they managed to spur a fusion reaction that ate up less fuel than it produced. ---> Keep reading
01 May 2014
22 April 2014
A theoretical physicist has explained a way to capture particles of light called photons, even at room temperature, a feat thought only possible at bone-chillingly cold temperatures.
Alex Kruchkov, a doctoral student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), has built the first quantitative mathematical model for trapping and condensing light under realistic conditions.
Light consists of tiny quantum particles called photons. One of the most spectacular properties of quantum particles is that they can condense or lose their individual identity and behave like clones of each other, becoming a single gigantic wave called a Bose-Einsteincondensate (BEC). ---> Keep reading
Money, gadgets and credit cards could soon have tiny, invisible anti-counterfeiting "fingerprints" embedded into them, making it pretty much impossible to falsify such objects, say scientists.
South Korean researchers have developed tiny tags made of silver nanowires that are randomly scattered, then form a unique pattern — just like the one-of-a-kind designs in each spider web.
The research is "an important and inspiring idea to use nanotechnology for anti-counterfeiting," said Zhao Qin of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., who was not involved in the study. ---> Keep reading
22 April 2014
17 April 2014
Astronomers are one step closer to solving a longstanding mystery — just what our Milky Way galaxy looks like.
It may seem odd that a comprehensive understanding of the Milky Way's structure has so far eluded researchers. But it's tough to get a broad view of the galaxy from within.
"We are fairly confident that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, but we don't know much in detail. At the most basic level, we'd like to be able to make a map that would show in detail what it looks like," said Mark Reid of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who led the new study. ---> Keep reading
When conventional road signs have no effect, designers are turning to increasingly clever ways to subconsciously make drivers slow down or pay attention.
A spooky, black human silhouette suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the roadside of a picturesque country road in southern France. It was the size of an adult, but it had no face; instead, a lightning bolt seemed to split its head in two.
Speeding down this road with no traffic, no lampposts and no speed traps – just ancient plane trees towering on both sides – I dismissed the figure as a weird prank. But then there was another. And then two more, an adult and what looked like a child. ---> Keep reading
15 April 2014
10 April 2014
Cuba's long-term investment in medical
research is starting to pay off economically, with the communist nation poised to sell products and drugs around the world, said Salvador Moncada, a former
consultant with the Pan American Health Organization, a regional office of the WHO.
His assessment comes as the Cuban parliament approved a law that promises foreign investors generous tax exemptions for joint ventures with companies on the island — as long as they can get round the US trade embargo against the state.
Cuba already has a global reputation for the excellence of its doctors. For many decades, especially during the Cold War, Cuba dispatched teams of medics as a form of foreign diplomacy. ---> Keep reading
Island nations in the developing world are especially well placed to benefit from technology
that exploits a new potential source of energy from sea water: ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), experts have
The technology uses sea water from the ocean depths to generate electricity, and various pilot projects are already under way in the developing world.
For example, French defence firm DCNS Group aims to start building an OTEC plant on the Caribbean island of Martinique this year, to be completed by 2016. The company already has a prototype plant on Reunion in the Indian Ocean. ---> Keep reading
09 April 2014
04 April 2014
Thanks to a little inspiration from nature, new ceramics could be made from materials that make them stronger and tougher, researchers have discovered.
The new ceramics are inspired bya material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl. Nacre is much stronger and tougher than common ceramics and is derived from the nacre of abalone, a small, single-shelled marine mollusk. ---> Keep reading
It has no wings and no engine — just a long, slim body. But the paradise tree snake effortlessly glides up to 32 feet (10 meters) through the air from tree to tree. Now, physicists are starting to understand how these snakes have mastered such a feat.
The 4-foot-long (1.2 meters) reptile from southeastern Asia rides tiny vortices of air to get that crucial extra boost to remain airborne, a team of researchers wrote in the most recent issue of the journal Physics of Fluids. ---> Keep reading
03 April 2014
02 April 2014
RADIOACTIVE waste has helped us peer inside a star explosion and solve a long-standing mystery about the cosmic origins of chemical elements.
Stars fuse hydrogen in their cores, creating helium and releasing energy. As they run out of hydrogen fuel, very massive stars start fusing heavier elements. Eventually, the star's core becomes so massive that it collapses, triggering a brilliant explosion that tears the star apart and flings material into space. ---> Keep reading
The Higgs boson — a particle thought to explain how other particles get their mass — is tiny, but it may not be the tiniest particle yet. Theories have long predicted the existence of even smaller particles that might make up the Higgs, and recent research suggests these pip-squeaks, dubbed techni-quarks, are likely lurking in the universe. ---> Keep reading
01 April 2014
The idea that our universe may be just one among many out there has intrigued modern cosmologists for some time. But it looks like this "multiverse" concept might actually have appeared, albeit unintentionally, back in the Middle Ages.
When scientists analyzed a 13th-century Latin text and applied modern mathematics to it, they found hints that the English philosopher who wrote it in 1225 was already toying with concepts similar to the multiverse.
The study, published on the pre-print server Arxiv and accepted by the Proceedings of the Royal Society A, has brought together two traditionally quite separate subjects: cosmology and history. ---> Keep reading
01 April 2014
The traces of water in ancient moon rocks may share a common source with water on Earth, scientists say.
If confirmed, the potential moon-Earth water link would add more support to thetheorythat the moon's material came from the proto-Earth, and that water in this material survived the aftermath of the giant impact thought to have formed Earth's large natural satellite, researchers explained earlier this month at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston. ---> Keep reading
01 April 2014
26 March 2014
Air conditioners, cars and other machinery may soon be free of vibrations and thus much quieter than they are now, thanks to new so-called adaptive phononic crystals.
A group of researchers has demonstrated that by changing an electrical parameter of such a material, it is possible to get it to modify its mechanical properties and to program the way sound propagates through it, canceling out vibration. ---> Keep reading
Plants that absorb metals from the soil could clean up old mines and allow farmers to harvest valuable resources without ruining the environment still more
ALAN BAKER squatted to get a closer look at the delicate white flowers that shouldn't have been there. He knew that the soil in that part of England's Peak District was laced with metals toxic to most plants. Yet here, in the desolate surroundings of an old lead mine, he had found spring sandwort flourishing. ---> Keep reading (paywall)
26 March 2014
24 March 2014
A new way to screen animal livers for drug-related damage in real time, using tiny sensors embedded in nanoparticles, has been developed by researchers in the US. Liver toxicity is the leading cause of drug failure, so the advance could help streamline the drug development process, resulting in fewer toxic drugs and a greater success rate for clinical trials.
Measuring common metabolites that are indicators of oxidative stress – reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) – can be predictive of drug toxicity, but detecting ROS and RNS directly in the liver is tricky. ---> Keep reading
Computer hard drives could soon have a lot more storage capabilities, thanks to a recent discovery of a highly sensitive magnetic material that changes its magnetism with the tiniest shifts in temperature.
The material doesn't have a name yet, but the discoverer, Ivan Schuller, said "magnetic-oxide hybrid" might be a fitting name, as its properties seem to be unique. ---> Keep reading
24 March 2014
24 March 2014
Beam me up, Einstein. The world's most powerful atom laser could one day be sent into space to probe the mysteries of general relativity and perhaps offer clues to the long-sought connection between gravity and quantum mechanics.
Atom lasers emit beams of matter instead of photons. This is possible using an ultra-cold gas called a Bose-Einstein condensate, which makes millions of atoms behave like a single wave. Previous work created atom lasers by bottling up the ultra-cold gas using powerful electromagnets. ---> Keep reading
Dinosaurs that roamed the Earth 250 million years ago knew a world with five times more carbon dioxide than is present on Earth today, researchers say, and new techniques for estimating the amount of carbon dioxide on prehistoric Earth may help scientists predict how Earth's climate may change in the future.
The findings are detailed in a recent paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ---> Keep reading
21 March 2014
They gush along the ocean floor and can wipe out the internet. Need another reason to understand the planet's underwater rivers?
UNDERNEATH the Bosporus Strait flows a mysterious river. It has banks and rapids and in places is a kilometre across. If it snaked across the land, the volume of water careering through it per second would make it our sixth largest river after the Amazon, Ganges, Congo, Yangtze and Orinoco. Yet the crews on board the ships that ply the strait between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea don't even know the river exists. It flows silently 70 metres beneath them before reaching the edge of the sea shelf and disappearing into the deep.
The hidden river has no name, yet is by no means unique. Myriad underwater rivers criss-cross the ocean floor, some many thousands of kilometres long, tens of kilometres wide and hundreds of metres deep. They are the arteries of our planet. They shunt sediments into the deep, carrying with them the oxygen and nutrients that allow life to thrive at great depths. They also seem to be a vital part of the world's carbon cycle, burying organic matter carried from the shore. ---> Keep reading
19 March 2014
Modern airliners go through a series of exhaustive tests, from the earliest stages of design, to make sure they are as safe as possible. Katia Moskvitch lifts the lid on some of the stresses plane-makers put them through – from Arctic freezing to shooting chickens at the cockpit.
Aeroplanes have moved on more than a little since the first aviators soared into the sky, clad in leather jackets, caps and goggles. Back then, they needed quite an element of faith before taking to their flying machines. One hundred years on, they board highly complex machines often made from unusual materials such as carbon fibre and flying partly thanks to computers. The days of flying on "a wing and a prayer" are over.
Nowadays, aircraft testing is incredibly elaborate and rigorous. New planes only make it into the air after a long list of tests – from chucking chickens into jet engines to simulate bird strikes to bending the wings to extreme angles.
In the last 10 years, the testing methods have undergone major changes– both on the ground and in computer simulations. The aim, in both cases, is to minimise the number of hours testing planes in flight. ---> Keep reading (non-UK only)
17 March 2014
Synthetic nanoparticles can boost photosynthesis in plants and enable them to spot pollutants, according to a team of researchers in the US.
Previous research that added nanomaterials to plants had focused on the uptake of nanoparticles through plant cell walls and membranes, and their absorption, transport and distribution. But this latest study takes a nanobionic approach and could transform plants into a non-conventional technology, says Juan Pablo Giraldo who performed the work in Michael Strano's group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
To create the nanobionic plants, the team extracted chloroplasts – tiny structures in plant cells that are home to the photosynthetic system – from Arabidopsis, a flowering plant that is commonly used by biologists as a model organism. They put the chloroplasts into a buffer solution and added polymer-coated nanoparticles containing ceria (CeO2). ---> Keep reading
13 March 2014
Flight delays are tedious at the best of times. But it's even worse when it's cold, and the plane you're in poised for take-off suddenly lumbers down a taxi way to join a queue of aircraft waiting to be de-iced – as many people in the US can testify during the recent bad weather.
Ice and aircraft do not mix well. The weight of ice on the wings and fuselage of a fully-fuelled aircraft can prevent it taking off. During the Arctic conditions the US this January, when temperatures dropped as low as -51C (-60F) thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed. Some airports further south, where sub-zero temperatures are rare, didn't even have de-icing equipment. At O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, the jet fuel and de-icing fluids froze altogether, according to American Airlines.
This leads to more than just delays and ill-tempered passengers – it can have deadly consequences. One such tragedy occurred in October 1994 when American Eagle flight 4184 crashed in Roslawn, Indiana, killing all 68 people on board. ---> Keep reading (non-UK only)
14 March 2014
Voyaging spaceships may soon be able to top off their fuel tanks in space, just as cars and trucks do here on Earth.
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston are suggesting establishing off-Earth propellant depots to fuel future missions to the moon. Such en-route stations would mean spacecraft could launchwith less fuelon boardand hencecarryheavier loads, such as largerscientific experiments.
This is not a new idea, but previous proposalsto solve the problemhave usually been pricey. One, for example, explored the possibility of setting up a fuel-manufacturing station on the lunar surface, from which tankers would be sent to refill floating depots. ---> Keep reading
13 March 2014
Hundreds of wandering "rogue" black holes may dwell in the Milky Way — and now researchers say they know how to detect them. Discovering these strange objects could shed light on the formation of the Milky Way and other galaxies.
No one knows exactly how the Milky Way came to exist. But according to one popular model of galaxy formation, the building blocks of the Milky Way were dwarf galaxies that collided and merged shortly after the Big Bang.
This idea assumes that floating black holes, each containing 1,000 to 100,000 more mass than the sun, could be left over from those early cosmic times — fossil evidence for the growth and mergers of black holes in the infant universe. ---> Keep reading
12 March 2014
It's never fazed by seeds of doubt. A shrub with small, edible berries is a cool customer when parasites attack, responding in line with the severity of the infestation.
Each fruit of the barberry, Berberis vulgaris, has either one or two seeds, which may be targeted by larvae of the tephritid fruit fly.
Katrin Meyer, now at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and her colleagues collected around 2000 berries and examined them for signs of piercing – because the fruit fly makes a tiny hole in the berries so it can lay its eggs inside. If the berries were pierced, the team also dissected them.
It was already known that the plant can cut off nutrient supplies to its seeds when resources are limited. Meyer's team also found that the same mechanism was used with infested seeds, killing the parasite in the process. More surprisingly, the likelihood of a seed being aborted depended on how many seeds the berry had – if it had two seeds and one was attacked, the plant killed off the infested seed 75 per cent of the time, compared with just 5 per cent in single-seeded berries that were attacked. ---> Keep reading
12 March 2014
Scientists should expand their quest for life in other worlds by searching for any kind of liquid, not just water, say researchers. Rich organic chemistry can occur in many types of liquid, and a recent study supports the idea that a prebiotic 'soup,' from which life could emerge, may be present in hydrocarbon lakes of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
'We think that life requires liquid,' says Chris McKay from Nasa, who led the study. 'Right now, there's a bias that that liquid has to be water. But maybe when we look at other moons and planets, we should be asking what other possible liquids there could be.'
Using new data from the Cassini probe, which has been orbiting Titan since 2004, alongside his team's lab research, McKay has released the first year results of a five-year investigation into whether a prebiotic soup could form on Titan. ---> Keep reading
05 March 2014
Biological engineer Angela Belcher is genetically modifying viruses to create batteries that can be recharged thousands of times and then decay harmlessly
You're making batteries using viruses – don't they normally make us sick?
When people think of viruses, the flu often comes to mind. But there are also viruses everywhere, from in the ocean to inside the gut, that infect bacteria. Those are not harmful to humans. Viruses are basically genetic material with a protein coat. They need a host so they can use its molecular machinery to make copies of themselves.
The main virus I work with has a single strand of DNA in a protein coat and it is completely benign. It only infects a particular bacterial host – and doesn't kill it, just slows it down as it uses the host to replicate itself. ---> Keep reading
05 March 2014
A device that detects ultra-weak radio waves by converting them into light signals has been created by physicists in Denmark and the US. The device does not require costly cryogenic cooling and could be put to practical use in a range of applications, from radio astronomy to magnetic resonance imaging. The researchers also believe that the technology could provide an essential building block of a "quantum internet" of the future.
Detecting extremely weak radio waves is at the heart of many modern technologies, including satellite navigation, long-distance communications, radio telescopes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. In some detectors, weak radio signals are converted into optical signals that can then be transported long distances via optical fibres. In addition to requiring expensive modulators to convert the electronic signals into optical signals, these converters must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures, making them expensive and inconvenient to operate. ---> Keep reading
04 March 2014
Every black hole conceals a secret — the quantum remains of the star from which it formed, say a group of scientists, who also predict that these stars can later emerge once the black hole evaporates.
The researchers call these objects "Planck stars" and believe that they could solve a very important question in modern physics: the information paradox, or the question of what happens to information contained in matter that falls into a black hole.
The idea could also finally reconcile quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity that describes gravity, thus showing how a theory of quantum gravity might solve longstanding puzzles in the world of physics. ---> Keep reading
03 March 2014
The first microscope that uses the eerie trick of quantum entanglement to increase its sensitivity has been developed by Japanese researchers.
The new tool relies on a weird principle of quantum mechanics, in which two particles can become entangled so that even when separated by large distances, say light-years, they are intimately connected. Using such entangled photons, or particles of light, the microscope reveals things that are completely transparent, visualizing them in a much better quality than could be done with ordinary light.
Physics guru Albert Einstein once famously called it "spooky action at a distance." ---> Keep reading
20 Feb 2014
A syringe that turns bright red after it has been used could dramatically reduce the number of unsafe injections in the developing world and save lives, says the researcher who came up with the
David Swann of Huddersfield University in the United Kingdom has been shortlisted for the biennial World Design Impact Prize, which recognises projects that use industrial design solutions to improve social, economic and environmental quality of life.
"In an ideal world, every provider would adopt [single-use] safety syringes," says Swann. "However this is not the case at the moment. Our ambition is to add patient safety value to an ordinary disposable syringe."
More than half of all injections in developing nations involve used or unsterilised needles, according to the WHO, and such injections cause more than 30 per cent of all hepatitis A and B cases and five per cent of all HIV cases. ---> Keep reading
18 Feb 2014
Working replicas of expensive scientific equipment could be made for a fraction of conventional cost using cheap 3-D printers, possibly saving developing world labs thousands of dollars each
time, says a researcher whose book on the subject was published this year.
This and similar advances mean the age of appropriate technology — affordable, sustainable solutions designed and built to meet local needs — may be here, argues Joshua Pearce, a materials science and engineering professor at Michigan Technological University, United States, in an article in last month's Physics World magazine.
"For example, my lab developed an open-source 3-D printable colorimeter for water testing, which costs US$50 instead of US$2,000," says Pearce, whose book is called Open source lab: How to build your own hardware and reduce research costs. ---> Keep reading
18 Feb 2014
Move over, copper wires. The next generation of electricity cables may well be made from lettuce, based on the innovation of a U.K. researcher. The advance could pave the way to biological computers and bio-robots of the future.
Computer scientist Andrew Adamatzky of the University of West England did a series of tests with four-day-old lettuce seedlings. To create bio-wires, he bridged two electrodes made from conductive aluminum foil with a seedling that was placed onto the electrodes in drops of distilled water.
Next, he applied electrical potential between electrodes ranging from 2 to 12 volts, and calculated the seedling's so-called potential transfer function that shows output potential as a fraction of input potential — the amount of energy produced relative to energy put in. ---> Keep reading
12 Feb 2014
The shape of the Milky Way galaxy, our solar system's home, may look a bit like a snail, but spiral galaxies haven't always had this structure, scientists say.
In a recent report, a team of researchers said they now know when and how the majestic swirls of spiral galaxies emerged in the unicerse. Galaxies are categorized into three main types, based on their shapes: spiral, elliptical and irregular. Almost 70 percent of those closest to the Milky Way are spirals. But in the early universe, spiral galaxies didn't exist.
A husband and wife team of astronomers, Debra Meloy Elmegreen at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Bruce Elmegreen at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., analyzed an image from the Hubble Space Telescope known as the Ultra Deep Field. ---> Keep reading
12 Feb 2014
Across portions of the south of England, waves lap against the shores of lakes and ponds that used to be fields, as one of the wettest winters in U.K. history has dumped successive bouts of rain over the country, causing rivers to top their banks and inundate farms and towns.
And while a series of shifts in weather patterns across the globe seems to be causing the endless train of storms soaking the island, climate change may play a role in the current heavy downpours as well, said Dame Julia Slingo, the chief scientist of the country's official weather service, the MET Office, according to news reports. ---> Keep reading
11 Feb 2014
LONDON — So, physicists have found the Higgs boson. What next?
It took three years for the world's most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), to spot the elusive Higgs boson particle, which is thought to explain how other particles get their mass.
It took the international science lab CERN much longer, though, to build the machine beneath the mountains straddling France and Switzerland — nearly two decades, and at a cost of billions of dollars. ---> Keep reading
06 Feb 2014
If you were watching Iranian state TV in early December 2011, you would have seen an unusual flying object paraded in front of viewers. Windowless, squat, with a pointed nose, its two wings made it the shape of a manta ray. The trophy on show was an RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone, a key weapon in the intelligence gathering arsenal of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Standing in a hangar on a military airfield, the drone was seemingly undamaged. Indeed, Iranian officials insisted that it had not been shot down; rather, they claimed an unusual coup: to have hacked the drone while it was flying near Iran's border over Afghanistan and forced it to land.
Outside Iran, many snorted in disbelief at hearing such claims. Todd Humphreys, assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas in Austin, US, was one of the sceptics. Soon, though, he would prove himself wrong. ---> Keep reading (non-UK only)
06 Feb 2014
LONDON — Exotic particles never before detected and possibly teensy extra dimensions may be awaiting discovery, says a physicist, adding that those searching for such newbies should keep an open mind and consider all possibilities.
Such particles are thought to fill gaps in, and extend, the reigning theory of particle physics, the Standard Model, said David Charlton of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, who is also a spokesperson of the ATLAS experiment at the world's biggest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and one of the experiments that pinpointed the Higgs boson particle thought to explain why other particles have mass.
Charlton addressed an audience of researchers last month at a talk titled "Before, behind and beyond the discovery of the Higgs Boson" here at the Royal Society. ---> Keep reading
31 Jan 2014
31 Jan 2014
IF YOU were to draw up a list of the most pressing issues in science, it's unlikely that astronomy's carbon footprint would be on it. If it were, it would probably end up somewhere between effective male birth control and how to fold headphones to stop their wires getting tangled in your pocket.
Ueli Weilenmann, deputy director of La Silla Paranal Observatory in Chile, would disagree with that assessment. Recently, while grappling with the costs of running the place, he was shocked to discover the scale of the observatory's carbon emissions (see diagram). A bit of further digging revealed that the problem is not limited to Paranal: many other observatories exude more greenhouse gas than their size betrays. ---> Keep reading (subscription only)
Earthlings may be extreme latecomers to a universe full of life, with alien microbes possibly teeming on exoplanets beginning just 15 million years after the Big Bang, new research suggests.
Traditionally, astrobiologists keen on solving the mystery of the origin of life in the universe look for planets in habitable zones around stars. Also known as Goldilocks zones, these regions are considered to be just the right distance away from stars for liquid water, a pre-requisite for life as we know it, to exist.
But even exoplanets that orbit far beyond the habitable zone may have been able to support life in the distant past, warmed by the relic radiation left over from the Big Bang that created the universe 13.8 billion years ago, says Harvard astrophysicist Abraham Loeb. ---> Keep reading
28 Jan 2014
27 Jan 2014
Rechargeable, energy-dense bio-batteries running on sugar might be powering our electronic gadgets in as little as three years, according to a US team of scientists. The battery, created by the group of Y H Percival Zhang, an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, can convert all the potential chemical energy stored in a sugar into electricity.
The prototype is similar in size to a typical AA battery and has an energy storage density of 596 amp hours per kilogram – roughly one order of magnitude greater than a smartphone's lithium-ion battery. This means that the battery could last at least twice as long as conventional lithium-ion batteries on a weight-for-weight basis.
Sugar is an excellent source of energy. Most living cells generate their energy from glucose by passing it down an enzymatic chain that converts it into different sugars. This enzymatic cascade provides the necessary energy to create an electrochemical gradient. This, in turn, can be used to power an enzyme that synthesises adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the universal biological energy currency. ---> Keep reading
Data journalism offers a new way to visualise and
discuss development challenges, but is being hampered in the developing world by a lack of open data and stricter
laws, says an expert.
Despite this form of journalism being in its infancy in developing nations, there is a lot of innovation in this field in some newsrooms. Argentina's newspaper La Nacion, for example, won one of the awards at last year's Data Journalism Awards (DJA) for its investigation into political corruption.
Bertrand Pecquerie, the chief executive of the Global Editors Network that organises these international awards, says data investigation and visualisation offer a way to change how people view
many issues, such as global warming, slums and poverty. "Changing our perception [regarding] these problems is the first
step to solving them," he says.
Data journalism is now moving into the mainstream thanks to open data and access to more public and private databases, says Pecquerie. "Today, the data journalists are recognised as being at the forefront of newsroom innovation," he tells SciDev.Net. ---> Keep reading
23 Jan 2014
23 Jan 2014
LONDON — Squarks, selectrons and neutralinos may be lurking in the universe, say physicists who suggest supersymmetry — the idea that every known particle has a yet-to-be-discovered sister particle — is not dead, despite the lack of evidence found in its favor.
The world's most powerful atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), has yet to find evidence of the existence of such sparticles (supersymmetric particles), though perhaps physicists are not interpreting the data in the right way, said particle theorist Ben Allanach of Cambridge University.
Speaking here at the Royal Society conference "Before, behind and beyond the discovery of the Higgs Boson" on Tuesday (Jan. 21), Allanach proposed that the LHC might detect the elusive supersymmetric particles once it is up and running again next year with much higher energies.
The underground accelerator at the CERN laboratory, located near Geneva, is currently switched off until early 2015 for a technical upgrade, which will allow it to smash protons together at the machine's near-maximum energy of 14 teraelectronvolts (TeV). ---> Keep reading
Putting the squeeze on light may be the key to teleporting energy across vast distances. Although the amount of energy that could theoretically be transmitted is tiny for now, it could be enough to power quantum computers that don't overheat.
For years physicists have been smashing distance records for quantum teleportation, which exploits quantum entanglement to send encrypted information. Entangled particles remain linked no matter how far apart they are, and a change to one particle always affects its partner in a particular way. In experiments, for example, a pair of entangled particles is separated and each partner is sent to a different location. When someone measures the particle at point A, its quantum state is decided and that event immediately causes a corresponding change in the particle at point B.
No physical matter is transmitted, and nothing is travelling faster than light. But the person at point B can recreate the photon at point A using only information about the observed changes – effectively teleporting the photon.
Physicists have done this with light and with matter, such as entangled ions. But Masahiro Hotta of Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, wondered if it would be possible to also teleport quantum energy. ---> Keep reading
22 Jan 2014
22 Jan 2014
LONDON — Music blasts can't quite lift you off your feet just yet, but making droplets levitate with sound may be the first step in that direction. A team of researchers demonstrated experimentally how to lift and spin liquid droplets, controlling them with high-frequency sound waves.
The scientists developed a device that makes liquid droplets "dance," hovering in midair, without exploding. The achievement could lead to potential biological and pharmaceutical applications, such as studying chemical reactions in extreme environments without disturbing them via contact, moving hazardous materials, and analyzing and testing new materials without the risk of contamination. It could also be used in microgravity experiments on Earth.
The team describes the device, functioning at a frequency of 32.5 kilohertz, in their paper, recently published in the journal Physical Review Letters. ---> Keep reading
Mathematics is a universal language. Even so, a Kazakh mathematician's claim to have solved a problem worth a million dollars is proving hard to evaluate – in part because it is not written in English.
Mukhtarbay Otelbayev of the Eurasian National University in Astana, Kazakhstan, says he has proved the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem, which concerns equations that are used to model fluids – from airflow over a plane's wing to the crashing of a tsunami. The equations work, but there is no proof that solutions exist for all possible situations, and won't sometimes "blow up", producing unrealistic answers.
In 2000, the Clay Mathematics Institute, now in Providence, Rhode Island, named this one of seven Millennium Prize problems offering $1 million to anyone who could devise a proof.
Otelbayev claims to have done just that in a paper published in the Mathematical Journal, also based in Kazakhstan. "I worked on the problem on and off, for 30 years," he told New Scientist... ---> Keep reading
22 Jan 2014
In Lewis Carroll's famous children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice meets the Cheshire Cat, which disappears and leaves only its grin behind. Now, physicists have created a quantum version of the feline by separating an object—a neutron—from its physical property—its magnetism. The experiment is the latest example of how quantum mechanics becomes even weirder using a technique called weak measurement and could provide researchers with an odd new experimental tool for performing precision measurements.
In quantum physics, tiny particles can be in opposite conditions or states at the same time, a property known as superposition. For instance, an electron can literally spin in opposite directions simultaneously. Try to measure the spin, however, and that state will "collapse" so that the electron is found spinning one way or the other. That's because quantum theory generally forbids you to measure a particle's state without altering it—at least ordinarily. ---> Keep reading


text:
Job Search
Use the search boxes below to find employment opportunities in your area.
Equal Opportunity Employer–Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws
Fastenal is dedicated to Employment Equity
Career Opportunities With The Blue TeamSM
Since our founding in 1967, Fastenal has grown from a small-town fastener shop into a multibillion-dollar global enterprise, creating opportunities every step of the way. The secret to our success? Hire great people, give them great support, and encourage them to reach their full potential in pursuit of our common goal: Growth Through Customer Service.
Interested in joining our team? Explore the categories below to learn about career opportunities in different areas of our business.
Fastenal is an equal employment/affirmative action employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the employment process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an email to email@example.com or call 1-844-562-7365 to let us know the nature of your request.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Light is a transverse electromagnetic wave. The electric E and magnetic M fields are perpendicular to each other and to the propagation vector k, as shown below.Power density is given by Poyntings vector, P, the vector product of E and H. You can easily remember the directions if you curl E into H with the fingers of the right hand: your thumb points in the direction of propagation.
The nomogram below relates E, H, and the light intensity I in vacuum. You may also use it for other area units, for example, [V/mm], [A/mm] and [W/mm2]. If you change the electrical units, remember to change the units of I by the product of the units of E and H: for example [V/m], [mA/m], [mW/m2] or [kV/m], [kA/m], [MW/m2].
The light intensity, I is measured in Watts/m2, E in Volts/m, and H in Amperes/m. The equations relating I to E and H are quite analogous to OHMS LAW. For peak values these equations are:
The quantity η0 is the wave impedance of vacuum, and η is the wave impedance of a medium with refractive index n.
k: wave vector [radians/m] ν: frequency [Hertz] ω: angular frequency [radians/sec] λ: wavelength [m] λ0: wavelength in vacuum [m] n: refractive index
1 nm = 10 Angstroms(Å) = 10−9m = 10−7cm = 10−3µm
For plane-polarized light the E and H fields remain in perpendicular planes parallel to the propagation vector k, as shown below.
Both E and H oscillate in time and space as: sin (ωt-kx)
The wavelength Nomogram relates wavenumber, photon energy and wavelength.
Snells Law describes how a light ray behaves when it passes from a medium with index of refraction n1, to a medium with a different index of refraction, n2. In general, the light will enter the interface between the two medii at an angle. This angle is called the angle of incidence. It is the angle measured between the normal to the surface (interface) and the incoming light beam (see figure). In the case that n1 is smaller than n2, the light is bent towards the normal. If n1 is greater than n2, the light is bent away from the normal (see figure below). Snells Law is expressed as n1sinθ1 = n2sinθ2.
A flat piece of glass can be used to displace a light ray laterally without changing its direction. The displacement varies with the angle of incidence; it is zero at normal incidence and equals the thickness h of the flat at grazing incidence.Grazing incidence is light incident at almost or close to 90° to the normal of the surface.
The relationship between the tilt angle of the flat and the two different refractive indices is shown in the graph below.
Both displacement and deviation occur if the media on the two sides of the tilted flat are different for example, a tilted window in a fish tank. The displacement is the same, but the angular deviation δ is given by the formula below. Note:δ is independent of the index of the flat; it is the same as if a single boundary existed between media 1 and 3.Example: The refractive index of air at STP (Standard Temperature and Pressure) is about 1.0003. The deviation of a light ray passing through a glass Brewsters angle window on a HeNe laser is then:δ= (n3 - n1) tan θ At Brewsters angle, tan θ= n2 δ= (0.0003) x 1.5 = 0.45 mradAt 10,000 ft. altitude, air pressure is 2/3 that at sea level; the deviation is 0.30 mrad. This change may misalign the laser if its two windows are symmetrical rather than parallel.
Angular deviation of a prism depends on the prism angle α, the refractive index, n, and the angle of incidence θi. Minimum deviation occurs when the ray within the prism is normal to the bisector of the prism angle. For small prism angles (optical wedges), the deviation is constant over a fairly wide range of angles around normal incidence. For such wedges the deviation is:δ ≈ (n - 1)α
TIR depends on a clean glass-air interface. Reflective surfaces must be free of foreign materials. TIR may also be defeated by decreasing the incidence angle beyond a critical value. For a right angle prism of index n, rays should enter the prism face at an angle θ: θ < arcsin (((n2-1)1/2-1)/√2)In the visible range, θ = 5.8° for BK 7 (n = 1.517) and 2.6° for fused silica (n = 1.46). Finally, prisms increase the optical path. Although effects are minimal in laser applications, focus shift and chromatic effects in divergent beams should be considered.
i - incident mediumt - transmitted medium use Snells law to find θt
r = (ni-nt)/(ni + nt)t = 2ni/(ni + nt)
θβ = arctan (nt/ni) Only s-polarized light reflected.
θTIR > arcsin (nt/ni) nt < ni is required for TIR
The field reflection and transmission coefficients are given by:r = Er/Ei t = Et/Ei
rs = (nicosθi -ntcosθt)/(nicosθi + ntcosθt) rp = (ntcos θi -nicosθt)/ntcosθi + nicosθt) ts = 2nicosθi/(nicosθi + ntcosθt) tp = 2nicosθi/(ntcosθi + nicosθt)
The power reflection and transmission coefficients are denoted by capital letters:R = r2 T = t2(ntcosθt)/(nicosθi)The refractive indices account for the different light velocities in the two media; the cosine ratio corrects for the different cross sectional areas of the beams on the two sides of the boundary.The intensities (watts/area) must also be corrected by this geometric obliquity factor:It = T x Ii(cosθi/cosθt)
R + T = 1This relation holds for p and s components individually and for total power.
To simplify reflection and transmission calculations, the incident electric field is broken into two plane-polarized components. The wheel in the pictures below denotes plane of incidence. The normal to the surface and all propagation vectors (ki, kr, kt) lie in this plane.E parallel to the plane of incidence; p-polarized.
E normal to the plane of incidence; s-polarized.
Power reflection coefficients Rs and Rp are plotted linearly and logarithmically for light traveling from air (ni = 1) into BK 7 glass (nt = 1.51673). Brewsters angle = 56.60°.
The corresponding reflection coefficients are shown below for light traveling from BK 7 glass into air Brewsters angle = 33.40°. Critical angle (TIR angle) = 41.25°.
If a lens can be characterized by a single plane then the lens is thin. Various relations hold among the quantities shown in the figure.
Newtonian: x1x2 = -F2
MT < 0, image invertedLongitudinal:
ML <0, no front to back inversion
A thick lens cannot be characterized by a single focal length measured from a single plane. A single focal length F may be retained if it is measured from two planes, H1, H2, at distances P1, P2 from the vertices of the lens, V1, V2. The two back focal lengths, BFL1 and BFL2, are measured from the vertices. The thin lens equations may be used, provided all quantities are measured from the principal planes.
Convex surfaces facing left have positive radii. Below, R1>0, R2<0. Principal plane offsets, P, are positive to the right. As illustrated, P1>0, P2<0. The thin lens focal length is given when Tc = 0.
φMAX is the full angle of the cone of light rays that can pass through the system (below).
For small φ:
Both f-number and NA refer to the system and not the exit lens.
The Gaussian intensity distribution: I(r) = I(0) exp(-2r2/ω02) is shown below.
The right hand ordinate gives the fraction of the total power encircled at radius r:
The total beam power, P(∞) [watts], and the on-axis intensity I(0) [watts/area] are related by:
The figure below compares the far-field intensity distributions of a uniformly illuminated slit, a circular hole, and Gaussian distributions with 1/e2 diameters of D and 0.66D (99% of a 0.66D Gaussian will pass through an aperture of diameter D). The point of observation is Y off axis at a distance X>>Y from the source.
In the figure below the 1/e2 radius, ω(x), and the wavefront curvature, R(x), change with x through a beam waist at x = 0. The governing equations are:
2ω0 is the waist diameter at the 1/e2 intensity points. The wavefronts are planar at the waist [R(0) = ∞]. At the waist, the distance from the lens will be approximately the focal length: s2≈F.D = collimated beam diameter or diameter illuminated on lens.
DOF = (8λ/ π)(f/#)2Only if DOF <F, then:
D = -log (T) orT=10-D
where R = radius of curvature and Y = radius of the aperture of the surface. SAG is an abbreviation for "sagitta," the Latin word for arrow. Used to specify the distance on the normal from the surface of a concave lens to the center of the curvature. It refers to the height of a curve measured from t he chord.


text:
Blissmo Box August 2013 Review
This is my first ever box from Blissmo. I am not sure if this is a "Best of" or "Introductory" box. I was able to skip the month of August very easily online. I only skipped because I had just ordered this box.
You can get your own Blissmo Box here. You are able to choose what type of box you would like each month-usually between food and beauty, but sometimes there is a third choice. The price is $19.95 per month, plus $4.95 shipping. If you subscribe for 6 months, you get free shipping. You can get a 1 time Blissmo Bites 2 pack for only $29.95 with free shipping if you want to try the box out.
Boulder Canyon Natural Foods Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. I like Kettle cooked chips, and normally purchase the Cape Cod brand (since I live in the North East). I have seen this brand in my natural food section, however, and I am excited to try them. I love that Boulder Canyon purchases green energy credits. My family also purchases energy from a green supplier. We pay extra, but I feel really good about putting my money where my mouth is-so to speak. This 2 oz bag is 2 servings, and a generous sample size. Value is about $2. Boulder Canyon is having a facebook giveaway where you can enter to win a month's supply of boulder canyon and an awesome lunchpack. Enter here.
From Left to right TWO DEGREES bar ($2 value available on amazon), Van's Cranberry Almond Bar Gluten Free ($1.20 Value), Graw Bar ($2.50 Value), Ginny Bakes Cookie 2 pack ($2 Value with free shipping on Amazon).
Lydia's Organics Kale Krunchies in Mega Green. These were one of the surprise products in the box for me. When I first saw that the only full size item in the box was something green, I was immediately reminded of the seaweed from my Love With Food box in June. I like my kale Russian, with some bacon (or at least Olive Oil) and wine.
I had to admit, they were beautiful. I hesitantly brought one leaf to my lips and closed my eyes. Then, I had a few more just to make sure! It wasn't bad-I really like the spice combination. These are good for me? I am going to look for these at my local health food store-but online, the prices range from $8-$12 for one bag of these Kale Krunchies. Visit Lydia's Organics website to locate a bag for yourself.
"Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in a pot, Nine days old"-English Folksong. Couldn't help myself. Earth's Supergrains porridge is a mixture of oats, other whole grains and seeds. This is a 62 g sample ($2 value). I can't wait to try it tomorrow morning! You can purchase through their website online, and get free shipping when you purchase 3 bags. There is also a Raw Rev 100 Cherry bar. These bars are orgain, gluten free, kosher and more. Raw Rev is also made in NY-and only 100 calories ($.75 value).
This was the other surprise for me today-Halfpops, 2 oz ($1.5 value). I haven't had a corn-nut in 15 years, but these reminded me so much of corn nuts. Except, where corn nuts were chip-your-teeth hard, Halfpops are just satisfyingly crunchy. They aren't very healthy-this is an indulgence. You can order these directly from Halfpop if don't live in the west or NYC ( where you can purchase them in store). Right now, you can purchase sixteen 2 oz bags for $23 and get free shipping. I am going to see if my husband and daughters like them first, though. If I had 16 bags to myself, I'd be in trouble!
The total value of this box was about $23, which is right in line with the cost of the box. With some boxes, I am interested in the monetary value, and with others, the curation is more important to me. In this case, when I consider that I can't obtain most of these products without paying shipping for each one separately-there is a monetary savings. But, I would never have known about several of these products if it wasn't for Blissmo. So far my impression of Blissmo is positive. I feel that the box was well curated, and I received a nice mixture of products.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own, and I paid for this box with my own money. I am not affiliated with Blissmo, or any other brand mentioned with the exception of Amazon.com. If you make a purchase at Amazon through my link, I may earn a very small compensation. Thank you for supporting this website. Doing so helps bring more content and giveaways.


text:
Patient Care & Clinical Services
Our academic divisions of the Department of Surgery, support teaching faculty and provide research facilities for physicians with attending medical staff privileges at our clinical teaching partner The University of Vermont Medical Center.
Learn more about patient care and Surgical Services at the The University of Vermont Medical Center links below.
Last modified December 15 2015 02:22 PM


text:
I read about, hear about, write about, talk about and think about politics for much of my waking — and oft-times sleeping — hours. Sunday Night Football on NBC is a time to get away from that for me and 20 million other American viewers. It's an NFL sanctuary.
Sportscaster Bob Costas stirred a national controversy when he violated that sanctuary to comment on the suicide of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher after he had murdered his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. Costas mounted his soap box for a self-indulgent anti-gun lecture during halftime of the game between the Eagles and Cowboys.
It was annoying and inappropriate.
Costas deviously employed the device of using someone else's overblown words to make his case, quoting a firebrand sportswriter, Jason Whitlock, who claimed, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would be alive today." (Whitlock, who is black, has also condemned the National Rifle Association as the new Ku Klux Klan.)
Shame on Costas — and I suspect his bosses at NBC will impose a prevent defense on his political commentary in the future. But since he's raised the issue, let's talk about his specious argument and gun control in general.
Neither Costas nor Whitlock can possibly know whether Belcher or Perkins would be alive today if Belcher didn't "possess" a gun. All they can say is that Belcher couldn't have used a gun as the tool in this murder/suicide if he didn't possess one. Duh. That's just a tautology. He could have used a knife, a bomb or poison to accomplish the same result.
In damage control a couple of days later, Costas softened his position, saying, "Access to guns is too easy in some cases." Really? Which cases, and according to whom? Let's apply that assertion to Belcher. Did Costas know how long Belcher had owned that gun? Was it obtained legally under current gun control laws and was there anything in Belcher's background that would have disallowed that purchase under tighter laws? And if Belcher obtained it illegally, stiffer gun control laws wouldn't have mattered.
Tough gun control laws as a solution to violence in our society is a prayer masquerading as a policy. At best, they're a mitigation and commonly irrelevant. Cities with the toughest gun control laws — like Chicago and Washington, D.C. — have the highest rates of gun violence. Criminals routinely ignore them. States with liberal concealed-carry laws tend to have the lowest crime rates.
The police are greatly outnumbered by criminals. Their ability to prevent murders or instantly respond to 911 emergency calls is severely limited by basic logistics. In most cases, the best they can do is arrive at the scene to draw a chalk outline around the body.
Practically speaking, a law-abiding citizen's first line of defense is his or her own gun — a right protected, in any case, by the Second Amendment to the Constitution. If your home is invaded by a criminal, not having a gun is your biggest problem.
The notion that we can somehow rid our society of guns is preposterous. The FBI estimates that there are 200 million privately owned firearms in the nation. If we believe it's not feasible to round up and deport 12 million illegal immigrants, how do you suppose we can engineer the confiscation of 200 million guns?
Yes, America is a relatively violent society. It's part of our heritage and culture. Then again, many others are considerably more violent. Afghanistan, Iran, Gaza, Syria, Egypt, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan and Mexico come to mind, to name just a few. Switzerland is considerably less violent with a gun crime rate that the BBC reports is "so low that statistics are not even kept." All Swiss males are militia-trained and issued firearms by the government which they keep in their homes.
Freelance columnist Mike Rosen's radio show airs weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on 850-KOA.


text:
Developing Supervision
Working with the new Supervision Policy
Academic Board approved the new Supervsion of Higher Degree by Research Students policy in Feburary 2013.
The Graduate Studies Office and Institute for Teaching & Learning will be running a one hour workshop (immediately followed by an optional one hour discussion) as part of the Foundations of Research Supervision course on 5 April 2013.
This workshop is open to both FORS participants and other supervisors, especially postgraduate co-ordinators and associate deans, who wish to familiarise themselves with the new Supervision policy. Register for this free event at Institute of Teaching & Learning.
Transforming doctoral education
Professor George E Walker visited the University of Sydney on Tuesday 1 May 2012 and spoke about the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate – a roadmap for bringing a new paradigm to doctoral education. This initiative provides a foundation for understanding the needs and goals of doctoral education. Staff who attended the presentation heard about a range of discipline-specific ideas for enhancing doctoral supervision.
Professor Walker is the Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies at Cleveland State University.
- To listen to George Walker's presentation, click here.
- To view George Walker's slides, click here.
- To read more about the Carnegie Initiative, click here.


text:
This is kind of extended thinking from yesterday. Presentation Zen has a great list of 10 tips for how to think like a designer including thinking like a beginner and focusing on ideas not tools.
I like metaphors and think they are also important in idea generation and visualization. Via Juras Vetrau in the FF User Experience room, Guiseppe Constanza's dissertation on Zooming out from the Desktop, The Use of Metaphors in Human Computer Interface Design. I have only just started reading it but this leapt out:
"Metaphors are powerful linguistic instruments used to compare something unknown to something known, but if used in a wrong way they can be misleading." 1
Nicholas Nova also blogged about a reference looking at why people disliked the office assistant Clippy . When we use software and hardware for the first time, we like to be able to associate our experiences, images and interactions with what we are looking at on a screen. Its interesting to explore how we associate or disassociate items or objects in our physical environment.
My thoughts yesterday were about a visualization – tool that I felt didn't have a particularly useful metaphor for helping me understand how I might search online. They had chosen a physical object – a wheel, but it didn't seem particularly well defined, I couldn't picture what it looked like, I couldn't seem to find a mental reference / association / connection. I also didn't really see how a wheel would help me search randomly – I am neither a search or visualization expert – but it just didn't seem quite right. In that sense it could have been a pair of dice – a bit like the Diceman.
But these are just objects – they might have an association of some sort with decision making – but where is the richness of movement, where is the richness of exploration – it feels very bland.
Jonathan Hey has also applied metaphors to conceptual design:
"A quick review of the language of design illustrates that many of design's fundamental concepts are also metaphorical, for example: we need to narrow down on a concept; let's bounce around some ideas; let's break the problem down; maybe there's another route to a solution; how can we resolve this conflict?; this is an elegant solution; we need to think outside the box; encourage wild ideas" 2
Is it possible to think without language and still use metaphors? Photos are incredibly rich visually and having the full reality – not just objects in an environment but the associations related to the photo, what you remember about when the photo was taken etc
1. Constanza G, (2008), Zooming out from the desktop, The use of metaphors in Human–Computer Interface design, Available at: http://www.giuseppecostanza.it/hci_dissertation_giuseppe_costanza.pdf
2. Hey J, Agogino A, Metaphors in Conceptual Design, Proceedings of the ASME 2007 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2007, September 4-7, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada, USASeptember 4-7, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Available at: http://www.palojono.com/papers/DETC2007-34874_Hey_Agogino.pdf
UPDATE: I can't seem to get this presentation to display properly but Interaction Design, Material Form & Metaphor is great too !
Design posts too, from earlier this year


text:
Feb 25, 2014
Derrick Ubbink
Cooling, Reviews 5
All-in-one water cooling products have been all of the rage lately. After reviewing many successful Thermaltake products and seeing their promising new line of water cooling products showcased at CES 2014 we are really excited to take one of their latest products, the Water 3.0 Pro for a spin. It is an all-in-one water cooling system that features a thick 120 mm radiator, dual 120 mm fan and a redesigned pump.
Special thanks to Thermaltake for supplying the Water 3.0 Pro for our review!
The Water 3.0 Pro comes in a medium sized, dark themed box. It is very similar to the other Tt packing configurations and themes we've seen in the past. The front of the box focuses on a large image of the cooler with some product information, a small graphic and a Tt logo arranged around it.
Moving to the back side of the box, you will find the full list of features that we have included above as well as several small photos of the various components.
Additionally the other two sides are specification and a claimed performance chart for the Water 3.0 Pro.
Removing this AIO from the outer cardboard box you will find the unit secured in an egg carton like cardboard composite with a thin piece of foam laid on the top. We doubt this would protect the unit from any major damage and recommend using a shipping service known to handle packages with care when ordering.
For a full video unboxing and overview of the Thermaltake Water 3.0 Pro Water Cooling System check out our video below.
90 Bucks I will stick with my Kraken x60 for better Cooling.
Apples and oranges friend. The Kraken x60 is a good cooler though; glad your happy.
We've not reviewed the CM Siedon 120. The 240 however was an excellent AIO and I would expect similar performance from the 120 on a lower scale of course.
Nice video that you have posted in blog.This video has clearly signifies about the PC Water cooling system .You have mentioned that how Water cooling system is used to cool the PC and removes the heat from the computer.
Apr 28, 2016 0
Apr 28, 2016 0
Apr 28, 2016 0
Apr 25, 2016 0
Apr 21, 2016 0
Apr 19, 2016 0


text:
Newegg.com - A great place to buy computers, computer parts, electronics, software, accessories, and DVDs online. With great prices, fast shipping, and top-rated customer service - once you know, you Newegg.
If you are reading this message, Please click this link to reload this page.(Do not use your browser's "Refresh" button). Please email us if you're running the latest version of your browser and you still see this message.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, HDTVs, Digital Cameras and More!
Sold and Shipped by LightsDepot
This "HARD-TO-FIND" great value "Sierra" light provides commercial grade lighting at a fraction of the cost! Incorporated with our new and exclusive super bright technology, we enable our "Sierra" light incredibly bright for 10 hours at night when fully charged. Each lamp features three Super Bright LEDs in wide angles, providing 360 degree direct lighting. Equipped with a unique 3-way diffusing system and special optically designed lens, the light beams are magnified to create this Super Bright Lighting. "Sierra" lights up an area of 20 feet and can be seen from 300 feet away. Made of quality stainless steel, each light includes two pre-installed rechargeable AA batteries, one stainless steel pole and one ABS plastic spike. Light is pre-assembled. Setup is absolutely easy.
This item is eligible for Newegg Premier benefits. Are you a Newegg Premier Member? If not, sign up today and get:
Your request will be processed within the next 24 hours.
Please add "firstname.lastname@example.com" to your address book to ensure delivery.See Today's E-Blast Promo


text:
Tuesday Jun 21 2011
Folsom museum stitches together a patchwork of history
By: Don Chaddock Telegraph Managing Editor
From great-grandmother's hand-crafted quilt to vintage clothing pieces, bits of history of hearth and home are currently on display at the Folsom History Museum. "I'm not a quilter," confessed museum director Mary Mast. "None of these (quilts) are from the archives. These are all outside submissions." The quilts range in age from the 1870s to the 1930s. Some of the quilts were "completed" as late as 2005, but the original fabric and patterns are the focus. "Many quilts are from the 1930s and '40s," Mast said. "The hand stitching is amazing." She said the quality of the work and the beauty of the pieces are something to see. "There is a true art to exhibiting these," she said. "To watch the exhibit process is amazing. They vary in size, age, style and pattern. The (organizing) committee is all passionate about vintage clothing and quilts." Gene Mendonca, of Folsom, was on hand to check out the exhibit. "These are wonderful," Mendonca said. "This in incredible. I love that this (quilt) is like a painting." To learn more, visit folsomhistorymuseum.org.


text:
The MPA in Emergency and Disaster Management
Epsilon Pi Phi
MCNY-EDM is now a chapter member of Epsilon Pi Phi (EPP) Honor Society.
The academic society was established in 2006 by the Council for the Accreditation of Emergency Management Education. The mission of Epsilon Pi Phi is to strive for the reward, advancement and recognition of emergency/continuity management and homeland security as a discipline and profession. The Society also encourages a high standard of excellence in these related fields of practice and study.
Career Opportunities
The following are additional statistics from the NYS Department of Labor. They seem to be more available for New York and vicinity now, not just the entire state.
In New York City and the surrounding region, employment prospects for business degree graduates (undergraduate and graduate) are very favorable. For example, the mean salary for accountants and auditors is $74,000.
In addition, jobs are projected to be plentiful for supervisors of office and administrative support workers. The same holds true for booking, accounting and auditing clerks at beginning salaries of $38,400.
An increase was projected in positions for Compensation and Benefits Managers and Job Analysis Specialists ranging from approximately $64,000 - $113,000 through 2016. As an aside (for placement in the human services information), Social and Community Service Managers with a Bachelor's degree-employment prospects between now and 2016 are extremely favorable, with salaries reaching $77,000 per annum.
With regard to employment in the area of Homeland Readiness and Security, there are several areas of occupation associated with the Department of Homeland Security as follows: the United States Coast Guard: Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC); the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Federal protection Service (FPS); the United States Secret Service; and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Many of these positions are in and around NYC.
In addition, jobs in law enforcement continue to be plentiful in the following areas: officers at the NYC Department of Corrections (DOC). The department employees over 9,500 uniformed staff and 1,400 civilian staff. In order to obtain these positions, candidates must have completed 60 college credits.
MCNY (60 West Street New York, NY 10006 · 529 Courtlandt Avenue Bronx, New York 10451)
© 2016, Metropolitan College of New York


text:
A childlike man (Gael García Bernal) with an overactive imagination tries to woo a new neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg).
Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes®
" This determinedly nonlinear filmmaking tells the story more accurately than cinema verite ever could. "
" The movie plays like an exhausted hallucination, disjointed and frustrating, much of it owing to the lack of chemistry Gondry allows between his stars. "
" [Gondry's] passion for cinematic invention is giddy and palpable, with the rudimentary charms of fellow Frenchman and turn-of-the-century filmmaker Georges Melies. "
" An exceedingly fanciful film that's both more provocative and less successful than the Carrey piece. "
" In the end, after your time with it, you'll recall it with a smile, remembering its childish wonderment and mischievous sense of humor. "
" The film is wonderfully innovative. "
" It's all very cosmopolitan (the dialogue is English, French and Spanish), very independent, a wee bit juvenile and very confusing, of course. But The Science of Sleep is also remarkably magical and desperately romantic beneath it all. "
" It's a tonic to see a film, however uneven, obsessed with the question of what young love is, exactly, while detailing the stupid stuff that makes people act like jerks over someone. "
" "
" The Science of Sleep is an interesting visual experiment that tries really hard to be something unique, but it just spins its flashy wheels and eventually goes nowhere. "
" In the moment, Gondry and Bernal almost manage to give quirky a good name. "
" Pouring every impulse, inspiration and outlandish image at hand into his project, [Gondry] creates a dream world as visually delightful as it is merrily illogical. "
" I loved Science, but in its final minutes I felt that I had a one-way ticket to a cul-de-sac. The scenery is something, though. "
" While this is obviously inspired stuff, and while Gondry's cardboard-and-scissors, pop-primitivist sensibilities result in some fetching hand-carved wonders, the movie itself is as oblivious and hermetic as its love struck, fantasy-prone hero. "
" The whimsy Gondry whips up soon goes wispy as we wait in vain for all this sweet-natured silliness to reveal a meaning that isn't transparently obvious. "
" As charming and inventive as Gondry's fanciful visions are, they aren't enough to substitute for the lack of an involving story. "
" Gondry's creative breeze of a movie is fun while it lasts, and that's more than you can say about a whole lot of movies. "
See all The Science of Sleep Reviews


text:
Tuesday Sep 01 2009
Tigers win volleyball war of the Roses
By: Kurt Johnson, The Press Tribune
Roseville makes short work of Rosemont
The local high school volleyball version of the Rose Bowl went to Roseville in convincing fashion as the Tigers buried Rosemont on the road Monday night. While the match was not close, Roseville kept its level of play up and took care of business in three straight games, not allowing the Wolverines to score in double digits in any game. "We are working on playing to a high standard, regardless of the opponent or situation and did a good job of playing up to that standard," said Roseville coach Ron Grove. "We had control of every game and really did not make many errors. The team is playing very intelligently and doing some good things." With the 25-7, 25-9, 25-9 result, there was not a lot of game action for the Tigers to pile up the statistics, but Katie Simon managed 10 kills and three blocks to lead Roseville at the net. Simone Durham, who was returning from a minor knee injury, put down three kills and three blocks and delivered four aces from the service line. Setter Kali Lahoun was on top of her game as well, banging three kills to go with her 29 assists. Jessica Richardson was a key contributor on the back line for the Tigers. Roseville (2-0) plays at Bear River Tuesday night before a heavy weekend workload, with a Foundation Game at home against Elk Grove Thursday night and the High Sierra tournament in Reno Friday and Saturday.


text:
Why does Oil float on Water?
Why does Oil float on Water?
If two liquids with different densities are mixed together, then they get separated based on their densities. Ã'šÃ' The one with a lower density will float on the one with a higher density. Ã'šÃ' The density of liquids is measured in terms of kilograms per cubic meter. Ã'šÃ' The density of pure water is 1000 kilograms per cubic meter. Ã'šÃ' This means that the mass of water is 1000 kg on one cubic meter volume. Ã'šÃ' The density of oil is around 800 kilograms per cubic meter. Ã'šÃ' Various oils have varying densities.
The liquid with less density floats on another liquid which has a higher density. Ã'šÃ' Here, water has a higher density than oil. Ã'šÃ' The other reason for any liquid to float on another one is due to the greater buoyancy of it. Ã'šÃ' To understand the concept of buoyancy, let us talk about an example here.
A ship, in order to be on the water, has to displace an amount of water that is the same as the weight of the ship. Ã'šÃ' Only then can it successfully float, otherwise, it sinks. Ã'šÃ' Likewise, the ship on sea water will displace less water than when on river water in order to float. Ã'šÃ' This is because river water is less than sea water. Ã'šÃ' When the ship moves into river water, it sinks, by displacing more water in order to balance its weight. Ã'šÃ' This is the phenomenon of buoyancy force exhibited by the liquid in which the object is floating.
Similar to this phenomenon, oil is buoyant when placed on water, and hence, floats. Ã'šÃ' The other reason that is worth discussing here for oil and water to exist separately, is that like dissolves like. Ã'šÃ' Oil and water are not the same, and hence they don't mix. Ã'šÃ' Water is a dipole with positively charged hydrogens and negatively charged oxygen ends. Ã'šÃ' The dipole strength or dipole movement depends on the magnitude of the charges at both the ends, and the distance between the charges. Liquids with near dipole strengths will mix easily. Ã'šÃ' Oil does not have well defined dipole movement, while water has much more dipole movement than oil. Ã'šÃ' So, they remain separate. Ã'šÃ' Oil floats on water as it does not mix with water, and weigh less than water for every cubic meter.
3 Submissions
Water and oil dont mixta
hi lovee this project. really good job.
I thought the reason why the oil floats in water is because oil is partially a gas. Since a gas' particles spread out more, a gas cannot mix with a liquid, therefore it stays at the top, with the water under it! Please help me, I don't understand this and I need to do a Science Project on this, and its due on Thursday next week! If you could answer the following questions then that would be great!:
Why does the oil float on top of the water?
Is oil a liquid, gas, or solid?
Does diffusion have anything to do with densities?
Is there ever a time when oil will sink or is it impossible?
Would the oil sink if you added a substance to it, if yes what?
Mici D
Do you think the article can be improved? Share Your Expertise
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
How Long Will Israel Wait?
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on when and whether Israel will attack Iran.
Can Israel launch a military strike against Iran, and can it succeed?
You can't expect me to answer directly. We [the United States and Israel] are using the same rhetoric when we say that we are all determined to prevent Iran from turning into a nuclear military power, and we both say that all options are on the table. We mean it and we recommend to them to mean it.
And you feel the U.S. means it?
At least on a technical level, there are a lot of preparations. But it's not a secret that America prefers that it will be solved through diplomacy. We all hope that [diplomacy] will be successful, but time is not unlimited in this regard. Iran is not just a challenge for Israel—it remains a major challenge for whoever is willing to look reality in the eyes. Iran is a radical Muslim theocracy that is trying to reach nuclear military power. It also tries to hegemonize the whole [Persian] Gulf. Talk to the leaders of the Gulf. They are terrified by the possibility that Iran will turn nuclear. A nuclear Iran will be the end of the nonproliferation regime: Saudi Arabia will turn nuclear immediately, Turkey within several years, and probably the new Egypt will start moving to do it. Not to mention the potential of weapons-grade material leaking into the hands of terrorist groups from Iran.
Then comes the issue of terror. The Iranians are sponsoring terror among the Baluchi tribe in Afghanistan, among the insurgents in Iraq—they are everywhere. They are trying to raise their profile in Cuba, in Nicaragua, and Venezuela, of course. They have a global aspiration, and the world won't be the same place once they turn nuclear. Whoever thinks that it's complicated to deal with Iran right now, as some think tank leaders are writing: Just close your eyes and think what it will mean to deal with these very same issues once Iran turns nuclear as a result of an absence of political will. It will be much more dangerous, much more costly in terms of human lives and financial resources. And it will become nuclear if the world will not be tough enough to stop it.
Do you think it is up to Israel to stop it?
We always hope it will be solved by the free will of the ayatollahs, by the effectiveness of the sanctions, by the creativity of diplomacy or by any other miracle. When we say that we are determined to prevent them, and we should all be determined, including the American leadership, the European leadership, the Russians, the Chinese, we mean what we say and that is all I can say. We have another neighbor. ...
Yes, Bashar al-Assad is living proof of the paralysis that sometimes takes over the world, even when there is no need for any further proof that something totally unacceptable that costs human life is happening.
You mean the world is just standing by?
Basically, [Assad] is slaughtering his own people and using every form of crime. Here you have real-time pictures of the actual crimes, the rows of buried children. Even when there is no need for any further proof, however tangible and visible the nature of the crimes, it doesn't mean the world can mobilize the will to do something about it. It's a fact of life that we should bear in mind when we look at the overall picture around us. We are living in a tough neighborhood—no mercy for the weak, no second opportunity for those who cannot defend themselves. We have to be able to defend ourselves. We are extremely thankful to this administration: It is doing more than the past to back the security of Israel.
What is the administration doing?
They are giving us support, despite economic pressure there, in keeping up the qualitative military edge of Israel. They helped us with our multilayered interception systems against missiles and rockets, starting with Iron Dome and continuing with Arrow. But we understand that we have to be able to protect ourselves against any foreseeable threat.
Going back to Syria, do you think the West should arm the opposition?
I think many steps should be taken. Russia has invested a lot of political capital and money in the [Assad] regime. They should have a certain role if we want to succeed. The whole structure of the Syrian state should not be blamed—it is a family and certain individuals [who are responsible]. I believe that if America and Russia talk[ed] together about who can use what leverage, that could be extremely effective. And of course Turkey, the most important neighbor of Syria. What can we do in order to remove this family from power without destroying Syria as a state? Not repeat the mistakes that were made in Iraq, where everything from the Baath Party to the military was dismantled. There's no need to do that [and increase] the chances that they will end up with a chaotic civil war, where the bad guys will be more prominent. It's time for the world to dictate to Mr. Assad to move out of power or else. But the "or else" can be convincing only if America and Russia will join hands.
But Russia is still sending weapons to Syria.
Yes, but they should be convinced in an honest, frank discussion. They could have a major role in helping to solve the Syrian issue.
You're not worried about the Muslim Brotherhood or others who could come to power?
I feel the longer the world is paralyzed and lets this massacre keep going by the Assad family, the more chaotic the situation will end up being.


text:
Grand Theft Auto Hot Coffee: Lawyers (Likely) To Drink The Milkshake
According to the NY Times the class action lawsuit inspired by GTA:SA's Hot Coffee mod (you can do your own googling for that!) is close to being settled. The end result - the people in the suit will get a few dollars, the lawyers behind it get a good payday:
"Far bigger than the payout to plaintiffs will be the fees sought by the lawyers who brought the class action. Mr. Lesser and his colleagues at 10 other law firms have asked for more than $1.3 million — compared with less than $30,000 that Take-Two Interactive's lawyers say it will spend to resolve the claims for $5 to $35 each (and, sometimes, a sanitized copy of the game).
"It doesn't typically go that way," said Mary J. Davis, a law professor at the University of Kentucky who has studied this type of litigation. To have legal fees dwarf a settlement payout, she continued, "is sort of backwards."
The company and the plaintiffs lawyers both point out that the company has also agreed to make an $860,000 charitable contribution."
The full article is interesting, especially the back half that talks about parents being more interested in protecting their children from a mini-game they can't unlock during normal play but not caring so much about the violence in GTA.
Personally I don't care that the lawyers ended up with the cash here half as much as I care that Rockstar didn't fight against it harder and try to seek a legal ruling. Any game that can be impacted by mods - this includes MMOs - runs the risk of someone unlocking something they shouldn't and this kind of decision opens the door to the next time someone sees something that offends thine eyes (obviously not the copious blood and gore, but perhaps a stray nipple or undressed female character model) they'll run after the company, wallet open to collect the cash. It's a risk to Rockstar, sure, but if they - who make a lot of money off their adult-orientated games that they keep trying to pretend don't have the content they have - won't stand up and fight, no-one will.
Or someone will who doesn't have the money / resources they have and are more likely to lose, thus locking the rest of the industry into a legal finding they don't want.
And yes, I'm aware I'm abusing both beverage analogies and internet memes in the title. :-)
people are still fighting over that crap?? wow ... rule number 1 as a parent check the game before u buy it... 2 u as the parent buy it therefore u cant bitch when your kids goes out and does something stupid he saw in the game. parents should be held accountable for it not the game.Wed Jun 25 2008 8:12AM Report
When GTA:SA came out, I saw a young mother in GameStop buying it for her son (who looked about nine years old). The clerk was rattling off the disclaimer: Mature rating, graphic violence, strong sexual content, GameStop not responsible, you cannot return the game because of the content, blah blah blah. The mom didn't even bat an eye. She just said, "Yes, I want the game," and handed over her credit card.
I wanted to call child protective services, but of course it was none of my business.Wed Jun 25 2008 1:56PM Report


text:
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a community of approximately 12,000 residents in Mercer County, West Virginia.
Ghosts and the Paranormal at Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia:
The apparition of a young girl reportedly haunts Mahood Hall at Bluefield Stat
Bluefield, West Virginia
Sponsored Links
Haunted Location Types
Haunted Locations
Recent Listings
Alice City Lake | Alice Lake | The Reservoir
May 21, 2014
Alice Lake... Read more →
May 21, 2014
The Pea Fa... Read more →
Nashotah House Theological Seminary
May 21, 2014
Delafield, Wisconsin Delafield is small community of about 7,000 residents located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin along the Bark River. It is a suburb of Milwaukee. Nashotah House Theological Seminary Information: To get to Nashotah House Theological Seminary, begin in Delafiel Read more →


text:
Surya's Device is the Next Evolution in ITR Magic! Click Here for more details!
After you place your order, please send us a quick email at firstname.lastname@example.com so I can further assist you and direct you to our many free bonus e-books and video training materials. We custom build all ITR orders to your specific needs, these are personally checked by myself prior to shipping for quality control and to ensure it is up to our high standards. Keep in mind we have a wide variety of IT options and can find the right material for nearly any performance environment. I find that my stand up performance of the Zero G. Currency floating bill routine still is hard to beat in terms of audience reaction and astonishment. If you have not yet used an ITR you are in for a real treat! Find out why it has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in Magic of the last Century! With over 300,000 units sold we must be doing something right! J Also be aware that there are many imitations and knock-off's there is only one way to ensure you are getting the original and that is to order through us directly right here. Please also friend me on face-book, another great option for customer service and special Birthday bonus offers just for you on your special day! Facebook friends only and limited to our first 5000 friends. Facebook.com/ITRMagicTrickscom James George
P.s. Also keep in mind we are a magic manufacturing company and produce over 500 different items, we can help you develop and produce your inventions as well.f


text:
Before you fly
Attaching the balloon
Inflating the balloon
Igniting the burner
Safety Briefing
Ready to take off
Taking off
In Flight
Magical Moment
Stunning View
A flying peacock
Derena Dream Star Finale
Stunning view across the lake
Dambulla Town
The first in Sri Lanka
View of Sigiriya
Shades of Green
Spectacular Sunrise
Us in the water
Rock Pool
After the Flight
The Landing
Deflating the balloon
The welcome committee
Flight for Fuji TV
Celebrating with champagne
Special Day
Celebrating with champagne
Chantel & Martin with the Crew
Miss. France
Happy Birthday...!
Group Photo
Share your experience and photos with others" by emailing us at email@example.com.


text:
720P Wide Angle Car DVR Camcorder w/ 4-LED IR Night Vision/HDMI/SD Slot (2.5" TFT LCD)
working when the car is powered on LCD Display: 2.5" TFT LCD Image Sensor: 1/4" camera lens Video Format: MJPG Video Resolution: 1280 x 720 640 x 390 Storage slot: Supports SD
free shipping
(4 Reviews)
» Camcorders
Add To Cart
Subscribe to our newsletter:
© 2006~2016 DX.com. All rights reserved.
Note:Stock and Availability shown on this site is for your reference only. While
we strive to provide the most accurate and timely stock and availability information,
availability information may become out of date and may change between the time
you added an item to cart and the time your order is received.
Quantities on clearance items are limited. Prices are current at time of posting. DX Reserves the right to change prices at any time without notice.
Partners: DX Wholesale Website l
MadeinChina l


text:
TIME magazine just announced (along with a slew of other listy things) their list of "Top 10 Celebrity Do-Gooders." (Bono, Kevin Costner, Jerry Lewis, Elton John, George Clooney, Brad Pitt & Angelinia Jolie, Paul Newman, Danny Thomas, Oprah Winfrey and Hayden Panettiere)
click here to see all of our uplifting newsletters»
Search This Blog
Recent Posts
- More blogs to enjoy!!!
- Let the music move you…
- Back from the Arctic…
- A Def Leppard glimpse…
- Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – A Match Made in Musical Heaven
- Graduation and Growing Up
- Confucius says…
- Still Sailing – review of Christopher Cross's "Doctor Faith"
- Marilyn Monroe Mystery…
- Dodger Stadium – A Metaphor For Life
About The AuthorChris EptingMore »
Chris Epting is the author of "Roadside Baseball," "James Dean Died Here," and 15 other books. He's the national spokesman for the Save-A-Landmark program and hosts the syndicated radio show, "The Pop Culture Road Trip."
» Posts by Chris Epting


text:
May 5, 2016
PARIS, TX-- A car caught on fire in Walmart's parking lot leaving the car a total loss.
Around 2 o'clock Friday afternoon firefighters responded to the 3800 block of Lamar after reports that a car was on fire.
When they arrived a blue Ford Expedition was engulfed in flames.
Officials say it only took only a few minutes to put the fire out.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Nobody was hurt.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
this is one of my favorites.
Mount and Blade is a 3D, open-ended, single-player, third- or first-person, computer role-playing game, created and distributed by the Turkish development house TaleWorlds. Mount and Blade has a medieval setting, without any fantasy elements. Mount and Blade is notable for its emphasis on realistic cavalry combat, which was common in the era, but is largely absent in most RPG titles.
this is one of my favorites.
Damn, I hate how you have to take huge cities like the swadian capital with a puny little way up
I know, every time I try going up that thing I get absorbed in my army, then I get spit out and have to climb back up again.
so many people on one ladder
A variety of screenshots from the community


text:
Intune's distributed optical switching systems can now be used to break through existing data centre boundaries and create huge data centres that span hundreds of kilometres.
Intune Networks has announced a new optical switching architecture for interconnecting multiple data centres. Intune is uniquely able to extend data centres to this scale by using its IVX8000 system, the world's first distributed optical packet switch.
John Dunne, Intune's Chief Technology Officer said, 'Some of our customers are struggling with operational complexity as their data centres scale. So they asked us to design an architecture that could break through the data centre boundaries. They want to unify a single data centre across multiple sites with a full mesh of connectivity between them. Optical switching allows our customers to virtualise functions across several locations and create a single unified data centre spread over multiple locations.'
Intune's architecture also takes advantage of the system's recently announced SDN capability, creating the world's first distributed SDN switch. Dunne added, 'One of the reasons we can implement at such a large scale is because the switches' forwarding fabric can be controlled through an SDN control API, so the entire architecture can be controlled in unison with the IT systems that it is interconnecting.'
Intune's unique system will also significantly reduce the number of conventional switch ports required to interconnect data centres. Traditional architectures require separate transport and switching devices, so they consume switch ports to connect the switches to one another across the transport links. Intune's system delivers packets across an extended optical backplane directly to the destination port, eliminating the need for intermediate switch ports. Every port across the core is reached in a single hop.
Richard Brandon, Intune's Chief Marketing Officer said, 'Currently, the largest electronic switch fabrics might be able to reach a limit of 40-60Tbps, which makes them well-suited to provide local connectivity within data centres. But to reach scales beyond this, and to extend the connectivity across greater distances, we needed to take an entirely new approach.'
Brandon added, 'Of course, not all of our customers require such large systems today, but this architecture scales incrementally, allowing customers to add capacity only as and when they need it. We have customers using the iVX8000 system today, who have already created a full mesh of connectivity between their distributed data centres. Now they know they can grow their infrastructure to vast capacities, with no step-change in costs along the way.'
Intune plans to share this new architecture with selected customers over the next few months.