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Black Diamond Ultra Distance
Very, very, very light — and compact poles.
Require bit more care.
- Like a feather so light
- Store quick and compact
- Fixed length
- Deploy fast
- Requires bit more care
- Three season use only
- Fixed length
The last three years I have used and abused three section Leki poles once or twice a week in the local mountains. As I do more scrambling and running now I decided to check out the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Poles, and.. kind of fell in love.
The Ultra Distance poles are made of carbon shafts, and all the rest is paired down to a minimum to create the lightest pole possible. Light straps and small basket at the bottom make sense to me as this often adds up the weight. Thanks to the Z-Poles construction these stored down super compact, much smaller than any two or three section pole does.
My poles are 110cm (43") and collapsed down come to a bit under 37cm (14,5"). They weigh 279gr (9,8 ounce) — for the pair (!). They deploy super fast, as might be clear from the other reviews here or Black Diamond's videos. It is simply the easiest and the quickest way to go from storage to trekking and vice versa.
Super compact when folded, you can store them inside your pack, or luggage when travelling.
Small, non-interchangable baskets, not for snow use
Blow Away Light:
I recently took these Ultra Distance poles on a speed climb of mount Fuji. When I took a break a bit above 3000m (10.000ft) I had to remind myself to put these poles between my shoulder straps and my pack. I didn't at first and the poles would just get blown away by the wind they are that light.
In the early summer I often have to wade myself through spider webs and caterpillars hanging from the overhead leaves. I can certainly tell the difference when I hold these in front of me trying to swipe webs out of the way (the ones I can not judge dodge sideways, I prefer to leave them alone). Part of this is the material. The carbon is significantly lighter than the aluminium I am used to. But part of it is also the fixed length design of the pole. With telescoping poles you always have extra length of tube inside the poles that adds weight, especially around the bottom end.
I like that with the Ultra Distance poles I carry what I need, and nothing more.
The straps feel good. They feel better than my Leki's, which I thought were perfectly fine. I really use my straps (looping my hands into them from underneath), and almost don't grip the poles with my hand at all. There are many people that have better results by cutting straps off and just holding the poles. But for me personally this is the most energy efficient and comfortable:
Insert hand through bottom of loop, let side of palm and thumb bear the weight. Hardly close fingers around grip.
The fixed length is a tradeoff. I like it. If you know what you want it is great. I used to always adjust length on my older Leki's and really appreciate I could do that at the time. Since last year though, I found that I almost always use my trekking poles at one length, and adjust my grip on the downhill to lengthen the poles somewhat. If you find yourself adjusting the length of your poles a lot, these are not for you obviously. Also, if you use your poles to support your tarp you have to get a pole extender or go with a longer pole.
I am not sure if I think this is a good general pole, or a good first pole. It reminds me of going with a cuben tarp or backpack. There are great benefits, and they can be a great first choice too. But you have to know you want it, what its benefits and trade-offs are, and in some cases treat it with a bit more care or adjust your usage.
The straps I am pretty sure will not last me three years. With the longish days I do, I will be surprised if they make it through one year. They can be replaced, but it's something you need to monitor.
The same goes for the collapsing system. If you get sand or salt deposits (sweat that then later dries out) on the top section of your pole and collapse them, this can work its way inside. I had this happen with one pair which I returned because the poles wouldn't open anymore. This could have been a problematic pair, and the height of the humid summer here is somewhat extreme, but I'm making sure to immediately clean my poles right after climbing before I store them away. Like with the straps, something to monitor.
Carbon, if it fails, generally will fail catastrophically. I.e. an aluminium poles might bend when stressed too much, while if you take a carbon pole too far it will break/shatter.
These for me are not issues that put me off these poles. I know this is not a hummer or a tank-like pole that you can abuse anyway you want and never look at. This is a very lightweight, strong, compact, easy to store, and quick to deploy pole. I love it.
Lightweight also does not mean it can't take anything. I largely ran down Mount Fuji, and a large section is over this volcanic gravel route where you sink to your ankles in the little stones. My poles for sure took a continuous one and a half hour beating of gravel and bigger stones/rocks to the lower sections. There are superficial scuff marks all over but they held up just fine.
Black Diamond also makes the Distance FL Z-Poles that are similar to these, but made of aluminium, and with a length adjustable top section. They are roughly double the weight, but could be a good alternative if you are not looking for the lightest thing out there, or if you do like to change the length of your poles on the ups and downs. Black Diamond also make the Ultra Mountain Carbon Trekking Poles, which like the Ultra Distances are fixed length, but four season use (you can attach winter baskets to the bottom) and with thicker, more robust looking straps. Again, they are heavier but they might be a good option.
If the weight savings are what you are after, and you want the lightest, quickest to deploy poles out there, then these are a joy to use, feather light and quite honestly pretty incredible. Highly recommended.
Designed with the long distance thru-hiker, fast-packing ultra-lighter, or trail runner in mind, the Black Diamond Ultra Distance trekking poles are very light (9.2-9.7 ounces per pole) and yet strong enough to provide the support expected and needed from a trekking pole.
During nine weeks of testing and 42 miles, these poles, which come in four fixed lengths, proved to be a very lightweight option for hikers who are looking to save ounces and are willing to accept the tradeoff of non-adjustable poles. These poles are best for thru-hikes or other applications where compact, lightweight poles are desirable.
The Ultra Distance poles perform just like any other trekking pole I've used, providing plenty of support and balance on both easy trails and rugged climbs, with the exception of not being adjustable for ascents or descents. However, the extended EVA grip allows you to reposition your grip lower on the pole for ascents.
The Ultra Distance trekking poles are made of carbon fiber and are the lightest of three designs offered in Black Diamond's Z-Pole series, which also includes the Distance and Distance FL. The Z-Pole design consists of three pole sections connected by a cord, very similar to the design of an avalanche probe or shock-corded tent poles, but with a unique and secure locking mechanism.
The poles are not adjustable, but are available in four lengths. People on shorter hikes who may not be as concerned with weight may prefer a pole with an adjustable length that can be made shorter for ascents and longer for descents.
Trouthunter tests the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles.
- Ultra lightweight at 9.2 oz / 260 g (100 cm length); you have to hold them to believe it
- Amazingly fast set-up with one fluid motion and a single click
- Compact length when folded
- Interchangeable tips
- Pole sections cannot collapse once set up and locked
- Not adjustable for length
- The EVA foam grips are minimal and not as ergonomic as some grips I've used
- Interchangeable tips can be difficult to unscrew by hand
- The basket is small, allowing the poles to sink easier in mud, sand, etc.
Best For
The Ultra Distance poles are best for thru-hikes or other fast and light applications where compact, lightweight poles are highly desirable.
The Poles
The Ultra Distance poles I tested are one of three pole designs in Black Diamond's Z-Pole series, which also includes the Distance and Distance FL poles. They're made of carbon fiber with extended EVA foam grips, adjustable straps, interchangeable tips (rubber or carbide), and are extremely light.
The Ultra Distance poles are not adjustable, but come in four lengths: 100 cm (9.2 oz), 110 cm (9.3 oz), 120 cm (9.5 oz), and 130 cm (9.7 oz). My 100 cm pair arrived for testing in a mesh bag with a small pocket containing a pair of interchangeable carbide tips. I tested the poles using both the rubber tips and the carbide tips.
The Black Diamond poles are made with three sections that fit together using an aluminum ferrule (see photo below) and are connected with a single cord, similar to an avalanche probe or tent pole.
The upper portion of the pole where the EVA grip is located has a second section of pole that telescopes out of the grip. It is this section that locks the other pole sections into place as it is extended, placing tension on the cord, and locking in place.
The cord is housed in a silicone tube that has a cone shaped section at each joint, which acts as a guide allowing the sections to slip together with ease.
With a little practice (about five or six times), I found I could unfold the pole and, while holding the pole upright by the grip, use my other hand to firmly slide the locking section down out of the grip about six inches until it clicks. This is easy to do in one motion.
Set-Up Evaluation
When I first got these poles to test, I thought set-up would be time consuming. After using the poles a few times I discovered that set-up was one of the poles' strong points.
Since these poles are designed similarly to aluminum tent poles or an avalanche probe, they have a stop built in and cannot collapse the way a poorly tightened telescopic pole can. Likewise, it is important to make sure the lock is fully engaged on these poles, verified by an audible click.
These poles are similar in design and set-up to the Leki Micro Stick trekking poles I'm also testing (review forthcoming). The Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles are slightly quicker to set-up than the Lekis, thanks to their automatic lock, which doesn't require tightening, twisting, or anything. (You can watch a basic how-to video about Z-Poles by Black Diamond at the bottom of this review.)
Both systems are quick and easy though.
Once set up, the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles are as rigid as any other pole I have used. Because of the design, they cannot collapse until you push the lock button to release tension on the cord that holds the sections together. Each pole section slides onto a one-inch long aluminum ferrule that is fixed in the other pole section and this seems to provide plenty of strength.
This design allows for a pole that is smooth, sleek, and light. It has no external locking mechanisms or protrusions except for one small button tucked under the grip, smaller in diameter than a pencil eraser.
The grips on the poles are made of lightweight EVA foam with a four-inch foam extension on the pole shaft below the grip for changing hand positions during ascents. I found the grips adequate, but slender, and lacking some of the form-fitting profile found on other poles, which have a fuller, more ergonomic, grip. Some users might consider the grips too slender, compared to other poles, but I quickly became accustomed to them, though it would help if the grip extensions were another inch longer.
While hiking, I thought the grips were comfortable even when wet with sweat or rain, which happened several times. Grip slippage was not a problem for me. The grips conform to your hand after some miles on the trail.
Straps have always been a sticking point with me. Most times they help me hold onto the poles on a difficult ascent or stream crossing, but sometimes they are trifling, depending on how they feel and how they fit my hand.
I do not like anything irritating, uncomfortable, or requiring constant adjustment on long hikes as the problem seems magnified, especially when I'm tired. It's like a good pair of boots, but with that one irritating spot that starts to wear on you mile after mile!
These Black Diamond straps are soft and absorbed moisture fairly well while hiking. This is important to me because our South Carolina summers are hot and humid, not to mention the afternoon thundershowers.
Each pole strap is marked either L for left or R for right. Mine also were marked S/M, which appears to mean small to medium size. My hands are not large, but even at the straps' loosest setting, they were fairly tight when I wore a thin pair of gloves.
For adjustment, each strap uses a hook and loop section to allow for quick adjustment and fit. However the hook and loop doesn't work well when wet, frozen, or excessively dirty.
Each strap is attached to the pole by a small black cord running through a stitched loop on the strap and then through the pole itself. The straps are replaceable and available with instructions from Black Diamond.
These straps weren't entirely comfortable, because they were on the small side. Nonetheless, they held up fine and did their job of securing the pole to my hand and allowing me to loosen my grip on the flatter, easier parts of the trails.
Locking Mechanism
The Ultra Distance poles have one push-button lock. It engages automatically with an audible click as the poles are assembled and disengages only when you push the small silver button located just below the grip. I had no malfunctions with the locking system on these poles while testing them during four hiking trips.
Some fine sand did get into the button area a couple times. Although not a problem for me, I can see why this, or freezing rain, may cause the lock button to stick if not cleaned. The telescopic section of pole that slides out of the grip section and the hole where the push button is mounted are both manufactured to a tight tolerance. I think it would be hard to get enough dirt, dust, or sand in those areas to cause a problem that could not be cleaned on the trail.
I followed Black Diamond's instructions for cleaning and oiling the button and kept hiking.
Shaft Strength
The Ultra Distance poles are carbon fiber sectional poles fitted together with an aluminum ferrule that extends into each pole section about one inch. They are not telescopic like traditional collapsing poles. Rather, these pole sections come apart and fold up like a corded tent pole or avalanche probe.
I found the Ultra Distance poles just as stiff and strong as any one of my aluminum poles at roughly half the weight. I tested them by placing the tip firmly into the ground and applying a significant amount of lateral pressure to the pole with my hand on the grip. I did this with all the poles I have including a set of aluminum Leki Micro Stick poles I'm testing. I did not have another set of carbon fiber poles to compare these to.
I also tested the Ultra Distance poles by placing the shaft between two tree stumps and applying pressure. Again the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles offered as much resistance as the aluminum poles I have. I did not push any of the poles to the breaking point, so I do not know how they compare at excessive levels of force.
I've never had a set of poles with such small baskets. The Ultra Distance's baskets are rectangular and measure roughly 1 1/8 by 1 1/4 inches. They have a round cutout for snapping them onto another pole section while folded, although I found a better way to accomplish that (described in the storage section below).
On packed earth or hard surfaces basket size doesn't matter, but in sand, snow, or mud it does, as I found out. Many of the trails near where I live are sandy or muddy, at least part of the year. Poles that sink up to six inches into the mud are not much help.
If I could pick only one thing to change about these poles it would be the tiny baskets. I realize the poles were designed to be ultralight — I get it — but it would be nice to at least have the option to use larger baskets.
Technically, the small baskets that come on any of the Z-Poles are replaceable, in case of breakage. The entire basket and tip are one piece to keep down weight and, says Black Diamond, to steer users into using their Z-Poles as three-season poles only.
Replacing broken baskets involves melting the glue used to affix them and re-gluing new baskets on. Though possible, it's fair to say it's inconvenient to replace the baskets, and in any case, a larger spare basket is unavailable.
Ultra Distance pole tips and baskets. Standard carbide tip on left; optional rubber tip on right.
The Ultra Distance poles came with two sets of interchangeable tips, one rubber and the other carbide. I like to be able to replace or change out pole tips.
It should be noted that these tips do not come off easily. The mating surfaces of the pole and the tip have an interlocking edge to keep them tight. They are designed this way on purpose so they do not come loose and fall off on the trail. Removal of the tip requires either a fantastic grip with your thumb and forefinger or a pair of pliers (the route I took.) You unscrew the tip counter-clockwise until it comes off and simply screw on another pair.
I tested the poles with both rubber tips and carbide tips installed. I found the rubber tips seemed to get better traction on hard surfaces with less noise than the carbide tips, but they look as though they will need replacing much sooner than the carbide tips. On softer surfaces like sand and dirt I couldn't tell a difference in performance or noise.
For you ultra-lighters, here are the weights of each pair of tips:
- Carbide: 12 grams per pair
- Rubber: 8 grams per pair
Folding and Storing
All of the poles in the Z-Pole series are not telescopic, but fold up like corded tent poles. There's nothing complicated here, but you are dealing with three sections, not one single collapsed section as with standard poles. The poles measured 13 inches (or 33 cm) collapsed for the 100 cm poles I tested. They're slightly longer collapsed for the other lengths (100 cm: 13 in / 33 cm; 110 cm: 14.4 in / 36.5 cm; 120 cm: 15.6 in / 39.5 cm; 130 cm: 17 in / 43 cm).
Despite their short packed length, the poles are slightly bulkier than telescopic poles and take up a space roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 13 inches in length when folded. The short length does make it easier to stow these poles away in the side pockets of a pack, or even in the back or cargo pocket of your pants, which I did on several occasions.
I also found that the strap can be wrapped around the folded pole to secure it together for easy handling and access. You simply undo the hook and loop section of the strap, wrap the strap around the pole sections so that the hook and loop section is turned out, twist the end of the strap 180 degrees, and stick the hook and loop section together.
The poles can also be stored together in the mesh bag they come with and tucked away in your pack or clipped on somewhere.
I hiked with the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles for more than 40 miles in varied terrain and I found them to be an excellent piece of compact, ultralight gear. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to ultralight hikers who want to cut ounces and reduce fatigue on long thru hikes, or to anyone who could use a pole that can be carried inside a pack for shuttle rides or plane trips home.
For day hikes or short backpacking trips I would still use my regular poles, or the Leki Micro Stick poles I'm testing whose feel and swing I preferred. But for longer trips with high mileage days or for thru hikes, the Ultra Distance poles are so light, simple, and sturdy, they would be my pick.
Testing Notes
I tested the Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles on and off trail. My hiking trips were in the coastal plain of South Carolina about 35 miles inland in Berkeley County, and in the mountainous region of upstate South Carolina in Pickens County along the Chattooga River.
I hiked more than 30 miles with these poles in the coastal plain, and I did one 12-mile hike in the mountains, for a total of 42 testing miles. I hiked with these poles mostly during March and April in moderate temps ranging from 40°F (4.5°C) to 75°F (24°C) with significant rainfall at times.
Surfaces ranged from soft sand and mud to hard mossy rock and the occasional log, boardwalk, or wooden bridge. Small sections of trails at parking areas were paved.
I tested the 100 cm length poles. Other lengths available are 110, 120, and 130 cm.
According to Black Diamond, the 100 cm poles weigh 9.2 oz (260 g) per pole. Weighing them on my digital scales, storage bag included, they weighed: 9.4 oz (269 g) per pole.
You can watch Black Diamond's "How To Video: Black Diamond Z-Poles" below for operating basics:
Source: received for testing via the Trailspace Review Corps
Price Paid: sample provided by Black Diamond for testing and review
These lightweight poles have extended my hiking into an age where arthritis has wrecked my knees.
- Amazingly light
- Fold up compactly for travel
- Small baskets
- Non-adjustable length
Let me start by saying that Mike Gartman's Killer Review on these poles really can't be improved on. I sat down to write a detailed review and discovered I was just echoing Mike. Instead, let me focus on why I love these poles....
I came back from an 80-mile hike in March 2013 with my knees shot. What I thought was simple "hiker's knee" turned out to be osteoarthritis. On this trek (and all previous ones) I had carried a home-made wooden hiking staff, that was more for effect than as a hiking aid. To be honest, I thought of trekking poles as trendy, unnecessary, and silly looking.
Based on a suggestion from my physical therapist, I purchased these poles on a whim from Steep 'n Cheep and immediately set out to see if they could "save" my hiking. They have! I have not had a recurrence of knee pain since I have started using them--that's roughly 4-5 trips and 100+ miles of hiking in hilly, uneven terrain.
The light weight is fantastic. I expected to finish my days with tired, worn out arms. Instead, I hardly notice them. My arms are no less fatigued than simply swinging my arms at my side with a pack on. Ascending hills is much easier than with my wooden hiking staff.
Although, I listed non-adjustability as a "con," I can't say it has been a problem for me. The foam grips are long enough to allow a variety of holds, and on descents, my hands simply slide onto the very tops. I think taking the time to readjust the lengths would drive me nuts on the ups-and-downs of Shawnee's hills. I suppose on a long accent or decent that might be a benefit.
I've played around with other poles at my local REI. I haven't found anything in the sub-$100 range that compares, and some of the obscenely expensive poles haven't impressed me.
My homemade hiking staff. My knees always hurt after a 10 mile day.
Another great day with these poles!
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $50
If I could rate a 5 I would! The Black Diamond Z Pole Ultra Distance is supremely light and comfortable.
- Super lightweight.
- Collapses quite small.
- Super comfy wrist straps and grip
- Cannot be used in snow as there are no baskets.
- A tad pricey but soooo worth it.
I used to hike with inexpensive poles from Walmart. I liked them just fine. Until....one day I was at Clair Tappaan Lodge in the Sierras and they were offering Black Diamond Poles to demo.
These poles are made from a super lightweight Carbon material. The poles came in fixed lengths and I chose the 110 cm based on my height. I am 5'4". The guide states for heights of 5'1" to 5'7" the 110 cm is the length of choice. What struck me first was how LIGHT they are. Each pole weighed just 4 and 3/4 ounces on my kitchen scale. Ultra lightweight.
When hiking, the poles swung from my wrists as if there were feathers. Not an iota of fatigue. Next was how soothing it felt when my palms were nested against the foam grips. The wrist straps (designated left and right) were equally soft and comfortable, with a Velcro piece to adjust the length of the strap.
To collapse the poles, just push in the metal button just under the foam handle and slide the handle down, then pull part each of the two sections to fold up. Easy peasy. When collapsed, they are a scant 15 inches long. Very easy to stow away in a side pocket of a pack if you need both hands free for scrambling. Would also be a great size to fly with in a pack or carry-on luggage.
I longed for these poles. I dreamed of these poles. I knew that I just HAD TO HAVE these poles!! I put these poles at the very top of my Christmas list.
This may not be the pole for you if you like an adjustable length to hold up a tarp, or if you like to adjust your poles to different lengths when hiking uphill or downhill. This also may not be the pole for you if you like one all-season pole to also use in the snow as there are no attachable baskets. And if you are squeamish about spending $150 on poles when you are used to the $24 poles at Walmart, this may not be the pole for you.
BUT, if you want to experience near weightlessness and mind boggling comfort in a pole, then put these bad boys on your gift wish list.
And did I mention how incredibly LIGHT they are??
Source: received it as a personal gift
My first non-telescoping trekking poles, they have quickly become my favorite poles of all time.
- Extremely lightweight
- Compact
- Functional
- Fixed small baskets
The very excellent and thorough review by tester trouthunter convinced me to buy these and I have not been disappointed. There's not a whole lot that I can add to trouthunter's review other than to confirm his findings.
I have used telescoping type poles for years and was unsure if I would like this design. After quite a few day hikes and backpacking trips, I have come to really love these poles. The light weight is the most prominent feature. They barely feel like anything in your hands. Sometimes when I want to move fast, I'll choke up to the midsections and just run with them, swinging them like a baton. They hardly get in the way.
But the other prominent feature is the ease with which they set up or break down. I find this to be much faster than telescoping poles. When broken down, they are also a lot shorter than telescoping poles, making it easy to stick them inside any suitcase or backpack. I even mailed them in a flat rate box along with some other carry-on-prohibited items so that I wouldn't have to pay a checked baggage fee flying from FL to CO. The 120 cm just fit in a medium box if placed diagonally. These get a huge A+ for travel convenience.
The small fixed baskets are perhaps the major detractor. I don't find them to be too much a problem but they have taken a beating from my hikes in rough terrain. The carbon shafts have also sustained some deep scratches from rocks but so far nothing fatal. It's really easy to wedge these into holes when hiking scree fields, probably more so than with trekking poles having larger baskets. You just have to be careful.
Finally, many may be concerned about how much strain these will hold up to. My advice is just don't be disillusioned about your size and weight. If you are a heavier-set person, then maybe these just aren't for you. I am pretty slender, so I don't put a lot of strain them. But when I have leaned into them, they have always felt study enough for my weight.
I would hate for BD to beef them up just to satisfy those that call for more robustness. There are plenty of more robust options out there to choose from, so please BD, continue to think of us petites out there and provide lightweight options!
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $100
Black Diamond is known for making hardcore gear for rock climbers and backcountry skiers. This product is one of the few from BD that is targeted to the everyday trail user (though lightweight gear aficionados will love them). Great for those who aren't using their poles for every step of the way too, or as a backup pair that is light, durable and compact.
- Lightweight
- Simple deployment
- Reliable
- Field reparable
- Reasonable price
- High quality
- Non-adjustable
- Tip is a bit skiddy
The Black Diamond Z-trekking poles weren't on here in any other review, so I figured I'd share the good news. Most BD gear is targeted to the hardcore climber... these poles, though, take the BD design ethic through to everyday trail users. Though one may sacrifice adjustability, there just isn't a trekking pole setup as light, simple to deploy and compact as these, especially at a decent price. Recommended for light-gear freaks of all shapes and sizes.
These were put to the test recently on a 25-miler over Kearsarge Pass to Vidette Meadows and back, with some short side trips off trail. The poles were great to take the edge off the pounding on the downhill, as well as engage full body musculature on the up.
Two things really stood out with these poles to me. First, they were very easy to deploy or store; since this kind of trip doesn't require hours of using the poles in adjusted mode (off-piste skiing and traversing, for example),
Second, the ultralight and simple construction was perfect to simply tuck back and forget you are even carrying them. I could see how they would be too simplified for backcountry skiing, but I have poles for that which are beefier, adjustable and have powder basket and probe options. The one-time adjustment for length on these required some trickery that wasn't completely intuitive, but it's a one time maneuver.
Lastly these poles seem very easy to field repair if necessary, with the internal rubber/plastic 'ferrule' design. Of course not breaking to begin with is even more crucial, and the BD poles held up admirably in that regard; a more trustworthy hardgoods manufacturer I cannot name. But since I've personally broken poles in both backcountry and frontcountry settings, I pay attention to the field repair quotient more than most.
Source: bought via a "pro deal"
A great product — seriously light and very comfortable to use. Quick deployment and small enough to stow out of sight.
- Ultralight
- Ease of deployment
- Comfortable grip
- Comfortable strap
- Lack of shock absorption makes extended walking on concrete not so good
I've hiked with these poles for about 550 miles (900km) on a range of terrain - deep mud, dirt trails, well formed tracks, city streets and rocky paths. The poles were sensational and on very many days I was very thankful for them.
They are so lightweight that you are shocked when you pick them up and they fold down so small that they stash in any pack - even a small one. I found this useful when staying at places that insisted that poles be left in a communal pole bin away from sleeping quarters.
These poles folded small enough for them to be in my pack and I could keep them with me. I found the fixed length of no concern (I hadn't used fixed length poles before) and found they were comfortable and I didn't even need to use the lower part of the grip on steep uphill climbs (two mountain ranges were crossed in the 500 mile journey).
I found these to be great poles and have bought a pair as a gift for a friend I was so impressed.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $149
Where is the "stop/lock" button?!? My set doesn't have this. I've gone to REI (purchase place) twice about this; agents clueless. Web query doesn't help at all. Purchased ~3 yrs ago and used greatly—but in squishy surface, the trek pole unhinges and you have a floppy thing in your hands, not a trek pole. There is no stop/lock button or any other feature to secure the pole when opened.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: dk
Your Review
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Price |
MSRP: $149.95 Historic Range: $48.73-$159.95 Reviewers Paid: $50.00-$149.00 |
Weight |
8.8 to 9.8 ounces per pair (depending on length) |
Sizes |
100, 110, 120, 130 cm |


text:
Emily Willingham
You've heard of autism, right? Thanks to ubiquitous blue puzzle pieces, TV shows and movies, and daily headlines in English-language news media, a lot of people in the United States have some awareness about autism, even if it's a caricatured version presented to gain donations, viewers, or readers. In fact, in the US, many autistic people and their allies have sought to move on from awareness and talk more about acceptance.
In non-USian parts of the world, though, autism doesn't necessarily get this level of attention, much less acceptance, despite the fact that autistic people are everywhere. One of the largest epidemiological studies of autism identified it in 2.64%% of South Korean schoolchildren, and anecdotal assertions to the contrary, autism does exist in countries like Cambodia. Autistic people also live in Yemen, where a lack of awareness can seriously affect outcomes. As Yemeni mother Fam Um Ahmed said in an interview with Sadeq Al-Wesabi, writing for the Yemen Times:
Although I'm educated, I had no idea about autism, and what I'd heard about it was that it's a horrible and destroying thing. I didn't realize at that time that my child was suffering from autism until the doctor told me," she said.
"Autism is not an easy thing for parents. It's a shocking thing," she added.
Um Ahmed advises mothers to take action if they notice their child is very introverted and doesn't seem to be able to keep up with others in their age group.
"They shouldn't listen to their friends or neighbors who advise them not to take their children to the autism center at an early age," she said, adding that there is a plethora of information on the Internet that can guide parents through the often tricky situation of determining if their child needs special care.
Currently, Um Ahmed is satisfied with her child's progress.
What awareness Um Ahmed did have about autism was as something "horrible and destroying," a widely disseminated caricature that overshadowed any possibility she would recognize her own child's symptoms of the condition. Part of autism awareness anywhere should include a more nuanced discussion of what autism looks like so that parents and clinicians can recognize early signs instead of looking only for the manifestations of a monster.
This recognition of early signs is important to effective therapy. According to the article, Yemen lacks specialists who know how to implement the latest in autism interventions. In addition, the article notes, the media coverage that can lead to topical burnout in the US is lacking in Yemen, contributing to the absence of awareness. That, in turn, has real consequences for autistic people, says Seham Al-Sadmi, director of the only facility in Yemen for young autistic people:
Due to this lapse in expertise and awareness of this mental condition, parents are often in the dark and without guidance in diagnosing and caring for their autistic child. They can also be in a state of denial regarding their child's circumstances, according to Al-Sadmi.
"The majority of the cases that are brought to the center are in very developed stages. Some parents consider children with autism mad," she said. "Most of the parents bring their children at an age of 12 or 13. It's very difficult at these ages to provide them with rehabilitation programs and training."
Studies suggest that interventions at a very early age can smooth some of the aspects of autism that interfere with a person's quality of life. But the lack of awareness in Yemen coupled with what Al-Sadmi calls "government apathy" means limited access to such interventions for autistic children in Yemen. The single facility in the country currently exists thanks to a mix of government and international funding, but that doesn't help families who live too far away and can't afford to travel to the center for help.
Yemen doesn't seem to have a large, well-funded national organization to litter the country with blue puzzle pieces and ask for your donation at a Toys 'R' Us checkout. Its media don't appear to carry the obsession that the US media have with autism–in fact, a search on "autism" at the Yemen Times turned up three articles. A search at NBC.com? That gets you 721 hits. In the US, that level of coverage starts to become background noise. In Yemen, awareness — or a lack of it — really does matter.
It's not a huge shock that we in the United States tend to be US-centric when we talk about anything–politics, religion, global climate change, autism. But as we spend our time and energy here arguing the finer points of autism causation, writing alarmist stories about every scientific study that mentions autism — whether it studied it or not — and engaging in internecine battles in the autism community, autistic people walk around all parts of the globe, needing resources and support and useful interventions as much — or even more — than autistics in the United States. Perhaps it's time more of us became aware of that.
Previously published at Forbes.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lightweight and durable helmet
The ELIOS helmet is durable and offers efficient protection against impact with its ABS shell and polystyrene foam liner. It is entirely adjustable and adapts to all head shapes. The sliding ventilation slots allow the user to open or close them depending on conditions. It is very versatile, and adapts to climbing, mountaineering, caving, via ferrata, canyoning, etc.
- ABS shell and expanded polystyrene liner ensure durability and a lighter weight
- Helmet is entirely adjustable and adapts to all head shapes:
- headband adjustment system is easy and precise with two push-buttons
- height adjustment of rear headband by increments
- system allows adjustment of Y-shaped webbing straps around ears - Sliding ventilation slots adapt to weather conditions: open for excellent ventilation or closed against cold
- Comfort foam is quilted and lined with absorbent fabric; washable
- Four clips for headlamp attachment
- Headband adjustment folds into the shell for storage and transportation
- Compatible with VIZION face shield
- Two sizes cover a maximum range of head shapes
Materials: ABS shell, expanded polystyrene liner, polyester webbing strap
Certification(s): CE EN 12492, UIAA 106
Made in : FR
Guarantee : 3 years
Size : 1
Head circumference: 48-56 cm
Weight : 300 g
Size: 2
Head circumference: 53-61 cm
Weight: 330 g


text:
Science fiction fans still have another two months of waiting for the new Star Trek movie, but fans of actual science can feast their eyes now on the first movie ever of carbon atoms moving along the edge of a graphene crystal. Given that graphene – single-layered sheets of carbon atoms arranged like chicken wire – may hold the key to the future of the electronics industry, the audience for this new science movie might also reach blockbuster proportions.
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), working with TEAM 0.5, the world's most powerful transmission electron microscope, have made a movie that shows in real-time carbon atoms repositioning themselves around the edge of a hole that was punched into a graphene sheet. Viewers can observe how chemical bonds break and form as the suddenly volatile atoms are driven to find a stable configuration. This is the first ever live recording of the dynamics of carbon atoms in graphene.
"The atom-by-atom growth or shrinking of crystals is one of the most fundamental problems of solid state physics, but is especially critical for nanoscale systems where the addition or subtraction of even a single atom can have dramatic consequences for mechanical, optical, electronic, thermal and magnetic properties of the material," said physicist Alex Zettl who led this research. "The ability to see individual atoms move around in real time and to see how the atomic configuration evolves and influences system properties is somewhat akin to a biologist being able to watch as cells divide and a higher order structure with complex functionality evolves."
Zettl holds joint appointments with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division (MSD) and the Physics Department at the University of California (UC) Berkeley, where he is the director of the Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems. He is the principal author of a paper describing this work which appears in the March 27, 2009 issue of the journal Science. The paper is entitled, "Graphene at the Edge: Stability and Dynamics." Co-authoring this paper with Zettl were Çağlar Girit, Jannik Meyer, Rolf Erni, Marta Rossell, Christian Kisielowski, Li Yang, Cheol-Hwan Park, Michael Crommie, Marvin Cohen and Steven Louie.
In their paper, the authors credit the unique capabilities of TEAM 0.5 for making their movie possible. TEAM stands for Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscope. The newest instrument at Berkeley Lab's National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) - a DOE national user facility and the country's premier center for electron microscopy and microcharacterization - TEAM 0.5 is capable of producing images with half angstrom resolution, which is less than the diameter of a single hydrogen atom.
Said NCEM director Ulrich Dahmen of this achievement with TEAM 0.5, "The real-time observation of the movements of edge atoms could lead to a new level of understanding and control of nanomaterials. With further advances in electron-optical correctors and detectors it may become possible to increase the sensitivity and speed of such observations, and begin to see a live view of many other reactions at the atomic scale."
Rubbing graphene off the end of a pencil tip and suspending the specimen in an observation grid, Zettl and his colleagues used prolonged irradiation from TEAM 0.5's electron beam (set at 80 kV) to introduce a hole into the graphene's pristine hexagonal carbon lattice. Focusing the beam to a spot on the sheet blows out the exposed carbon atoms to create the hole. Since atoms at the edge of the hole are continually being ejected from the lattice by electrons from the beam the size of the hole grows. The researchers used the same TEAM 0.5 electron beam to record for analysis a movie showing the growth of the hole and the rearrangement of the carbon atoms.
"Atoms that lose their neighbors become highly volatile, and move around rapidly, continually repositioning themselves from one metastable configuration to the next," said Zettl. "Although configurations come and go, we found a zigzag configuration to be the most stable. It occurs more often and over longer length scales along the edge than the other most common configuration, which we called the armchair."
Understanding which of these atomic configurations is the most stable is one of the keys to predicting and controlling the stability of a device that utilizes graphene edges. The discovery of strong stability in the zigzag configuration is particularly promising news for the spintronic dreams of the computer industry.
Two years ago, co-authors Cohen and Louie, theorists who hold joint appointments with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and UC Berkeley, calculated that nanoribbons of graphene can conduct a spin current and could therefore serve as the basis for nanosized spintronic devices. Spin, a quantum mechanical property arising from the magnetic field of a spinning electron, carries a directional value of either "up" or "down" that can be used to encode data in the 0s and 1s of the binary system. Spintronic devices promise to be smaller, faster and far more versatile than today's devices because – among other advantages – data storage does not disappear when the electric current stops.
Said Cohen, "Our calculations showed that zigzag graphene nanoribbons are magnetic and can carry a spin current in the presence of a sufficiently large electric field. By carefully controlling the electric field, it should be possible to generate, manipulate, and detect electron spins and spin currents in spintronics applications."
Said Louie, "If electric fields can be made to produce and manipulate a 100-percent spin-polarized carrier system through a chosen geometric structure, it will revolutionize spintronics technology."
The theorists were enthusiastic about actually being able to see their predictions in action.
Said Cohen, "This work is an excellent example of the power of attacking a fundamental problem through a combination of theory, experiment and cutting edge instrumentation. The instrument is one of the world's best and allows us to see atoms move, the theory allows us to make realistic models, and the experiment was performed through the magic hands of Alex Zettl to ensure that the right measurement was done in the right way."
Said Louie, "As the old saying goes - seeing is believing. The visual verification of the formation and stability of zigzag edges in the live atomic images from TEAM 0.5 is very satisfying. Furthermore, the ability to simultaneously see atomic structure and perform physical measurements, using the kind of set-up that the Zettl group has at NCEM, should greatly accelerate the cycle of discovery, theoretical understanding, applications and further discovery."
For Zettl and his movie-making collaborators, next up they will correlate the atomic dynamics in graphene that they can now observe in real time with such properties as electrical conduction, optical response and magnetism. This will be a major advance towards fully understanding and applying graphene to spintronic technology as well as other electronic and photovoltaic devices.
"While, graphene is particularly exciting, our experimental methods should be applicable to other materials, including other 2-D systems as well," Zettl said. "We are vigorously pursuing these areas of research in collaboration with the theorists and the staff at NCEM."
Said NCEM principal investigator and co-author of this paper, Kisielowski, "The ability to observe the dynamics of single carbon atoms is a dream come true that reaches beyond investigations of graphene. In fact it gets us one step closer to understanding artificial photosynthesis, which is considered to be an ultimate energy technology and is being pursued at Berkeley Lab through the Helios Project."
More on TEAM
TEAM 0.5 features state-of-the-art technical advances including an extremely bright electron source, ultra-stable electronics to reduce drift and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to provide optical corrections for spherical aberration (blurring). By making points of light look like disks, spherical aberrations have been the prime limiting factors in the resolution of transmission electron microscopy. Its ability to correct spherical aberrations makes TEAM 0.5 highly versatile. It can be used for broad-beam "wide-angle" imaging as well as for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), in which the tightly focused electron beam is moved across a sample as a probe. In the STM mode, TEAM 0.5 is capable of performing spectroscopy on one atom at a time — an ideal way to precisely locate impurities in an otherwise homogeneous sample, such as individual dopant atoms in a semiconductor. Aberration correction also enables TEAM 0.5 to produce high resolution images at relatively low electron beam energies. Because of their longer wavelengths, lower energy electrons are more difficult to focus than higher energy electrons. Aberration correction overcomes this problem.
TEAM 0.5 was designed and constructed through a collaboration led by Berkeley Lab and including DOE's Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the Frederick Seitz Materials Laboratory of the University of Illinois, and two private companies specializing in electron microscopy, the FEI Company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and CEOS of Heidelberg, Germany.
The TEAM project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Zettl's research was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences, and Engineering Division, of the U.S. Department of Energy.
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text:
Using Tradition to Teach Our Kids Purpose: Mentorship Matters, Part II
"Native people who are in some stage of adaption to Western culture often lose their children because their families are unstable for the same reasons that American society's families are unstable…The Western lifestyle and the Western legal systems are combining to destroy the Native People, and the primary victims of the attack, as in any war, are the children. It is no accident that activists of the Native movement are calling for the strengthening of the family as a way of reversing the processes destroying Native nations and Native people."
John Mohawk, The Future is the Family
We've got to restore our children's sense of belonging and purpose. That sense of belonging and purpose will only come through introducing them to/keeping them involved in their Native communities.
It's in our DNA.
The Baby Veronica case was heartbreaking and also was crucial fodder for political-types who tried to say that it was yet another example of stealing Native babies. Factually, that may or may not be the case; yet our history is indeed packed full of examples of Native children being forcibly taken from Native parents. But the underlying premise—that white, proselytizing forces need to steal Native children—I'm not convinced. While it very true that at one time, boarding schools and forced assimilation stole our children away, I simply don't think that anybody needs to steal our children anymore.
We give them away now.
RELATED: Mentorship Matters, Part I
As John Mohawk observed, we lose our children by adaptation to Western culture. We allow our children into the colonizer's education system to learn the colonizer's history and eat the colonizer's horrible, unhealthy food. We allow our children to pledge allegiance to the same flag that was planted in victory immediately after the massacres of Wounded Kneee, Marias River and Sand Creek (and many more). But…but…all of that's practical, right?—some of us have no other meaningful choice in how we educate our kids. We have to let our kids go to public schools. Economics. Time. We don't have much of a choice.
And those forces can be counteracted anyway. It is possible to use the educational system, while our kids are at school, for what it's worth and still maintain Indigenous values by making Indigenous education a priority while not in school. Still, for some reason many of us don't counteract those strong, colonizing forces with the important Indigenous training that has existed and sustained Native people for tens of thousands of years.
That education starts with the Native community. Teaching them "belonging" and "purpose"—our communities used to do that (and still can, if one looks hard enough). See, historically, in order to be considered a member of a Native community, one had to participate in that community. There weren't many "non-practicing" tribal members—you had to belong. If a person did not serve and/or participate in the community's activities—whether those activities were hunts, religious ceremonies or observing community values—that person would not be a member of the Native community long. How could they? With very small, very interdependent communities, everyone had to pull their own weight.
If you didn't, someone else had to carry that weight which put a strain on the entire community. The community's survival required everyone to participate. Participation and service equaled "belonging."
That was part of the value of being a member of a community—that you had protection, many hands with which to make light work, and common values. But in exchange, you had to offer protection, hands to help make that work light, and common values. The reciprocal to the "belonging," was the "purpose" piece.
Our purpose was to contribute to the community. Everyone had an obligation, a duty. Along with that obligation and duty came purpose—people knew that the community depended on them and that their work was crucial and vital to the community's survival.
Now, as a result of accepting white colonial/legal concepts of tribal membership in the place of Indigenous concepts of community, there are "tribal members" instead of "community members." As opposed to the strict requirements to be a community member, there are plenty of non-practicing tribal members who rarely visit the tribes to which they are legally members. Those members, as a result of the legalistic definition of "tribal member," are not obligated to be participating members of the Native community (now called "tribes"). Nor do the tribal members have to have common values or have to contribute to that home community. Oftentimes, they obtain benefits from being a member of a tribe, but don't have any responsibility to try to make it better.
It's changed. Considerably.
That's unfortunate—that tribal members are not required to contribute to their tribes in order to be considered a "member" is a disservice to Native communities (and to the individuals themselves). Still, that's not the point of emphasis here.
The other consequence of the change is that, when Native people do not contribute to their communities, the evolved sense of "purpose" also disappears into a vacuum of nothingness. See, Native people have evolved for tens of thousands of years to help our small communities survive. "Service" is in our DNA—literally. We didn't do the "free-market" thing; hunter/gatherers usually can't. Instead, within small communities, everyone had a function:
"You, you're going to be in charge of gathering medicinal plants to ensure that we're ready for when it gets cold. Choose your young folks and train them."
"You, you're going to be in charge of training our young, strong men so that we can protect ourselves if we're attacked. Choose your young folks and train them."
"You, you're going to be in charge of our spiritual societies and making sure that we're giving thanks so that we ensure a good hunt. Choose your young folks and train them."
And each young person was placed into one of those training grounds. There wasn't a choice.
Now, we're not training our kids to fulfill their genetic purposes to our communities, to our people. Many of us are replicating the majority population's infatuation with individual success—schooling, go get a high paying job, get married—but no contribution to community.
When you take away a person's sense of purpose, those people seek fulfillment in other ways. Drugs, consumerism, alcohol, etc. When that sense of fulfillment that only comes with service cannot be found through external means, that "vacuum of nothingness" rears its ugly head and people search for other ways to scratch that itch—dependency, alcoholism, depression, even suicide.
All of which are rampant amongst Native people.
The way that we counteract that is by utilizing the tools that sustained our people for thousands of years—immersing them in practical cultural training. Obviously we must contextualize these lessons so they maximize function in 2013. Still, there are very compelling reasons that those lessons were there—service, training, purpose, health.
Those lessons, in a modern-day context, are how we return our communities to health.
Gyasi Ross
Blackfeet Nation Enrolled/Suquamish Nation Immersed
Pre-order new Book, "How to Say I Love You in Indian," coming December!
Twitter: @BigIndianGyasi


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Carjacking victim recalls differing demeanors of bombing suspects
NEW YORK (CNN) -- During the 90-minute ride of terror, Tamerlan Tsarnaev kept talking.
He barked out orders, detailed his hatred of Americans and asked his carjacking victim to remain calm.
Tsarnaev kept asking about the 26-year-old driver's heritage and family.
"If you cooperate, I won't kill you," said Tsarnaev, who along with his younger brother, was a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings and the killing of a police officer.
The Massachusetts driver, whom CNN is identifying only as Danny because of privacy and safety concerns, gave his account of the April 18 incident and described the very different behavior of Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar.
While the talkative Tamerlan was the ringleader during the carjacking, the quiet Dzhokhar responded to multiple orders, such as getting money from an ATM.
The only question Dzhokhar asked was how much Danny paid for his Mercedes SUV.
After the Chinese entrepreneur eventually escaped, police caught up with the brothers and engaged in a gun battle that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead.
Dzhokhar, wounded, was found later and is in police custody.
Hours after authorities released images of the two bombing suspects, the brothers spontaneously decided to go to New York's Times Square to blow up their six remaining explosives, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators. His account was outlined by New York's police commissioner.
Before forcing their way into Danny's vehicle three days after the bombings, the brothers fatally shot a campus police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, police said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev said right after he got in the vehicle that he was responsible for the bombings and the officer's death, according to Danny.
"This is like something you see in a movie, isn't it?" Tamerlan Tsarnaev said at one point during the carjacking.
Danny, who first spoke with the Boston Globe, gave CNN this account of the carjacking in a more than hour-long interview.
-- Danny had stopped his vehicle to send a text when Tamerlan walked up and tapped on the window. The suspect, allegedly carrying a handgun, opened the door and got into the passenger seat.
-- Dzhokhar followed in another vehicle.
-- Under questioning by Tamerlan, Danny played up being Chinese and tried to humanize himself by talking about cell phones and family. Danny told CNN he felt being Chinese helped save his life.
-- Eventually, Dzhokhar abandoned his vehicle and the three rode in Danny's SUV. Tamerlan started driving, using back streets in the Boston area, trying to avoid police and searching for an open gas station.
-- Danny heard the word "Manhattan" at one point and thought the brothers were going to drive to New York, kill him on the way and dump his body under the bridge.
-- When they stopped to refuel at a Shell gas station, Danny managed to slip away. He could feel Tamerlan grab him and heard him yell an expletive. Danny ran to a Mobil gas station, where he told an employee there what happened.
Danny told CNN the fact that his car was low on gas helped save his life.
During the carjacking, Danny thought about a girl in New York whom he really liked.
He thought he'd never see her again.
CNN's Karin Caifa contributed to this report.


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Now, if the set of the normal subgroups of a nontrivial given group $G$ is constituted only by the trivial group and the group itself, then $G$ is a simple group. And if the group $G$ is finite (the number of the elements of the group is finite), so $G$ is a finite simple group. In order to classify the finite simple groups, Daniel Gorenstein, Ron Solomon and Richard Lyons started in 1980s a program to produce a new and complete proof of the Classification theorem(1):
Every finite simple group is isomorphic to one of the following groups:The work was concluded by Michael Aschbacher and Stephen Smith in 2004: the last chapter of the proof was described in a not so technical paper only by Aschbacher(6) and after in two mathematical monographs(7). The complete classification was finally published in 2011 in the monograph The Classification of Finite Simple Groups: Groups of Characteristic 2 Type by Aschbacher, Lyons, Smith, and Solomon (Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, vol. 172). This work wins the 2012 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition(9):
- A cyclic group with prime order;
- An alternating group of degree at least 5;
- A simple group of Lie type, including both
- the classical Lie groups, namely the groups of projective special linear, unitary, symplectic, or orthogonal transformations over a finite field;
- the exceptional and twisted groups of Lie type (including the Tits group which is not strictly a group of Lie type).
- The 26 sporadic simple groups.
In this paper, the authors, who have done foundational work in the classification of finite simple groups, offer to the general mathematical public an articulate and readable exposition of the classification of characteristic 2 type groups.An interesting and not complete story of the classification theorem is in the Ron Solomon's paper On Finite Simple Groups and Their Classification(4). Reading the paper we can see that just in 1995 the list of all finite simple groups was completed, but there isn't a real complete proof that all groups in the list are finite simple groups. So the Aschbacher and Smith's proof is needed to complete the classification and the atlas of finite representations.
In 2001 Solomon, at the dawn of the conclusion of the work, wrote A brief history of the classification of the finite simple groups(5), and in Applications and others developments section:
Thus the classi cation of all nite groups is completely infeasible. Nevertheless experience shows that most of the nite groups which occur "in nature" - in the broad sense not simply of chemistry and physics, but of number theory, topology, combinatorics, etc. - are "close" either to simple groups(2) or to groups such as dihedral groups, Heisenberg groups, etc., which arise naturally in the study of simple groups. And so both the methodologies and the database of information generated in the course of the Classi cation Project remain of vital importance to the resolution of questions arising in other disciplines.The story could indeed influence other disciplines, for example physics. Indeed one of the finite simple group is E8, and I'he just explored connection with physics in The universe and the flowers. Another connection with physics is quotedin the first Solomon's work about some particular sporadic simple group(1): the Monster groups. Following Solomon, Monster groups are connected to quantum field theory, and so I try something about this assertion, finding Our Mathematical Universe: I. How the Monster Group Dictates All of Physics by Franklin Potter(8). In paper Potter try to connect the Monster group with Standard Model. The idea, in principle, is not wrong: the Standard Model presents us a universe composed by some finite families of fermions, leptons and bosons, a finite number of elements, like finite groups. Furthermore the three families are constituted by elementary particles, or in other worlds: particles made by themselves, like simple group. So it would be possible to connect Standard Model with some finite simple group, like a Monster group.
I don't know if the way proposed by Potter is correct or not (I read quickly his paper), but he predict the existence of two new quarks, one at 80 GeV and one at 2600 GeV, and this is a good tool in order to say if Monster Group and Standard Model are connected.
Instead Potter is certain that his hypothesis is true:
In this brief article I have outlined specific connections between the mathematics of the Monster Group and fundamental physics particles and rules. These connections support the three hypotheses ERH, MUH, and CUH(3), so I conclude that the Universe is mathematical and that we live in the only possible one. I await the empirical confirmation by the discovery of the 4th quark family, particularly the b' quark at about 80 GeV. Hopefully, the wait will not be long.
About finite simple groups:
Philosophy of the Classification of Finite Simple Groups
An enormous theorem: the classification of finite simple groups by Richard Elwes
The most important people in calssification program was Daniel Gorenstein. Ho was a leader in the group and you can read a bibliography about his work in classification in the two Solomon's papers that I used for this post(4, 5)
(1) About them he write
Like the elementary particles of physics, sporadic simple groups were often predicted several years before their existence was confirmed. For example, the Monster was predicted in 1973, but not constructed until 1980.(2) In this sense we can intend the finite simple groups like the atoms of the group theory.
(3) ERH (External Reality Hypothesis): there exists an external physical reality completely independent of us humans; MUH (Mathematical Universe Hypothesis): our external physical reality is a mathematical structure; CUH (Computable Universe Hypothesis): the mathematical structure that is our external physical reality is defined by computable functions.
(4) Ronald Solomon (1995). On Finite Simple Groups and Their Classification. Notices of the American Mathematical Society 42 (02) (pdf)
(5) Solomon, R. (2001). A brief history of the classification of the finite simple groups Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 38 (03), 315-353 DOI: 10.1090/S0273-0979-01-00909-0
(6) Michael Aschbacher (2004). The Status of the Classification of the Finite Simple Groups. Notices of the American Mathematical Society 51 (07) (pdf)
(7) Michael Aschbacher, Stephen Smith (2004). The Classification of Quasithin Groups: I. Structure of Strongly Quasithin $\mathcal{K}$-groups and II. Main Theorems: The Classification of Simple QTKE-groups. Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, vol.111-112
(8) Franklin Potter (2011) .Our Mathematical Universe: I. How the Monster Group Dictates All of Physics. Progress in Physics vol.4 (pdf)
(9) Kehoe, E. (2012). 2012 Steele Prizes Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 59 (04) DOI: 10.1090/noti826


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A jury last week found a Homer man not guilty on four counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault. Ralph K. Vos, 24, had been charged in an incident relating to a party in July 2012 at a Homer apartment. In that incident, a woman told police she had unwanted sex with Vos after he laid down on a mattress next to her.
"Mr. Vos is grateful that the truth set him free," said his lawyer, Andy Pevehouse. "He wants to thank the jurors and the defense provided by the Alaska Public Defender Agency."


text:
Giveaway Terms
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To enter, submit your Name, Valid Email, Country of Residence, and your agreement to the Terms & Conditions. Entry must be submitted during the Promotion Period. You will also be subscribed to receive promotional emails from Heartfelt Creations, you can unsubscribe at any time.
At the conclusion of the Promotion Period, you will receive an email to notify you if you won a prize.
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Role of the Coordinator
Coordinator, MIS Cell of PU bears the delegated responsibilities of Coordinator, IQAC. The following are the roles and responsibilities carried by coordinator IQAC:
- To coordinate the dissemination of information on various quality parameters of higher education
- To coordinate the documentation of the various programmes / activities leading to quality improvement
- To coordinate the quality-related activities of the institution
- To coordinate in preparation of the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) to be submitted to NAAC based on the quality parameters.
- To coordinate the timely and efficient execution of the decisions of IQAC committee.


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I am a bit late to this debunking of a book called The Spirit Level, which I had seen on sale in paperback at a local bookshop. Via Kristian Niemietz – who writes at the IEA blog – I came across the essay attacking TSL's contention that egalitarian societies – where wealth gaps are small – "almost always" outperform societies in which governments do not seek to equalise incomes.
I must admit that I nearly bought The Spirit Level to see if it did say anything of value, but it turns out to be yet another call for controls on our terrible materialism and consumerism, perhaps in the same vein as works such as "Affluenza". Ugh.


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Topology Textbooks
Browse New & Used Topology Textbooks
Math students need a constant stream of good text books to help them negotiate a path through their college course. If you happen to fall into this bracket, you'll be delighted to hear you can buy cheap topology textbooks from our marketplace. Whether you are searching for an introductory volume or you want something that is a little more in depth, we have everything you could want. Furthermore, we also have the cheapest prices and opportunities to rent used topology textbooks as well, so you can always find just what you need on our website. Browse our collection of text books now and consider the chance you have to sell your topology books back to us once you have studied this part of your course. We offer great prices if you do so. If you want the best information on topology online today, our marketplace will provide all the text books you could want.


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Liberty vs. Century Wrestling Tri-Meet 01/03/2023
Watch coverage of a Liberty Road showdown between the Lions, Cavaliers, and Knights from Century High School!
Watch coverage of a Liberty Road showdown between the Lions, Cavaliers, and Knights from Century High School!
CMSportsNet Game On! Weekly Show Episode 24: 2/28/2024
March is almost here and that means winter high school sports playoffs are upon us. We'll break down the boys and girls basketball postseason brackets, and look ahead to the wrestling state championships. Plus, a look at an opening round boys [ . . . ]
CMSportsNet Highlights: Hammond at Century Boys Basketball 2/29/24
The Golden Bears and Knights met for the second time this season, and Century looked to beat Hammond for a second time as well.
The Cavaliers and Lions met for the third time this season, and a spot in the regional finals was on the line in Eldersburg!
CMSportsNet Highlights: Linganore at Manchester Valley Playoffs 2/29/24
The Lancers came to play the Mavericks looking to avenge a regular-season loss and snap Man Valley's 8-game win streak.
CMSportsNet Highlights: Century at Liberty Girls Basketball 2/22/24
Harli Hamlett and the Knights faced Alyssa Golombeck and the Lions in a crosstown showdown that wasn't decided until the final seconds!
CMSportsNet Athlete of the Week: Liberty's Dylan Ohler
The junior won his 2nd career wrestling regional championship by going 3-0 with 3 pins at the 2A-1A North tournament Feb. 23-24 at South Carroll HS.


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<<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>>
Q48. "Can you tell me why the ERA was not ratified?"
A. The ERA was not ratified because not enough states approved it before the deadline set in the legislation, nor in the extension given it by subsequent legislation.
As for the reasons it did not pass in certain state legislatures, you'll have to refer to the archives in the various states to find out the arguments for and against. The general argument against it, however, was that the ERA would burden government and business too heavily; that men and women are inherently different, and those differences should be celebrated and not suppressed; and that it simply was not needed.


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Charles II, king of England, Scotland, and Ireland: Early Life
Early Life
Prince of Wales at the time of the English civil war, Charles was sent (1645) to the W of England with his council, which included Edward Hyde (later 1st earl of Clarendon) and Thomas Wriothesley, 4th earl of Southampton. In 1646, Charles was forced to escape to France, where he stayed with his mother and was tutored by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes. In 1649, Charles vainly attempted to save his father's life by presenting to Parliament a signed blank sheet of paper, thereby granting whatever terms might be requested.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies


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"Best I Ever Had"
"Started From the Bottom"
Drake is a rapper, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and first garnered recognition for his role as Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later rose to prominence as a rapper, releasing several mixtapes like Room for Improvement before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.
Aubrey Graham
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
9601 Wilshire Blvd.
3rd Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5213


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Kindle software coming to Mac; Google Chrome hits milestone
Kindle reader coming to Mac
Amazon announced alongside the launch of Windows 7 Thursday that it would bring a desktop reader client to PCs. A company spokesperson later confirmed to Fast Company that the book seller also intends to release software for Mac OS X in the future.
As the Kindle platform has matured, Amazon has worked to take it beyond its e-reader hardware and onto other devices. In March, the company debuted its Kindle reader on the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. The software allows readers to access their content and sync what page they were last on to a number of devices.
Apple and Amazon could soon compete in the e-reader market, as rumors have suggested for months that the Cupertino, Calif., company's long-rumored tablet device will, in part, function as a portable device designed to transform newspapers, magazines and other print media into digital content. The tablet is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2010.
Google Chrome adds QuickTime, printing
The latest release of Google Chrome for Mac this week is another milestone in the Web browser's long path to Mac OS X: the official developer preview. On the official blog, the development team announced that QuickTime and printing have made their initial appearance in the browser.
As first reported by ArsTechnica, the latest build is the first time the Mac OS X browser has been available for public download outside of nightly development builds. The report noted that the browser seems stable enough for daily use.
The Chrome is expected to come to the Mac with version 4.0 sometime this year, though it is not yet in beta. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, said that he wishes the browser had already been released and was more stable.


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Canberra University Netball Team (C.U.N.T)
"Yes. In fact, I am the main endorser of this Team"
"In and out, in and out, that's what it is all about. GOOOOOOO C U N T!"
"The C.U.N.T has well and truly been licked. They went down numerous times and in the end just couldn't come through, but they looked as if they were having fun."
The Canberra University Netball Team is an amateur Super League University Trophy team from ANU's decrepit dormitory halls, with a long and proud history. Most local news outlets (who are notorious car huffers) ignore the team entirely, preferring to focus on the lack of parking spaces at the local shops rather than the notable achievements of the team. Despite this, the Canberra University Netball Team has an almost cult following amongst its few pimple-faced fans, particularly its back line which has never been penetrated.
The Canberra University Netball Team only allows female members, although in 1995, after a lengthy case, a court ruled that the team must accept male members once they have a sex change paid for by the team. Despite numerous inquiries by male students to join the team, none have taken up the offer. However, male members of other teams sometimes edge their way into the Canberra University Netball Team defenses during games, leading to much alleged delight.
"Everyone loves the C.U.N.T" says Ina Propriat, former Russian Olympic netball coach, now team manager. "It has a cult following amongst the male students of the University, who can't wait to see it every night."
"We make a lot of people happy, if we've got it in us that night." says captain Lisa Simpson. "The only reason we play is to satisfy ourselves, but if that makes others happy, we're happy."
Formed in 1971, during the heat of anti-Vietnam student protests, Canberra University Netball Team had a turbulent beginning, culminating in the resignation of Maria Concha (the team's first coach) after the "Taco" affair. Accusations were made that prior to the game the players from both teams (the other being Victoria College, affectionately known as "Vadge" by the players) engaged in a drug induced orgy, after sharing drug laced tacos.
For a short while after the affair, Canberra University Netball Team was downgraded to the BNL (Butch Netball League), before proving their skill during many games and, more importantly, steamy post game celebrations. Once returned to the major league C.U.N.T continued its winning ways, racking up numerous championships and several unexplained pregnancies.
Since 1997, the team has been in a slight downturn, mainly due to funding cuts that have limited "training equipment" and poor draft picks from Asia. These include Sum Fat Ho, who, despite being Asian, was only chosen for her father's significant funding, rather than her performance. Other draft picks have been very good though, such as Dat Sum Lai Di, who is rumored to be able to take 3 people at once, one from behind.
Luckily, in 2005, Taco Bell increased sponsorship of the Canberra University Netball Team that guaranteed its future in the ULN for at least another 20 years. Girls Gone Wild has also increased its funding ahead of its upcoming documentary on the team in and out of the court.
C.U.N.T. have on of the greatest histories of squads, and hold a full trophy cabinet. Karoline Scheider arrived in the winter of 2001 in a big money move from the cold streets of Moscow, when the C.U.N.T.'s fur jackets were wearing thin, as the saying goes. Immediately their fortunes turned around and within a year they were challenging for honours. In 2004 Ferr E. Gobblitt came through the youth channels and surprised Sunday Sport readers with the unbelievable power of her sloppy strangler. On new year's eve she hired a Penis Book of World records official measurer with a torch and beat the former world record for inches of cock past teeth and also volume of penis consumed on a cabbie in a back street. By this time Scheider's pocket was getting frayed with her extreme use. But her professionality inspired the team. However Gobblitt continued to push her cavitie's boundaries and in October 2005 imploded on the retraction of 4 cocks from her body simultaneously.
The original venue of the Canberra University Netball Team was a moldy tennis court, out the back of the soon-to-be condemned James Hardie Asbestos Innovation Wing, with broken rackets as hoops. This didn't really matter as the players spent most of their training time in the football players' beds. Once the James Hardie Asbestos Innovation Wing was bulldozed to make way for a cancer research ward, all training was moved to a damp old janitor's closet, this failed to dampen their performance.
During this time all games were played at the local sports club, which resembled the James Hardie Asbestos Innovation Wing, until its untimely collapse after one particularly vigorous game in 1985. To commemorate the many victories at the local sports club the Annual Sports Club Memorial trophy, a large piece of broken asbestos, is awarded to the player with the most scores that season.
On the former site was built a new, larger Sports club with proper training facilities and a 200 seat stadium. This has affectionately been dubbed the "Gleaming Pit of Venus" after Venus Kini, the only girl to score 17 times in one game. Even with these new facilities, most training is done in the janitor's closet with help from the football team.
The Canberra University Netball Team uniforms are primarily pink and red, though the players can choose whether they wear the optional white shirt. If the player chooses to wear the shirt it must be wet or at least damp for the whole match.
The mini skirt worn by all players has been condemned as "too short" by some, and has been attributed to the recent heart attack of an elderly supporter, when a player bent over. Most die-hard supporters have described the mini skirt as "great" and "HAWT". Canberra University Netball Team games have been attributed as the main cause of embarrassing underwear stains in Canberra.
The original mascot of the Canberra University Netball Team was a anthropomorphic caterpillar with a green scarf. But this mascot was condemned by many as too suggestive and even "filthy" by some. Leader of the Canberra Decency Bureau, Martha Prude, commented on the mascot "It's obvious what that object is supposed to be. It's, it's, it is a, a... well you know what it is... it's a filthy abomination!"
After a long petition by the Canberra Decency Bureau and numerous bake sales the mascot was changed to something not at all suggestive - a bearded clam. To celebrate the new mascot a special suit was made, by researchers at the James Hardie Asbestos Innovation Wing, for someone to wear and entertain the crowd. Unfortunately, everyone that wore the suit contracted cancer - this may have been because the beard was composed of pure asbestos fiber. As a joke, after the "Taco Affair", the mascot was briefly changed to a giant taco, stolen from the local Mexican-Afghani restaurant. The ten illegal immigrants inside went on to work for the team.
In 2003 the original clam was retained, with a few adjustments such as a name, Cassie, and a horse hair beard. The local church has made numerous complaints about the clam, such as one outburst from Rev. Strangelove, "It's obvious that it's a transvestite clam, and God hates transvestites." In response the beard was shaved, stopping any speculation on the gender of the mascot. An attempt to make the clam smell like fish was fortunately rejected by team officials.
Ownership Speculations[edit]
There have been speculations that Libra panty liners have made an offer to buy out the Canberra University Netball Team and "make it more family wholesome" by replacing all the players with angry middle aged women and drafting in Germaine Greer as captain. These have been flatly denied as "The team wants to make people happy, and a whole bunch of complaining middle aged women do not make people happy!"
New Players?[edit]
Numerous celebrities have been linked to playing for Canberra University Netball Team, such as Lindsy Lohan and Paris Hilton. The rumors surrounding Lindsy Lohan have been openly denied by the coach, who said in response "The last thing we need around here is another washed up player." but she would neither confirm or deny seeking Paris Hilton to join, just saying "She would fit in really well around here, we're just not sure how the fans would take it. But she has plenty of experience, in many situations." As of May, 2008, no one has actually cared about this situation. Except you.


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We have two more BOFs that have been added to the schedule!
CF911: Server Troubleshooting
Host: Charlie Arehart
Date: Friday, July 30, 2010
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Do you have to deal with CF server problems--whether as a developer or an admin, responsible for your own or your organization's server(s)? If so, this is the BOF for you. Led by veteran CF troubleshooter Charlie Arehart, we'll open the floor for knotty challenges you may have faced, or if there's a lull he'll lead a discussion of any of several common (yet frequently perplexing) problems.
ModelBox - Why you need to use open source frameworks and tools
Hosts: Dan Wilson and Luis Majano
Date: Friday, July 30, 2010
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
When you build a house, do you cut down your own trees? Why would you do the same when building software? There are millions of open source projects, libraries and tools to help you with application development. In this BoF, Luis and Dan will talk about some very useful open source projects that will help you out a lot.
Be sure to add these BOFs to your schedule!!


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One more to see after cases were completed. It had been a long day, and I was finding it challenging to summon the effort for one more case. I reviewed the chart. Her past medical history in the Electronic Medical Record read much like a Rorschach blot: ninety-one, uterine cancer, hysterectomy, colostomy, breast cancer, mastectomy, a digit had been amputated, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, recent stent. The medication list was complicated, but not incomprehensible - at least most of the drugs were familiar. I noticed that anti-platelet agents, but not anticoagulants, were part of the mix. "Fall risk," I thought. I braced myself for another hour's work, realizing the inevitable. What room was she in again?
The hall was bustling with activity as family members stood outside rooms discussing their loved ones, nurses skittered from room to room answering call lights and bed alarms. Patient transportation personnel were lifting the last patients of the day on to their neatly pressed bed linens, as they promised a rapid response from the dietary staff.
Her door was closed while most others were open. Why do a procedure on someone so limited? I entered and looked for the quick-wipe alcohol foam dispenser and squirted the foam in my hand, turning to see her. Startled, there was not one person there, but around the small intervening wall her husband could be found, too.
This was not a dismal, dreary place I had foreshadowed. Quite the contrary. I had interrupted the fiery proclamation emanating from the tiny frame lying in bed as she challenged her husband's desire for her to stay another night. "We'll discuss this later," she said, "the doctor's here now." She turned to me, smiling, "Yes?"
I introduced myself and explained the purpose of my visit. "Yes, yes," she said, fully comprehending the circumstances, challenges, potential reasons for her six readmissions in the last three months. She was sharp, engaging, a remarkably accurate historian - not at all what her Rorschach had predicted. She rifled through her own history, explained her symptoms concisely, and looked at me willingly: "Now, how soon can we get going?"
My Rorschach had spoken.
She was a simply a delight - a firestorm of personality and drive that even the most ardent supporters of the electronic medical record could never have predicted. It was then that I realized its stony information lacked her vision, her wit, her charm. Suddenly, her procedure made sense.
And so we proceeded.
And so did she, right out the door, just as soon as her 93-year-old husband would let her.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
3 comments:
- Elaine Schattner, M.D. said...
I like this story, that sometimes people will surprise you. It's an example of how doctors can learn from patients. Thanks!
- Wed Dec 08, 08:41:00 AM CST
- Dennis said...
...every day of quality life is a gift however there is the other life that is not so attractive.
BTW... were you the duty doc at the hospital or were you there for something specific? - Wed Dec 08, 11:35:00 AM CST
- Jay said...
Reviewing records allows one to determine what one COULD for a patient.
Only after meeting a patient and performing a face-to-face evaluation does a doctor know what he SHOULD for a patient.
I'm not sure our regulators understand this.
Thanks for a great post.
Jay - Wed Dec 08, 04:32:00 PM CST
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