Interesting News Stories...From Your Communities and the World....

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By Tecca | Unplugged – Wed, Apr 4, 2012 5:25 PM EDT



(Credit: Orfield Laboratories)

NASA heads to a lab in Minnesota to put astronauts through acoustic torture tests
By Mike Wehner, Tecca

If you've been to a crowded airport, sporting event, or even a kid's birthday party lately, a little peace and quiet might sound like the perfect thing to help you kick back and relax. Just don't let things get too quiet, or you might drive yourself a wee bit insane: the anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratoriesin Minnesota can mute 99.99% of all sound, but visiting the silent oasis isn't as calming as you might expect.

The room holds the current Guinness World Record as the quietest place on the planet, and companies from all over the world seek out its unique acoustic properties. The walls of the chamber are lined with sound-absorbing baffles that can capture noise and mute it in an instant. This allows companies — both Whirlpool and Harley-Davidson have visited — to test just how noisy their products are without the risk of outside interference.

But while the super-silent oasis is a great testbed for various products, it holds a darker side: silence, it turns out, can put a great strain on the human brain. Researchers at NASA test the room's unique acoustic capabilities on humans rather than hardware. The noiselessness is used to simulate the silence of space — an environment astronauts would be well served to grow accustomed to.

What they've found is that when all outside noise is removed from an enclosure, human hearing will do its best to find something to listen to. In a room where almost 100% of sound is muted, people begin to hear things like their own heartbeat at a greatly amplified volume. As the minutes tick by in absolute quiet, the human mind begins to lose its grip, causing test subjects to hallucinate.

NASA then monitors how the would-be space explorers react, and whether they can get past the very obvious awkwardness of seeing or hearing things that aren't actually there. According to lab officials, the longest anyone has lasted is 45 minutes before being allowed to hear the sweet sounds of planet Earth once again.

In the end, the chamber has proven a valuable scientific tool, just don't plan on renting it for some peace and quiet — it may do more harm than good.
[Source]

[ChrisBen]

Use of common pesticide, imidacloprid, linked to bee colony collapse
Use of Common Pesticide, Imidacloprid, Linked to Bee Colony Collapse
ScienceDaily (Apr. 5, 2012) — The likely culprit in sharp worldwide declines in honeybee colonies since 2006 is imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

The authors, led by Alex Lu, associate professor of environmental exposure biology in the Department of Environmental Health, write that the new research provides "convincing evidence" of the link between imidacloprid and the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which adult bees abandon their hives.

The study will appear in the June issue of the Bulletin of Insectology.

"The significance of bees to agriculture cannot be underestimated," says Lu. "And it apparently doesn't take much of the pesticide to affect the bees. Our experiment included pesticide amounts below what is normally present in the environment."

Pinpointing the cause of the problem is crucial because bees -- beyond producing honey -- are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of the crop species in the U.S., including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and livestock feed such as alfalfa and clover. Massive loss of honeybees could result in billions of dollars in agricultural losses, experts estimate.

Lu and his co-authors hypothesized that the uptick in CCD resulted from the presence of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid introduced in the early 1990s. Bees can be exposed in two ways: through nectar from plants or through high-fructose corn syrup beekeepers use to feed their bees. (Since most U.S.-grown corn has been treated with imidacloprid, it's also found in corn syrup.)

In the summer of 2010, the researchers conducted an in situ study in Worcester County, Mass. aimed at replicating how imidacloprid may have caused the CCD outbreak. Over a 23-week period, they monitored bees in four different bee yards; each yard had four hives treated with different levels of imidacloprid and one control hive. After 12 weeks of imidacloprid dosing, all the bees were alive. But after 23 weeks, 15 out of 16 of the imidacloprid-treated hives -- 94% -- had died. Those exposed to the highest levels of the pesticide died first.

The characteristics of the dead hives were consistent with CCD, said Lu; the hives were empty except for food stores, some pollen, and young bees, with few dead bees nearby. When other conditions cause hive collapse -- such as disease or pests -- many dead bees are typically found inside and outside the affected hives.

Strikingly, said Lu, it took only low levels of imidacloprid to cause hive collapse -- less than what is typically used in crops or in areas where bees forage.

Scientists, policymakers, farmers, and beekeepers, alarmed at the sudden losses of between 30% and 90% of honeybee colonies since 2006, have posed numerous theories as to the cause of the collapse, such as pests, disease, pesticides, migratory beekeeping, or some combination of these factors.

"In Situ Replication of Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder," Chensheng Lu, Kenneth M. Warchol, Richard A. Callahan, Bulletin of Insectology, June 2012

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A 7-year-old Juneau boy has admitted setting five arson fires over a little more than four months, according to fire officials in Alaska's capital.

Juneau fire marshal Dan Jager tells the Juneau Empire that the boy caused about $1,000 in damages by setting fires in restrooms at Harborview Elementary School and the Terry Miller Legislative Building, plus a downtown grass fire and two fires at a Fred Meyer store.

The boy's name was not released.

"He won't be going to jail," Fire Chief Richard Etheridge said, but the case will be forwarded to probation officers at the Johnson Youth Center.

The boy told fire officials during interviews Wednesday that he set the small fires with a lighter he found. There was no immediate indication of why, Jager said, but the incidents were dangerous.

"He has no idea how big the fires could have gotten," Jager said. "He could have gotten hurt, and other people could have been hurt because some of those buildings were occupied. Being that age, I don't think he understood the magnitude of what could have happened."

The boy's grandmother is his legal guardian. She was surprised to learn her grandson was playing with fire, Jager said.

"It definitely got her attention, and I think she's going to be a big help making sure that the boy understands what he's doing," Jager said.

A surveillance camera at the legislative building recorded the boy entering and exiting the bathroom at the time of the fire. A maintenance worker extinguished the fire and did not call for assistance but contacted police and submitted video footage.

The worker also helped identify the boy, Jager said. The worker showed a picture of the boy to his daughter, who is about the same age, and she recognized him.
About a half hour after the fire at the legislative building, the grass fire broke out nearby, and the fire department responded with crews.

"That one we knew was kind of suspicious because that location outside, a fire doesn't just happen," Jager said.

The boy had previously confessed to setting fire to plastic storage totes in the outdoor center at Fred Meyer in December, as well as another fire in a Fred Meyer restroom in January.

The boy may have started other fires, Jager said. Police and fire officials are investigating a fire in a public restroom at City Hall in late January and early February.
___
Information from: Juneau Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com

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By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow - Fri, Apr 6, 2012




Getting paid to fish sounds like a dream come true to some. But does it have the same appeal if you're going up against a "fish from hell" that can travel on land and sink its teeth into a steel-toed boot?


The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Inland Fisheries (DNR) is hoping so and is offering $200 gift cards through Bass Pro Shops to residents who capture and kill a snakehead, an invasive species from Africa that is upsetting the natural order of the local ecosystem.


"We do not want snakeheads in our waters," DNR Director Don Cosden tells FoxNews.com. "This initiative is a way to remind anglers that it is important to catch and remove this invasive species of fish."


The snakehead was first seen in Maryland back in 2002, after an 18-inch adult was caught in a local pond. But the powerful fish, which has no natural predators in the region, is also a determined survivalist (they can survive for up to four days on land) and has since migrated to the nearby Potomac River and its tributaries.


It's illegal to sell snakeheads in most U.S. states. But as I reported several years ago, federal agents have uncovered illegal snakehead selling operations in several states, including New York, Texas, Florida and Missouri.


"We don't expect that anglers will eradicate the snakehead population," DNR Tidal Bass program manager Joe Love told Fox. "We do believe this promotion and inspiration of anglers can help control the snakehead population. The information we gain from the Angler's Log reports are also helpful in assessing the abundance, spread and impact of these feisty fish."


To qualify for one of the $200 gift cards and an assortment of other prizes, all you have to do is upload a photo of yourself with a dead snakehead to the DNR's Angler's Log site. The only complicated part is actually capturing and killing one of the "fish from hell."




One photo uploaded on Thursday by recreational angler Berry shows him with seven dead snakehead. He says he had to shoot them with a gun. Berry wrote that the snakehead have been noticeably devastating the local bass population. "The snakehead are simply taking over the spawning grounds," he wrote.

[Spin_Drift]

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo


By JASON DEAREN Associated Press



Some nail polishes commonly found in California salons and advertised as free of a so-called "toxic trio" of chemicals actually have high levels of agents linked to birth defects, according to state chemical regulators.


A Department of Toxic Substances Control report to be released Tuesday determined that the mislabeled nail products have the potential to harm thousands of women who work in more than 48,000 nail salons in California, and their customers.


The use of the three chemicals in nail products is not illegal if properly labeled. But agency officials said the false claims may be a violation of a state law that requires disclosure of harmful chemicals in consumer products. A final decision on whether the companies will face legal action, which can include fines and an order to attach warning labels to their products, will be made by the state attorney general's office.


Investigators chose 25 brands at random, including a number of products claiming to be free of the chemicals toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde, which are known as the toxic trio. Regulators said exposure to large amounts of the chemicals has been linked to developmental problems, asthma and other illnesses.


Investigators found that 10 of 12 products that claimed to be free of toluene actually contained it, with four of the products having dangerously high levels.


The report also found that five of seven products that claimed to be "free of the toxic three" actually included one or more of the agents in significant levels.


The agency said it did not have enough data to accurately estimate how many people were being exposed to the chemicals through the products.


"We know there are exposures at salons, both to workers and customers, and we're concerned about potential harm," said Karl Palmer, the DTSC's pollution prevention performance manager who oversaw the report.


"Our strategy first and foremost is to shed light on the reality of what's in these products and put this information out to everyone."


Among the products tested that the state says were mislabeled were: Sation 99 basecoat, Sation 53 red-pink nail color, Dare to Wear nail lacquer, Chelsea 650 Baby's Breath Nail Lacquer, New York Summer Nail Color, Paris Spicy 298 nail lacquer, Sunshine nail lacquer, Cacie Light Free Gel Basecoat, Cacie Sun Protection Topcoat, Golden Girl Topcoat, Nail Art Top-N-Seal and High Gloss Topcoat.


The DTSC said all three chemicals are linked to chronic health conditions when inhaled, and that the 121,000 licensed nail care technicians who work in the salons, many of them young Asian-American women, are most at risk.


The agency said the salons are often poorly ventilated, leading to exposure to a number of harmful chemicals.


Because of these workplace health issues, some cities around the nation have passed laws seeking to increase safety for workers and customers at nail salons.


San Francisco passed an ordinance in October 2010 that acknowledges salons that voluntarily choose to use nail polishes free of the three chemicals included in the DTSC's report. New York City had a similar ordinance to recognize salons that choose products devoid of the toxic trio.


"We are alarmed by the results of this report," Julia Liou, co-founder of the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and a public health administrator for Asian Health Services, said in a statement. "The misbranding of products is not only a major public health problem, but also interferes with a salon worker's right to a safe and healthy work environment."


DBP has been banned in nail products in the European Union, and the EU has strict limits on the amount of formaldehyde and toluene that can be used.


Doug Schoon, a scientist who works with the Nail Manufacturers Council, agreed that mislabeling products should never be done, but said that proper ventilation and training of salon workers are much more important to preventing negative health effects. He said the levels of toluene and other chemicals found in the nail polishes featured in the report did not pose a serious threat.


He said the "need for appropriate ventilation for the work you're doing, whether it be in printing shops or other workplaces, is a huge area of opportunity that the (DTSC) should be focusing on."


The California attorney general's office said it will have to review DTSC's findings before making a decision on any legal action.


"We will need to examine the data for compliance with Prop. 65 and other state laws," said Lynda Gledhill, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.


Proposition 65 is a state law that requires that all harmful chemicals in a product be revealed by the manufacturer.


Mike Vo, vice president of Miss Professional Nail Products, Inc., the maker of the Sation products and others on the list, said he disputed DTSC's findings.


"We will look at the report and challenge it," he said.

[Spin_Drift]

ABCNEWS.com

By JANE E. ALLEN, ABC News Medical Unit


Frequent dental X-rays, particularly in childhood, may be linked to an increased risk of the most common brain tumor in adulthood, say researchers who suggest minimizing the use of X-rays, especially among people without symptoms of tooth or gum problems.


Dr. Elizabeth B. Claus, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, led the new study suggesting an association between mouth X-rays and tumors called meningiomas. The tumors, which take their name because they arise in the meninges, the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord, account for about a third of brain tumors detected in the United States. Although they're most often benign and slow-growing, they can cause disability by exerting pressure on the brain.


Having once-yearly or more frequent bitewing X-rays, which expose a small piece of film placed between the teeth to a beam of radiation, raised the risk for meningiomas 1.4 to 1.9 times, Claus and her colleagues found. A panoramic X-ray that sweeps around the head to grab a view of all the teeth -- often to assess the need for braces -- nearly quintupled the risk of developing a meningioma if performed before a child's 10th birthday, the team reported.


After reviewing the new research, the Anerican Dental Association issued a statement reiterating its longstanding position that dentists should order dental X-rays "only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment. Since 1989, the ADA has published recommendations to help dentists ensure that radiation exposure is as low as reasonably achievable," the ADA said in a statement, released to coincide with online publication today of the new study in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society.


The ADA currently recommends X-rays every 1-2 years for healthy children and every 2-3 years for healthy adults.


Claus and her research colleagues reviewed histories of dental X-rays among 1,433 patients diagnosed with meningiomas between the ages of 20 and 79 in 2006-2011 and compared them with dental X-ray histories of healthy subjects matched for age, gender and geography. All were asked to recall dental X-rays they'd ever received.


Reaction to the study was mixed among doctors and dentists contacted by ABC News.


Dentists long have relied upon X-rays to look beyond the surface of teeth and gums for signs of cavities, infections or to visualize bones and ligaments affecting the bite. However, X-ray doses in decades past were several times higher than doses used in today's digital devices, the researchers, the ADA and outside experts agreed.


"The current study is well-done and confirms that even in the 'modern era' radiation exposure from repeated dental X-rays conveys an increased risk of these tumors," said Dr. David Schiff, co-director of the University of Virginia Neuro-Oncology Center, told ABC News.


The risk of meningioma is only 3 cases for every 100,000 people, "low enough that you can miss it without a good scientific study," said Dr. Keith L. Black, chairman of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who said there's need for a bigger, well-designed study.


X-rays employ ionizing radiation, the potentially DNA-damaging radiation that poses the greatest environmental risk for developing a meningioma. Dentists like to reassure patients that X-rays expose them to very low doses, well below naturally occurring radiation they get from the atmosphere and radioactive elements in soil.


Ask Your Dentist About Need for Mouth X-Rays

Although the study authors suggested their findings might prompt a re-examination of current recommendations, Dr. Alan G. Lurie, president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology said the new paper "does not do one iota to change the need to follow the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle."


"No matter how low the dose gets, it's more than zero," Lurie said, "so you need to have a good reason" for the X-ray, he said. Patients should ask their dentists: "What is it going to tell you that will help you decide how to treat me?"


The study had two principal weaknesses, beginning with people's notoriously unreliable recall for past events, in this case past X-rays, and the lack of data on what doses of radiation they received. "You would want to know the radiation dose to the part of the brain where the meningioma occurred," said Dr. Henry D. Royal, a nuclear medicine specialist at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis, who said that dose "should be trivial." He pronounced the paper flawed.


In his 2009 book, "Brain Surgeon: A Doctor's Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles," Black expressed his concern about frequent X-rays among youngsters undergoing orthodontia because they're "aimed not just at the jaw, but at the lower brain." An advocate for minimizing the use of X-rays in dentistry, Black said he routinely refuses dental X-rays. "I haven't had a dental X-ray in 20 years."

Although children's developing teeth are more prone to decay than those of adults, sometimes requiring more X-rays, their bodies also are more vulnerable to the effects of radiation.

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Hayley Tsukayama. Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012


Apple is said to be testing a new version of its iPhone in labs already, and that the prototype phone is packing 1 GB of RAM.


According to a report from 9 to 5 Mac, Apple is actually testing two new devices: an iPhone and an iPod Touch. The iPhone is said to be packing a variation of the A5X chip that powers the new iPad and is supposed to make the new handset in-cred-ibly fast.


It’s no real surprise that Apple would put a version of the iPad’s chip into its next handset, though, as the report notes, the A5X in the tablet was built specifically to power the retina display. In the iPhone’s case, the chip is meant to boost the speed.


The report indicates that Apple is testing the new build of the iPhone inside an old case to eliminate leaks, but that the hardware of the phone is expected to see a significant makeover. Apple has stuck to a tried and true formula for the iPhone’s case for the past two models, making small tweaks but steering away from revolutionary changes. Many users would like to see a larger screen on the device, as its 3.5-inch display is quickly beginning to look small in the face of four-inch or even five-inch screens on Android devices that advertisers say work well for streaming video and gaming.


Another iPad feature that has been mentioned as a possible addition to the next iPhone is the inclusion of LTE connectivity. Meanwhile, analyst Brian White has said that the next iPhone will have a unibody case, Apple Insider reported, and the newly sleek look will fuel consumer desire for the new phone. White also expects a larger screen, in the neighborhood of four inches.


As for the iPod Touch mentioned in the 9 to 5 Mac report, that new device is supposed to also have major changes inside, likely also getting a chip with a dual-core graphics processor to power mobile gaming.


tsukayamah@washpost.com

[Spin_Drift]

Courtesy Isabel van Zuthem

Alzheimer's Disease: Dutch Village Doubles as Nursing Home

By KATIE MOISSE



A Dutch village dubbed "The Truman Show" for dementia patients is getting praise from Alzheimer's experts in the U.S.


The tree-lined streets of Hogewey, a tiny village at the edge of Amsterdam, boast shops, restaurants, a movie theater and a hairdresser. Its 23 apartments are carefully crafted to feel like home to 152 residents.


But Hogewey is not a real village; it's a nursing home.


"Our director compared it to a theater," said Isabel van Zuthem, Hogewey's information officer. "The frontstage is what all the residents experience as a normal way of living, their normal home. But backstage, we are a nursing home.

Everything is arranged to give all residents all the care they need. But they feel like they're living a normal life, and that's what we think is very important."


The supermarket cashier, the restaurant manager: all staff who work incognito, specially trained to care for people with dementia. Most of the residents think it's a real village.


"We wouldn't lie about it, of course. If asked, a staff member would say they're living somewhere where they get the care and support they need," said van Zuthem, adding that most residents will forget the response 15 minutes later.
T"People with dementia, they go back in time. They live in a different world."


Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting 5.4 million Americans. The disease swiftly robs patients of their memories and other brain functions, forcing most to live out their final years in a nursing home.


"Many times, a nursing home is very institutional: nurses walk around in white clothes; people sit together in big rooms to eat meals. We decided that's not how we would like to live when we get old," said Van Zuthem, adding that Hogewey residents are more at ease and need less medication because they feel at home.


While Hogewey has been criticized for creating a fantasy world where nurses pretend to be neighbors, experts say eldercare in the U.S. could benefit from a little improv.


"I'm personally fascinated by the concept of a self-contained village," said Marianne Smith, assistant professor of nursing specializing in dementia care at the University of Iowa. "I don't think it is living out a fantasy as much as it is accommodating the person's desire to live a normal life in a community-like environment. … The program is surely better than the usual care nursing homes that can resemble hospitals."


Smith said the village design allows dementia patients to experience the world as they currently understand it, even if it's in the past.


"That's the kindest, most compassionate way to care for them," she said. "The village allows them to do be comfortable where they are, and it plays to their strengths. They can still walk, they can still talk, and they can still be with other people."


But the approach isn't cheap. Hogewey cost roughly $25 million dollars to build.


"You can imagine this is not exactly a low-budget solution to a problem that is widespread and increasing daily," said Dr. Richard Caselli, professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. "But heck, if you can provide a safe surrogate environment where patients who cannot really think clearly can wander about enjoyably, that would seem to have many advantages."


The freedom to walk outside, shop, visit with friends or just relax can make patients happier and less agitated, meaning fewer mood-altering medications.


"Environmental approaches to reducing both cognitive and behavioral problems associated with dementia are really the key to improving quality of life for these patients without excess medication," said Dr. Paul Newhouse, director of Vanderbilt University's Center for Cognitive Medicine.


Newhouse agreed Hogewey's approach may be the kinder way to care for people with late-stage dementia.


"In fact, I would argue that ethically this is a better solution than what we currently do, namely putting patients in 'mini hospitals' and pretending that this is an appropriate care environment," he said.


Hogewey's frontstage-backstage set-up has earned it comparisons to 'The Truman Show," the Jim Carrey movie about a man unknowingly living on an elaborate film set.


"I doubt that there is any effort in the Netherlands facility to 'fool' the residents into thinking they are not being taken care of for dementia," said Dr. Mark Tuszynski, director of University of California at San Diego's Center for Neural Repair. "Instead, it sounds as though they are trying to create the most naturalistic environment possible for patients. Sounds like a great place."


Village-Inspired Care: A Game Changer?

Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., said the idea could be "a game changer" in Alzheimer's care.


"The old saying, 'Treat the person and not the disease' is particularly true in end-stage dementia," he said. "All of us might actually then look forward to getting old!"


While Hogewey might be the most elaborate village-inspired nursing home, it's not the first. In fact Towsley Village Memory Care Centerin Chelsea, Mich., is home to 100 dementia patients living in four distinct neighborhoods, complete with 50s-style coffee shops.

[seanz]

That's pretty amazing. Makes you think.

[Spin_Drift]

Everything You Need to Know About James Cameron and the Deep Sea Challenge

Posted by Sifter in ANIMALS, NATURE & SPACE, SCIENCE & TECH, TRAVEL |






On Sunday March 25, 2012 at noon, local time (10 p.m. ET), James Cameron’s vertical torpedo sub, the ‘Deep Sea Challenger’, broke the
surface of the western Pacific, carrying the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker back from the Mariana Trench’s Challenger Deep.
It is Earth’s deepest, and perhaps most alien, realm.
After a 70-minute descent, he became the first human to reach the 6.8-mile-deep (11-kilometer-deep) undersea valley solo, arriving at the
bottom with the technology to collect scientific data, specimens, and visions unthinkable in 1960, when the only other manned Challenger
Deep dive took place. Cameron spent hours hovering over Challenger Deep’s desert-like seafloor and gliding along its cliff walls, the whole
time collecting samples and video.
Below you will find a summary of information about this incredible expedition, the Mariana Trench and the Deep Sea Challenger submersible.
For complete information and all of the latest updates, please visit the official page at deepseachallenge.com

The Deep Sea Challenge Expedition

“I’ve always dreamed of diving to the deepest place in the oceans. For me it went from a boyhood fantasy to a real quest, like climbing
Everest, as I learned more about deep-ocean exploration and became an explorer myself in real life. This quest was not driven by the
need to set records, but by the same force that drives all science and exploration … curiosity.

So little is known about these deep places that I knew I would see things no human has ever seen. There is currently no submersible on
Earth capable of diving to the ‘full ocean depth’ of 36,000 feet. The only way to make my dream a reality was to build a new vehicle unlike
any in current existence.

Our success during seven prior expeditions building and operating our own deep-ocean vehicles, cameras, and lighting systems gave me
confidence that such a vehicle could be built, and not just with the vast resources of government programs, but also with a small entrepreneurial
team. It took more than seven years to design and build the vehicle, and it is still a work in progress. Every dive teaches us more, and we
are continuing to improve the sub and its systems daily, as we move through our sea trials.” — James Cameron

- More than 50 years ago, two men climbed into a massive, blimp-like submersible, descended about 35,800 feet (10,912 meters) to the deepest
point in the ocean, and became the first people to observe the dark underworld of one of Earth’s most extreme environments. No one has been
back since
- James Cameron, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, plans to take multiple dives to this point, known as theChallenger Deep in the
Mariana Trench, in a custom-built submersible that he co-designed with Ron Allum
- Although best known for directing films such as Titanic and Avatar, Cameron is an avid explorer with 72 submersible dives to his credit—51 of
which were in Russian Mir submersibles to depths of up to 16,000 feet (4,877 meters), including 33 to Titanic
- In recent years, deep-ocean dredges and unmanned subs have glimpsed exotic organisms such as shrimp-like amphipods, and strange,
translucent animals called holothurians. But scientists say there are many new species awaiting discovery and many unanswered questions
about how animals can survive in these extreme conditions. Scientists are particularly interested in microorganisms living in the trenches, which
they say could lead to breakthroughs in biomedicine and biotechnology
[SOURCE]

The Mariana Trench

- While thousands of climbers have successfully scaled Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, only three people have descended to the
planet’s deepest point, the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench.
- In 1960, Jacques Piccard and Navy Lt. Don Walsh reached this goal in a U.S. Navy submersible, a bathyscaphe called the Trieste. After a
five-hour descent, the pair spent only a scant 20 minutes at the bottom and were unable to take any photographs due to clouds of silt stirred
up by their passage
- Located in the western Pacific east of the Philippines and an average of approximately 124 miles (200 kilometers) east of the Mariana Islands,
the Mariana Trench is a crescent-shaped scar in the Earth’s crust that measures more than 1,500 miles (2,550 kilometers) long and 43 miles
(69 kilometers) wide on average
- The distance between the surface of the ocean and the trench’s deepest point—the Challenger Deep, which lies 62 miles (100 kilometers)
southwest of the U.S. territory of Guam—is nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers). If Mount Everest were dropped into the Mariana Trench, its peak
would still be more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) underwater
- The Mariana Trench is part of a global network of deep troughs that cut across the ocean floor. They form when two tectonic plates collide. At
the collision point, one of the plates dives beneath the other into the Earth’s mantle, creating an ocean trench
- Because of its extreme depth, the Mariana Trench is cloaked in perpetual darkness and the temperature is just a few degrees above freezing.
The water pressure at the bottom of the trench is a crushing eight tons per square inch—or about a thousand times the standard atmospheric
pressure at sea level
- The majority of the Mariana Trench is now a U.S. protected zone as part of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, established by
President George W. Bush in 2009. Permits for research in the monument, including in the Sirena Deep, have been secured from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. Permits for research in the Challenger Deep have been secured from the Federated States of Micronesia.
[SOURCE]





continues on next post

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The Deep Sea Challenger Torpedo Sub

- A sleek, narrow, 24-foot-tall (7.3-meter) vessel, the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER has three main sections. The beam, the biggest single component,
is made of a new kind of foam that provides both flotation and a strong structural core. The pilot sphere is slung below the beam, and below that an
array of scientific gear stands ready to deploy at the bottom- About 70 percent of the sub’s volume is taken up by syntactic foam. Formed of millions
of hollow glass microspheres suspended in an epoxy resin, syntactic foam is the only flotation material that can stand up to the incredible pressures
in the deep ocean- The pilot is descending about 36,000 feet (10,973 meters), but his ears won’t pop during the journey; the pressure inside the
pilot’s sphere stays constant. The submersible will spin slowly as it descends and ascends. It’s engineered to do this so it doesn’t veer off track-
The sub will descend because of more than 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) of steel weights held on to either side by electromagnets. To rise to the
surface, the pilot will flip a switch, the plates of steel will fall to the ocean floor, and the lighter-than-water foam will hurtle the sub skyward.[SOURCE]




- The pilots will rely entirely on battery power during their dives. In fact, the sub has enough batteries to power two or three modern electric cars.
Most of the stored energy is contained in about 70 bread-loaf-size battery packs inside oil-filled plastic boxes mounted into the sub’s sides-
The sub’s batteries are made up of over a thousand pouch-type lithium-ion cells, bigger versions of the batteries hobbyists use for model
airplanes.- More than 180 systems—from battery packs to sonar—will be operating during the dive- Just like a car, the sub is equipped with
“cruise control” so the pilot can hover exactly where he wants to or glide through the water at a constant speed.- Once on the bottom, the lone
pilot will use joysticks to command 12 thrusters to propel the sub along the ocean floor. The thrusters will allow him to move forward at 3 knots,
as well as vertically at 2.5 knots- At the push of a button, the control system can keep the sub at a set level above the seafloor. This is called
Auto Altitude. Another function is just like the cruise control on a car: The pilot pushes the “cruise” button when he has set his forward speed,
and the sub stays at that speed for as long as required[SOURCE]













- Crammed with equipment and just 43 inches (109 centimeters) wide, the interior of the pilot sphere is so small that the pilot will have to
keep his knees bent and can barely move- The pilot chamber is a sphere because it’s the strongest shape for resisting pressure—if the
pilot sat in a cylinder, the walls would need to be three times thicker- A touch screen next to the “virtual viewport” helps him monitor
everything from battery power to oxygen levels. The interior also includes food, water, and joysticks connected to the “thrusters,” essentially
motors that help the sub move horizontally and vertically- The sub is equipped with two compressed oxygen cylinders, which contain enough
O2 to keep the pilot breathing for up to 56 hours—seven times the amount of time he expects to spend diving the Challenger Deep- Water
vapor from the pilot’s breath and sweat condenses on the cold metal sphere and drains to a space where it’s sucked into a plastic bag. In an
emergency, the pilot can drink it[SOURCE






continued on next post

[Spin_Drift]

- The sub’s four external cameras are a tenth the size of previous deep-ocean HD cameras. The housings were designed by the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE
team, and the cameras themselves were created from scratch, from the sensor up- The sub will illuminate the ocean with an eight-foot (two-meter) panel
of LED lights. Cameron will likely be able to see for about 100 feet (30 meters), but clouds of sediment could obscure his view- Inches from the pilot’s
face a screen projects images captured by a Red Epic 5K camera that generates a wide-angle view—better than what the pilot could see with his eyes-
When the pilot encounters something he’d like to collect or examine, a hydraulic arm will emerge from the payload bay. Controlled by a joystick, it’s a
real-life version of the mechanical limbs Cameron created for his films Aliens and Avatar- When filming, the pilot will share the pilot sphere with three
cameras. The largest is a Red Epic, which will capture IMAX-quality, “5K-raw” images and will be mounted directly in front of the small viewport on the
sphere’s hatch. That window—which from the inside is only about the size of a fist and is just below the pilot’s knees—will be awkward for pilots Cameron
or Allum to look through on their own. But the window is cone-shaped and is much larger on the side that faces the ocean’s pressure. The curvature of
the window also corrects for the 30-percent magnification that water causes. With the camera attached and its image projected onto a high-definition
screen at the pilot’s eye level, he’ll get a wide view of his surroundings through this “virtual viewport.”- Inside the sphere, two tiny HD cameras (two are
needed to create 3-D video) will also film the pilot himself- Resembling tall, skinny phone booths, landers are unmanned robotic vehicles that descend
to the seafloor, perform pre-programmed tasks, and return to the surface. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition has two landers, each able to dive
to the ocean’s greatest depths. Like the submersible, they descend vertically. Dives can last 30 hours, and the landers can be deployed as a kind of
“advance party.”[SOURCE




]

All imagery and infomation courtesy of DeepSeaChallenge.com
Please visit for latest updates

[seanz]

Priceless.

[Spin_Drift]

By LIBARDO CARDONA | AP - 8 hrs ago



BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian authorities said Tuesday that they've been frustrated in their attempts to file criminal charges against the young father of a baby born two weeks ago to a 10-year-old ethnic Wayuu girl.

That's because the Wayuu people have their own justice system and rarely cooperate with agents of the Colombian state in such matters, said Maria Gladys Pabon, chief prosecutor in Riohacha, the regional capital.

Under Colombian law, any sexual relations with a child age 14 or younger is a crime punishable by at least nine years in prison.

But legal and indigenous affairs experts say that under Colombia's 1991 constitution the Wayuu have jurisdiction.

The girl, who cannot be identified by law, gave birth on March 29 via Caesarean section and is one of the youngest mothers on record.

The father, who authorities say is 15, also cannot be identified.

The baby weighed 5.6 pounds (2.6 kilos) and measured 14.5 inches (47 centimeters), said Dr. Fabio Gonzalez, who delivered the child in a private clinic in Riohacha, on the Guajira peninsula in Colombia's northeast coast.

"She barely understood what was happening" at the moment of birth, Gonzalez told The Associated Press by phone. He said he had to operate because at that age the pelvis is still growing "and it's too small for the fetus to pass through the vaginal canal."

He said the mother, who was discharged from the clinic in good health, is also relatively short at 4 feet, 7 inches (142 centimeters).

When nurses took the newborn to her mother "it was as if a doll was being given to her," said Gonzalez. "She has no idea. She doesn't understand anything and that's normal," he added.

The doctor said it was not the first time he had delivered the baby of a 10-year-old girl. He said he had a similar case last year.

In the latest case, the girl's parents took her to the clinic from their hometown of Manuare.

A Wayuu tribal leader, Rosa Iguaran, told the AP that the parents were refusing to speak to the news media out of shame.

She said the incident was also painful for the Wayuu, who number about 350,000 and mostly live in the Colombia-Venezuela border region but that they don't consider that the girl was raped but rather that the baby was conceived in consensual sex.

It will be up to the parents of both the boy and girl to decide whether the two should be married and what the boy's family owes the girl's family, whether it be "necklaces, cows, goats, whatever the family agrees on," said Iguaran.

Pabon, the prosecutor, said the family of the girl has refused to cooperate with her in her investigation.

She said she would not seek to arrest the father of the newborn without speaking with Wayuu leaders.

Colombian constitutional law experts say such cases are always very complicated.

Former Constitutional Court magistrate Rodrigo Escobar told the AP that "what the Indians can't do is submit a defendant to degrading treatment or the death penalty."

The world's youngest mother in a medically documented case was Lina Medina of Peru, who in 1939 produced an infant at the age of 5 years, 8 months, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

___

Associated Press writers Cesar Garcia and Vivian Sequera contributed to this report.

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ABCNEWS.com

New Jersey Truck Driver, Son of Midwife, Delivered Third Baby While on the Job

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB




Truck driver Michael Hawthorne pulled over shortly before midnight on an isolated stretch of interstate, 75 miles northwest of Dallas, to check his load when he noticed another car was parked nearby.


"Someone started running over to me," Hawthorne said. "He told me his wife was in labor and he has no phone service. I had no phone service either," Hawthorne told ABCNews.com.


But the veteran trucker knew just what he had to do. It's in his genes-- his mother and grandmother were midwives.


"I went ahead, got my bottle of water, gloves and birth kit and took it to the car," he said.


Not every trucker carries a "birth kit," which for Hawthorne includes alcohol, water, cotton swabs, latex gloves, a suction device, scissors and shoe laces, but Hawthorne is used to making early deliveries.


Over the past 13 years, the career truck driver has delivered three babies on the side of the road.


With blaring car horns in the background, and frantic fathers desperately trying to reach 911, Hawthorne said he tries to remain calm for the births, just how his grandmother and mother taught him.


"That first time, I was a little nervous. I was just trying to remember everything I learned [from them]," he said.


The driver, who works for Vineland, N.J.-based NFI Industries and has worked as a driver with various companies over the past 20 years, came across his latest special delivery on March 27.


"The state police showed up. Meanwhile I am trying to keep the mother calmed. The mother gave birth. I cleaned it up what I could, wrapped the baby in a towel."


Hawthorne helped deliver a healthy baby boy just as first responders arrived, NFI Industries said on its website. The newest addition to Jack and Tammy Smith's family was 19 inches long and weighed 6 pounds and 10 ounces.


His first delivery was in 1999.


"I was at the truck stop in Ontario, California, and me and a couple of guys were standing out in front of our trucks BSing. We kept hearing someone honking the horn and it kept on going, so I thought someone might be in trouble," he said. "I went and took a look and a lady told me that her water is broke and she is in labor."


The woman had just gone grocery shopping and Hawthorne was able to use some of her purchases to assist in the birthing process, including rubber gloves and shoe laces.


His second delivery was a baby girl under a roadway bridge in Baltimore.


In the dizzying moment of his latest delivery, the Smiths didn't get the opportunity to get Hawthorne's name, but they did note the name of his trucking company.


The next day a dispatcher at the company's local office found a letter taped to a window and forwarded it to Hawthorne's bosses in N.J.


Aside from his special deliveries, Hawthorne has run to the rescue of several others in harm's way.


As a tornado approached a car in 2000, Hawthorne ran from where he was safely waiting out the storm, and cut a child's jammed car seat belt buckle. Moments later the car was tossed around by the tornado, he said.


Hawthorne once also helped a man who was suffering a heart attack, and he has helped a biker with heat stroke, he said.


"Mike is an extraordinary individual and we're proud to have him as part of the NFI family," CEO Sidney Brown said in a statement. The company plans to nominate him for a Highway Angel Award, which would be his third.


The award, which is given by the Truckload Carriers Association, honors truck drivers who have committed heroic acts on the road.


"They're just decent people. They really are. They're out on the road and they want to help people," said Michael Nellenbach, communications director for the Truckload Carriers Association. "If they see a problem, they're not going to walk away from it or drive away from it."


Michael Hawthorne said he doesn't know why he keeps encountering these emergency situations, but he said he is thankful he can help.


"I don't know how it happens, whether it's fate or goodwill,'' he said.


"I don't know, I'm just glad to be able to help other people," he said. "And if someone is putting me in these positions, I wish they'd stop."

[Spin_Drift]

By Janet Fang | SmartPlanet | April 11, 2012




Scientists have been using tummy tuck byproducts in research for years. Businesses have been selling batches of human fat cells for thousands of dollars. But do patients have a right to know where their unwanted fat ends up? The Telegraph asks.


An abdominoplasty can result in large pieces of intact flesh weighing several pounds, which are usually headed to the incinerator.


But it’s much more than just fat. It releases hormones and proteins, and it should be mined for all sorts of insights it can give about the human body. (Fat from a liposuction, it turns out, is no good. That procedure uses enzymes that break down the tissue too much.)


It would seem that a whole industry has grown up around tissue collection.

• In 2000, Dylan Thompson of Bath University started recruiting volunteers for his research on the impact of exercise. Once in the lab, he’d remove a sample of fat from their stomachs with a needle. A little bit of pain and a big bruise later, they’d get half a gram to a gram of tissue. After he decided capitalize on surplus tissue from cosmetic surgery, his team has collected about 6 kilograms (or over a dozen pounds) of human fat.
• In San Diego, a cell therapy clinic called Cytori is working on recycling fat for breast reconstruction. They’ve just processed their 3,000th sample of fat, for a grand total of more than 5,000 pounds over 9 years.
• The L’Oréal Predictive Evaluation Center near Lyon is, in short, a skin factory. It tests for things that could irritate our skin using artificial human skin. And to make skin, you need real skin, specifically the kind removed during breast and tummy reductions. The reconstructed product, called Episkin, appeals to consumers because it protects animals; and it appeals to the industry because it’s human-ish and offers a more accurate reading than testing cosmetics on rabbits. It’s sent to companies around the world to test their products.

So, what about the donors, who are largely anonymous and unpaid? Most are happy to donate, such as this patient:

“I certainly didn’t feel attached to it. I was glad it was gone, and I’d rather that – a cosmetic surgery procedure which is something you choose – than blind beagles.” It appealed to her sense of thrift – her swags of unwanted flesh being put to good use. Nor did she mind a part of herself travelling to research labs around the world. But as soon as money entered the equation with the realisation that her cells could become a commodity, she became less clear. “That’s kind of strange,” she says.

There’s an intrinsic unfairness about companies making money out of people’s tissue, one researcher acknowledges, “but to say you have to pay a specific amount of money to the donor would strangle very good research.”


Discover adds this thought:

Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks dealt sensitively and intelligently with this very issue. HeLa cells taken from a woman dying of cancer have been used in Nobel prize-winning research and made millions for biomedical companies. Her own children had no idea about any of this before Skloot contacted them to research her book.

[Via The Telegraph, Discover]
Image of tummy tuck via Flickr

[Spin_Drift]

By Matt Christensen




They’re the worst pick-up lines... and yet, these seemingly awful come-ons actually managed to charm women.
It just goes to show you, romance is always full of surprises. Read on and pick up an idea or two, guys.

1. The corny-but-cute hello:
“This guy who was so not my style came over to me and my friends and asked: ‘Do you happen to know how much
a polar bear weighs?’ We said ‘no’ and kept walking, and then he said, ‘Well, it’s enough to break the ice. Hi, I’m Brian.’
We all cracked up and kept talking to him.”
— Charity, 29, Cincinnati, OH

2. The line with artistic flair:
“I was shooting pool with friends, and some guys offered us a friendly challenge. Midway through the game, one of them looked
at me and said, ‘Do you remember Crayola crayons? Well, they used to have this color called Blizzard Blue. It was my favorite
color, and your eyes are actually Blizzard Blue.’ I thought it was so cute! He had me right there.”
— Erica, 21, Brunswick, OH

3. The overly confident come-on:
“I was at an office party when a guest of a coworker introduced himself and said, ‘Blueberries or strawberries?’ Confused, I asked
what he meant, and he replied, ‘I just want to know what kind of pancakes to make you in the morning.’ He said it with such a
straight face that it was like a scene in a funny movie. I didn’t eat breakfast with him, but I did give him my number.”
— Jan, 33, Cleveland, OH

4. The nonsensical approach:
“This random guy came up to me at a party, looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘Baby, you’re sexier than socks on a rooster.’
I had absolutely no idea what he meant, but I thought it was funny and I liked how unusual it was. It got us talking, trying to figure
out what that line meant!”
— Holly, 19, Milford, OH

5. The mom-approved intro:
“I was at a local bar one night, and this guy sat next to me and said, ‘Would it freak you out if I said that I’ve already told my mother
about you?’ I said, ‘No, why?’ Then he told me that he’d actually stepped outside, called his mother and asked her how to approach me.
I thought it was adorable that he was a mama’s boy.”
— Michelle, 25, Erie, PA

6. The “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” method:
“I fought tooth and nail with a guy over a parking space and won. When I came back out to my car, there was a note on it that said,
‘I like your style. Call me.’ It was very unexpected, and I loved the approach. See, it pays to be a lover and a fighter.”
— Lynn, 36, Boston, MA

7. The win-her-with-flattery strategy:
“This poker party I was at started to get very crowded. As a group of girls walked in, this guy came up behind me and said, ‘I think
you’re going to be asked to leave soon. You’re so pretty, you’re putting all the other women to shame.’ I tend to be very shy, so his
compliment really helped crack my shell.”
— Katie, 31, Chicago, IL

Matt Christensen has written for Maxim and The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The best line he’s ever used was, “Hey, if I kiss you, will I
get slapped?” He did kiss the girl in question, but he didn’t suffer for it afterward.

For the other side of this story, read The worst pick-up lines of all time.

---

Article courtesy of Happen magazine, www.happenmag.com.

[Spin_Drift]

The truth behind 18 commonly held beauty beliefs. Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo Myth 1: Crossing your legs will give you varicose veins. Sitting down and crossing your legs won't cause varicose or spider veins, but standing may. Pronounced veins often crop up on people who either have a genetic predisposition to them or have jobs that require them to stand a lot, says Kevin Pinski, a dermatologist in Chicago. Standing makes the vascular network work extra hard to pump blood from the legs up to the heart. If the valves, which keep blood flowing in one direction within your vessels, aren't functioning properly, a pooling of blood can occur and result in unsightly veins. Pregnancy, which puts added pressure on the circulatory system, or a trauma―getting hit by a softball or a car door , for example―can also lead to varicose or spider veins.

Myth 2: You can get rid of cellulite. Ah, if only. "This remains one of the holy grails of cosmetic dermatology," says Timothy Flynn, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Nothing can be done to permanently eliminate it―not even liposuction. Cellulite consists of fat deposits that get trapped between the fibrous bands that connect the skin's tissues. The bands squeeze the fat under the skin, resulting in a lumpy texture. Luck of the gene pool mostly determines who will and won't get cellulite. It doesn't matter whether you're fat or thin. You can, however, temporarily reduce its orange peel-like appearance. Firming creams often contain caffeine to tighten and smooth the skin. But a basic moisturizer will also work to hydrate \and swell the skin, making cellulite a little less obvious. Or try using a self-tanner. "A fake tan will help camouflage it," says Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist and a codirector of laser surgery at the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, in Washington, D.C.

Photo: Peter LaMastro Myth 3: Shaving will make your hair grow back darker and thicker. "Hair that hasn't been cut grows to a point," says Heather Woolery-Lloyd, a dermatologist in Miami. "It's widest at the base and narrowest at the tip." When you shave a hair, you cut it at the base. The widest part then grows out, and the hair appears thicker. But shaving doesn't change the width, density, or color of hair. Myth 4: Putting Vaseline on your face nightly will prevent wrinkles. Marilyn Monroe allegedly slathered the thick salve on religiously to stay youthful-looking, but that doesn't mean you should. "Petroleum jelly is the strongest moisturizer there is because it forces oils into the skin and prevents them from evaporating," says Paul Jarrod Frank, a dermatologist in New York City. As the skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture, and skin that's dry looks older. "Petroleum jelly can make wrinkles less apparent because it's adding moisture to the skin, which softens lines, but it can't actually prevent aging," Pinski says. Only a cream with a proven active ingredient, such as retinol, can stave off wrinkles. Plus, petroleum jelly is so greasy that it can create other problems, including breakouts.

Photos: Yunhee Kim Myth 5: Wearing nail polish all the time will make your nails turn yellow. This is true, but you can wear nail enamel all you like and still avoid discoloration. Nails are porous, and they absorb the pigment in polishes. "Darker colors, especially reds, have more pigment, so they often stain your nails," says Maria Salandra, the owner of Finger Fitness, in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. The solution: Before applying polish, paint on a clear base coat, such as Essie All in One Base Coat ($9.50, essie.com), to prevent nails from absorbing pigment. Myth 6: You can shrink your pores. It's actually impossible to change the size of pores, but you can make them look smaller―and using egg whites, a beauty trick Grandma may have tried, does work. "Egg whites tighten the skin, giving the illusion of smaller pores, but it's a temporary effect," says Elizabeth McBurney, a clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans.

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo Myth 7: If you use wax to remove hair, fewer hairs will grow back. "Wax rips the hair out at the follicles," explains Woolery-Lloyd. "And any repeated injury to the follicles over time―we're talking 20 years―could damage some follicles to the point that they don't grow back." So employ waxing for its ability to keep your legs smoother longer than shaving can, not for diminishing hair growth. Myth 8: Preparation H deflates puffiness. This is a secret of makeup artists everywhere, and there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this hemorrhoid cream can reduce undereye baggage, but no clinical studies have been done. One of the product's ingredients, a yeast derivative that is said to reduce puffiness, is no longer found in the version that's available in the States. (The cream was reformulated in 1994.) The other ingredient that is credited with reducing inflammation is phenylephrine, which temporarily constricts blood vessels. Nevertheless, using Preparation H around the eyes can cause dry and inflamed skin, says McBurney, so use this only where it's meant to be used, south of the belt line. continues.

[Spin_Drift]

Photo: James Baigrie Myth 9: Rubbing your eyes creates wrinkles. You won't get crow's-feet just from kneading your eyes when you're tired, says Frank. But the tug of gravity and the repetitive movement of facial muscles, as in smiling or frowning, can break down the collagen in your skin and create wrinkles over time. So that silly taunt you heard as a child―"If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way"―has merit. Myth 10: Applying cocoa butter or olive oil will stop stretch marks. Sadly, this isn't true. Stretch marks occur when skin expands quickly (as in pregnancy), breaking the collagen and elastin fibers that normally support it. Or they're simply luck of the genetic draw. "Stretch marks are formed below the top layer of skin, where the cocoa butter and olive oil can't reach," says McBurney. The most either can do is quell the itching that occurs when skin expands.

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo Myth 11: Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day will make it shine. Marcia Brady, it turns out, was overzealous in her beauty routine. "One hundred strokes is too much," says Christopher Mackin, a trichologist (someone who studies hair) at the Gil Ferrer Salon, in New York City. "You'll do more damage than good." Hair will break if you tug on it too much. However, gentle brushing―a few strokes here and there―will make hair shine by distributing the natural oils from the scalp down the hair shafts and flattening the cuticles to make them reflect more light. More significant, light brushing removes impurities and stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which nourishes hair follicles and keeps them healthy. Myth 12: Tanning or dotting on toothpaste can help get rid of pimples. True to both, but don't run for the tanning booth or apply a Colgate face mask. "A particular wavelength of light has been shown to stimulate porphyrin, a chemical that eradicates the bacteria that cause acne," says Pinski. But while some sun exposure may help pimples get better temporarily, you can experience a rebound effect. "If the skin gets dry and damaged from the sun, your body's response is to produce oil," says Frank. Plus, sun exposure can lead to bigger problems, such as premature aging and skin cancer. As for toothpaste, it often contains menthol, which can help dry out a pimple. But other common toothpaste ingredients can irritate the skin. And there are much better over-the-counter options than toothpaste, such as Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel Lotion ($14.50, clinique.com). If, however, you're on a reality-TV survival show and all you have is a tube of the white stuff, a couple of million viewers, and a blemish, a dab on your dot will work.

Photo: Susie Cushner Myth 13: Sleeping on your back or with a satin pillow will help your face stay wrinkle-free. That's a big exaggeration with a little truth behind it. As you age, the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin break down, so when you burrow your face into a pillow, putting pressure on these fibers for several hours at a time, the skin is increasingly less likely to snap back. "If you have a pattern of sleeping on one side, that side of your face will typically show more wrinkling than the other," says Tanzi, who adds that the difference is very subtle. Learning to sleep on your back can help your skin a bit, but you'd fare much better wearing a good sunscreen every day than sleeping on a satin pillow, says Woolery-Lloyd. Myth 14: Rinsing your hair with beer will make it thicker. A final rinse of beer at the end of your shower will leave you with more voluminous strands. "The beer builds up the circumference of the shafts," says Philip Berkovitz, founder of Philip B. hair products. One caveat: You may smell like a frat house until the scent dissipates. Instead, try a thickening shampoo with hops, such as Aussie Aussome Volume 2 in 1 Shampoo.

Photo: Anna Williams Myth 15: Applying mayonnaise to your hair will make it glossier. Mayo is made with an oil base, and it makes hair shine. But to avoid a mess, try this method: - Apply a cup of mayonnaise mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla extract (to cut the mayonnaise scent) to dry, unwashed hair. - Cover your head with a warm towel to help the mayonnaise penetrate, and leave it on for 20 minutes. - Before you step into the shower, apply a heaping handful of shampoo to your hair. Don't add any water yet; just massage it in thoroughly for several minutes. That will help break down the excess oil, says Berkovitz. - Rinse with cool water in the shower and your hair will come out shiny and silky. If the idea of putting a condiment in your hair makes you queasy, try a rich glossing treatment, such as Phytonectar Ultra-Nourishing Oil Treatment, which contains egg and rich oils, the basic ingredients in mayonnaise. Myth 16: Never pluck a gray hair, because 10 more will grow in its place. This is false. "How can you get 10 new hair follicles from plucking one?" asks Berkovitz. If anything, ripping a hair out by its root leads to regrowth that refuses to lie flat. Your best bet for conquering gray? See a colorist.

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo Myth 17: Hair grows faster in summer than in winter. Although studies have shown that men's beards grow faster in summer, there is no evidence to suggest that the hair on your head does. Many women say they can tell it grows faster then, but if so, the difference is slight and barely detectable, according to McBurney. The only time women's hair has been proven to grow faster is during pregnancy, thanks to increased hormones. Myth 18: Drinking water keeps your skin from drying out. "This is one of the biggest myths out there," says Frank. What keeps skin moist is oil, not water. Certainly, drinking water helps vital organs operate properly, and too little water in your body can give you a wan appearance. But your skin can still look dry even if you drink eight glasses a day. .

[Spin_Drift]

By Tecca | Today in Tech – Yahoo.news - Tue, Apr 10, 2012


Forget the light saber; the flashy sword is but a part of the fictional Star Wars universe. These five crazy, futuristic, and veritably frightening weapons may sound like they come from epic sci-fi flicks, but they're no mere figments of the imagination — they actually exist.

From pain rays to guns that can turn people into zombies, these weapons are no longer the stuff of fiction


1. Speech-suppressing gun

If there were ever a weapon made to fit Big Brother's world to a T, this is it. Let's say someone doesn't want to hear any more of your opinions. All they have to do is point this weapon at you and pull the trigger. This gun was designed by Japanese researchers to silence people by messing with their heads, but how exactly does it work?

Within a distance of 100 feet, a directional mic perched on top of the gun picks up whatever it is the target is saying. The boxy, directional speaker that makes up the bulk of the weapon then plays the sound back with a 0.2-second delay, effectively inducing delayed auditory feedback, a phenomenon caused by the echo of your own voice that interrupts your thoughts and renders you speechless.
While it's true that the weapon could be used to ensure silence in places like the library, it could also be used to silence protesters, important political figures, and other people who actually have important things to say. Talk about an Orwellian nightmare come true!



2. Vomit ray

This weapon could also prevent you from speaking your mind, but it's because you're going to be too busy to talk while you're throwing up your lunch. Back in 2007, the U.S. Navy signed a contract with a company called Invocon to develop a weapon that uses radio frequency (RF) to affect a person's sense of hearing and equilibrium. Anyone hit by these waves (which, by the way, can pass through walls) is expected to throw up and experience severe motion sickness — effects that were proven when the company demonstrated the weapon on a very unlucky individual.

In the same year, the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology department awarded $800,000 to a company called Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) to develop the LED Incapacitator. It's a fancy flashlight that emits rapid pulse of different-colored lights to induce headache and dizziness, with vomiting as one of the possible aftereffects.

Want to make your own puke-inducing weapon? A couple of hardware hackers built one for $250, called it Bedazzler, and even posted instructions you can follow online. Part of Bedazzler's official page reads: "Yes this project does indeed cause: Nausea, dizziness, headache, flashblindness, eye pain and (occasional?) vomiting! So don't use it on your friends or pets." Although if you're building the Bedazzler because you're probably an evil overlord in training, we doubt you're going to take that advice.



Mobile pain ray3. Pain ray


More formally known as the Active Denial System (ADS), the pain ray is a weapon developed by the U.S. military that can — wait for it — cause excruciating pain by emitting high-powered waves similar to those from a microwave oven. Developed by the Pentagon, the system is composed of huge, vehicle-mounted plates. It was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2010 and pulled back just a month later without having been used.

It's unclear whether the military's plans to develop a rifle version of the system ever panned out. However, a smaller version of the pain ray called Silent Guardian was developed by defense technology company Raytheon and is currently available for use by law enforcement agencies.

While the ADS reportedly never saw action in the battlefield, it went through 10,000 trial exposures involving real people. The test subjects reported feeling like they were on fire a few seconds after being targeted, but the agonizing pain vanished as soon as they stepped out of the beam's way. The weapon was only designed to inflict pain and not actually burn anything, but around 0.1% of the test subjects reported blisters caused by second-degree burns. Double ouch!




New weapons could turn you into a zombie4. Mind-control gun


Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently admitted that the country's government created a gun that can put people in a zombie-like state... at least for a short while. Or so we hope. Russia's mind-control gun attacks a target's central nervous system with electromagnetic radiation and is designed to be used for crowd control. While the government's keeping mum about the details, previous studies about the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the brainreveal that one of its possible effects is implanting thoughts and suggestions into a target's mind.

Good thing these scary zombie guns are confined to Russia and have not yet appeared in the United States, right? Well, in 2008, a U.S. company called Sierra Nevada Corporation announced that it was going to start producing the Medusa ray gun — a weapon that uses rapid microwave pulses that your brain perceives as extremely annoying sounds.

Soon after the company introduced Medusa, independent scientists came out to warn people that the weapon can't produce sounds annoying enough to disperse crowds unless it shoots strong microwave pulses that can literally fry your brain. Yikes. At least the Russian government was able to successfully test its zombie gun on real people (though to be fair, we're not exactly sure if any brains got fried in the process).


continues

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5. Self-guided bullet

The U.S. Sandia National Laboratories developed a new kind of bullet that could turn anyone into a sharpshooter in a heartbeat. The four-inch projectile has small fins on its tails similar to a dart that can steer it straight toward the target. As long as you shine a laser beam to what you want to hit, the sensor on the bullet's nose can follow it, even in the midst of strong winds and even if the target is up to a mile away. The self-guided bullet was designed for DARPA's Exacto program and will be used by the military and law enforcement agencies.



Could futuristic laser battles actually happen?Waiting for visible laser guns? Keep waiting


Many sci-fi fans are salivating for the day when handheld laser pistols become commonplace. Movies like Star Wars showcase powerful visible laser weapons in all shapes and sizes — from massive, ship-mounted cannons to tiny blasters that can fit in your pocket. Unfortunately, the chances of these types of firearms becoming a reality rests somewhere between slim and none.

There are several reasons why sci-fi laser weapons will never be possible. For starters, all current weaponized laser technology uses wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. They can cause damage to a target, but you'd never be able to actually see the damaging rays the weapons generate. Second, since lasers travel at the speed of light, even if a visible laser weapon were conceptualized, you'd never actually be able to see the distinct glowing bars that are so common in futuristic firefights. On top of all that, lasers capable of doing damage to a target need massive power supplies, making the idea of a personal, portable laser weapon absolutely ludicrous.


Fascinating yet horrifying


Most of the weapons in this list may not be created to inflict fatal wounds, but they sure have terrifying implications. We know we don't want to experience awful pain, be turned into a zombie, or have our right to free speech taken away. Still, these creations represent fascinating advancements in science and technology. Let's just hope they don't fall into the hands of someone who has dreams of global domination.

[Image credits: U.S. Department of Defense]
This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

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By Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com April 11 2012

Cats in this Brooklyn, N.Y., home can exercise with a track and obstacle course. Photo: Forbes.com

Most pet fish spend their lives circling inside a glass bowl. The lucky ones can stretch their fins in a fish tank.
Then there are the elite guppies that inhabit the $7 million aquarium installed in a palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
At 600,000 gallons, it’s the largest private aquarium in the world, according to Matt Roy, founder of Living Color
Enterprises, a custom residential installation company that has built aquatic environments for the likes of Walt
Disney World, Sea World, andBoston’s Museum of Science.

“We deal with multi-millionaires and billionaires who have sometimes wanted a dream aquarium all their lives,
and now they are ready,” says Living Color’s Roy. “What we put in their home is the aquarium equivalent of a Ferrari.”

But it’s not just extravagant royals clamoring for over-the-top pet amenities. Americans spent more than $50 billion
on animal companions in 2011, according to a recent study by the American Pet Products Association. It comes as
no surprise then that devoted pet owners have taken to decking out real estate with dog swimming pools, shark tanks,
grooming rooms, and kitty playgrounds.



“In San Francisco there are more dogs than children,” says architect John Hood of Hood Thomas Associates, who
works on high-end custom residential designs throughout California. Hood most recently built a hidden dog door for
a client willing to pay a hefty price for the design.

When John Marcus of Los Angeles built his fantasy aquarium in 2005, it was believed to be the nation’s largest r
esidential aquarium at 10,000 gallons – equivalent to 1,000 typical home tanks. The size of a two-car garage, it cost
more than $100,000 to build, plus another $50,000 in fish. Add to that $2,000 per month on maintenance, which includes
Marcus suiting up in a wetsuit to clean it.


Back on dry land, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Bill Hilgendorf and Maria Christina Rueda keep their cats entertained with a
“Kittyloft” home playground. Founders of an interior design company, the duo put their creative talents to work
building a shelf-like track and obstacle course for their feline friends. The structure includes cat-friendly steps that
run up and down and along walls, wrapping around the living room space and kitchen, all leading to a rest area of
pillows atop kitchen cabinets. When not in use, the bright yellow contraption doubles as a geometric art installation.
Read on for more about this and other lavish pet amenities:

Rachel Hunter's Custom Dog House
Location: California

The supermodel's dogs also get the A-list treatment. Photo: Forbes.com

Le Petit Maison specializes in high-end custom dog houses, running up to $50,000 and often built as miniature
versions of clients’ own homes. One such customer was supermodel Rachel Hunter, who spoiled her German
Shepherd and Labrador Retriever with a smaller replica of her own California Mexican-style hacienda. The dog
mansion comes complete with ornately carved front doors, red clay tiles on each turret, terra cotta floors and even
miniature wrought iron window flower baskets. The dog palace is situated in the backyard.



Indoor Cat Playground
Location: Brooklyn, New York

The "Kittyloft" includes stairs that run along the home's walls. Photos: Forbes.com

New York residences are famously short on space, but that did not stop home owners Bill Hilgendorf and Maria Christina
Rueda from adding “Kittyloft” to their Brooklyn abode. Founders of interior design and furniture company Uhuru Design,
they put their talents to work building a shelf-like track and obstacle course to keep their cats engaged.

The bright yellow structure includes cat-friendly stairs that run up and down and along walls, wrapping around the living
room and kitchen, leading to a rest area of pillows atop kitchen cabinets. From there the felines jump to the refrigerator
and start the course again, and have been known to repeat it ceaselessly at high speed.



Garage-Aquarium Home
Location: Los Angeles, California

The ultimate fish tank weighs 100 tons and cost $100,000. Photos: monsterfishkeepers.com

Among the “monster tank” niche of fish-loving hobbyists, John Marcus has become famous for his home-built aquarium.
Made of steel-reinforced concrete inset with large windows of two-inch-thick glass, this giant is 26.5 by 12.5 feet, the
size of a two-car garage. With the 10,000 gallons of water, 15,000 pounds of gravel and 5,000 pounds of driftwood, it
weighs a staggering 100 tons.

The enclosure cost Marcus, who built it himself, more than $100,000 not counting the $50,000 in rare fish and turtles,
including a pair of Amazonian Arapaima, the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish, which can reach over nine feet.
Marcus has to enter the tank in a wetsuit to clean it, and he feeds the inhabitants hand-cut, frozen fish twice daily.


House of Snakes
Location: Lake Forest, Illinois

Fifty tanks house all kinds of exotic snakes. Photo: Forbes.com

Walk into a pet shop, and you will often see entire walls full of built-in fish and reptile tanks. The owner of this Lake
Forest home – a fan of Latin American snake species – domesticated the concept when he installed 50 different tanks,
each a unique habitat, decorated with rocks and plants. The custom tanks now occupy a third of the residence space
and provide comfortable homes for an extensive collection of snakes. The slithery critters live in high style surrounded
by natural stone walls and marble floors.


Waddeson Manor's Aviary Complex
Location: Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

The immense aviary on an English country estate was built in 1889. Photos: Waddeson Manor

A lavish English country estate, Waddeson Manor includes a huge Neo-Renaissance French Châteaux built in the late 19th
century for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, and is now bequeathed to the National Trust. Its grounds feature an incredible
zoo-quality aviary, home to many rare and critically endangered bird species.

Built in 1889, the structure has a cast iron frame and roof with “open” meshed sides, painted and gilded in the style of a
rococo trellis-work pavilion. The conservation-based aviary is used in conjunction with zoos and private collectors to breed
and preserve troubled species, and spans several thousand square feet, housing full-grown trees.

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By Charlie Osborne | SmartPlanet | April 13, 2012


The Pentagon has placed an order for innovative contact lenses that using dual-focus technology to offer wearers a wider field of vision.


The iOptik lenses, created by Washington-based Innovega Inc., are paired with a compact ‘Heads Up Display’ (HUD) — a transparent display that presents real-time data and images without requiring a user to change their focus or viewpoints.


Aimed at granting troops heightened awareness in field operations, the lens dual-focus technology makes it possible to simultaneously focus on what is close to your eye and on distant objects without detrimental effects to normal vision.


This is possible due to separate filters being placed in each lens — which supports viewing both close and distant sources of light in focus simultaneously.


In each lens, the central parts send light from the HUD to the middle of the wearer’s pupil, while the outer areas forward light to the pupil’s rim.


“Normally, for example, with a camera you focus on something distant or something close… By wearing our contact lens you automatically have this multi-focus, or dual-focus, and you are doing something that humans don’t usually do,” said chief executive of Innoveg Steve Willey.
Earlier this week, the company signed a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to supply a functional prototype of the iOptik system.


The U.S. military and Air Force already use similar technology in military operations, but the current technology is reportedly far bulkier than the iOptik prototype.


The initial funding required for the project was provided by the United States Department of Defense.


The chief executive also hopes this technology may eventually enter the consumer market for entertainment or gaming purposes.



(via BBC)
Image credit: Innovega.

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By Lauren Villagran | April 11, 2012


MEXICO CITY – Ant larva, wild boar, fly eggs, wild greens: It’s a meal to make the Aztecs proud.


“Pre-Hispanic” cuisine, which celebrates native Mexican ingredients and preparations that existed before the Spaniards arrived, has been enjoying increasing popularity at home and is shaping up to become Mexico’s next cultural “export.”




Although exotic elements of pre-Hispanic cuisine have been a feature of top restaurants in Mexico City for more than a decade, chefs say the national appetite for hard-to-find delicacies is growing. Meanwhile, an artist-turned-chef in San Francisco, originally from Mexico City, is betting that health-conscious Americans are ready for bug tacos.


At Restaurant Chon, a downtown hideaway for pre-Hispanic cuisine in Mexico City, Chef Fortino Rojas serves plates ofescamoles (ant larva), chapulines (crickets) and jabalí (wild boar), among other proteins favored by early Mexicans. He describes the food as “simple but with an Aztec flavor.”


Once derided, insects have become a symbol of exclusivity. Chefs catering to diners willing to pay for luxury will search high and low for the most sought-after species.




While insects are a striking feature of pre-Hispanic food, the cuisine encompasses a broad range of vegetables, legumes and game – many of which serve as the base of traditional Mexican cooking, including corn, chile and beans, as well as seeds, herbs and flowers. Meats that are considered “pre-Hispanic” include venison, duck, boar, armadillo or a squirrel-like rodent called tepezcuintle.


Chef Daniel Ovadía, 28-year-old owner of the upscale Paxia restaurants, sees a movement afoot, especially among a younger generation. Young Mexican chefs are rediscovering the ingredients and preparations endemic to their home regions.


“That didn’t happen before,” he said. “Now the idea is to bring it to contemporary Mexico and to the world.”


“They say that the food of the future will include a lot of insects,” said Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, chef-owner of Mexican restaurants Azul and Azul y Oro. “But thankfully Mexico’s insects aren’t so well-known.”


Although he touts the healthfulness of protein-rich edible bugs, Muñoz Zurita doesn’t use native insects in his restaurants due to the scarcity and the cost. The combination of depleted supply and increased demand for pre-Hispanic foods like gusanos de maguey, white worms that feed on the leaves of a maguey that grows as tall as a man, or acociles, tiny native crayfish, make them pricey by default. That makes heavy commercialization unsustainable, said Muñoz Zurita.


Ovadía adheres to a sort of “slow food” approach, in which chefs create new demand for ingredients that, in an era of industrialized agriculture, would be otherwise headed for extinction. Ovadía supports growers of tamarillo, a type of tree tomato, and tamalayota, a type of squash.


Ovadía is not a pre-Hispanic purist, however. With ports in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, Mexico has always been a crossroads, he said. The Spanish introduced cows to Mexico, and who could imagine Mexican food without cheeses and creams? Who could imagine Mexican salsa without cilantro, which comes from Asia?


An appetite for the exotic may be crossing the northern border, too.


In San Francisco, Mexico City native Monica Martinez is working on a taco cart concept called Don Bugito, making food that is “pre-Hispanic influenced and inspired with ingredients from the Bay Area.”


“Most people know tacos and burritos,” Martinez said. “So I thought, why not? It’s such an amazing type of cuisine, and it hasn’t gotten the recognition outside of Mexico.”


When people approach the cart, some are shocked, she said. “But people after the first bite are like, ‘Oh my god this is amazing.’”


Two popular items on Don Bugito’s menu: waxworm larva tacos with pasilla pepper, and vanilla ice cream topped with caramelized worms and prickly pear syrup.


Photos:
Crickets by Flickr/William Neuheisel


Ant larva by Lauren Villagran

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By Rose Eveleth | April 10, 2012




The men who worked day and night to control the Fukushima disaster last year were regarded as heroes, willing to risk radiation to keep the impending disaster under control. But why put people in harms way when a robot could do the job? The U.S. military thinks we shouldn’t have to. The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research and Planning Agency (Darpa) announced a competition today to build robots that could cut down on all that heroism.


The robots would be expected to manage a disaster site, and do everything from brute tasks like breaking down a wall, to more delicate missions like replacing parts of a failing machine. Of course, by themselves those things are already easily achievable by robots. The challenge is to build one that can do them all.


But if you’re imagining a C3PO type humanoid robot, robotics experts say: think again. The most successful robots probably won’t look much like you or I. “Analogs to animals such as spiders, monkeys, bears, kangaroos and goats are useful inspiration when considering parts of the challenge,” Aaron Edsinger, founder of Meka Robotics told the New York Times.


Today, Darpa released more information about the contest (PDF version here).

The primary goal of the DARPA Robotics Challenge program is to develop ground robotic capabilities to execute complex tasks in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments. The program will focus on robots that can utilize available human tools, ranging from hand tools to vehicles.

They also released a list of tasks that the robot will probably have to complete:

1. Drive a utility vehicle at the site.
2. Travel dismounted across rubble.
3. Remove debris blocking an entryway.
4. Open a door and enter a building.
5. Climb an industrial ladder and traverse an industrial walkway.
6. Use a tool to break through a concrete panel (see Figure 1).
7. Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe (see Figure 1).
8. Replace a component such as a cooling pump.

This isn’t the first time Darpa has offered a prize for engineering. It’s “grand challenges” can net winners millions of dollars. The amount awarded to the winners of this prize hasn’t been announced yet, but the competition will probably start in 2013.


In hind site, Japan wished they had robots to deal with the Fukushima disaster. The country is full of robotics designs, from the famous Asimo to the creepy talking hand rings, but none designed to carry out rescue and disaster management tasks. But they, and the United States, hope that future disasters are safe in robot hands.
Via: The New York Times, Wired, Hizook

Photo: US Military

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Joe Davidson Fluent News
Friday, Apr 13, 2012

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), which manages accounting and financial operations in the Defense Department, has issued a warning about scam e-mails seeking personal information.


The bogus messages appear to come from a DFAS employee with a dot mil address and have been sent to uniformed personnel, retirees, and civilian employees.


“The emails indicate that individuals who are receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be able to obtain additional funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),” says a notice on the DFAS Web site. “These emails are not issued by DFAS and will likely result in a financial loss if you comply with the suggestions in the email.


“Bottom line — do not send your personal information or copies of your tax returns and 1099s to the individual listed in the email.”


The DFAS warning says the e-mail claims funds can be received from the IRS if the recipients send personal information, such as that on tax forms, “to a so-called retired Colonel at an address in Florida.”


“Do NOT follow the suggestions in the email because you will be providing a significant amount of your personal information to a complete stranger,” the notice continues, “which could result in a financial loss to you.”

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Canada's newest coin glows in the dark.



The Royal Canadian Mint just can't sit still. Like a hyperactive kid, it has revamped Canadian cash, first introducing plastic bills and then killing the penny. Now it wants people to play with glow-in-the-dark quarters.


Heads or bones? Invisible during the day, the Pachyrhinosaurus's skeleton glows in the dark. (Credit: Royal Canadian
…
The mint's latest collectible coin features a dinosaur whose skeleton shines at night from beneath its scaly hide.

It's actually two images on one face, which could be a world's first. The other side depicts Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty does not glow in the dark.

Made of cupronickel, the coin has a face value of 25 cents but is much larger than a regular Canuck quarter.

It shows an artist's rendering of Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai, a 4-ton, 26-foot dinosaur discovered in Alberta in 1972. It's the first in a four-coin series of photo-luminescent prehistoric creatures.

The mint says the skeleton can best be seen after the coin is exposed to sunlight, or to fluorescent or incandescent light for 30-60 seconds, adding that the luminescence won't fade with time.

The glowing novelty is a first for the mint, but sadly it won't be for general circulation.
The dino's mintage is limited to 25,000, and collectors who want to count their dinosaurs at night will have to pony up to the tune of $29.95. Canadian, of course. It launches April 16.

The shiny Pachyrhinosaurus may not be as cool as New Zealand's Star Wars, but at least it can keep you company in the dark.
And if the mint can do something similar for coins in circulation, I might just enjoy wearing wearing holes in my pockets with them.

[ChrisBen]

Christine Dell'Amore

National Geographic News

Published April 12, 2012

A leopard can't change its spots, but apparently it can change its color.

African leopards normally have tawny coats with black spots. But a male leopard with a strawberry-colored coat has been spotted in South Africa's Madikwe Game Reserve (map), conservationists announced this week.

Tourists in the reserve had occasionally seen the unusual animal. But it wasn't until recently that photographer and safari guide Deon De Villiers sent a photograph to experts at Panthera, a U.S.-based wild cat-conservation group, to ask them about the leopard's odd coloration.

(See more African leopard pictures in National Geographic magazine.)

Panthera President Luke Hunter suspects the pale leopard has erythrism, a little-understood genetic condition that's thought to cause either an overproduction of red pigments or an underproduction of dark pigments.

"It's really rare—I don't know of another credible example in leopards," said Hunter, whose group collaborates with National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

Hunter added, "it's surprising that [a photo of the leopard] didn't come out sooner, because he's relatively used to vehicles."

Strawberry Leopard Still Successful

Erythrism is very unusual in carnivores, and the condition appears most often in raccoons, Eurasian badgers, and coyotes, Hunter noted.

"There are some spotted leopard skins and melanistic specimens—black panthers—in museums with red undertones, but fading probably contributes to that," he said.

Melanism is an unusual development of black or nearly black color in an animal's skin, fur, or plumage. (See video: "Mutant All-Black Penguin Found.")

The strawberry leopard seems healthy and likely suffers no ill consequences from his pinkish hue, Hunter said: "He's obviously a successful animal."

For instance, the leopard's coat still offers him some camouflage—leopards rely on their spotted fur to sneak up on prey and ambush them from as close as 13 feet (4 meters) away. (See big-cat pictures.)

More worrisome for the strawberry leopard are the game farms that surround the Madikwe reserve, Hunter said.

If the animal were to leave the reserve, he'd lose the strict protection offered by Madikwe and become fair game for legal trophy hunting, Hunter said.

"It's the fate of a lot of leopards."

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Interesting story Chris. Thanks for sharing.

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Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press Images/AP Photo
By BRIAN ROSS, MEGAN CHUCHMACH, and ANGELA M. HILL

A sleepy pilot who mistook the planet Venus for an oncoming plane sent his Air Canada jet into a steep dive that bounced passengers off the ceiling, injuring 16, and nearly caused a collision with a real plane flying 1,000 feet lower.

Air Canada initially described the injuries to 14 passengers and two flight attendants as the result of "severe turbulence," but a report released this week by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada explains what really happened over the Atlantic Ocean on an overnight flight from Toronto to Zurich on Jan. 14, 2011.

According to the report, the plane's first officer had been sleeping, as is permitted by Air Canada on transatlantic flights, when he was awakened by the pilot's report of the plane's position.

The pilot indicated that a U.S. Air Force cargo plane was approaching the Air Canada 767-300 at an elevation about 1,000 feet below the passenger jet.
The "confused and disoriented" first officer, however, believed that the planet Venus was the approaching plane, and was coming right at the Air Canada jet. He forced the plane into a dive.

Passengers who were not wearing seatbelts, many of them asleep, were slammed into the ceiling and overhead bins.
Realizing what had happened, the pilot was able to pull the plane out of the dive after it had descended 400 feet. The U.S. military plane passed safely underneath.

Seven of the injured were treated in a Swiss hospital after the plane landed safely.

Astronomers say that on that night in January 2011, Venus would have look exceedingly bright from the airplane's cockpit, and a groggy pilot could easily have mistaken the planet for a plane.

"It looks like the headlight on an airplane," said Joseph Rao of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's exceedingly bright. It doesn't twinkle, it's not like a star in that it twinkles. It looks like a steady, white spot of light in the sky. In fact we call it the evening star but they really should call it the evening lantern because it is so much brighter than any of the other stars."

"On that night it would have been ten times brighter than the brightest star," explained Dr. Arlin Crotts of Columbia University.

John Nance, a former commercial pilot and ABC News aviation analyst, said it was "not outlandish" for a pilot to confuse an object as bright as Venus for an oncoming aircraft. "What's surprising is that it went far enough to take evasive action," said Nance.

A passenger on-board the flight captured the aftermath of the incident on video, now posted on YouTube. "We just had the most amazing turbulence," says the passenger, who notes that another passenger's laptop had gone flying. "I hit the roof, everyone is safe, but this is part of the damage," she says, showing damage to the overhead bins.

Tired Skies: Pilot Fatigue

According to the report, the first officer had slept 75 minutes, and was suffering from "sleep inertia" and fatigue. Canadian regulations permit 40-minute naps, and pilots and co-pilots are supposed to be allowed an extra 15 minutes once awake to regain full alertness. U.S. rules do not allow in-cockpit naps.

"This occurrence underscores the challenge of managing fatigue on the flight deck," said lead investigator Jon Lee in a statement.

ABC News explored the connection between pilot sleep, or the lack of it, and air safety, in a series of reports in 2011.

In the U.S., more than two dozen accidents and more than 250 fatalities between 1991 and 2011 have been linked to pilot fatigue, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB investigation into the Feb. 12, 2009 crash of Continental 3407, operated by Colgan Air, near Buffalo, N.Y., determined that both pilots were sleep-deprived at the time of the crash.

"Well-rested pilots are very important because studies have shown that being tired is equivalent to being drunk," said Mary Schiavo, former Inspector General of the Transportation Department. "In fact in recent studies, including by Harvard, Stamford, and others have shown that pilots that are sleep deprived behave as someone who has had a few drinks."

"Fatigue has a big impact on your ability to perform," said human fatigue expert Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, CEO of Circadian Technologies. "You might say that fatigue makes you stupid. In other words, all the things you learned in your training, in your hours in the simulator ... those things tend to fall away when you're in a fatigue state."

While the FAA has imposed some new rules to fight pilot fatigue, it did not address the problem of pilots who commute long distance to their bases, often spending the night in crew lounges, or in so-called crash pads near the airport, where quality sleep can be elusive. Both pilots in the Colgan crash were "commuters" who had slept in the airport crew lounge before the fatal flight.

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By Tom Hancock | SmartPlanet | April 17, 2012


ABB's Shanghai factory is shipping increasing numbers of robots to factories in China.


SHANGHAI — In a factory outside Shanghai, workers run tests on a new batch of bright-orange robotic arms, set for shipping to Europe. Its mid-afternoon by the time daytime orders from Norway or Sweeden reach China, and the factory, owned by Swiss robot manufacturer ABB, often operates late into the night. But recently ABB staff have been leaving work little earlier, as the company sells increasing numbers of its robot-arms to Chinese-based manufacturers. “The market has shifted,” Lars Rotseth, the factory’s manager, said.

ABB’s sales to Chinese firms were up more than 20 percent last year, reflecting a rapid rise in demand for robots in China, which will overtake Japan as the world’s largest robot market by 2013, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

China’s automobile and electronics manufacturers have driven most of the recent growth, according to Gu Chunyuan, head of ABB China’s robotics division. The Chinese market for automotive robots, used for welding and spray painting “really started to take off in the 2000s,” he said.

Chinese emanufacturers are turning to robot labor for tasks such as laser welding, according to Gu. “If you open up your mobile phone and look at the welded parts inside, more of that is being done by robots,” he said.




Robots are finding some unusual applications in
China, like this pair of wind-turbine painters.


Rising labor costs in China, where the average minimum wage increased by more than 20 percent last year, has driven Chinese manufacturers to consider employing more robots.

“Salary inflation is the driving force behind robot demand in China,” Michel Demare, ABB’s chief financial officer, told media earlier this year.

Chinese factory owners have other reasons to favor automated workers. Most Chinese factories are idle when workers return home to their families during Chinese New Year, an occasion robots generally treat with indifference. “It’s about maintaining stability of production” Gu said.

New recruits to Chinese factories often quit within weeks, driving up training costs. “It’s difficult to maintain the quality of the human workforce,” he said.

Foreign robot manufacturers, which dominate China’s industrial robot market, are altering their strategies to meet growing Chinese demand. Kuka, Europe’s largest industrial robot firm, has announced plans build a regional hub in China to develop sales. ABB’s Shanghai-based team designed the small-scale “Dragon” robot specifically for use in Chinese consumer electronics factories. “The design team is 99 percent Chinese-educated,” Gu said.




ABB's "Dragon" robot-arm was designed specifically for use in China.


Foxconn, which manufacturers Apple products in China, has pledged to install one million robots at its plants by 2013, equalling the firm’s current total number of human workers. “They are a visionary company,” Gu said. “[Foxconn] know there will be a labour shortage in China in a few years,” he said. “You can call it insurance against the future.”

Future growth in China’s robot market may come from some unusual sectors. China’s renewable energy firms use robots to paint wind turbine blades. A Chinese government food-safety drive is pushing food and beverage manufacturers to use robot arms for packaging foodstuffs, Gu said.

China’s historic reliance on human-labour for manufacturing mean robot manufacturers see plenty of room for growth. “Penetration of robots in [Chinese factories] is extremely low,” Gu said. China’s “robot density,” a measure of the total number of robots in use relative to manufacturing workers, stands at less than one third of Japan’s and less than half of Germany’s, according to the World Robotics Foundation. “Chinese companies are looking at the long term,” Gu said “they want to insure the stability of their workforce.”

Pictures: ABB.

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By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | April 18, 2012


Summary: If you’re working over unencrypted Wi-Fi, Google, and anyone else, may be able to legally listen in to what you’re doing.



If you have the tools and know what you're doing it's easy to spy on people on an open Wi-Fi network.


Recently, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a $25,000 fine against Google for “deliberately impeded and delayed” an ongoing investigation into whether it breached federal laws over its street-mapping service that peeked in on open, unencrypted, Wi-Fi access points (AP). Read that again, Google wasn’t fined for collecting and storing data from unencrypted wireless networks. They were fined a slap on the wrist amount for not answering the FCC questions as quickly and as thoroughly as the FCC would have liked. The actual snooping in on people Wi-Fi AP and communications–that’s OK.


Google argued that “the Wiretap Act permits the interception of unencrypted Wi-Fi communications. The FCC agreed. To quote from the FCC’s Notice of Apparent Liability for the Google case, “It shall not be unlawful under this chapter or chapter 121 of this title for any person … to intercept or access an electronic communication made through an electronic communication system that is configured so that such electronic communication is readily accessible to the general public.” In short, if your Wi-Fi isn’t configured to be secure by the use of WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) or even the long broken Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP), then by the FCC’s rules it’s not illegal to listen in on it.


As the FCC warns you in its FCC Consumer Tip Sheet: Wi-Fi Networks and Consumer Privacy, “consumers are at risk when they transmit sensitive information - such as credit card numbers and passwords - over public Wi-Fi networks.” Now, if someone grabs that information and uses it for illegal purposes-say they buy themselves an iPad 3 with your credit card number–that’s another story. But, simply grabbing your data as you transmit it in the clear over your local coffee shop’s network, the FCC doesn’t have a problem with that.


It’s also trivial to do. The Firefox-based ethical hacking program, Firesheep showed that anyone can grab your data from an open network. Anyone who knows the first thing about network administration can use network protocol analyzers like WireShark to track your ever move on an unsecured network.


As Jason Glassberg, co-founder of Casaba, a cyber-security firm based in Seattle observed, while “the questions of legality are beyond our purview, however I do believe there needs to be a distinction between collecting unencrypted data and using that data for malicious purposes. I can drive around all day collecting information from unencrypted networks, but as soon as I use any of that data, even if it’s to join that network as an unauthorized user, I have a crossed a line.”


Dr. John Michener, Casaba’s chief scientist adds that, “If you make an analogy to shortwave radio and radio HAMs you would expect that unencrypted radio communications are expected to be intercepted. This is clearly not the use context of Wi-Fi. Until recently, people tended to use unprotected Wi-Fi, which allows easy interception. If viewed this way, the user doesn’t care–because if the user cared, they would have set either WEP (essentially broken) or WPA protection.” And, that is how the FCC sees it, but is that all there is to it?


Richard Santalesa, an attorney with the Information Law Group states that “it’s a violation of many state laws to tap into another’s Internet access (outside of say McDonald’s, Starbucks, the library etc which expressly provided the service for same) under various theft of service laws.”


Attorneys at the local level agree. Mark Hankins, an attorney in Florida, thinks, “tapping Wi-Fi would be a third-degree felony” because according to the Florida law 815.06,


Whoever willfully, knowingly, and without authorization:?(1)
(a) Accesses or causes to be accessed any computer, computer system, or? computer network; … commits an offense against computer users.
Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), whoever violates subsection (1) commits a felony of the third degree.”?(2)(a)
Andrew Jacobson, founder of the Bay Oak Law firm, believes that unauthorized listening of unencrypted Wi-Fi might break a national law as well. Under 18 USC 1030, Fraud and related activity in connection with computers, “Accessing someone else’s Wi-Fi is arguably a criminal offense, because you are accessing computers (in this case, the Internet) without the authority of the Wi-Fi’s owner. Interestingly, it would probably not be a civil offense under the same law, because that requires more than $5000 in damages in one year.”


So is the FCC wrong? Maybe. Maybe not. Other experts think “Ultimately, the FCC controls how radio transmissions are used and it’s that agency’s rules that apply. In general, the FCC preempts any state regulations involving the radio spectrum.”


We can argue for ages though about whose rules apply, whether it’s illegal or not to eavesdrop, on someone’s unprotected Wi-Fi. Here’s the simple real-world truth, says Seth David Schoen, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) Senior Staff Technologist, “it’s easy to intercept data from open Wi-Fi networks and users should be using encryption whenever they use the Internet. Not everyone with a van is going to get caught.”


Exactly. If you’re going to use open Wi-Fi networks you should use Virtual Private Networks (VPN)s or the EFF’s HTTPS Everywhere to help secure your Web site connections. If you don’t, well, be ready to have your information tapped by any Tom, Dick, or Harry. And, depending on the circumstances, be prepared to deal with them being able to get away with it in a court of law as well.


Related Stories:

FCC proposes fine for Google Wi-Fi snooping case ‘obstruction’

Google extends secure search

New ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ Web browser extension released

Wi-Fi Protected Setup is Busted

Firesheep’s Real Lesson: Take Wi-Fi Security Seriously

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Karla Adam | Friday, Apr 20, 2012
On June 3, Queen Elizabeth II will step — no doubt with sensible shoes — aboard the Spirit of Chartwell, a 210-foot luxury cruiser formerly owned by District-based National Geographic, in a royal procession along the Thames to celebrate her six decades on the throne.


The event has been billed as the crowning moment in the queen’s Diamond Jubilee, a year when Britons are raising a metaphorical pint to their long-serving head of state.


Currently docked in east London, the elegant cruiser is modeled after a 1929 railway carriage and has expansive hardwood floors, a grand piano and decorative designs made by the family firm that supplied artifacts for the doomed Titanic.


The fourth and final test that the vessel is river-worthy will be a rehearsal trip down the Thames on Monday (a date chosen because the river conditions are expected to resemble those on June 3). Assuming the Spirit of Chartwell proves it’s fit for the trip, the boat will retreat to a secret location for its final transformation into something resembling a royal barge from the 17th and 18th centuries.


There’s no escaping the jubilee, which is dominating the news with the queen offering gloved handshakes at events across the country. But the main merrymaking will occur during a four-day holiday weekend in June, and the festivities will come to a head with the 1,000-boat river pageant.


Philip Morrell, the owner of the Spirit of Chartwell, has better insight than most about what goes into organizing a flotilla traveling seven miles from Putney in west London to Tower Bridge in the east.


“There are so many people involved, you wouldn’t believe it,” Morrell said in a recent interview on his boat, as a workman’s head popped into view outside one of the ship’s panoramic windows. The man, who introduced himself as Simon, was outfitting the entire superstructure in 490 yards of gold-tinted film. Staring at his work, he muttered: “This better not fall off in front of 3 billion people, otherwise we will be at the airport trying to get out.”


Since January, Morrell has welcomed a small village aboard his yacht: awning makers, cinematographers, set designers, floral experts, sculptors, carpet manufacturers, throne designers, naval architects, embroiderers, Buckingham Palace officials, Clarence House officials and the police. The queen’s dressers? They popped in recently to jot down the colors and ensure there are no sartorial atrocities on the big day.


Although this summer’s pageant is being billed as the biggest of its kind in 350 years, it was once common to see royal processions on the Thames, which is sometimes called “liquid history” and was for centuries the main highway into Britain. For example, when Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, became queen, she traveled to her coronation on a barge along the Thames. When her husband had her tried for adultery, Boleyn traveled to her execution on a barge on the Thames.


One of the main organizers behind the river pageant is Adrian Evans, who has been planning the intricacies of the privately funded event for nearly three years. Despite his experience organizing carnivals, he said the Thames, a tidal river that rises and falls about 23 feet during the course of a day, adds “two or three dimensions to the problem.”


Also, he doesn’t want one boat after another to simply float by for an hour and a half, even if that’s the safest option. “That would get boring. We want to cluster boats, play music, encourage people to shout, wave and scream. . . . We’re working against standard practice on the Thames.”


Selected from a pool of more than 3,000 applicants, the flotilla will include tugboats, rowboats, kayaks, at least one boat from every Commonwealth country, and pleasure cruisers carrying 30,000 people. One barge will sprout water, another fireworks and another will ferry the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Ten film composers, including “Downton Abbey” composer John Lunn, have been drafted to write new music that will blare from various barges.


The lead boat, a floating bell tower, will carry eight newly cast church bells that will ring and be answered by churches along the Thames.


The Spirit of Chartwell needs to stand out from all of that.


The queen, her husband and other members of the royal family won’t be traveling lightly. Organizers are planning to haul tons of extras aboard, including a terra-cotta clay sculpture for the prow and hundreds of red, gold and purple flowers plucked from the queen’s gardens.


Morrell says the pageant staff members were attracted to his ship’s safety features, which include four watertight compartments and a powerful propulsion system that allows the boat to whip around 360 degrees on its own length and leave quickly should it come under attack.


Although Morrell, 66, won’t be aboard during the big day, his children — Tom, 27, and Lara, 25 — will be working as stewards, dressed in uniforms modeled on those worn by U.S. soldiers. Morrell’s children were schoolmates with the Middletons, he said, adding, “Tom says Pippa had the hots for him.” (Kate Middleton married Prince William last year, and her sister, Pippa Middleton, was maid of honor.)


While Morrell says it has been an “honor” to lend his vessel, it’s unclear whether it was a sound financial decision. His ticket-selling cruiser will start its season sailing down the Thames after the jubilee, three months later than normal. And although there might be a “Kate effect” on sales of almost everything Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, even glances at, a similar “Queen effect” has yet to drive bookings on his boat.


Morrell met the queen’s husband, Prince Philip, at a low-key event when he was 12, and he says what impresses him most about the royal family members are the reams of “events they do that aren’t heralded or publicized.”


It seems unlikely that the river pageant will fall into that category.


adamk@washpost.com

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SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Photograph by NASA

In this jaw-dropping photo we see our beautiful planet Earth and the space shuttle Atlantis (STS-71) as seen from the Russian Federation
Mir Station. Exact coordinates as follows: Latitude (LAT): 44.6 · Longitude (LON): 37.0 · Altitude (ALT): 210 Nautical Miles ·
Sun Azimuth (AZI): 240° · Sun Elevation Angle (ELEV): 57°

Click here to see the massive 4000 x 4012 pixel version of this photograph.

via NASA Goodard Photo and Video on Flickr

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4 things you didn't learn in driver's ed

By Mac Demere | Popular Mechanics


Humans don't "rise to the occasion."

Instead, we fall to our level of training and experience. Archilochus, a Greek soldier–poet, wasn't thinking about driving when he said this 2800 years ago. But my experience as a race driver, driving instructor, and parent of teen drivers says he could have been.

I teach at B.R.A.K.E.S., a nonprofit advanced teen driving school founded by drag-racing champion Doug Herbert after both of his boys died in an avoidable accident. Here are a few of the school's advanced driving techniques that you can teach yourself... on a little-used dead-end road or other safe location at low speed.

Use Those Brakes for Goodness' Sake


Many people simply don't realize the amazing capability of ABS (antilock braking systems). As I've written before, most drivers aren't comfortable pushing a car to its limits; in an emergency they'd even rather run into something. But if you haven't practiced a full-on ABS stop, you might smash into an easily avoidable obstacle because you don't know that you can avoid it.

So they learn to tap the full power of ABS, I teach my students "stomp, stay, steer." First, stomp—hard—on the brake pedal. Pretend there's a photo on the pedal of your ex who fooled around with your best friend. Second, stay—again, hard—on the pedal. Ignore nasty sounds and the pulsations from pedal. You are not hurting the car. (When teaching ABS to the mothers of the B.R.A.K.E.S. students, yelling "Push, push, push!" works well.)

Finally, steer around the obstacle. The wonder of ABS is that it allows turning while braking, a skill that takes race drivers (who aren't driving with ABS) years to develop. Just remember that a little steering goes a long way: One big problem with ABS is that drivers turn the wheel too much and then release the pedal before centering the steering. Do this while the vehicle is still moving and it will dart into either oncoming traffic or a roadside ditch.

Remain Calm

Speaking of overcorrecting: A common cause of highway fatalities is a driver jerking the car back toward his or her lane after running partially off the right side of the road. It's especially common on rural two-laners. The sad thing is that these accidents and deaths are unnecessary—you don't need to pull hard to get the car back in your lane. The vehicle's left-side tires offer more than adequate traction except in the rarest of situations.

So if your mind wanders for a second (or you looked down at the incoming text on your phone) and your passenger's side wheels drop off the road, remain calm. Ease off the accelerator, allow the car to slow down on its own, look ahead for a safe place to return to the pavement, and gently move the steering wheel to the left to ease back into traffic. Avoid the brakes unless there's a damn good reason to get off the shoulder, such as an upcoming bridge or parked car, and then use only light braking. Practice this at about 20 mph if you want to get the hang of it.

Use Thumb Hangers... and Forget 10 and 2

A cop I know was once fiddling with the in-car computer with his right hand while driving the car with his left hand at 12 (the top of the steering wheel, for those of you young enough to be unfamiliar with analog clocks. We know you're out there.) When the distracted police officer smashed into a stopped car, the force of the airbag deployment flung his hand back into his face, and he broke out his front teeth with his own hand.

That, my friends, is why you don't drive with a hand at 12 o'clock. The 10 and 2 position, once the common wisdom of driver's ed classes, is also dead (or at least it should be) thanks to airbags. The proper position is 9 and 3, while the Italian-esque 8 and 4 is more than acceptable. Don't do those hand-over-hand turns anymore, either.

Most modern steering wheels have "thumb hangers" that naturally put your hands at 9 and 3 so you won't smack yourself if an airbag deploys. Below 14 mph (the approximate speed for airbag deployment) I don't care where put your hands. Nor will I get bent out of shape if you cross over 11 or 1 in an urgent situation. But my students need a good reason to cross 12 o'clock.

Train Yourself to React

Even the most cautious and conscientious driver will eventually face an emergency skill test. If you don't train for it, you'll fail. (Archilochus said so.)

I see this all the time during a B.R.A.K.E.S. exercise that requires an urgent lane change. Our course features a single lane of traffic that widens out suddenly to three, and then narrows again to one just as quickly. Although there are no other cars on the road during our tests, I tell the kids to imagine it this way: Granny has stopped abruptly in the center of a three-lane road. In the hypothetical scenario, two Ford Expeditions are tailgating her car. When she hits the brakes, one dodges to the left, the other to the right, revealing the car stopped in the center lane. Even if the student has left a safe following distance, she's left with two seconds to take action.

It's a valuable test, because even good drivers will probably do nothing but smash into the back of the car if they haven't prepared for this—there's just not enough time to think and then react. When students do the exercise properly and quickly veer into one of the neighboring lanes to avoid danger, the tires barely moan and the car remains stable.

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Stop Poisoning Your Body With 'Food'
Ten Most Common Food Additives (Toxic, Deadly)
Jennifer Harrington
ABC News

Want to look better and feel better? What if you could avoid just 10 food ingredients and make a huge improvement in your health. Paula Owens (PaulaOwens.com) the author of "The Power Of 4" says avoiding these 10 things will change your body dramatically. Owens has a master's degree in holistic nutrition and a bachelors degree in kinesiology. She explains what ingredients to avoid and how your body will benefit if you avoid them. 1. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS) HFCS is the number one source of calories for most Americans and causes obesity. You'll find high-fructose corn syrup in processed food, fast food, sodas, syrup that goes into your Latte, etc. HFCS is extremely toxic to your liver, increases inflammation, causes obesity, oxidative stress and creates an aggressive insulin response. 2. ALL PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS (TRANS FATS) Partially hydrogenated oils are found in thousands of processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips). Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease and contribute to obesity. Restaurant food, especially from fast food chains, often serve food loaded with trans fats. Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include: * increased inflammation * decreased immune function * decreased testosterone * Arthritis * Cancer * Decrease IQ * learning disabilities. American IQ has dropped 20 points in the past 20 years. * Diabetes * Elevated blood pressure * Free radical production * Heart Disease * Interferes with neurological & visual development of fetus * Liver damage * Obesity * Osteoporosis * Type II diabetes 3. MSG Monosodium glutamate is a chemical that has been associated with reproductive disorders, migraine headaches, permanent damage to the endocrine system leading to obesity and other serious disorders. MSG is used in many foods as a taste enhancer. It is linked to reduced fertility. 4. SODIUM NITRATE This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer. 5. REFINED SOY When it comes to soy, much of what we read and hear about comes from the people who market it. Before you mix up a soy shake, snack on a soy protein bar or pour yourself a glass of soy milk consider this: unfermented, processed soy inhibits the thyroid, is deficient in amino acids, is toxic to infants and shrinks the brain. There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese and other soy junk foods that are disguised as health foods. 6. WHITE SUGAR Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Sugar has a profound influence on your brain function and your psychological function. When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases excess amounts of insulin, which in turn causes a drop in your blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia. In addition, sugar is pro-flammatory damages skin collagen and promotes wrinkles, increases your appetite, depletes your body of B vitamins, causes joint degeneration, ADHD and other behavior disorders, stimulates cholesterol synthesis and weight gain. 7. SODIUM CHLORIDE Commercial table salt is highly processed and full of aluminum, chemicals and additives which are toxic. Opt for a healthier version such as Bragg's amino acids or Celtic sea salt (light pink, grey or beige color). 8. ASPARTAME, SPLENDA, SWEET N LOW, EQUAL Aspartame is an artificial, chemical sweetener found in many foods and beverages including desserts, gelatins, protein powder, low calorie foods, drink mixes and sodas. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness, migraine headaches, weight gain, increased appetite, bloating, rashes or hallucinations. Aspartame poisoning mimics symptoms of MS. NutraSweet is in over 7,000 foods! Side effects: * Increased heart disease * Bloating and edema * Brain seizures * Cancer * Cravings * Headaches * Predispose you to Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease * Rashes and hives * Weight gain * results in obesity 9. FOOD COLORINGS (Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6) Six food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. There is evidence that food coloring and food additives contribute to behavioral problems in children, lead to lower IQ, hyperactivity, ADHD, depression, hormonal dysfunction and cancer. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, ice cream candy and baked goods have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. This harmful artificial color causes cancer and changes in brain chemistry. Read the list of ingredients in your child's cough syrup (artificial color). Green 3 is a potential allergen and has been linked to bladder cancer. Green 3 is added to candy, mint jelly, cereals and beverages. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods, cereals and pet food have been linked to allergies and cancer. Yellow 5 is the most notable artificial color because it causes the most immediate allergic reaction in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin. Yellow 6 has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. Yellow 6 is added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods and candy. Take home message * Stay away from any product listing an ingredient with a color plus a number. 10. PROCESSED/REFINED WHEAT AND GLUTEN Refined grains are devoid of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels and are highly allergenic for many individuals. Wheat and gluten have adverse health affects for approximately 80 percent of the population. Gluten is a protein found combined with starch in the endosperm of grains, notably wheat, rye and barley. Gluten intolerance/sensitivity is severely misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed one estimate says that 97 percent of all sufferers don't know they have the disease due to unfamiliarity with it among U.S. physicians. Signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the healthy mucosa, or lining tissue of the small intestine causing an autoimmune response that's similar to an allergic reaction. In some cases there may be symptoms in childhood such as allergies, asthma, anemia, reoccurring infections, a constant upset stomach or milk intolerance. Other symptoms are nasal and throat mucous, feeling of food sitting in stomach, bloating, gas, diarrhea with periodic constipation, mental fogginess and skin rashes. In severe cases, as with Celiac disease, there can be seizures, psychosis, violent behavior and withdrawal from self. Eliminate gluten-products for 3-4 weeks and tell me how great you feel.It's important to form a habit of reading the list of ingredients on ALL products!

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'Goat Man' in Utah Mountains Identified as Hunter

By BRIAN SKOLOFF Associated Press.
Via Fluent News





A man spotted dressed in a goat suit among a herd of wild goats in the mountains of northern Utah has been identified as a hunter preparing for a Canadian archery season.


After a hiker spotted the so-called goat man on July 15 in the mountains above Ogden, about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, wildlife officials said they wanted to talk to the person to be certain he was aware of the dangers as hunting season approaches.


They speculated he might have been an extreme wildlife enthusiast who just wanted to get as close as possible to the goats. A few days after the spotting, state wildlife authorities received an anonymous call from an "agitated man" who simply said, "Leave goat man alone. He's done nothing wrong."


This week, however, the mystery was solved.


Phil Douglass of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said he received a call Monday from a 57-year-old Southern California hunter who explained he was merely trying out his goat suit in preparation for a mountain goat hunt in Canada next year.


"He gave me enough details about the area and the situation that it made me feel confident this was him," Douglass said Tuesday.


"In talking to him, I felt he was very knowledgeable, a very experienced hunter. He's hunted internationally," Douglass added. "My concern all along was that this person needed to understand the risks, and certainly after talking to him, I felt he was doing the best he could to understand and mitigate those risks ... He was simply preparing for a hunt."


The man did not identify himself, Douglass said, noting the hunter was concerned for his safety after widespread media coverage of the sighting, first reported by the Standard-Examiner of Ogden.


Coty Creighton, 33, spotted the goat man July 15 during his hike. He said he came across a herd, but noticed something odd about one goat that was trailing behind the rest.


"I thought maybe it was injured," Creighton said last week. "It just looked odd."


He said he pulled out binoculars to get a closer look at the goats about 200 yards away and was shocked. The man appeared to be acting like a goat while wearing a crudely made costume, which had fake horns and a cloth mask with cut-out eye holes, Creighton said.


"We were the only ones around for miles," he said. "It was real creepy."
Douglass said 60 permits will be issued for goat hunting season in that area, which begins in September, and he had worried the man in the goat suit might be accidentally shot or could be attacked by a real goat.
He said the hunter described the goat costume as merely a hooded painter's uniform and a fleece.


Douglass said wildlife officials encourage archery hunters to practice their skills and to "get themselves in a position where they make a clean and humane shot."


"That's exactly what he was doing," Douglass said. "There are laws that require people to wear hunter orange during rifle hunts, but people do wear camo during archery hunts."


And while it's not illegal to dress up like the animal you're trying to kill, Douglass said it's still dangerous.


"It's unwise," he said. "It's just a bad idea all the way around to do that kind of thing."

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HEALTH ALERT - Pet Product Recalls by FDA

By: Petplace Veterinarians

Here is a list of News and recalls from the FDA:

7/16/12 -
Questions and Answers Regarding ChickenJerky Treats from China
Updated Questions and Answers Regarding Chicken Jerky Treats from China


(includeslink to Jerky Pet Food Lab Samples Analyzed spreadsheet)


7/13/12 - Voluntary Recall of
Feed Solutions Feed Products Due to Potential Elevated Vitamin D Level

7/13/12 - Voluntary Recall of
Purina® Products Due to Potential Elevated Vitamin D Level


7/3/12 - Voluntary Recall of LabDiet and Mazuri Feed Products due to the potential for an elevated vitamin D level in these products.

6/30/12 - Mars Petcare US Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Pedigree® Brand Wet Dog Food.

5/18/12 - Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall for Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food Production Code DSL 0801 Due to Small Potential for Salmonella Contamination

5/11/12 - Nestlé Purina Voluntarily Recalls Single Lot of Therapeutic Canned Cat Food Due to A Low Level of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

5/11/12 - Correction to Date Code in Correction to Date Code in Natural Balance Pet Foods' Voluntary Recall Dated May 4, 2012 Due to the Potential for Salmonella Contamination

05/08/12 - Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc. Recalls Dog Food Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

05/07/12 - Wellpet LLC Voluntarily Recalls One Recipe Of Dry Dog Food Due To Salmonella At Diamond Pet Foods' Facility –

05/05/12 - UPDATED: CORRECT PRODUCTION CODE INFORMATION -Canidae Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella

05/04/12 - Apex Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella - No Pet or Human Illnesses have been Reported Associated With Apex Dog Food

05/04/12 -Natural Balance Pet Foods Initiates Voluntary Recall of Certain Dry Pet Food Due to the Potential for Salmonella Contamination

05/04/12 -UPDATED: CORRECT PRODUCTION CODE INFORMATION - Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Food Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination –

04/30/12 - Kaytee Recalls Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

04/30/12 - Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall to Include Diamond Puppy Formula due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

04/26/12 - Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall of One Production Run of Dry Dog Food Due to a Potential Health Risk

04/17/12 - Product Recall Information of Baby Bird & Baby Macaw Feeding Formula - Kaytee, a Central Garden & Pet brand, is recalling two products, Kaytee exact® Hand Feeding Formula Baby Birds and Kaytee exact® Hand Feeding Formula Baby Macaw, due to high levels of vitamin D. These products are used primarily by bird breeders for feeding baby birds. Baby birds being fed the formula may run the risk of kidney failure when ingesting the product.

04/10/12 - Diamond Pet Foods Voluntarily Recalls Limited Number of Dry Dog Food Bags Due to a Potential Health Risk. Recall is limited to one formula of Diamond Naturals distributed to 12 states; no illnesses reported

03/9/12 - Questions and Answers Regarding Chicken Jerky Treats from China

03/7/12 - Cargill Animal Nutrition Conducts Regional Recall of Nutrena NatureWise ® Goat Pellets

03/03/12 - Western Feed, LLC Conducts Voluntary Recall of Feed
Distributed In Nebraska And Wyoming.

12/14/11 - Updated New Release With Corrected Lot Numbers
Petrus Feed And Seed Stores, Inc. Recalls Its 21% Dog Food

12/13/11 - O'Neal's Feeders Supply, Inc. Recalls Arrow Brand Dry Dog Food

12/07/11 - Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and MarksmanDry Dog Food

12/06/11 - P&G Voluntarily Recalls One Production Lot of Dry Dog Food

11/18/11 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs.

11/17/11 - The Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of Prascend (pergolide mesylate) for the control of clinical signs associated with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID orEquine Cushing's disease in horses.

08/08/11 - Merrick Pet Care Recalls Doggie Wishbone (Item #29050, Lot 11031 Best by 30 Jan 2013) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk


7/29/11 - Nestlé Purina Recalls Limited Number of Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Dry Cat Food Bags Due to a Potential Health Risk. Some bags of the product have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella.

7/27/11 - FDA Approves First Drug to Treat Urinary Incontinence in Female Dogs.

6/27/11 - Nestlé Purina Recalls Limited Number of Dry Cat Food BagsDue to a Potential Health Risk (Shipped Only to Colorado, Idaho and Oregon)

6/3/11 - Bravo! Issues Nationwide Recall of Bravo! Pig Ears Dog Chews Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

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Sponsored by Red Bull

By GINA SUNSERI






Felix Baumgartner has a tattoo on his arm: "Born to Fly." He will put that to the ultimate test on Monday, when he attempts a record-settingdeath-defying jump from the edge of space.


"I practiced this for so many years and now we are almost there," he said. "So this is my biggest dream, and we are one step closer."


One step closer to a dream that would be nightmare for most people -- stepping out of a capsule 120,000 feet (23 miles) above Roswell, New Mexico to plummet back to Earth at 690 mph. If all goes as hoped, he will be in freefall for almost five minutes, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier outside an aircraft. He will break records that have stood for 52 years. Red Bull is sponsoring this mission, called Stratos, and its team of 200 has worked for five years to make this mission a success.


He already jumped from 90,000 feetin July. That was practice.


Every member of the team acknowledges the risks: extreme cold, the vacuum of space, temperature fluctuations, an uncontrolled flat spin that could hit 220 rpm, drogue chute failure, spacesuit puncture, life support systems failure.


Baumgartner will ascend in a pressurized capsule at dawn, in a balloon that will be 700 feet tall when filled with helium. The preparations start at midnight, with an hour or so to oxygenate Baumgartner, to purge his body of nitrogen.


The ascent to 120,000 feet will take a couple of hours. Once Baumgartner reaches altitude, he will depressurize the capsule, step out onto a ledge, and dive back down to Earth -- a plunge that could take seven minutes. He will have parachutes to slow him down when he hits 5,000 feet or terminal velocity. Terminal velocity occurs when a falling body experiences zero acceleration – as he gets closer to Earth the atmosphere gets denser so he will slow down and there will be less friction on his spacesuit. Or so they hope.


Dr. Jonathan Clark heads the medical team and ticks off the risks on his fingers: "If you are going to be above 50 thousand feet you wear a pressure suit, above 63 thousand feet the water in your body would start to boil and your body is 70 percent water."


If Baumgartner succeeds he will break the record set on August 16, 1960 when Air Force Colonel Joe Kittinger jumped from a balloon at an altitude of 102,900 feet. He fell for almost five minutes before opening a parachute to slow his decent at 18,000 feet. He made history for the highest balloon ascent, the highest parachute jump, and the fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere.


And Kittinger is Baumgartner's coach for this jump -- happy, he says, to see someone finally break his record. "There is a reason my record has stood for 52 years -- this is a calculated risk, you understand the risks that you know about but there is always unknowns. The biggest unknown we face is that nobody has transited the sound barrier without the aid of an aircraft."


Luke Aiken preps Baumgartner's parachutes before the jump and says it is like suiting up before the big game on Sunday. "It's like you are going through the playoffs in a series, you know, and you make it through each round, and instead of the pressure getting less it gets more and more every step of the way," he said. "We are approaching the Super Bowl."


Baumgartner skydived from 96,000 feet in July, and told ABC News it was a mystical experience. "It is overwhelming, you are standing there in a pressure suit, the only thing you hear is yourself breathing, Joe's voice [by radio], and you can see the curvature of the Earth. The sky is totally black, you have never seen such a black sky and you know there is only one person in the whole world who has been higher."


His mother, Baumgartner says, always lights a candle before one of his death-defying feats. "Because if you run out of luck, if you run out of skills, there is nothing left and these are the very rare moments when you believe in God. And you really hope he is not letting you down."

[Spin_Drift]

Tyler Falk | December 31, 2012 02:15pm PST
Kansas City is using sewer sludge to turn a profit.


After cities have cleaned out waste in water treatment plants, they’re left with clean water and something called sewer sludge that’s packed with human waste, toxins, and other impurities you wouldn’t want in your water. Kansas City treated it like other cities and burned it in incinerators. Until they realized its value.


Now the city uses the sludge as fertilizer on its 1,340 acres of city-owned corn and soybean fields. Don’t worry, the crops aren’t used for human (food) consumption. Instead, the city sells the crops to biofuel makers. It’s an endeavor that’s turned into a money maker for the city, The Kansas City Star reports:


The ingenious part of the equation is that Kansas City has made $2.1 million in net income over the past six years doing something that used to cost it money.


“That is fantastic,” said Tammy Zborel, who works with a sustainability program for the National League of Cities. “That is not a common practice for cities to engage in that level of farming.”


The city still uses the incinerator for some of the sewer sludge, but it’s only a fraction of the amount it uses on the fields. In 2011, 9,982 tons of sludge were used as fertilizer, while only 2,044 tons were incinerated. Impressive.

from: Kansas City-owned farm turns human waste into revenue [Kansas City Star]

[Spin_Drift]

Iceland teen known legally as 'girl' fights for right to name
Fluent News Jan 03, 2013
Call her the girl with no name.


A 15-year-old is suing the Icelandic state for the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother. The problem? Blaer, which means "light breeze" in Icelandic, is not on a list approved by the government.


Like a handful of other countries, including Germany and Denmark, Iceland has official rules about what a baby can be named. In a country comfortable with a firm state role, most people don't question the Personal Names Register, a list of 1,712 male names and 1,853 female names that fit Icelandic grammar and pronunciation rules and that officials maintain will protect children from embarrassment. Parents can take from the list or apply to a special committee that has the power to say yea or nay.


In Blaer's case, her mother said she learned the name wasn't on the register only after the priest who baptized the child later informed her he had mistakenly allowed it.


"I had no idea that the name wasn't on the list, the famous list of names that you can choose from," said Bjork Eidsdottir, adding she knew a Blaer whose name was accepted in 1973. This time, the panel turned it down on the grounds that the word Blaer takes a masculine article, despite the fact that it was used for a female character in a novel by Iceland's revered Nobel Prize-winning author Halldor Laxness.


Given names are even more significant in tiny Iceland that in many other countries: Everyone is listed in the phone book by their first names. Surnames are based on a parent's given name. Even the president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, is addressed simply as Olafur.


Blaer is identified as "Stulka" -- or "girl" -- on all her official documents, which has led to years of frustration as she has had to explain the whole story at the bank, renewing her passport and dealing with the country's bureaucracy.


Her mother is hoping that will change with her suit, the first time someone has challenged a names committee decision in court.


Though the law has become more relaxed in recent years -- with the name Elvis permitted, inspired by the charismatic rock and roll icon whose name fits Icelandic guidelines -- choices like Cara, Carolina, Cesil, and Christa have been rejected outright because the letter "c" is not part of Iceland's 32-letter alphabet.


"The law is pretty straightforward so in many cases it's clearly going to be a yes or a no," said Agusta Thorbergsdottir, the head of the committee, a panel of three people appointed by the government to a four-year term.


Other cases are more subjective.


"What one person finds beautiful, another person may find ugly," she acknowledged. She pointed to "Satania" as one unacceptable case because it was deemed too close to "Satan."


The board also has veto power over people who want to change their names later in life, rejecting, for instance, middle names like Zeppelin and X.


When the artist Birgir Orn Thoroddsen applied to have his name legally changed to Curver, which he had used in one form or another since age 15, he said he knew full well the committee would reject his application.


"I was inspired by Prince who changed his name to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince and Puff Daddy who changed his to P. Diddy and then Diddy with seemingly little thought or criticism," he said. "I applied to the committee, but of course I got the `No' that I expected."


On his thirtieth birthday, he bought a full-page advertisement that read, "From February 1, 2006, I hereby change my name to Curver Thoroddsen. I ask the nation, my friends and colleagues to respect my decision."


"I can understand a clause to protect children from being named something like `Dog poo,' but it is strange that an adult cannot change his name to what he truly wants," he said.


Thoroddsen is keeping his protest to the media. But Eidsdottir says she is prepared to take her case all the way to the country's Supreme Court if a court doesn't overturn the commission decision on Jan. 25.


"So many strange names have been allowed, which makes this even more frustrating because Blaer is a perfectly Icelandic name," Eidsdottir said. "It seems like a basic human right to be able to name your child what you want, especially if it doesn't harm your child in any way."

"And my daughter loves her name," she added.

[Spin_Drift]

Sarah Korones | Smart Planet | December 30, 2012 06:53pm PST
A lens that converts light to sound could lead to painless, noninvasive surgeries.


Researchers from the University of Michigan are well on their way to creating an “invisible scalpel” by using a super-precise lens that can covert light to sound.


By coating a lens with carbon nanotubes, the scientists were able to focus sound waves to finer points than ever before, which could someday lead to painless and noninvasive surgeries.


Unlike the somewhat bulky ultrasound technology that doctors use to blast kidney stones and prostrate tumors today, the Michigan team’s sound wave beam can be concentrated to an extremely precise 75 micrometers. The beam can blast and cut using pressure, rather than heat, and can operate so precisely that it’s possible it could avoid nerve fibers all together.


“We believe this could be used as an invisible knife for noninvasive surgery,” team leader and professor of electrical engineering Jay Guo said in a statement. “Nothing pokes into your body, just the ultrasound beam. And it is so tightly focused, you can disrupt individual cells.”
To convert light to sound, the researchers coated their lens with carbon nanotubes and a rubbery compound called polydimethylsiloxane. The carbon nanotube layer absorbs light and uses it to generate heat causing the rubbery layer to expand and resulting in a sound wave that is 10,000 times higher frequency than humans can hear.


The team hopes that someday the beam will be used to blast cancerous tumors or even deliver drugs to single cells. Read more about Guo’s research in the latest issue of Scientific Reports.


[via Futurity]

[Spin_Drift]

4 Ways to Prevent Potentially Deadly Blood Clots
Thursday, January 3, 2013 News Max | By Charlotte Libov

Hillary Clinton has been discharged from the hospital after treatment for a blood clot behind her right ear. The secretary of state’s health crisis has brought a spotlight to a condition that is common — and often fatal.


Blood clots are often a precursor to deadly or disabling strokes, heart attacks, or brain hemorrhages.


“Hillary Clinton does have an unusual type of blood clot, which may have been caused by the combination of a fall and dehydration, but there are other common types of blood clots that can be prevented,” says renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report.


Clinton was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after treatment for a blood clot that formed following a fall caused by fainting from dehydration during a bout with a stomach virus in mid-December. She suffered a concussion and was admitted to the hospital on Sunday after doctors found a clot in a large vein behind her ear.


She is being treated with anti-coagulants, and doctors say she is expected to make a full recovery. She also did not suffer any obvious neurological damage, her doctors have said.




According to Dr. Blaylock, blood clots most commonly occur in the legs and veins of the pelvis, where they are known as deep venous thrombosis (DVT). “A DVT can be fatal because the clot can go to the lungs, the person can’t get oxygen and can die,” Dr. Blaylock says.


Clots can also cause strokes, heart attacks, and bleeding in the brain.


However, most of the time, “people get short of breath” and go to the doctor, where the clots are diagnosed and treated with anti-coagulants and special medications used to dissolve them, Dr. Blaylock says.


DVTs are most often suffered by those who travel extensively and must sit still for hours on planes, and who are bedridden, confined to a wheelchair, or have their legs immobilized in a cast, he says.


Many people take a daily baby aspirin because it is touted as a blood thinner that can prevent heart attacks and strokes, but Dr. Blaylock is wary about aspirin's tendency to exacerbate stomach bleeding. He says that aspirin can also increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage.


But there are other safe steps you can take to minimize your blood clot risk:


• Take magnesium supplements. Most Americans don’t get enough magnesium, which plays a key role in preventing blood platelets from becoming too sticky and causing clots. “I recommend taking 500 mg of slow-release magnesium twice a day,” Dr. Blaylock says. “Magnesium is a very mild anti-coagulant, but it suppresses vein inflammation and strengthens the walls of the blood vessels so that clots are less likely to form.”


• Drink plenty of water. “Hillary Clinton flies all the time, so I’m sure she was constantly dehydrated and was at risk of travel-related clots,” Dr. Blaylock says.


• Try not to sit still for hours at a time, whether traveling, working, or at home. Get up and walk for a few minutes each hour. Or even just stand momentarily to get your circulation moving.


• Take daily supplements of vitamin B12, folic acid, and B6, which can lower concentrations of homocysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid in the blood. Homocysteine can weaken the walls of the blood vessels and cause inflammation that can lead to blood clots.

[Spin_Drift]

10 weird laws that took effect on New Year's Day
Caitlin Dewey Thursday, Jan 3, 2013

In California, peace officers can no longer sleep with prison inmates. In Kentucky, feral hogs can't return to the wild. And in Illinois, culinary students can legally drink alcohol -- but only if they agree to spit it out.


State legislatures enacted more than 29,000 laws in 2012, and 400 of them went into effect at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. From the outside at least, many of the news laws look pretty weird.


They all have their back stories, of course. Take that Illinois drinking law, catchily dubbed "Academic Sip and Spit." State colleges and culinary schools pushed hard for the law, which allows students aged 18 to 21 to taste (but not swallow) drinks during class, according to the State Journal-Register. They say it will make Illinois' culinary programs more competitive with those in states like California and New York -- the bill was even signed at Chicago's Kendall College, which boasts large hospitality and culinary programs.


Other unusual laws that appeared on the books this New Year's: In California, it's illegal to let a dog chase a bear or bobcat. Also in California, film producers must consult a board-certified pediatrician before filming a newborn. In Illinois, sex offenders can't give out candy on Halloween, play Santa or dress up as the Easter Bunny. In Florida, drivers can legally flash their lights at other cars to warn them of police speed traps. In California, drivers can't hang anything that obstructs their windshields. In Illinois, the term "pedestrian" now includes in-line skaters. In Florida, the term "motor vehicle" no longer includes swamp buggies.


Of course, these hardly compare to some of the strange laws that took effect last New Year's: Utah controversially outlawed happy hours, and Illinois made it legal for bikers and motorcyclists to roll through red lights.

[Spin_Drift]

Fluent News Jan 04, 2013

A bluefin tuna sold for a record $1.76 million at a Tokyo auction Saturday, nearly three times the previous high set last year.


In the year's first auction at Tokyo's sprawling Tsukiji fish market, a 222-kilogram (489-pound) tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen, said Ryoji Yagi, a market official.


The fish's tender pink and red meat is prized for sushi and sashimi, but bluefin tuna stocks have fallen globally over the past 15 years amid overfishing.


The winning bidder, Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co., which operates the Sushi-Zanmai restaurant chain, said "the price was a bit high," but that he wanted to "give Japan a boost," according to Kyodo News agency. He was planning to serve the fish to customers later Saturday.


Kimura also set the old record of 56.4 million yen at last year's New Year's auction, which tends to attract high bids as a celebratory way to kick off the new year — or get some publicity. The high prices don't necessarily reflect exceptionally high fish quality.


The price works out to a stunning 700,000 yen per kilogram, or $3,603 per pound.


The best slices of fatty bluefin — called "o-toro" here — can sell for 2,000 yen ($24) per piece at tony Tokyo sushi bars.


Japanese eat 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific Bluefin tuna caught, and much of the species caught worldwide is shipped to Japan for consumption. A 2010 stock assessment of the Pacific Bluefin indicated a declining population.


Stocks of bluefin caught in the Atlantic and Mediterranean plunged by 60 percent between 1997 and 2007 due to rampant, often illegal, overfishing and lax quotas. Although there has been some improvement in recent years, experts say the outlook for the species is still fragile.


In November, the 48 member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or ICCAT, voted to maintain strict catch limits on the species, although some countries argued for higher limits. The quota will be allowed to rise slightly from 12,900 metric tons a year to 13,500. Quotas were as high as 32,000 tons in 2006.

[Spin_Drift]

What are the safest cars to buy in 2013?
Charlie Osborne | January 6, 2013 01:44am PST
What are the best cars to buy this year when it comes down to safety in collisions and crashes?




Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET


IIHS has completed its testing of 2013 car models. Which came up top in safety rankings?


The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its annual Top Safety Pick award for 2013, which ranks new, commercially available vehicles based on a number of common driving incidents. Cars are ranked depending on how well they perform in common accidents including overlap crashes, frontal collisions, side impacts, rollovers and rear impacts — as well as whether drivers are protected from neck injuries.


If a car achieves the highest available ranking of “good” in at least four out of five evaluations, and a minimum of “acceptable” in the fifth, then it makes the list. In this year’s testing, 13 cars managed to secure the Top Safety Pick Plus award, while another 177 vehicles were labeled top safety picks.


“Of the 29 models evaluated so far in our small overlap frontal crash test, these 13 cars offer the highest level of all-around crash protection,” stated Adrian Lund, IIHS president. “We’re pleased to recognize them with our new Top Safety Pick+ award for 2013.”


The 2013 winners of the Top Safety Pick Plus award included the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Volkswagen Passat, Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. Most of the vehicles on the list are mid-range, moderately priced models, although two “luxury or near luxury” cars, the Acura TL and Volvo S60, are considered a top pick in safety.


When testing turned to cars with a good safety rating — but not the top dogs — cars ranging from the hefty Toyota Tundra pickup truck to the small Honda Fit managed to secure a good safety rating. IIHS does point out that heavier vehicles will generally do better than lighter ones in a collision, but that didn’t stop the pint-sized Fiat 500 from also earning a Top Safety Pick award.


The IIHS 2013 Top Safety Pick page lists all the winners of this year’s league table, with links to more detail on each model and in most cases video footage of the tests.

Link here for the safest automobile info; http://www.iihs.org/ratings/tsp_current.aspx

[J. Dillon]

An addition to Spinner's # 693 post:
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/...e-farming.html

The Chinese Have been doing it for centuries.

JD

[J. Dillon]

Around the time of King's visit, every year in China more than 182,000,000 tonnes of human manure was collected in cities and villages - 450 kilogram (900 pounds) per person per year. This was good for a total of 1,160,000 tonnes of nitrogen, 376,000 tonnes of potassium and 150,000 tonnes of phosphate which was returned to the soil. In 1908 Japan, 23,850,295 tonnes of "humanure" was collected and given back to the soil.

[Spin_Drift]

Around the time of King's visit, every year in China more than 182,000,000 tonnes of human manure was collected in cities and villages - 450 kilogram (900 pounds) per person per year. This was good for a total of 1,160,000 tonnes of nitrogen, 376,000 tonnes of potassium and 150,000 tonnes of phosphate which was returned to the soil. In 1908 Japan, 23,850,295 tonnes of "humanure" was collected and given back to the soil.

Great information. Very interesting. Thanks Jack....