Astronomers have used the ESO's (European Southern Observatory's) Very Large Telescope, along with a double natural "magnifying glass" known as the "Einstein Cross", to scrutinize the inner parts of the disc around a supermassive black hole 10 billion light years away.
The "Einstein Cross", a famous cosmic mirage, is a cross-shaped configuration consisting of four images of a single very distant source.
The multiple images are a result of gravitational lensing by a foreground galaxy, an effect that was predicted by Albert Einstein as a consequence of his theory of general relativity.
The light source in the Einstein Cross is a quasar approximately ten billion light-years away, whereas the foreground lensing galaxy is ten times closer.
The light from the quasar is bent in its path and magnified by the gravitational field of the lensing galaxy.
This magnification effect, known as "macrolensing", in which a galaxy plays the role of a cosmic magnifying glass or a natural telescope, proves very useful in astronomy as it allows us to observe distant objects that would otherwise be too faint to explore using currently available telescopes.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Astronomers discover Universe's hottest white dwarf
A team of German and American astronomers have discovered the hottest white dwarf in the Universe, using NASA's space-based Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE).
Known as white dwarf KPD 0005+5106, it is among the hottest stars ever known with a temperature of 200,000 K at its surface.
It is so hot that its photosphere exhibits emission lines in the ultraviolet spectrum, a phenomenon that has never been seen before.
These emission features stem from extremely ionized calcium (nine-fold ionized, i.e., CaX), which is the highest ionization stage of a chemical element ever discovered in a photospheric stellar spectrum.
Stars of intermediate mass (1-8 solar masses) terminate their life as an Earth-sized white dwarf after the exhaustion of their nuclear fuel. During the transition from a nuclear-burning star to the white dwarf stage, the star becomes very hot.
Many such objects with surface temperatures around 100,000 Kelvin are known.
Since its discovery as a faint blue star in 1985, KPD 0005+5106 attracted much attention because optical spectra taken with ground-based telescopes suggested that this white dwarf is very hot.In addition, it belongs to a particular class of rare white dwarfs whose atmospheres are dominated by helium.
A detailed analysis of these spectra, combined with ultraviolet observations performed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), had led to the conclusion that KPD 0005+5106 has a temperature of 120,000 Kelvin, which made it the hottest member of its class.
Although theory predicted the existence of such hot white dwarfs, the star nevertheless represents a challenge to the concepts of stellar evolution because of its composition.
Known as white dwarf KPD 0005+5106, it is among the hottest stars ever known with a temperature of 200,000 K at its surface.
It is so hot that its photosphere exhibits emission lines in the ultraviolet spectrum, a phenomenon that has never been seen before.
These emission features stem from extremely ionized calcium (nine-fold ionized, i.e., CaX), which is the highest ionization stage of a chemical element ever discovered in a photospheric stellar spectrum.
Stars of intermediate mass (1-8 solar masses) terminate their life as an Earth-sized white dwarf after the exhaustion of their nuclear fuel. During the transition from a nuclear-burning star to the white dwarf stage, the star becomes very hot.
Many such objects with surface temperatures around 100,000 Kelvin are known.
Since its discovery as a faint blue star in 1985, KPD 0005+5106 attracted much attention because optical spectra taken with ground-based telescopes suggested that this white dwarf is very hot.In addition, it belongs to a particular class of rare white dwarfs whose atmospheres are dominated by helium.
A detailed analysis of these spectra, combined with ultraviolet observations performed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), had led to the conclusion that KPD 0005+5106 has a temperature of 120,000 Kelvin, which made it the hottest member of its class.
Although theory predicted the existence of such hot white dwarfs, the star nevertheless represents a challenge to the concepts of stellar evolution because of its composition.
Scientists identify new region of magnetosphere
A detailed analysis of the measurements of five different satellites has revealed the existence of the warm plasma cloak, a new region of the magnetosphere.
This region is the invisible shield of magnetic fields and electrically charged particles that surround and protect Earth from the onslaught of the solar wind.
The study was conducted by a team of scientists headed by Charles Chappell, research professor of physics and director of the Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University.
A "natural cycle of energization" that accelerates the low-energy ions that originate from Earth's atmosphere up to the higher energy levels characteristic of the different regions in the magnetosphere.
This brought the existence of the new region into focus.
The warm plasma cloak is a tenuous region that starts on the night side of the planet and wraps around the dayside but then gradually fades away on the afternoon side.
As a result, it only reaches about three-quarters of the way around the planet.
It is fed by low-energy charged particles that are lifted into space over Earth's poles, carried behind the Earth in its magnetic tail, but then jerked around 180 degrees by a kink in the magnetic fields that boosts the particles back toward Earth in a region called the plasma sheet.
This region is the invisible shield of magnetic fields and electrically charged particles that surround and protect Earth from the onslaught of the solar wind.
The study was conducted by a team of scientists headed by Charles Chappell, research professor of physics and director of the Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University.
A "natural cycle of energization" that accelerates the low-energy ions that originate from Earth's atmosphere up to the higher energy levels characteristic of the different regions in the magnetosphere.
This brought the existence of the new region into focus.
The warm plasma cloak is a tenuous region that starts on the night side of the planet and wraps around the dayside but then gradually fades away on the afternoon side.
As a result, it only reaches about three-quarters of the way around the planet.
It is fed by low-energy charged particles that are lifted into space over Earth's poles, carried behind the Earth in its magnetic tail, but then jerked around 180 degrees by a kink in the magnetic fields that boosts the particles back toward Earth in a region called the plasma sheet.
Solar car completes world trip
This is the first time in history that a solar-powered car has travelled all the way around the world without using a single drop of petrol.
Laser instrument of Chandrayaan-1 successfully turned on
The Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI), one of the 11 payloads carried by the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, was successfully turned on when it was passing over the western part of Moon's visible hemisphere.
The LLRI sends pulses of infrared laser light towards a strip of lunar surface and detects the reflected portion of that light. With this, the instrument can very accurately measure the height of Moon's surface features.
The instrument will be continuously kept on and is taking 10 measurements per second on both day and night sides of the Moon.
It is also providing topographical details of both polar and equatorial regions of the Earth's satellite.
Detailed analysis of the data sent by the LLRI helps in understanding the internal structure of the Moon as well as the way that celestial body evolved.It may be recalled that earlier, three payloads of Chandrayaan-1 -- Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC), Radiation Dose Monitor (RADOM) and Moon Impact Probe (MIP) -- were successfully turned on.
The MIP, carrying the Indian tricolour, was released from the spacecraft on 14th November and 25 minutes later, successfully impacted the lunar surface as intended.
TMC took pictures of the Earth and Moon when the spacecraft was on its way to Moon.
The LLRI sends pulses of infrared laser light towards a strip of lunar surface and detects the reflected portion of that light. With this, the instrument can very accurately measure the height of Moon's surface features.
The instrument will be continuously kept on and is taking 10 measurements per second on both day and night sides of the Moon.
It is also providing topographical details of both polar and equatorial regions of the Earth's satellite.
Detailed analysis of the data sent by the LLRI helps in understanding the internal structure of the Moon as well as the way that celestial body evolved.It may be recalled that earlier, three payloads of Chandrayaan-1 -- Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC), Radiation Dose Monitor (RADOM) and Moon Impact Probe (MIP) -- were successfully turned on.
The MIP, carrying the Indian tricolour, was released from the spacecraft on 14th November and 25 minutes later, successfully impacted the lunar surface as intended.
TMC took pictures of the Earth and Moon when the spacecraft was on its way to Moon.
‘Prerna’ scheme inspiring many
The Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (the National Population Stabilisation Fund) will focus on involving the civil society in ‘responsible parenthood strategy’, called ‘Prerna’.
Prerna is a monetary incentive strategy aimed at pushing up the age of marriage of girls and delay the birth of the first child in the interest of health of young mothers and infants, particularly among those living below the poverty line, where child marriage and early motherhood is highly prevalent.
The couple become eligible for monetary reward if the girl is married at the age of 19, has her first child after she is 21 years, and the gap between the first and the second child is 36 months. It is also important that the parents undergo sterilisation after the second child.
The first set of awards was given to 34 couples from various districts of Orissa.
Prerna is a monetary incentive strategy aimed at pushing up the age of marriage of girls and delay the birth of the first child in the interest of health of young mothers and infants, particularly among those living below the poverty line, where child marriage and early motherhood is highly prevalent.
The couple become eligible for monetary reward if the girl is married at the age of 19, has her first child after she is 21 years, and the gap between the first and the second child is 36 months. It is also important that the parents undergo sterilisation after the second child.
The first set of awards was given to 34 couples from various districts of Orissa.
Pakistan theatre group performs at Thrissur festival
Voices for peace and tolerance were heard loud and clear at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFK) when the 16-member Lahore-based Ajoka staged a play, ‘Bullah,’.
The play seemed to offer an olive branch, echoing voices of sanity and making a strong pitch for a return to reason.
The play seemed to offer an olive branch, echoing voices of sanity and making a strong pitch for a return to reason.
Now, ISRO scientists develop hydrogen fuel cells to power bus
India's space scientists have developed hydrogen fuel cells to power an automobile bus by leveraging their know-how of the homegrown cryogenic technology for rockets.
The two-year effort has yielded positive results and the scientists are now readying for the fuel cells to be fitted into a bus.
ISRO and Tata Motors entered into an MoU in 2006 to design and develop an automobile bus using hydrogen as a fuel through fuel cell route. Tatas are taking the responsibility for the locomotive part of it, and hydrogen handling system also.
First protomodel has been assembled. Results are good. May be next year, it should be on the road.
The two-year effort has yielded positive results and the scientists are now readying for the fuel cells to be fitted into a bus.
ISRO and Tata Motors entered into an MoU in 2006 to design and develop an automobile bus using hydrogen as a fuel through fuel cell route. Tatas are taking the responsibility for the locomotive part of it, and hydrogen handling system also.
First protomodel has been assembled. Results are good. May be next year, it should be on the road.
Russia launches 3 navigation satellites
Russia's space agency has successfully launched three satellites to enhance its equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System.
Three GLONASS-M satellites have been put into orbit by a Proton-M rocket that blasted off from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan.
The satellites launched will join Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, or GLONASS.The system had 17 satellites before this launch. It's supposed to have 24 satellites available worldwide.
The government had promised to make GLONASS fully operational by the beginning of this year, but it was delayed by equipment flaws and other technical problems.
Three GLONASS-M satellites have been put into orbit by a Proton-M rocket that blasted off from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan.
The satellites launched will join Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, or GLONASS.The system had 17 satellites before this launch. It's supposed to have 24 satellites available worldwide.
The government had promised to make GLONASS fully operational by the beginning of this year, but it was delayed by equipment flaws and other technical problems.
"E Nose" to sniff out harmful chemicals on International Space Station
NASA astronauts on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission will install an instrument known as "ENose" on the International Space Station (ISS) that can help protect crew members' health and safety by "smelling" dangerous chemicals in the air. The experimental ENose will monitor the space station's environment for harmful chemicals such as ammonia, mercury, methanol and formaldehyde.
The ENose, which will run continuously and autonomously, is the first instrument on the ISS that will detect and quantify chemical leaks or spills as they happen.
It fills the long-standing gap between onboard alarms and complex analytical instruments. Air-quality problems have occurred before on the International Space Station, space shuttle and Russian Space Station Mir."The ENose is a 'first-responder' that will alert crew members of possible contaminants in the air and also analyze and quantify targeted changes in the cabin environment.
The shoebox-sized ENose contains an array of 32 sensors that can identify and quantify several organic and inorganic chemicals, including organic solvents and marker chemicals that signal the start of electrical fires. The ENose sensors are polymer films that change their electrical conductivity in response to different chemicals.The pattern of the sensor array's response depends on the particular chemical types present in the air.The instrument can analyze volatile aerosols and vapors, help monitor cleanup of chemical spills or leaks, and enable more intensive chemical analysis by collecting raw data and streaming it to a computer at JPL's ENose laboratory.
The ENose, which will run continuously and autonomously, is the first instrument on the ISS that will detect and quantify chemical leaks or spills as they happen.
It fills the long-standing gap between onboard alarms and complex analytical instruments. Air-quality problems have occurred before on the International Space Station, space shuttle and Russian Space Station Mir."The ENose is a 'first-responder' that will alert crew members of possible contaminants in the air and also analyze and quantify targeted changes in the cabin environment.
The shoebox-sized ENose contains an array of 32 sensors that can identify and quantify several organic and inorganic chemicals, including organic solvents and marker chemicals that signal the start of electrical fires. The ENose sensors are polymer films that change their electrical conductivity in response to different chemicals.The pattern of the sensor array's response depends on the particular chemical types present in the air.The instrument can analyze volatile aerosols and vapors, help monitor cleanup of chemical spills or leaks, and enable more intensive chemical analysis by collecting raw data and streaming it to a computer at JPL's ENose laboratory.
Canada, EU sign historic deal to open skies
Canada and the 27-nation European Union concluded a landmark aviation agreement that throws open their markets to each other and lifts restrictions on airline ownership, number of flights, routes and fare prices.
The historic agreement, which may kick in early next year, will allow any airline from Europe to operate to any city in Canada and vice versa. There will no restriction on the number of flights, routes or fare rates.
The agreement is one up on the similar US-EU agreement which does not allow European airlines to take over any US airline.
The historic agreement, which may kick in early next year, will allow any airline from Europe to operate to any city in Canada and vice versa. There will no restriction on the number of flights, routes or fare rates.
The agreement is one up on the similar US-EU agreement which does not allow European airlines to take over any US airline.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Michigan State University Campus Opens at Dubai International Academic City
The Michigan State University Dubai campus welcomed its first batch of undergraduate and graduate students for the 2008 fall semester at its new facility in Dubai International Academic City, a member of TECOM Investments.
The MSU faculty will commence undergraduate programmes and research in computer engineering, construction project management, early childhood education, telecommunications and media management, and youth development. Post graduate degrees in human resources management, retailing, and education technology and executive development, as well as professional certificate programmes will also be offered. All courses will be gradually phased-in throughout the 2008-09 academic year and beyond.
Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village, said: “Dubai International Academic City would like to congratulate and welcome the first batch of students who have successfully met the stringent admission requirements set by the Michigan State University in Dubai. We assure them their learning experience will be both rewarding, developing in them the discipline and competency to become lifelong learners in today’s information-driven societies.
“MSU Dubai brings with it an academic heritage of more than 150 years. With its offering of world-class education, research and teaching opportunities, we are confident the premier institution will reflect our mission to create and sustain a knowledge-based economy in the Arab region.”
Dr Brendan Mullan, Executive Director of MSU Dubai and a 20-year faculty member and senior administrator at MSU, said: “MSU Dubai will provide undergraduates with a broad intellectual background that will inculcate in them the habit of thought and analysis that is crucial in a rapidly-changing modern world.
“MSU Dubai will also offer courses in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences that examine the rich historical, cultural, and scientific heritage of the Gulf region.”
Dr Kim Wilcox, MSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr John Hudzik, MSU Vice President for Global Engagement, addressed the students at the opening.
Reiterating MSU’s institutional commitment to Dubai, Dr Hudzik said: “We will continue to expand and strengthen high quality program offerings over the years. MSU’s excellent new campus buildings and facilities at Dubai International Academic City, along with our outstanding faculty, have attracted a high caliber student enrolment response as anticipated for the very first year of operations here in Dubai.”
MSU Dubai students will also fulfill MSU’s integrative studies requirements in physics, biology, arts and humanities, and social science as well as in English writing and mathematics.
Mullan added: “Our entire curriculum, taken as a whole, not only prepares students for future careers and professions but will also develop critical thinking skills necessary to appreciate objective analysis, apply theory and concepts to solve problems, use evidence, and to apply the scientific method for the improvement of the human condition.”
MSU Dubai faculty hold doctoral and other appropriate advanced degrees in their area of expertise, and are teachers, scholars, and researchers from Michigan State University academic departments. Appointed in the home academic departments at Michigan State University East Lansing, the faculty will extend their knowledge and expertise to local, national, and regional constituencies and communities.
MSU Dubai, a non-profit US higher education institution, promotes world-class research, teaching and scholarship. Licensed by Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), a Dubai Government education authority, MSU Dubai’s degrees and certificates are recognized internationally.
MSU Dubai replicates the campus atmosphere and the level of academic and student support that is an established tradition on the main campus in East Lansing. MSU Dubai is comprehensively connected with and integrated to the main MSU campus, giving Dubai students opportunities to enrich their academic and student life experiences through MSU main campus resources.
MSU was ranked 83rd worldwide in a recent survey by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It is also rated among the top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) - QS World University rankings.
( http://www.eyeofdubai.com/v1/news/newsdetail-25129.htm )
The MSU faculty will commence undergraduate programmes and research in computer engineering, construction project management, early childhood education, telecommunications and media management, and youth development. Post graduate degrees in human resources management, retailing, and education technology and executive development, as well as professional certificate programmes will also be offered. All courses will be gradually phased-in throughout the 2008-09 academic year and beyond.
Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village, said: “Dubai International Academic City would like to congratulate and welcome the first batch of students who have successfully met the stringent admission requirements set by the Michigan State University in Dubai. We assure them their learning experience will be both rewarding, developing in them the discipline and competency to become lifelong learners in today’s information-driven societies.
“MSU Dubai brings with it an academic heritage of more than 150 years. With its offering of world-class education, research and teaching opportunities, we are confident the premier institution will reflect our mission to create and sustain a knowledge-based economy in the Arab region.”
Dr Brendan Mullan, Executive Director of MSU Dubai and a 20-year faculty member and senior administrator at MSU, said: “MSU Dubai will provide undergraduates with a broad intellectual background that will inculcate in them the habit of thought and analysis that is crucial in a rapidly-changing modern world.
“MSU Dubai will also offer courses in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences that examine the rich historical, cultural, and scientific heritage of the Gulf region.”
Dr Kim Wilcox, MSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr John Hudzik, MSU Vice President for Global Engagement, addressed the students at the opening.
Reiterating MSU’s institutional commitment to Dubai, Dr Hudzik said: “We will continue to expand and strengthen high quality program offerings over the years. MSU’s excellent new campus buildings and facilities at Dubai International Academic City, along with our outstanding faculty, have attracted a high caliber student enrolment response as anticipated for the very first year of operations here in Dubai.”
MSU Dubai students will also fulfill MSU’s integrative studies requirements in physics, biology, arts and humanities, and social science as well as in English writing and mathematics.
Mullan added: “Our entire curriculum, taken as a whole, not only prepares students for future careers and professions but will also develop critical thinking skills necessary to appreciate objective analysis, apply theory and concepts to solve problems, use evidence, and to apply the scientific method for the improvement of the human condition.”
MSU Dubai faculty hold doctoral and other appropriate advanced degrees in their area of expertise, and are teachers, scholars, and researchers from Michigan State University academic departments. Appointed in the home academic departments at Michigan State University East Lansing, the faculty will extend their knowledge and expertise to local, national, and regional constituencies and communities.
MSU Dubai, a non-profit US higher education institution, promotes world-class research, teaching and scholarship. Licensed by Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), a Dubai Government education authority, MSU Dubai’s degrees and certificates are recognized internationally.
MSU Dubai replicates the campus atmosphere and the level of academic and student support that is an established tradition on the main campus in East Lansing. MSU Dubai is comprehensively connected with and integrated to the main MSU campus, giving Dubai students opportunities to enrich their academic and student life experiences through MSU main campus resources.
MSU was ranked 83rd worldwide in a recent survey by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It is also rated among the top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) - QS World University rankings.
( http://www.eyeofdubai.com/v1/news/newsdetail-25129.htm )
Saturday, August 9, 2008
World's most accurate measurement of fundamental unit of light intensity achieved
Australian scientists have said that they have achieved the world's most accurate measurement of the fundamental unit of light intensity.
According to a report by ABC News, Errol Atkinson and colleagues from the National Measurement Institute have refined the measurement of the candela, the basic unit of brightness, to eliminate all but 0.1% of uncertainty. Atkinson told the 21st Congress of the International Commission for Optics held in Sydney, that they expect to have halved that uncertainty to 0.05% within months.
The candela has been the Systeme International d'Unites (SI) unit of luminous intensity since 1946.
As its name suggests, it was originally defined as the amount of light emitted by a candle, but recently a more precise definition has been taken up.The candela plays an important role in defining international lighting standards, and is used for a wide range of applications from household light bulbs, through to techniques to identify faults in the manufacture of jet engine components.
Scientists at the institute are also responsible for maintaining the Australian realization of the candela using a set of lamps in its Sydney laboratories.They set the standard by measuring the light from a mercury-xenon lamp shone through a set of filters, and finally through a small 5 millimeter aperture in a piece of metal.It was using them that allowed the institute to reduce the potential error in its standards to 0.1%. That uncertainty could be cut even further by taking into account tiny variations in the size of the aperture.The scientists are currently working to do that by using an optical laser scanning technique to measure the size of the aperture more precisely.According to Atkinson, because the amount of light coming out of a substance is also closely linked to its temperature, the advance could lead to a change in the way the SI standard for temperature is defined.
According to a report by ABC News, Errol Atkinson and colleagues from the National Measurement Institute have refined the measurement of the candela, the basic unit of brightness, to eliminate all but 0.1% of uncertainty. Atkinson told the 21st Congress of the International Commission for Optics held in Sydney, that they expect to have halved that uncertainty to 0.05% within months.
The candela has been the Systeme International d'Unites (SI) unit of luminous intensity since 1946.
As its name suggests, it was originally defined as the amount of light emitted by a candle, but recently a more precise definition has been taken up.The candela plays an important role in defining international lighting standards, and is used for a wide range of applications from household light bulbs, through to techniques to identify faults in the manufacture of jet engine components.
Scientists at the institute are also responsible for maintaining the Australian realization of the candela using a set of lamps in its Sydney laboratories.They set the standard by measuring the light from a mercury-xenon lamp shone through a set of filters, and finally through a small 5 millimeter aperture in a piece of metal.It was using them that allowed the institute to reduce the potential error in its standards to 0.1%. That uncertainty could be cut even further by taking into account tiny variations in the size of the aperture.The scientists are currently working to do that by using an optical laser scanning technique to measure the size of the aperture more precisely.According to Atkinson, because the amount of light coming out of a substance is also closely linked to its temperature, the advance could lead to a change in the way the SI standard for temperature is defined.
Water 'discovered on Moon'
A fresh analysis of volcanic glass collected during the Apollo missions in the 1970s has revealed that the Moon's parched surface has water hidden beneath it, a major finding that dispels the notion that the Moon is dry.
In fact, the researchers at Brown University have found that up to 50 parts per million of water are trapped in tiny spheres of volcanic glass, the 'Nature' journal reported in its latest edition.
In their research to find out how much water was in the magma, the scientists measured its concentration, as well as volatile chemicals such as chlorine at the core of glass spherules and compared them with levels at the outer edge to work out how fast each was lost.They discovered that the Moon's mantle has between 260 and 700 ppm of water.
According to Dr Saal, future crewed missions will not be able to wring any water out of the rocks. "There is, however, a slim chance that the vapour has accumulated in ice somewhere on the moon's surface."
In fact, the researchers at Brown University have found that up to 50 parts per million of water are trapped in tiny spheres of volcanic glass, the 'Nature' journal reported in its latest edition.
In their research to find out how much water was in the magma, the scientists measured its concentration, as well as volatile chemicals such as chlorine at the core of glass spherules and compared them with levels at the outer edge to work out how fast each was lost.They discovered that the Moon's mantle has between 260 and 700 ppm of water.
According to Dr Saal, future crewed missions will not be able to wring any water out of the rocks. "There is, however, a slim chance that the vapour has accumulated in ice somewhere on the moon's surface."
US company turns CO2 emissions into "Green Carbon"
A small company in the US is developing an alternative for carbon sequestration that takes carbon dioxide (CO2) and tailings from mining operations and turns the mix into materials of a "higher order" for use in a variety of industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications, which has been dubbed as "Green Carbon".
According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), Carbon Sciences, founded by CEO Derek McLeish, has developed a relatively simple technology that puts the brew under pressure and temperature to create PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate).Traditionally, calcium carbonate is produced through an energy-intensive process using expensive materials such as limestone.
The "Green Carbon" technology takes this normally exhaustive process and simplifies it, thus producing a useful, benign material while transforming carbon emissions instead of simply sequestering it.Carbon neutral operations don't release any additional CO2 into the atmosphere, nor do they reduce CO2 levels either.When applying Green Carbon technology to a carbon neutral process, say an ethanol plant, that process actually reduces the amount of CO2, thus making it carbon negative.Not only is Green Carbon a method for removal and transformation (as opposed to storage) of CO2, McLeish contends that the Green Carbon technology can produce PCC at a lower cost than traditional processes and also points out that as carbon credit markets come online, users will automatically realize additional cost reductions when the CO2 consumed in Green Carbon is sold as carbon credits.From paper to plastic, wallboard to fertilizer, PCC is a common component of many everyday products, materials, and industrial processes.According to McLeish, there is a 12 billion dollar demand for PCC.
One of McLeish's first major target markets for the Green Carbon technology is the paper industry.
According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), Carbon Sciences, founded by CEO Derek McLeish, has developed a relatively simple technology that puts the brew under pressure and temperature to create PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate).Traditionally, calcium carbonate is produced through an energy-intensive process using expensive materials such as limestone.
The "Green Carbon" technology takes this normally exhaustive process and simplifies it, thus producing a useful, benign material while transforming carbon emissions instead of simply sequestering it.Carbon neutral operations don't release any additional CO2 into the atmosphere, nor do they reduce CO2 levels either.When applying Green Carbon technology to a carbon neutral process, say an ethanol plant, that process actually reduces the amount of CO2, thus making it carbon negative.Not only is Green Carbon a method for removal and transformation (as opposed to storage) of CO2, McLeish contends that the Green Carbon technology can produce PCC at a lower cost than traditional processes and also points out that as carbon credit markets come online, users will automatically realize additional cost reductions when the CO2 consumed in Green Carbon is sold as carbon credits.From paper to plastic, wallboard to fertilizer, PCC is a common component of many everyday products, materials, and industrial processes.According to McLeish, there is a 12 billion dollar demand for PCC.
One of McLeish's first major target markets for the Green Carbon technology is the paper industry.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Indo-American Girl Wins $100,000 Intel Scholarship
SILICON VALLEY - Shivani Sud, 17, of Durham, North Carolina won the top award of a $100,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. Shivani developed a model that analyzed the specific “molecular signatures” of tumors from patients with stage II colon cancer and then used this information to identify those at higher risk for tumor recurrence and proposed potentially effective drugs for treatment.
She used gene expression profiles to link multiple genetic events that characterize various tumor types and created her model using two public data sets containing 125 patient samples coupling it with clinical data to plot statistically significant survival curves, and used her model to identify drugs that may be effective in treating stage II colon cancer.
Shivani began her research years ago, in labs at Temple and Duke Universities and the National Institutes of Health. Her most recent project uses genetic information to predict recurrence in colon cancer patients who have been treated, and to identify the most effective drugs for those patients. "It's in her heart to work on cancer," Anu Sud said of her daughter. "She really wants to find a cure for it." Shivani became interested in cancer research as a child, when a family member was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In addition to taking several national and international honors for science, she has participated in other work, such as volunteering at the Durham Rescue Mission homeless shelter and learning classical Indian dance. Two years ago, Shivani was selected for the US Senate Youth Program, which earned her trip to Washington to learn about the federal government. Eight Indo American high school seniors were among forty high school seniors named finalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search 2008. The competition, often called the junior Nobel Prize, is America's oldest and most prestigious high school science competition. Each finalist received at least $5,000 in scholarships and a new laptop.
The finalists displayed their research at the National Academy of Sciences and met in Washington, DC for a rigorous judging process, meetings and interactions with national leaders and leading scientists. The finalists’ independent research projects include diverse areas and interesting findings.
(http://www.thelinkpaper.ca/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1205778049&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&cat=2)
She used gene expression profiles to link multiple genetic events that characterize various tumor types and created her model using two public data sets containing 125 patient samples coupling it with clinical data to plot statistically significant survival curves, and used her model to identify drugs that may be effective in treating stage II colon cancer.
Shivani began her research years ago, in labs at Temple and Duke Universities and the National Institutes of Health. Her most recent project uses genetic information to predict recurrence in colon cancer patients who have been treated, and to identify the most effective drugs for those patients. "It's in her heart to work on cancer," Anu Sud said of her daughter. "She really wants to find a cure for it." Shivani became interested in cancer research as a child, when a family member was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In addition to taking several national and international honors for science, she has participated in other work, such as volunteering at the Durham Rescue Mission homeless shelter and learning classical Indian dance. Two years ago, Shivani was selected for the US Senate Youth Program, which earned her trip to Washington to learn about the federal government. Eight Indo American high school seniors were among forty high school seniors named finalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search 2008. The competition, often called the junior Nobel Prize, is America's oldest and most prestigious high school science competition. Each finalist received at least $5,000 in scholarships and a new laptop.
The finalists displayed their research at the National Academy of Sciences and met in Washington, DC for a rigorous judging process, meetings and interactions with national leaders and leading scientists. The finalists’ independent research projects include diverse areas and interesting findings.
(http://www.thelinkpaper.ca/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1205778049&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&cat=2)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
IIT's an idea - excellence needs to reach who merit it
In the midst of such a galaxy of the good and the great, perhaps it’s appropriate that I should share a story that I heard from a distinguished alumnus of IIT Bombay-- one of the successful politicians I just referred to--Manohar Parrikar, who, at the time, was the Chief Minister of Goa. I remember the setting well. It was at a leadership conference in Goa that I had convened during my tenure as President of the Confederation of Indian Industries. Parrikar was sharing the dais with other political luminaries far better know than him, and frankly we had invited him since he headed the state that was hosting us. But through his quiet and substantial eloquence, he stole the thunder from everyone else. He told the story of a village, but in hindsight, it is also the story of what the IITs were created to accomplish. Parrikar comes from a little Goan village called Parra. When he was a young boy, Parra was famous for the quality of its watermelons. People would come from miles away, to buy this very special and luscious fruit. But the very best watermelons of each crop never found their way to market. These prize fruits were reserved for the village children. Every harvest, the children would be allowed to gorge on the best watermelons of the crop, subject only to one condition. (Pause) They could not throw away the seeds. All the seeds had to be carefully collected in a basket, and kept to be used for the next crop – which, needless to say was as superlative as the last one. There was a second half to the story: Parrikar said that something happened to those superlative seeds. Circumstances changed. Watermelon prices rose, and one day, the focus changed from nurturing local excellence to maximizing returns for the growers. The best watermelons went straight to the market. The children’s watermelon feasts came to an end. The profits were great. But as the demand went up, Parra’s reputation went down. Parrikar paused and quietly ended his story by saying: “Today, no watermelons can be found in Parra.” There was pindrop silence in the room, and I could feel the chill run down the spines of everyone in the audience. To me this story epitomizes everything that IIT stands for. It encapsulates the essence of why Jawaharlal Nehru created the IITs, and underlines the depth of his prescience and foresight. The IITs have preserved, nurtured and developed the seeds of India’s brightest intellects, and the crop from those seeds is today in global demand. The IITs have created a brand that epitomizes excellence, a brand that is exclusive, rarified and occupies a peak of its own. So am I telling this story to make the claim that you must jealously preserve the IIT brand and reserve its fruits? Certainly that would be an obvious application of this story. However, I’m going to be contrarian, and use this story to ask a different question. In Parra, the seeds were not protected and hence were lost. But I want to ask, in our protectionist zeal, could we lose sight of another objective of the creation of the IITs, these great institutions of learning—which was to educate and empower larger and larger numbers of our growing and youthful population?
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Monday, March 10, 2008
BBC iPlayer comes to the iPhone
The BBC has launched a version of its iPlayer video on demand service for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch.
It is the first time the service has been available on portable devices.
The iPhone and iPod touch are able to stream shows from the iPlayer website over wi-fi networks. The iPhone cannot stream BBC video over the cell network. A BBC developer said that the corporation was currently working on other versions of the iPlayer for "many more" devices.
Anthony Rose, writing on the BBC internet blog, said: "We started with iPhone because it is the device most optimised for high quality video currently available.
"It displays the BBCiPlayer site and BBC programmes nicely."
The software currently comes in two versions - a program which allows users to download programmes to their Windows PC and a streaming version on the web available to all users.
The version for iPhone and iPod touch users will allow streaming over a wi-fi connection. However, the EDGE mobile network used by the iPhone is too slow for streaming video.
The corporation has agreed a deal with wi-fi firm The Cloud to provide all BBC online services for free at its 7,500 hotspots.
A version of iPlayer for Virgin Media customers is expected later this month.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Cabir
* Is a form of ‘worm’ (virus attacking cell phones) that propagates through blue-tooth and runs on Symbian mobiles (phones).
Astronomers discover five-planet system orbiting star
Astronomers have said they have discovered a fifth planet orbiting a sun-like star 41 light years away, making it the first planetary quintet outside our solar system.
The newfound planet joins four others circling the nearby star 55 Cancri in the constellation Cancer.
Although it resides in the star's so-called habitable zone, a place where liquid water and mild temperatures should exist, it is more like Saturn than Earth and therefore not likely to support life.
Still, scientists have not ruled out the possibility of finding an Earth-like planet within this system as technology improves.
The other planets in the 55 Cancri system were discovered between 1996 and 2004.
The innermost planet is believed to resemble Neptune while the most distant is thought to be Jupiter-like.
Scientists have detected some 250 exoplanets, or planets orbiting a star other than the sun.
The 55 Cancri star holds the record for number of confirmed planets.
Only one other star is known to have four planets, while several others have three or less.
The newfound planet joins four others circling the nearby star 55 Cancri in the constellation Cancer.
Although it resides in the star's so-called habitable zone, a place where liquid water and mild temperatures should exist, it is more like Saturn than Earth and therefore not likely to support life.
Still, scientists have not ruled out the possibility of finding an Earth-like planet within this system as technology improves.
The other planets in the 55 Cancri system were discovered between 1996 and 2004.
The innermost planet is believed to resemble Neptune while the most distant is thought to be Jupiter-like.
Scientists have detected some 250 exoplanets, or planets orbiting a star other than the sun.
The 55 Cancri star holds the record for number of confirmed planets.
Only one other star is known to have four planets, while several others have three or less.
Scientists create 'smart' microchip theory
U.S. scientists have developed a new theory they say might lead to smart optical microchips that adapt to different wavelengths of light.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say the theory eventually might advance telecommunications, spectroscopy and remote sensing.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say the theory eventually might advance telecommunications, spectroscopy and remote sensing.
Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) in Airlines
* These guidelines stipulate that a minimum number of flights should be deployed on loss making routes.
* The Airlines have been demanding that a fund, termed the Essential Air Services Fund, may be created levying a cess on both the domestic and international passengers. The Civil Aviation Ministry will utilize the fund to provide to subsidy to airlines flying to identified uneconomic routes.
* But this is surely going to impose an additional burden on the consumer. This needs some explanation. The RDG make it mandatory to the company to fly to uneconomic routes. The expenditure/loss relating to such operations cannot be transferred by the Airline directly to the other passengers. It is only the combined performance of the company that will matter. Now, the creation of a fund, will make it easy for the companies to charge additional amounts from the customers.
* The Airlines have been demanding that a fund, termed the Essential Air Services Fund, may be created levying a cess on both the domestic and international passengers. The Civil Aviation Ministry will utilize the fund to provide to subsidy to airlines flying to identified uneconomic routes.
* But this is surely going to impose an additional burden on the consumer. This needs some explanation. The RDG make it mandatory to the company to fly to uneconomic routes. The expenditure/loss relating to such operations cannot be transferred by the Airline directly to the other passengers. It is only the combined performance of the company that will matter. Now, the creation of a fund, will make it easy for the companies to charge additional amounts from the customers.
NASA discovers magnetic ropes which connect Earth to the Sun
A fleet of NASA spacecraft has discovered the existence of giant magnetic ropes (a twisted bundle of magnetic fields), that connects Earth's upper atmosphere directly to the sun, among other findings.
The discovery was a result of the analysis of the spectacular eruptions of Northern Lights called "substorms" and the source of their power.
The magnetopause is where the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field meet and push against one another. There, the rope formed and unraveled in just a few minutes, providing a brief but significant conduit for solar wind energy.
Among other findings, the mission known as THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) observed the dynamics of a rapidly developing substorm, and witnessed small explosions in the outskirts of Earth's magnetic field.
The discovery was a result of the analysis of the spectacular eruptions of Northern Lights called "substorms" and the source of their power.
The magnetopause is where the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field meet and push against one another. There, the rope formed and unraveled in just a few minutes, providing a brief but significant conduit for solar wind energy.
Among other findings, the mission known as THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) observed the dynamics of a rapidly developing substorm, and witnessed small explosions in the outskirts of Earth's magnetic field.
World's largest and deadliest spitting cobra identified
Researchers have identified the world's largest and most deadliest known species of spitting cobra.
Named as Ashe's spitting cobra, or large brown spitting cobra, this reptile can reach lengths of more than 9 feet (274 centimeters) and is believed to deliver more venom with a single bite than any other cobra on the planet.
Known to exist in the dry lowlands of north and east Kenya, as well as in Uganda and Ethiopia, the snake was previously identified as a brown-colored variant of the black-necked spitting cobra.
other variants of the black-necked spitting cobra fought harder when handled and took longer to settle down in captivity. Also, once these snakes were placed in cages, they became picky eaters.
But the 'Ashe's cobra' was less resistant to handling, generally less alert, less picky and were much bigger than the black necked spitting cobra.
The new finding might prove to be of significance for residents along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, who are at risk of being bitten by the new cobra.
Though the venom of the new species of the cobra is similar to the species it was previously grouped with, it can deliver about twice the amount of venom with a single bite.
Named as Ashe's spitting cobra, or large brown spitting cobra, this reptile can reach lengths of more than 9 feet (274 centimeters) and is believed to deliver more venom with a single bite than any other cobra on the planet.
Known to exist in the dry lowlands of north and east Kenya, as well as in Uganda and Ethiopia, the snake was previously identified as a brown-colored variant of the black-necked spitting cobra.
other variants of the black-necked spitting cobra fought harder when handled and took longer to settle down in captivity. Also, once these snakes were placed in cages, they became picky eaters.
But the 'Ashe's cobra' was less resistant to handling, generally less alert, less picky and were much bigger than the black necked spitting cobra.
The new finding might prove to be of significance for residents along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, who are at risk of being bitten by the new cobra.
Though the venom of the new species of the cobra is similar to the species it was previously grouped with, it can deliver about twice the amount of venom with a single bite.
what is the difference between solar thermal and solar photovoltoics?
o Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for heat. This is very different from solar photovoltaics, which convert solar energy directly into electricity.
o Polysilicon is the essential raw material in the production of solar cells. This material is very costly right now. About 10 tonnes of this material is required to produce 1 MW of solar energy.
o Polysilicon is the essential raw material in the production of solar cells. This material is very costly right now. About 10 tonnes of this material is required to produce 1 MW of solar energy.
Picocells
* This is a technology that creates micro cellular sites called ‘picocells’ within an aircraft, without interfering with the airplane’s communication or other systems and will make cell phone calls possible for travelers.
Budget 2008: New grad scholarships aim to attract international talent
Will help universities compete globally for talent
The Harper government launched a prestigious scholarship program in the 2008 Budget aimed at attracting bright, young graduate students to Canadian universities.
The program will award 500 PhD students with $50,000 each year for up to three years of study. The program will cost the government $25-million over two years. It will be open to both Canadian and international students.
The new initiative is a response to universities’ complaints that they are unable to attract the world’s brightest students to Canada. The program, named after Governor General George Vanier, aims to compete with high profile scholarship programs like the Rhodes program.
Many university officials applauded the act. According to Ronald Bordessa, president of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the new Vanier scholarships are a step in the right direction. The budget “will help recruit top quality graduate students including international students.” According to Bordessa, this is a step in the right direction that will make Canadian universities more competitive, and help to both keep talent and attract talent to Canada.
But not everyone agrees that the move hits the mark. James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, pointed out that the program is only going to help 500 students. ““Our general reaction is that it is a budget with no understanding of the needs of PSE,” he said, arguing that there was a lack of announcements that would help the other 600,000 students or institutions themselves.
-with a report from Joey Coleman
(http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/02/26/budget-2008-new-grad-scholarships-aim-to-attract-international-talent/)
Monday, February 25, 2008
New species of pig-like animal discovered
Scientists have discovered a new species of a pig-like mammal called a peccary in the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil.
Given the name Pecari Maximus, this new animal was found in the basin of the Rio Aripuan. It was confirmed to be a distinct species via a genetic analysis conducted by the Leiden Centre for Environmental Sciences in the Netherlands. Peccaries are hoofed animals closely related to swine and hippopotami. Until now, only three species were known to science - the collared peccary, the white-lipped peccary and the Chaccoan peccary.Though Pecari Maximus is new to science, locals already knew about the creature. Tupi Indians called it Caitetu Munde, which means 'great peccary which lives in pairs.'
Given the name Pecari Maximus, this new animal was found in the basin of the Rio Aripuan. It was confirmed to be a distinct species via a genetic analysis conducted by the Leiden Centre for Environmental Sciences in the Netherlands. Peccaries are hoofed animals closely related to swine and hippopotami. Until now, only three species were known to science - the collared peccary, the white-lipped peccary and the Chaccoan peccary.Though Pecari Maximus is new to science, locals already knew about the creature. Tupi Indians called it Caitetu Munde, which means 'great peccary which lives in pairs.'
NASA scientists discover heftiest known Black Hole
Using two NASA satellites, astronomers have discovered the heftiest known black hole to orbit a star.The new black hole, with a mass 24 to 33 times that of our Sun, is more massive than scientists expected for a black hole that formed from a dying star.
The newly discovered object belongs to the category of "stellar-mass" black holes.
Formed in the death throes of massive stars, they are smaller than the monster black holes found in galactic cores.
The previous record holder for largest stellar-mass black hole is a 16-solar-mass black hole in the galaxy M33.
The black hole is located in the nearby dwarf galaxy IC 10, 1.8 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.
The newly discovered object belongs to the category of "stellar-mass" black holes.
Formed in the death throes of massive stars, they are smaller than the monster black holes found in galactic cores.
The previous record holder for largest stellar-mass black hole is a 16-solar-mass black hole in the galaxy M33.
The black hole is located in the nearby dwarf galaxy IC 10, 1.8 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.
NEC launches world's fastest supercomputer
The new SX-9 model is equipped with a central processing unit core that can process information at a maximum speed of 102.4 gigaflops.
One gigaflop is equivalent to one billion floating point operations per second.When connected with up to 512 units, one unit of the SX-9, which can be equipped with up to 16 CPUs, can perform information processing at 839 teraflops.
One teraflop represents one trillion floating point operations per second.
The vector-type supercomputer can conduct scientific and technical computations at high speed, which would be useful for work on climate, aeronautics or space, environmental simulations and fluid dynamics.
One gigaflop is equivalent to one billion floating point operations per second.When connected with up to 512 units, one unit of the SX-9, which can be equipped with up to 16 CPUs, can perform information processing at 839 teraflops.
One teraflop represents one trillion floating point operations per second.
The vector-type supercomputer can conduct scientific and technical computations at high speed, which would be useful for work on climate, aeronautics or space, environmental simulations and fluid dynamics.
Geoweb
* It is the convergence of geographical (location based) information with details that are available on the internet.
* This is the technology that makes it possible for people to be guided during traffic jams, in finding the nearest store peddling the goods and services they are seeking etc., through mobiles, laptops et
* This is the technology that makes it possible for people to be guided during traffic jams, in finding the nearest store peddling the goods and services they are seeking etc., through mobiles, laptops et
What is a fifth generation aircraft?
Fifth-generation aircraft are designed and fabricated to incorporate stealth technologies that include advanced composite materials, radar-reflecting and radar-absorbing surfaces, and integrated advanced electronics and weapons systems.
What does a gamma ray observatory do in space?
* A new powerful satellite will constantly scan the sky for gamma rays – energy from power gamma ray bursters, which are some of the most mysterious objects in space. A consortium of 6 nations has built the satellite: France, Italy, Japan, Germany, Sweden and US. The satellite will scan the entire sky every 3 hours. It orbits the earth at an altitude of 530 km.
* The gamma ray tracker contains 16 towers of silicon and lead sheets.
* Incoming gamma ray strikes top of tower, converts into one electron and one positron.
* Electron and positron trigger sensors that determine precisely where in sky the ray came from.
* Lower stack of cesium-iodide sensors determines the ray’s energy.
* Satellite then transmits data to scientists on earth.
* The gamma ray tracker contains 16 towers of silicon and lead sheets.
* Incoming gamma ray strikes top of tower, converts into one electron and one positron.
* Electron and positron trigger sensors that determine precisely where in sky the ray came from.
* Lower stack of cesium-iodide sensors determines the ray’s energy.
* Satellite then transmits data to scientists on earth.
PRECISION FARMING
Precision farming, sometimes called site-specific farming, is an emerging technology that allows farmers to adjust for within-field variability in characteristics like soil fertility and weed populations.
Precision farming uses the global positioning system (GPS), consisting of 24 satellites that transmit signals picked up by user receivers to define the receiver's location. With this information and on-board sensors, farm equipment can monitor crop yields and guide applications of crop inputs like fertilizers and herbicides.
Precision farming has the potential to reduce costs through more efficient and effective applications of crop inputs. It can also reduce environmental impacts by allowing farmers to apply inputs only where they are needed at the appropriate rate.
Precision farming uses the global positioning system (GPS), consisting of 24 satellites that transmit signals picked up by user receivers to define the receiver's location. With this information and on-board sensors, farm equipment can monitor crop yields and guide applications of crop inputs like fertilizers and herbicides.
Precision farming has the potential to reduce costs through more efficient and effective applications of crop inputs. It can also reduce environmental impacts by allowing farmers to apply inputs only where they are needed at the appropriate rate.
How we hear whispers
MIT researchers have shed more light on the current understanding of the inner ear function, by discovering a small mechanism inside the organ that helps us hear whispers.
The tectorial membrane, a gelatinous structure inside the cochlea of the ear, is much more important to hearing than previously thought.
The cochlea, is a part of the inner ear where physical sound is translated into electrical signals for the brain.Inside this coiled tube, sound waves glide along a thin membrane, known as the basilar membrane, causing hair-like fibers on the membrane to vibrate at different frequencies. Once stimulated, the fibers emit electrical pulses that the brain uses to determine the pitch of the sound.Hovering right above all of this is the tectorial membrane, along which a different kind of sound wave travels.This wave, which bounces from side to side, can stimulate the hair cells and also enhance their sensitivity, which Ghaffari said might help elucidate how we can pick up on sounds that are as quiet as a whisper.
The tectorial membrane, a gelatinous structure inside the cochlea of the ear, is much more important to hearing than previously thought.
The cochlea, is a part of the inner ear where physical sound is translated into electrical signals for the brain.Inside this coiled tube, sound waves glide along a thin membrane, known as the basilar membrane, causing hair-like fibers on the membrane to vibrate at different frequencies. Once stimulated, the fibers emit electrical pulses that the brain uses to determine the pitch of the sound.Hovering right above all of this is the tectorial membrane, along which a different kind of sound wave travels.This wave, which bounces from side to side, can stimulate the hair cells and also enhance their sensitivity, which Ghaffari said might help elucidate how we can pick up on sounds that are as quiet as a whisper.
The search for alien life has begun
The first radio telescope dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has formally started operations.The first phase of the Allen Telescope Array, which is being built near Hat Creek, California, US, has begun functioning with 42 radio antennas. the Allen Telescope Array will specifically allow SETI astronomers to survey the skies for signs of alien intelligence 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Duck-billed dinosaur
* Discovered in Arizona Line in 2002, this is amazing scientists. It has robust jaws that allowed it to eat just about any vegetation that came across. The jaws are believed to be capable of crunching even trees. It is believed to have roamed the earth 75 mn years ago.
Scientists create transparent, thin plastic strong like steel
Scientists of University of Michigan have developed a biodegradable transparent new plastic as strong as steel and as thin as a sheet of paper that requires very little energy to produce.
World's first pre-quake alert system set up in Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency began operating the world's first system to give pre-earthquake warnings to the public.
The system is designed to detect earthquakes by sensing small seismic waves that precede big quakes and give warnings a few seconds before a major quake hits to regions expected to suffer damage.Warnings would be aired through a public television station, NHK, and private stations as well as radio stations, the agency said.The service is only available in Japan
The system is designed to detect earthquakes by sensing small seismic waves that precede big quakes and give warnings a few seconds before a major quake hits to regions expected to suffer damage.Warnings would be aired through a public television station, NHK, and private stations as well as radio stations, the agency said.The service is only available in Japan
osmotic power plant
* It is interesting to know how power is produced through this process.
* Sea water and fresh water are separated by a membrane. The sea water draws fresh water through the membrane. This results in increased pressure on the sea water side. The increased pressure is used to produce power with a turbine.
* Sea water and fresh water are separated by a membrane. The sea water draws fresh water through the membrane. This results in increased pressure on the sea water side. The increased pressure is used to produce power with a turbine.
When did oxygen appear on Earth?
* Recent research suggests that Oxygen would have appeared on Earth for the first time about 50 to 100 mn years before the Great Oxidation Event. The latter is believed to have occurred about 2.3 to 2.4 bn years ago. Today oxygen makes up about 21% of the atmosphere. Before the Great Oxidation Event occurred it was methane and ammonia which composed the atmosphere on the Earth.
Cold fusion
* There are two methods in which nuclear energy can be produced. One is the nuclear fission. The other is nuclear fusion. The latter one is usually the thermo nuclear fusion that is widely known. But there is a third method called cold fusion.
* When deuterium atoms are inserted inside a metal such as palladium, titanium, nickel, etc., in sufficiently large numbers and if the right Nuclear Active Environment is created, a variety of nuclear reactions are found to occur involving not only the deuterium nuclei but also the host metal atoms. In this process, excess energy is often found to be produced and in some cases nuclear particles such as neutrons, X-rays or even charged particles are released. This is called cold fusion.
* When deuterium atoms are inserted inside a metal such as palladium, titanium, nickel, etc., in sufficiently large numbers and if the right Nuclear Active Environment is created, a variety of nuclear reactions are found to occur involving not only the deuterium nuclei but also the host metal atoms. In this process, excess energy is often found to be produced and in some cases nuclear particles such as neutrons, X-rays or even charged particles are released. This is called cold fusion.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
* It is a data collection system based on tiny micro-chips attached to a box, pallet or an individual item that communicates with other devices using radio waves. Device readers capture the data from tags and, in some cases, write to them as well. The software then collates and distributes the data.
* It is nowadays used mostly in retail, asset tracking and logistics fields.
*An RFID tag is a small object, such as an adhesive sticker, that can be attached to or incorporated into a product. RFID tags contain antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.
* It is nowadays used mostly in retail, asset tracking and logistics fields.
*An RFID tag is a small object, such as an adhesive sticker, that can be attached to or incorporated into a product. RFID tags contain antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.
Astronomers successfully launch 'Life on Mars "Pregnancy Test"' probe
Astronomers have launched into space the key components of a new approach to discover life on Mars.The test is part of a 12-day low Earth orbit experiment to assess their survivability in the space radiation experiment - a prelude to future journeys to Mars, and is based in technology similar to that used in pregnancy test kits.The so-called immunoassays are embodied in the "Life Marker Chip" (LMC) experiment, which has the potential to detect trace levels of biomarkers in the Martian environment.Biomarkers are molecular fingerprints that indicate if life currently is, or ever was, present on Mars. The LMC experiment has been proposed for the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover mission, which is planned for launch in 2013.
The largest single telescope in the world
The Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, USA. The largest single telescope in the world, which is located on the 3190-metre high Mount Graham in Arizona. Two giant mirrors with a diameter of 8.4 meters each, are hosted on the same mount acting as g igantic field glasses.
Supercomputer in India
Supercomputers have become a reality in India with Wipro Infotech launching Supernova, a range of supercomputers with superstorage capacity, which will be affordalble by huge segment of people in the country.
Supernova includes a range of supercomputers with an entry-level configuration delivering one trillion mathematical calculations per second going up to hundred thousand trillions calculations per second and superstorage scaling to multiple hundred petabytes.
Supernova promised to meet faster data crunching and storage needs of high-end scientific research labs in defence, geological surveys, biotechnology, animation and other high end design space.Key features of Supernova supercomputers include seamless scalability from one teroflop to hundreds of petaflops. It's based on open source, a standards-based product, not proprietary.
Supernova includes a range of supercomputers with an entry-level configuration delivering one trillion mathematical calculations per second going up to hundred thousand trillions calculations per second and superstorage scaling to multiple hundred petabytes.
Supernova promised to meet faster data crunching and storage needs of high-end scientific research labs in defence, geological surveys, biotechnology, animation and other high end design space.Key features of Supernova supercomputers include seamless scalability from one teroflop to hundreds of petaflops. It's based on open source, a standards-based product, not proprietary.
Oenology, onychophagy and cyberslacking
What is oenology?
* It is the study of all aspects of wine making in the world. It is the study of wine production.
What is onychophagy?
* It is the medical term for nails that have been bitten enough to become deformed.
Cyberslacking: Wasting time on the internet.
* It is the study of all aspects of wine making in the world. It is the study of wine production.
What is onychophagy?
* It is the medical term for nails that have been bitten enough to become deformed.
Cyberslacking: Wasting time on the internet.
SAR
* It stands for Specific Absorption Rate – the count which specifies the amount of radio waves (radio frequency energy) absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.
* Now the government (Telecom Engineering Centre of the DoT) is debating the issue and is likely to make it mandatory for all cell phone manufacturers to make this information available as an option on the cell phones. Further it may prescribe an upper limit of the SAR. Cell phones not complying with this limit will not be allowed to be sold in India.
* Already US and EU have upper limits at 1.6 watts/kg and 2 w/kg respectively.
* Now the government (Telecom Engineering Centre of the DoT) is debating the issue and is likely to make it mandatory for all cell phone manufacturers to make this information available as an option on the cell phones. Further it may prescribe an upper limit of the SAR. Cell phones not complying with this limit will not be allowed to be sold in India.
* Already US and EU have upper limits at 1.6 watts/kg and 2 w/kg respectively.
Leptospirosis
# Leptospirosis [lep-to-spy-RO-sis] is a potentially serious bacterial illness that is most common in the tropics. Leptospirosis can affect many parts of the body.
# Infected wild and domestic animals pass leptospirosis-causing bacteria in their urine.# People get leptospirosis by contact with fresh water, wet soil, or vegetation that has been contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
# Leptospirosis is treatable with antibiotics.
# To prevent leptospirosis, minimize contact with fresh water and mud that might be contaminated with the urine of infected animals
# Infected wild and domestic animals pass leptospirosis-causing bacteria in their urine.# People get leptospirosis by contact with fresh water, wet soil, or vegetation that has been contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
# Leptospirosis is treatable with antibiotics.
# To prevent leptospirosis, minimize contact with fresh water and mud that might be contaminated with the urine of infected animals
World's first 'mode locked silicon evanescent laser' created
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have built what they claim to be the world's first "mode locked silicon evanescent laser".Mode-locked evanescent lasers can deliver stable short pulses of laser light that are useful for many optical applications, including high-speed data transmission, multiple wavelength generation, remote sensing (LIDAR) and highly accurate optical clocks.
The Compact Disk or CD is 25 years old
It was on August 7,1982, that the world’s first music CD rolled off the assembly line in a factory near Hannover in Germany, owned by Philips, the Dutch company that co-developed the new recording technology with Japan-based Sony.The technology of the music CD was soon modified to create the CD-ROM (for read only memory) which quickly became the de facto recording and portable storage medium for the personal computer. The total sale of CDs now exceed 200 billion; but after the turn of the century, CDs which could hold about 650 megabytes of data or 70 minutes of video, saw a drop in demand as buyers moved to the Digital Versatile Disk or DVD with an almost seven-fold increase in capacity.Interestingly, the world’s second largest maker of optical storage devices such as CDs and DVDs is an Indian undertaking — Moser Baer — which rolls out over 3.2 billion disks a year from its plant in Noida near Delhi.The company has already moved to the next era of the high density DVD which kicks up the storage capacity of each platter to over 25 gigabytes. It is operating internationally certified production processes for both competing high density DVD standards — HD DVD and Blu ray.
Blu-Ray disc
* It has a storage capacity of 5 to 10 times over a DVD. Its storage capacity comes in terms of layers. A double-layer Blu-Ray disc can store up to 50 GB. Its capacity goes on increasing with addition of layers.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Generating electricity through body heat
* German scientists have developed a method which harnesses the temperature difference between the body’s surface and that of the surroundings.
* This invention is expected to help power medical equipment such as sensors attached to the body of a patient in an intensive care unit.
* This invention is expected to help power medical equipment such as sensors attached to the body of a patient in an intensive care unit.
Cyberchondriacs
Much like hypochondriacs who obsess about any small ache or pain they may have, cybercondriacs frequently surf the internet to glean information about anything that affects them. They now form 84% of all adult net users.
The term could also refer to people who imagine they have a disease because their symptoms match those on a health website.
The term could also refer to people who imagine they have a disease because their symptoms match those on a health website.
New nanotech gene therapy system created
U.S. scientists have developed a technology that might one day deliver gene therapy by using magnetically directed nanoparticles.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
What is the Stolen Generation?
* It refers to the aboriginal children of Australia who were removed from their families between 1910 and 1970 to be raised in white households.
* Australia followed this assimilation policy during that period. Now Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had delivered a public apology from its Parliament to the aborigines. For this historic session, he had invited their leaders and they have participated heartily.
* Australia gained independence from Britain in 1901. But it retained Queen Elizabeth as its head of State. It is the Governor General who represents the Queen in Australia. At present it is Mr. Michael Jeffery who is the Governor General.
* Australia followed this assimilation policy during that period. Now Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had delivered a public apology from its Parliament to the aborigines. For this historic session, he had invited their leaders and they have participated heartily.
* Australia gained independence from Britain in 1901. But it retained Queen Elizabeth as its head of State. It is the Governor General who represents the Queen in Australia. At present it is Mr. Michael Jeffery who is the Governor General.
The world's largest bolometer camera
The world's largest bolometer camera for sub-millimetre astronomy has been put into service at the 12-m APEX telescope, located on the 5100m high Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes.
LArge BOlometer Camera (LABOCA) was specifically designed for the study of extremely cold astronomical objects
LArge BOlometer Camera (LABOCA) was specifically designed for the study of extremely cold astronomical objects
Casimir force
It is the ultimate cause of the friction in the Nanoworld in particular in some micro-electrom-chanical systems.
this force normally causes objects to stick together by quantum force .It can be reversed in vaccum ,where objects start repelling each other.
By manipulating Casimir force the performance of everyday devices ,from car airbags to computer chips can improve.
this force normally causes objects to stick together by quantum force .It can be reversed in vaccum ,where objects start repelling each other.
By manipulating Casimir force the performance of everyday devices ,from car airbags to computer chips can improve.
What is Balck Swan?
* It is a term used to describe the stock market collapse. It was coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book “The Black Swan” to describe a large-impact, hard-to-predict and rare event beyond the realm of normal expectations.
Advanced Kalashnikovs to be manufactured in India
Kalashnikov 100, an advanced version of the AK-47 assault rifle used by security forces and terrorists alike with ease, will be manufactured in India by an undisclosed company under license from the parent company--IZHMASH OJSC. The undisclosed Indian company, in which the Centre has majority stake, is in negotiations with IZHMASH and details were being finalised, Mr Alexander A Zavarzin, Foreign Economic Activity Director of IZHMASH told reporters.
Mr Zavarzin, whose company is participating in the ongoing Defexpo here, said the new version of Kalasnikov would be an advanced series with a plastic handle instead of the wooden one which will be three times stronger than a wooden handle.
It will also be much lighter than the original version and will have a night vision arrangement. It will also have less recoil. Mr Zavarzin said he had visited many states and met several police chiefs and officials trying to persuade them to equip their forces with the upgraded Kalashnikovs.
Mr Zavarzin, whose company is participating in the ongoing Defexpo here, said the new version of Kalasnikov would be an advanced series with a plastic handle instead of the wooden one which will be three times stronger than a wooden handle.
It will also be much lighter than the original version and will have a night vision arrangement. It will also have less recoil. Mr Zavarzin said he had visited many states and met several police chiefs and officials trying to persuade them to equip their forces with the upgraded Kalashnikovs.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Australia named world's 3rd best country for university education
A survey of overseas pupils has projected Australia as the third best country in the world in terms of university education.
As many as 11,000 prospective students from 143 countries participated in the survey.
The surveyors found that after Britain and the US, Australia was the third preferred study destination among the subjects.
As many as 11,000 prospective students from 143 countries participated in the survey.
The surveyors found that after Britain and the US, Australia was the third preferred study destination among the subjects.
Hagiography
It is the body of literature describing the lives and veneration of the Christian saints. The literature of hagiography embraces acts of the martyrs (i.e., accounts of their trials and deaths); biographies of saintly monks, bishops, princes, or virgins; and accounts of miracles connected with saints' tombs, relics, icons, or statues.
Hagiographies have been written from the 2nd century AD to instruct and edify readers and glorify the saints. In the Middle Ages it was customary to read aloud at divine office and in the monastic refectory (dining hall) biographies of the principal saints on their feast days. Besides biographies of single saints, other works of hagiography told the stories of a class of saints, such as Eusebius of Caesarea's account of the martyrs of Palestine (4th century AD) and Pope Gregory I the Great's Dialogues, a collection of stories about Saint Benedict and other 6th-century Latin monks. Perhaps the most important hagiographic collection is the Legenda aurea (Golden Legend) of Jacobus de Voragine in the 13th century. Modern critical hagiography began in 17th-century Flanders with the Jesuit ecclesiastic Jean Bolland and his successors, who became known as Bollandists.
The importance of hagiography derives from the vital role that the veneration of the saints played throughout medieval civilization in both eastern and western Christendom. Second, this literature preserves much valuable information not only about religious beliefs and customs but also about daily life, institutions, and events in historical periods for which other evidence is either imprecise or nonexistent.
The hagiographer has a threefold task: to collect all the material relevant to each particular saint, to edit the documents according to the best methods of textual criticism, and to interpret the evidence by using literary, historical, and any other pertinent criteria.
Hagiographies have been written from the 2nd century AD to instruct and edify readers and glorify the saints. In the Middle Ages it was customary to read aloud at divine office and in the monastic refectory (dining hall) biographies of the principal saints on their feast days. Besides biographies of single saints, other works of hagiography told the stories of a class of saints, such as Eusebius of Caesarea's account of the martyrs of Palestine (4th century AD) and Pope Gregory I the Great's Dialogues, a collection of stories about Saint Benedict and other 6th-century Latin monks. Perhaps the most important hagiographic collection is the Legenda aurea (Golden Legend) of Jacobus de Voragine in the 13th century. Modern critical hagiography began in 17th-century Flanders with the Jesuit ecclesiastic Jean Bolland and his successors, who became known as Bollandists.
The importance of hagiography derives from the vital role that the veneration of the saints played throughout medieval civilization in both eastern and western Christendom. Second, this literature preserves much valuable information not only about religious beliefs and customs but also about daily life, institutions, and events in historical periods for which other evidence is either imprecise or nonexistent.
The hagiographer has a threefold task: to collect all the material relevant to each particular saint, to edit the documents according to the best methods of textual criticism, and to interpret the evidence by using literary, historical, and any other pertinent criteria.
OXML and ODF format
* Microsoft developed the former format – Open eXtensible Markup Language – as a standard for sharing documents. There is a competing standard which is promoted by Sun Microsystems, IBM, Red Hat and others. This is called the ODF – Open Document Format. The adoption of either of these as an ISO standard is crucial for each camp. The ISO is slated to discuss the issue in Geneva later this month.
* So, both the camps are trying their best to get India vote for their document format. The Indian option is going to be for ODF, as things stand today. The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has raised about 82 technical issues against the OXML standard.
* So, both the camps are trying their best to get India vote for their document format. The Indian option is going to be for ODF, as things stand today. The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has raised about 82 technical issues against the OXML standard.
WiTricity
* It is wireless electricity.
* The key technology behind this is to make the recharding device and
the device that needs power to resonate at the same frequency. This
allows them to exchange power efficiently.
* The power source is kept at a distance of 2 meters from the bulb in
this experiment.
* The word `witricity' was coined back in 2005.
* Witricity exploits the coupling between electromagnetic resonant
objects to transfer energy wirelessly between them.
* The key technology behind this is to make the recharding device and
the device that needs power to resonate at the same frequency. This
allows them to exchange power efficiently.
* The power source is kept at a distance of 2 meters from the bulb in
this experiment.
* The word `witricity' was coined back in 2005.
* Witricity exploits the coupling between electromagnetic resonant
objects to transfer energy wirelessly between them.
A logical fact
Q.)Why muslims (hujaj) revolve anticlockwise in Haj (Tawaf)??
Ans.) In physics there is a right hand rule for detecting the flow of
current,by using this rule if we curl the fingers in the direction
of motion of people, the thumb point towards the sky....that is towards
Allah.
Ans.) In physics there is a right hand rule for detecting the flow of
current,by using this rule if we curl the fingers in the direction
of motion of people, the thumb point towards the sky....that is towards
Allah.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Some words about Vint Cerf
* Mr. Vint Cerf is one of the founders of Internet. He currently works for Google as its Chief Internet Evangelist and Vice President.
* He says that there are about 2.5 bn devices which are accessing the internet.
* Internet has touched a population of 100 crores. It does not reach the remaining 550 crore population as yet.
* He says that there are about 2.5 bn devices which are accessing the internet.
* Internet has touched a population of 100 crores. It does not reach the remaining 550 crore population as yet.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Imran's Tipu Sultan speech in Peshawar 12 Feb 08
Imran Khan: "MQM gives us threats. I want to tell Altaf Hussein about myself, listen: I travel alone, I don't have any bodyguard with me, God willing when I die I pray to Allah that I don't die a jackal's death like Atlaf, if I die I will take a bullet from the front. God willing, I will go to prison again. Altaf, I am telling you this right now, big jackal Musharraf and little jackal Altaf both listen to this: I am going to Karachi and will come fully prepared with myself, try and stop me!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPfQNvXSjrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPfQNvXSjrg
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Indian student found dead in Kentucky house
BANGALORE: A student from Bangalore was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his apartment in Kentucky, US, raising questions about the safety of Indian students in America.
In the earlier incidents, 29-year-old Abhijeet Mahato of Jharkhand, a PhD student at North Carolina's Dukes Pratt School of Engineering, was shot dead at an off-campus apartment complex on January 18; on Dec. 13, 2007, two Louisiana State University research students from Andhra Pradesh, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, were shot dead in a flat near their campus.
On Thursday, 20-year-old Mahesh Subramannian's body was received by his family at the Bangalore airport 18 days after his death. He was the only son of P Subramannian and Sharavathi, who reside near Jakkur Aerodrome on Bellary Road. He was cremated at Hebbal crematorium on Thursday noon. Student of Northern Kentucky University, Mahesh was pursuing his Bachelor in Science with electronics, electrical science and computer science as the major subjects.
He was in his final semester and was staying at the Hidden Valley Apartment complex in Campbell County in Kentucky with Sunny, an American student, who was studying MS in the same university. The death of Mahesh was conveyed to his parents in Bangalore only on January 21. Mahesh's uncle who stays in US was the first one to be informed about the death by the university authorities. The preliminary post-mortem reports of Mahesh say the reason for the death is ‘unknown'.
The family members have been asked to wait for six weeks for the final autopsy report. "The autospy results are pending in relation to the cause of death," stated a letter submitted by Bryan Avance of Avance funeral home and crematory in Ohio. "We are kept in the dark. There has never been a proper communication from the US authorities regarding my son's death. Moreover, the contradictory statements from university, hospital and relatives are puzzling us, and we suspect that Mahesh could have been murdered," mother Sharavathi told The Times of India . The family has gone through a lot of anxiety, ever since they learnt about the incident. "We are waiting for the post-mortem report, after which we will register a case with the police," she added.
In the earlier incidents, 29-year-old Abhijeet Mahato of Jharkhand, a PhD student at North Carolina's Dukes Pratt School of Engineering, was shot dead at an off-campus apartment complex on January 18; on Dec. 13, 2007, two Louisiana State University research students from Andhra Pradesh, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, were shot dead in a flat near their campus.
On Thursday, 20-year-old Mahesh Subramannian's body was received by his family at the Bangalore airport 18 days after his death. He was the only son of P Subramannian and Sharavathi, who reside near Jakkur Aerodrome on Bellary Road. He was cremated at Hebbal crematorium on Thursday noon. Student of Northern Kentucky University, Mahesh was pursuing his Bachelor in Science with electronics, electrical science and computer science as the major subjects.
He was in his final semester and was staying at the Hidden Valley Apartment complex in Campbell County in Kentucky with Sunny, an American student, who was studying MS in the same university. The death of Mahesh was conveyed to his parents in Bangalore only on January 21. Mahesh's uncle who stays in US was the first one to be informed about the death by the university authorities. The preliminary post-mortem reports of Mahesh say the reason for the death is ‘unknown'.
The family members have been asked to wait for six weeks for the final autopsy report. "The autospy results are pending in relation to the cause of death," stated a letter submitted by Bryan Avance of Avance funeral home and crematory in Ohio. "We are kept in the dark. There has never been a proper communication from the US authorities regarding my son's death. Moreover, the contradictory statements from university, hospital and relatives are puzzling us, and we suspect that Mahesh could have been murdered," mother Sharavathi told The Times of India . The family has gone through a lot of anxiety, ever since they learnt about the incident. "We are waiting for the post-mortem report, after which we will register a case with the police," she added.
Multi-modal biometric system in India to track criminals
Faced with shortcomings in the existing biometric systems in identifying criminals, researchers at IIT-Kanpur have developed a new system which can record multiple traits of people, giving an almost 100 pc matching score.Experts claim that this system will help the sleuths nab criminals with accuracy and speed and is likely to overcome the flaws of the current biometric system being used by intelligence and security agencies in the country.The new system can simultaneously integrate five traits -- face, fingerprint, iris (eye), ear and signature -- and the IIT-K has already tested the system on a sample of 1831 individuals.The system is likely to reduce the time for matching criminal records manifold as it uses various traits for identity verification.
NASA beams music across the universe
* NASA has decided to beam across the universe the Beatles’ song recorded 40 years ago. The music will be digitised and beamed through its deep-space communications network on a 431 light year journey to the North Star, Polaris, where it is scheduled to arrive in 2439.
* The song is titled “Across the Universe”.
* 9th of February is the 45th anniversary of NASA’s deep-space communications network and 50th anniversary of NASA’s foundation
* The song is titled “Across the Universe”.
* 9th of February is the 45th anniversary of NASA’s deep-space communications network and 50th anniversary of NASA’s foundation
Laws of World
Amdahl's Law: The speed-up achievable on a parallel computer can be significantly limited by the existence of a small fraction of inherently sequential code which cannot be parallelised. (Gene Amdahl)
Augustine's Second Law of Socioscience: For every scientific (or engineering) action, there is an equal and opposite social reaction. (Norman Augustine)
Benford's Law: Passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information available. (Gregory Benford)
Brooks' Law: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. (Frederick P Brooks Jr)
Church-Turing Thesis: Every function which would naturally be regarded as computable can be computed by the universal Turing machine.
Clarke's First Law: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. (Arthur C Clarke)
Clarke's Second Law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. (Arthur C Clarke)
Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. (Arthur C Clarke)
Conway's Law: If you have four groups working on a compiler, you'll get a 4-pass compiler. (Melvin Conway)
Cope's Law: There is a general tendency toward size increase in evolution. (Edward Drinker Cope)
Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management. (Scott Adams)
Deutsch's Seven Fallacies of Distributed Computing: Reliable delivery; Zero latency; Infinite bandwidth; Secure transmissions; Stable topology; Single adminstrator; Zero cost. (Peter Deutsch)
Ellison's Law: The userbase for strong cryptography declines by half with every additional keystroke or mouseclick required to make it work. (Carl Ellison)
Ellison's Law: The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. (Harlan Ellison)
Ellison's Law: Once the business data have been centralized and integrated, the value of the database is greater than the sum of the preexisting parts. (Larry Ellison)
Finagle's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will. (Larry Niven)
Fisher's Fundamental Theorem: The more highly adapted an organism becomes, the less adaptable it is to any new change. (R A Fisher)
Fitts's Law: The movement time required for tapping operations is a linear function of the log of the ratio of the distance to the target divided by width of the target. (Paul Fitts)
Flon's axiom: There does not now, nor will there ever, exist a programming language in which it is the least bit hard to write bad programs. (Lawrence Flon)
Gilder's Law: Bandwidth grows at least three times faster than computer power. (George Gilder)
Godwin's Law: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. (Mike Godwin)
Grosch's Law: The cost of computing systems increases as the square root of the computational power of the systems. (Herbert Grosch)
Grove's Law: Telecommunications bandwidth doubles every century. (Andy Grove)
Hanlon's Law: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. (?Robert Heinlein)
Hartree's Law: Whatever the state of a project, the time a project-leader will estimate for completition is constant. (Douglas Hartree)
Heisenbug Uncertainty Principle: Most production software bugs are soft: they go away when you look at them. (Jim Gray)
Hick's Law: The time to choose between a number of alternative targets is a function of the number of targets and is related logarithmically. (W E Hick)
Hoare's Law: Inside every large problem is a small problem struggling to get out. (Charles Hoare)
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you think, even when you take Hofstadter's Law into account. (Douglas Hofstadter)
Jakob's Law of the Internet User Experience: Users spend most of their time on other websites. (Jakob Nielsen)
Joy's Law: Computing power of the fastest microprocessors, measured in MIPS, increases exponentially in time. (Bill Joy)
Kerckhoff's Principle: Security resides solely in the key. (Auguste Kerckhoff)
Kurzweil's Law of Accelerating Returns: As order exponentially increases, time exponentially speeds up (that is, the time interval between salient events grows shorter as time passes). (Ray Kurzweil)
Law of the Conservation of Catastrophe: The solutions to one crisis pave the way for some equal or greater future disaster. (William McNeill)
Law of False Alerts: As the rate of erroneous alerts increases, operator reliance, or belief, in subsequent warnings decreases. (George Spafford)
Lister's Law: People under time pressure don't think faster. (Timothy Lister)
Lloyd's Hypothesis: Everything that's worth understanding about a complex system, can be understood in terms of how it processes information. (Seth Lloyd)
Metcalfe's Law: The value of a network grows as the square of the number of its users. (Robert Metcalfe)
Moore's Law: Transistor die sizes are cut in half every 24 months. Therefore, both the number of transistors on a chip and the speed of each transistor double every 18 (or 12 or 24) months. (Gordon Moore)
Murphy's Law: If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it. (Edward A Murphy)
Nathan's First Law: Software is a gas; it expands to fill its container. (Nathan Myhrvold)
Ninety-ninety Law: The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time. (Tom Cargill)
Occam's Razor: The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct. (William of Occam)
Osborn's Law: Variables won't; constants aren't. (Don Osborn)
Parkinson's Law: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. (C Northcote Parkinson)
Pareto Principle: 20% of the people own 80% of the country's assets. (Corollary: 20% of the effort generates 80% of the results.) (Vilfredo Pareto)
Pesticide Paradox: Every method you use to prevent or find bugs leaves a residue of subtler bugs against which those methods are ineffectual. (Bruce Beizer)
Peter Principle: In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. (Laurence J Peter)
Red Queen Principle: For an evolutionary system, continuing development is needed just in order to maintain its fitness relative to the system it is co-evolving with. (Leigh van Valen)
Rock's Law: The cost of semiconductor fabrication equipment doubles every four years. (Arthur Rock)
Rule of 1950: The probability that automated decisions systems will be adopted is approximately one divided by one plus the number of individuals involved in the approval process who were born in 1950 or before squared. (Frank Demmler)
Sixty-sixty Law: Sixty percent of software's dollar is spent on maintenance, and sixty percent of that maintenance is enhancement. (Robert Glass)
Spector's Law: The time it takes your favorite application to complete a given task doubles with each new revision. (Lincoln Spector)
Sturgeon's Law: Ninety percent of everything is crap. (Theodore Sturgeon)
Tesler's Law of Conservation of Complexity: You cannot reduce the complexity of a given task beyond a certain point. Once you've reached that point, you can only shift the burden around. (Larry Tesler)
Tesler's Theorem: Artificial Intelligence is whatever hasn't been done yet. (Larry Tesler)
Weibull's Power Law: The logarithm of failure rates increases linearly with the logarithm of age. (Waloddi Weibull)
Weinberg's Law: If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization. (Gerald M Weinberg)
Wirth's Law: Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster. (Nicklaus Wirth)
Zawinski's Law: Every program attempts to expand until it can read mail. Those programs which cannot so expand are replaced by ones which can. (Jamie Zawinski)
Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics: 1.)A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2.)A robot must obey orders given to it by a human being except where such orders would conflict with the first law. 3.)A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.
Isaac Asimov's Zeroth Law of Robotics:A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
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