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| Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan |
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Saturday, August 27, 2011
Astronomers have discovered planet made with diamond
Astronomers think they’ve found a star that was transformed and condensed into a planet made of solid diamond. An international research team made the discovery with scientists from Australia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including Michael Kramer from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany.
The team was able to detect the “diamond planet” with the 64-meter radio telescope in Parkes, Australia, and found that it orbits an unusual star known as a pulsar. The astronomers consolidated their findings with follow-up observations with the Lovell radio telescope in the United Kingdom and one of the Keck telescopes on Hawaii. The pulsar and its planet lie 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Serpens. The system is about a seventh of the way toward the galactic center from Earth and is part of the Milky Way’s plane of stars.
Pulsars are small spinning stars the size of cities like Cologne that emit a beam of radio waves. As the star spins and the radio beam sweeps repeatedly over Earth, radio telescopes detect a regular pattern of radio pulses.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Steve Job has resigned as CEO of Apple
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| Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple) |
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| Tim Cook & Steve Jobs |
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| Timothy D.Cook (the new CEO of Apple) |
Mr. Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant following pancreatic cancer, said he could no longer meet his chief executive's duties and expectations.The Silicon Valley legend will become chairman of the firm.The 56-year-old has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since 17 January.
"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," he said in a brief letter announcing his resignation.
I will say to investors: don't panic and remain calm, it's the right thing to do. Steve will be chairman and Cook is CEO," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.
"Investors are very comfortable with Tim Cook even though Jobs has been a driver of innovation and clearly an Apple success. Tim has shown Apple can still outperform extremely well when he's been acting as CEO," said Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross.
"I don't know if it's a health issue. I don't know if it is a shock. Most likely it was going to happen at some point. Why today versus another day? I don't know."
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Thursday, August 18, 2011
Russians to open space hotel
Russians plan to open a space hotel in 5years to come. This will be the first space hotel in history. This space hotel is expected to be launched in 2016.
The hotel will float 250 miles above the earth and will be able to accommodate a maximum of seven people at a time. Tourists who want to check in will have to undergo special training that can take up to three months, depending on the type of spacecraft they fly to the hotel. The firm says that stays can range from three days to six months.
Menus will be chosen before the clients are launched. Food is prepared on the ground and shipped to space, dehydrated." No impulsive late-night snacking then. There will be no shower, but you can clean yourself with wet wipes. Fun! You can't seek solace in alcohol either, because it’s banned on board.
For more information visit the links below:
Monday, August 15, 2011
August 15, the Independence Day of India
Today India is celebrating its Independence Day. It was August 15 1947 when India got her Independence from the British. This was after the struggling for Independence for several years. The struggling for Independence was led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who is the father of India.
Visit the following links to see what is happening today in India:
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (The father of the India Nation)
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| Mahatma Gandhi |
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| Mahatma Gandhi in his childhood |
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| Mahatma Gandhi in the dandi salt march |
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement. A pioneer of satyagraha, or resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence. Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma (or "Great Soul," an honorific first applied to him by Rabindranath Tagore). In India, he is also called Bapu (or "Father") and officially honoured as the Father of the Nation. His birthday, 2 October, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers in protesting excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, but above all for achieving Swaraj -the independence of India from foreign domination. Gandhi famously led Indians in protesting the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, on many occasions, in both South Africa and India.
Gandhi strove to practice non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn he had hand spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as means of both self-purification and social protest.
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Sunday, August 14, 2011
The neural process behind reaction time uncovered
Human beings who react to a stimulus with movement (say, react to a hot stove by moving their hand) can’t do so instantaneously. Some neural processing must occur beforehand, accounting for the gap between the moment when a racecar driver hears “GO!” and the moment when his foot hits the gas pedal (the gap between “planning” and “execution” of movement). Historically, scientists who have theorized about what that neural processing looks like have come up with something resembling the current “rise-to-threshold” hypothesis:
1. Person anticipates “go” signal. The anticipation (“planning”) causes neurons to begin firing–not enough to cause movement, but enough to prep for it.
2. Person receives “go” signal (pain from hot stove, gunshot signifying beginning of race). Neurons fire like crazy, initiating motion (“execution”).
By this commonsensical reasoning, the more anticipatory neuron action goes on before the “go” signal, the quicker a person will move in response to that signal.
Stanford researchers led by Krishna Shenoy, PhD, and Maneesh Sahani, PhD, however, have now successfully used a new technology to monitor individual neurons’ activity in real-time, allowing them to take a much more in-depth look at reaction times. Their findings, which appear in Neuron, contradict the “rise-to-threshold” hypothesis, offering for the first time a look into why individuals’ reaction times vary.
According to the release, reaction time has little to do with how long the “planning” period lasts, and a lot to do with the trajectory of the neural activity in the brain. The concept is fairly simple: the closer the neurons that fire during planning are to the neurons that must fire to initiate execution, the shorter the reaction time. The Stanford team was able to create a highly accurate model of what the reaction of any arm motion would be based on the accompanying neural activity.
Shenoy and Sahani hope their findings will help improve existing “neural prostheses” – that is, moving pieces such as artificial limbs or computer cursors that could be manipulated by the brain. These devices would be extremely useful for amputees and paralytics.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Anonymous vows to kill facebook on November 5
Citing privacy concern and security violation of user information, hacker group 'Anonymous' has vowed to kill the social networking site (Facebook).
Anonymous claimed the social network provides information to 'government agencies' so they can 'spy on people.
Anonymous has set November 5th, 2011 as the date to destroy Facebook, which in Britain is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Day, a commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot in which Fawkes placed explosives in the House of Lords in 1605.
Below is the video released by anonymous putting forward the reasons why they want to kill Facebook
"If you are a willing hacktivist or a guy who just wants to protect the freedom of information then join the cause and kill Facebook for the sake of your own privacy.”
“You are not safe. Facebook knows you more than your family.”
"Facebook has been selling information to government agencies and giving clandestine access to information security firms so that they can spy on people from around the world. Everything you do on Facebook stays on Facebook regardless of your 'privacy' settings, and deleting your account is impossible. Even if you "delete" your account, all your personal info stays on Facebook and can be recovered at any time.” Those were the words from anonymous.
Anonymous has claimed responsibility for every notable hacking attack this year, including the hacking into 70 law enforcement websites and took down the Syrian Ministry of Defense website.
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Kanye West says "people look at me like I'm Hitler"
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| Kanye West Kanye West said he feels like people look at him like Hitler, which brings him a great deal of discomfort and uneasiness, according to media reports on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Chicago rapper was the headline act Saturday at England's Big Chill music festival, where he ranted in the middle of his set about being misunderstood and underappreciated. Started his set roughly 30 minutes late, he apologized to the crowd for his tardiness, saying he needed to make sure his performance was great. West received light boos from the crowd as a result. "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street, and people look at me like I'm completely insane, like I'm Hitler," he said. "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did." The performer also defended the video for his song "Monster", which features cannibalism and girls hanging from their necks. "Who saw the video before it got banned, before they took it down and before women's groups starting saying that a person that lost the most important woman in his life is now against women in some way?" asked West, referring to the 2007 death of his mother, Donda West. The multiplatinum-seller is known for his outspokenness, most notably his dis toward Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he grabbed the microphone from her as she accepted a prize to say Beyonce should have won it. |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
NASA: More evidence which suggests flow of water in Mars
Scientists have found evidence of flowing salt water on steep Martian slopes, which if confirmed would be the first discovery of active liquid water on the red planet, NASA has said.
The data gathered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has given new focus to the hunt for life forms and scientists hope that in the coming years lab experiments and new space missions may shed more light on what they have seen.
The US space agency said the orbiter circling Mars since 2006 had monitored numerous instances of what appeared to be water flows occurring in several locations during the Martian spring and summer.
"We have found repeated and predictable evidence suggesting water flowing on Mars," Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration program, said
Time-sequence imagery of the Newton crater in the southern mid-latitude region showed finger-like markings spreading along several steep slopes and then fading again once colder temperatures move in.
"The best explanation we have for these observations so far is flow of briny water, although this study does not prove that," said Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
No liquid water has been found on Mars, though ice has been discovered at the poles. All life forms need water to survive, so the existence of a water source could point to a haven for primitive life
Frozen water has been detected in some of Mars's higher latitudes, and other evidence has suggested that water interacted with the Martian surface throughout the planet's history.
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Monday, August 8, 2011
We can live together
The pictures above show clear that different animals can live together. The reason that now they’re not living together is due the different kind of environment they’re raised. The two above have been raised in the same environment hence they are able to interact together without any problem.
Two-year-old chimpanzee "Do Do" feeds milk to "Aorn", a 60-day-old tiger cub, at Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Samut Prakan province on the outskirts of Bangkok. The crocodile farm, used as a tourist attraction, houses some 80,000 crocodiles and is the largest in Thailand
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Juno
Juno is the name of a new spacecraft which has been sent to the space to conduct an in depth study of Jupiter, the massive planet in our solar system.
Things to know about Juno
· Spacecraft launched August 5, 2011
· Five-year cruise to Jupiter, arriving in July 2016
· Spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for about one year
(33 orbits)
· Mission ends with de-orbit into Jupiter
Juno will improve our understanding of our solar system’s beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter.
Specifically, Juno will…
· Determine how much water is in Jupiter’s atmosphere, which helps determine which planet formation theory is correct(or if new theories are needed)
· Look deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere to measure composition, temperature, cloud motions and other properties
· Map Jupiter’s magnetic and gravity fields, revealing the planet’s deep structure
· Explore and study Jupiter’s magnetosphere near the planet’s poles, especially the auroras(Jupiter’s northern and southern lights) providing new insights about how the planet’s enormous magnetic force field affects its atmosphere.
Engineers have received communications from the Juno spacecraft, and its solar arrays have deployed.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has successfully separated from the Centaur upper stage of its Atlas V rocket. It is on its way to Jupiter.
The rocket nose cone, or fairing, carrying NASA's Juno spacecraft has been jettisoned as planned.
NASA's Juno spacecraft, headed to Jupiter, has lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has successfully separated from the Centaur upper stage of its Atlas V rocket. It is on its way to Jupiter.
The rocket nose cone, or fairing, carrying NASA's Juno spacecraft has been jettisoned as planned.
NASA's Juno spacecraft, headed to Jupiter, has lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Here is a timeline of expected launch milestones:
Launch
Right after launch, the rocket will be airborne, carrying Juno up and over the Atlantic Ocean.
Right after launch, the rocket will be airborne, carrying Juno up and over the Atlantic Ocean.
Solid rocket motors jettisoned -- occurs at about launch plus 106 seconds
The five solid rocket motors that have been providing some extra "get-up-and-go" for Juno's Atlas will complete their burn and be "stagger jettisoned." First, solids 1 and 2 separate from the rocket, followed 1.5 seconds later by solids 3, 4 and 5.
The five solid rocket motors that have been providing some extra "get-up-and-go" for Juno's Atlas will complete their burn and be "stagger jettisoned." First, solids 1 and 2 separate from the rocket, followed 1.5 seconds later by solids 3, 4 and 5.
Fairing and stages separate -- occurs at about launch plus 4 minutes, 45 seconds
The Atlas's 68-footlong (21-meter-long) nose cone, or fairing, will separate and be jettisoned as planned, providing Juno and its Centaur upper stage with their first taste of exo-atmospheric existence. The Atlas V's 106.6 foot-long (33-meter-long) first-stage will have completed its tour of duty. The Centaur upper stage, which will provide the final kick for Juno, will begin the first of two scheduled burns.
The Atlas's 68-footlong (21-meter-long) nose cone, or fairing, will separate and be jettisoned as planned, providing Juno and its Centaur upper stage with their first taste of exo-atmospheric existence. The Atlas V's 106.6 foot-long (33-meter-long) first-stage will have completed its tour of duty. The Centaur upper stage, which will provide the final kick for Juno, will begin the first of two scheduled burns.
Parking at 17,500 miles per hour -- occurs at about launch plus 10 minutes, 45 seconds
The Centaur upper stage will temporarily stop firing, as planned, and the rocket and Juno will begin a planned 30-minute coast phase, also known as a "parking orbit."
The Centaur upper stage will temporarily stop firing, as planned, and the rocket and Juno will begin a planned 30-minute coast phase, also known as a "parking orbit."
Centaur burns for Jupiter -- occurs at about launch plus 41 minutes, 33 seconds
The Atlas V's Centaur upper stage will begin a second burn. This approximately nine-minute-long burn will place Juno on its desired trajectory.
The Atlas V's Centaur upper stage will begin a second burn. This approximately nine-minute-long burn will place Juno on its desired trajectory.
Spacecraft separates from Centaur -- occurs at about launch plus 56 minutes
The Juno spacecraft will separate from the Centaur upper stage of its Atlas V rocket. At this point, Jupiter will be five years and 1,740 million miles (2,800 million kilometers) away.
The Juno spacecraft will separate from the Centaur upper stage of its Atlas V rocket. At this point, Jupiter will be five years and 1,740 million miles (2,800 million kilometers) away.
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