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UNECE-UNFPA Workshop on Censuses Using Registers
NOTE: The UNECE launched a new wiki site on population and housing censuses. The Wiki hosts a table presenting information and material related to the population and housing censuses of the 2010 round in UNECE member countries. This includes: type of census, reference date, census questionnaires used, technical papers, reports, and links to the national census websites. More content and interactive services for registered users will be added in the future to the UNECE Census Wiki, also in connection with the preparatory work for the 2020 round of censuses and the revision of the CES Recommendations.
Agenda and tentative timetable (18 May)
Report of the Workshop
Training workshop on censuses using registers in Geneva 21 May 2012
Why register-based statistics?
Definitions of basic concepts
Individual based statistics and register development
Overview of Approaches to Censuses Using Registers
Возможность использования регистров при переписи населения и жилья 2014 года
Possible Use of Registers for Census in Croatia
Census and Registers in Serbia
Establishing a register-based statistical system
The Dutch Virtual Census based on registers and already existing surveys | <urn:uuid:d87ec096-daa3-4f23-9272-b5b5d7f4c7f4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29178&type=111 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.761527 | 315 | 3.046875 | 3 |
People who have diabetes and psychiatric symptoms in addition to mild cognitive impairment are significantly more likely to develop dementia, new research shows.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a state between normal ageing and dementia, affects 19 per cent of people aged 65 and over.
Around 46 per cent of people with MCI go on to develop dementia within three years, compared with 3 per cent of the general population.
The study, led by researchers at UCL and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, reviewed data from 62 separate studies following a total of 15,950 people diagnosed with MCI.
It found those with diabetes were 65 per cent more likely and those with psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, were twice as likely to develop dementia.
“Lifestyle changes to improve diet and mood might help people with MCI to avoid dementia, and bring many other health benefits,” said lead author Dr Claudia Cooper.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean that addressing diabetes, psychiatric symptoms and diet will reduce an individual’s risk, but our review provides the best evidence to date about what might help.”
It is well established that a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, oily fish, poultry and olive oil can help protect against Type 2 diabetes.
It is recommended by the Alzheimer’s Society charity to help prevent dementia, along with staying socially and physically active.
With a higher proportion of unsaturated to saturated fats and largely unprocessed foods it can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. | <urn:uuid:6ff16265-1340-4274-81f0-8038a230ebb1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mediterranean-diet-could-help-beat-dementia-finds-ucl-study-10062634.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392069.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00115-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955742 | 314 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Caravaggio and the Painters of the North
From 21 June to 18 September 2016
Gerard ter Borch specialised in genre painting and portraiture despite his training as a landscape painter in Haarlem with Pieter Molijn in 1634. As a portraitist Ter Borch worked in small formats, depicting his clients full-length, bust-length or three-quarters. He first used this format, which he appears to have preferred, in the 1640s when he executed one of his most famous works, the Portrait of Helena van der Schalcke, daughter of a preacher, now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. It deploys certain elements that would become widespread in Ter Borch’s later portraiture such as the simple setting, which in that work consists of a plain background and in other portraits comprises only a few elements of furniture including a table and chair. This austerity relates to the type of sitters depicted, who were members of a middle class that opted for a relatively simple manner of dress and lifestyle. Ter Borch’s painstaking and precise technique is evident in these works in which he carefully modelled the hands and the textiles, both delicately illuminated. The artist’s preference for this format was fully consolidated in 1648 when he painted one of the few scenes of contemporary history to be found in Dutch art: the copper panel of The Swearing of the Ratification of the Treaty of Munster (National Gallery, London). On a small panel, Ter Borch included around 70 figures standing and full-length who form a semi-circle around a table at which the leading dignitaries are seated.
The present pair of portraits is dated to 1652, two years prior to the artist’s move to Deventer and after a period in which he is documented in Delft. Using rectangular shaped panels, Ter Borch painted ovals in dark, neutral tones against which the figures stand out. This was a format that he used in the 1640s and 1650s for an important group of portraits that include husband and wife pairs. When he studied these two panels, Gudlaugsson dated them to around 1640 on stylistic grounds. He also noted various pentimenti in the collars of both figures and in the woman’s coif and considered that this indicated that Ter Borch subsequently retouched the paintings, thus explaining the date of 1652 in the background of the male portrait. He suggested that this subsequent alteration may have been due to the artist’s desire to bring the sitter’s clothes into line with fashion at the time. Ivan Gaskell and Emil Bosshard carefully studied these areas and rejected the idea of subsequent re-painting. They detected a different technique in the areas singled out by Gudlaugsson as well as natural wear of the pictorial materials used. | <urn:uuid:97fb64e7-2fda-48cf-851b-4787c0dee68c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/ficha_obra/122 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00155-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970405 | 595 | 2.90625 | 3 |
March is National Nutrition Month!
Most of us know March for basketball, corned beef and cabbage, and the official start of spring, but did you know that it’s also National Nutrition Month.® This nutrition education and informational campaign is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
In recognition of National Nutrition Month®, here are a few highlights of some of the work around nutrition and health going on at Mid-Ohio Foodbank!
Over the past several years, the Foodbank has radically increased efforts to distribute more fresh foods. In 2012, we were able to distribute about 16.1 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables – 35% of our total distribution. If you add in meat, dairy, etc., about half of what we distributed last year was fresh! Our many fresh food distribution programs, as well as the hard work of our partner agencies, allowed many of our hungry neighbors were able to access healthier, more nutritious foods than they would have been able to otherwise.
In addition to providing fresh, healthy foods, the Foodbank has been providing cooking and nutrition education classes. Dr. Amy Headings, Director of Nutrition, has piloted two classes in the past year: a Crock Pot cooking class, and Pantry Panic!, a class which helps participants learn how to develop recipes from items that they have at home and foods they might receive at a food pantry. Approximately 50 people have attended the Crock Pot classes, and the inaugural Pantry Panic class had approximately 10 participants. During March, we will be hosting participants from Gladden for another session of Pantry Panic, and are working with our partners in Fairfield County to coordinate another series of Crock Pot cooking classes.
According to surveys taken before and after the class, participants who completed the Crock Pot cooking class increased their fruit and vegetable consumption by over ½ serving each day – a meaningful step toward making half of our plate fruits and vegetables! They also showed a statistically significant increase in their confidence in cooking from basic ingredients, such as fresh meat and vegetables, as opposed to prepackaged meals.
We’ve also been working with The Ohio State University on diabetes initiatives, thanks to the grant from Bristol Myers-Squibb awarded in 2011.
As we grow into our new vision and mission, we’ll be doing a lot more to focus on nutrition and wellness – and National Nutrition Month® is a great time to recognize those efforts! | <urn:uuid:c426e594-6120-4209-bf9d-6c7deea6b095> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.midohiofoodbank.org/nnm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00095-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973466 | 496 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Designer Baby: refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics This is called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).
Many of us may wonder what a Designer baby is and better yet what does it do? Well scientifically speaking a designer baby is a fetus which was designed to have particular genes or characteristics. My definition though? It is a new scientific development that is altering natural conception and the human cycle.
Designer babies are done through the process of selecting a child’s genes for medical and cosmetic characteristics. This new scientific development has both its negative and positive impact to humanity. However, it is being used in such a way which I feel is getting out of hand for we cannot change the natural balance of things.
“Genetic screening of human embryos may eventually eradicate inherited diseases ranging from breast cancer to cystic fibrosis.”
Reflection in the mirror-
What is exactly good about In Virto Ferilization?
Well for starters, it has been used for saving lives which is definitely good. There are such examples which demonstrate how science can be beneficial for humanity. IVF can be used to select babies without genetic defect which can help survival of the baby increase as well as the mother. Also, IVF can be used so a baby can be perfectly selected to donate to ensure and sustain the life of another. Since Doctors can scan the embryos for genetic makeup, there is a chance of selecting a healthy baby, which is a very beneficial to families since genetic diseases and certain traits can be discarded of. Therefore, IVF can be seen with a shining light as it can benefit humans medically.
How is In Virto Fertlization bad?
Well, if it is used for cosmetic reasons, then things are getting out of hand. In today’s world, society brings importance to physical appearance which could be the reason that cosmetic processes are being used to make the ideal child. However, I believe playing with nature in such a way is unethical and immoral. Using science to alter a child’s physical appearance for cosmetic reasons rather than medical reasons is losing value to the gift of life. Life is precious and should be thanked for, however with IVF I feel that life is being taken for granted and loses its values as children are modified- In a way I feel this can be seen as an un-human thing to do. How is it that people can now chose what they want in a child? I think this its very pathetic because at the end the child needs a loving family, environment and to know they are unique and valuable. With IVF, it further shows that acceptance in society is dependant on physical character tics, and not on the person themselves.
So what to do?
Honestly, I feel this is a very technologically advanced technique which can positively affect humanity if used in the right way.
-"Genetic Screening of Embryos | IVF | Conception." Essential Baby: Parenting Information For Mothers, Fathers, Parents & Parents to Be | Essentialbaby.com.au. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. <http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/conception/ivf/designing-principles-at-birth-of-a-new-era-20091123-itj3.html>.
-Johnson, By Priya. "Pros and Cons of Designer Babies." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-designer-babies.html>.
-"What Is a Designer Baby?" Bionet - New Discoveries in Life Sciences - Explore the Science and Debate the Issues. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/db_cont1.htm>.
Blogs I commented on: | <urn:uuid:6209e7b5-a46c-4544-aca2-4aff9c66b91a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://biologyislyfe.blogspot.co.il/2010/11/bio-engineered-kids.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00151-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933519 | 838 | 2.546875 | 3 |
As Tony Abbott prepares to wipe out the remaining institutions supporting the deployment of renewable energy technologies in Australia, the International Energy Association has urged countries to act quickly in the opposite direction, and seek to reverse the respective share of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources by 2050.
In its biannual Energy Technology Perspective report, the traditionally conservative IEA (of which Australia is a member) says the energy mix for the world’s electricity supply needs to be flipped within a few decades, from 68 per cent fossil fuels now to at least 65 per cent renewables by 2050.
And it argues that action is needed now,or it will get more costly. Already, the delays in action in the last few years has increased the bill to $44 trillion from $36 trillion. While that sounds like a big number, the IEA says it is a small percentage of globa GDP over the next three decades, and would be more than offset by $115 trillion in fuel savings.
Interestingly,the IEA is recommending countries adopt the very policies that the Abbott government is now trying to stop through the closure of the Clean Energy Finance Corp, the defunding of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and the likely reduction in the renewable energy target.
The IEA specifically says that support for policies such as loan guarantees, financing, and first of kind demonstration projects is needed to alleviate the risk for investors. “Without this support, these projects have the potential to be severely delayed or may not be developed,” it notes. These are exactly the sort of projects that would be supported by the CEFC and ARENA.
It says this is needed to address climate change. On a business as usual scenario, the world is heading towards catastrophic average global temperature increases of 6C. Even with the modest policies foreshadowed by government, it is still heading for around 4C.
“The longer we wait, the more expensive it becomes to transform our energy system,” IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said.
“A radical change of course at the global level is long overdue. Growing use of coal globally is overshadowing progress in renewable energy deployment, and the emissions intensity of the electricity system has not changed in 20 years despite some progress in some regions.”
In Australia, coal fired generation has actually fallen significantly in recent years, but all forecasts are now that this will reverse in coming years because of the policy making decisions by the Abbott government, including the repeal of the carbon price, the anticipated diluting of the renewable energy target, and the dumping of other clean energy supporting institutions and mechanisms.
It is, perhaps, instructive that the Abbott government policies are being guided by advisors – such as Maurice Newman and Dick Warburton, and the Institute of Public Affairs – who do not accept the science of climate change and see no need to act.
Or, in the case of Treasurer Joe Hockey, they see wind farms as “utterly offensive”, in the case of industry minister ian Macfarlane policy must be structured to extract “every molecule” of gas, and in the case of Queensland conservative premier Campbell Newman, the economy must be centred around the extraction of coal.
The IEA makes it clear that the latter is untenable, and even gas fired generation will need to be phased out – or cleaned up with carbon capture and storage technology – by 2025 as its role as a transitional fuel begins to wind down.
Its interesting to note that in this graph, the two biggest contributions to emissions reductions to meet the 2DS scenario are energy efficiency measures (33 per cent) and renewables (34 per cent). CCS (13 per cent) and nuclear (7 per cent) have relatively minor roles to play, and the IEA notes that the technology hurdles, and the costs, may impede the deployment of one or both.
RenewEconomy Free Daily Newsletter | <urn:uuid:e8cc9d98-4fd5-46d8-93da-64376cf43e5e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/iea-says-fossil-fuels-must-be-replaced-by-renewables-46853 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397795.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00036-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948742 | 798 | 2.6875 | 3 |
- Posted April 11, 2014 by
This iReport is part of an assignment:
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Flight MH 370
The range of 2 miles for the TPL is probably for a pinger and TPL in a homogenous water body. The sound would attenuate according to the square of the distance from the source. With inhomogeneous water characteristics the wavefront may become linear (not circular) and travel much further without major loss of intensity. Such phenomena are known as thermoclines.
Let me know if you would like some graphics. If you find my comments interesting I suggest that you run them past people involved in deploying underwater instrumentation (current meters). Woods Hole would be the perfect place to start. | <urn:uuid:8ed69b63-e2d6-4295-ba38-098067bd0c0e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1118781?ref=feeds/latest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783408828.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155008-00123-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947291 | 150 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Big Data gets bigger and bigger every day. But while a great deal more data is being generated and captured today than ever before, a lot of it is repetitive, erroneous, or just banal. Yes, it's data, but is it information? If I tweet that I'll be at the Starbucks on 10th Street in 30 minutes, and one of my friends re-tweets me, the re-tweet doubles the data, but does it really double the information? A high-definition TV signal transmits five times the data of a standard TV signal, but does it convey five times the information?
In information theory, "entropy" is the term used to describe how much actual information there is in any given set of data. It's a term borrowed from physics, where entropy is a quantifiable value analogous to the amount of randomness in a system. The Second Law of Thermodynamics famously states that entropy (that is, randomness) always increases. Mix a cup of hot water with a cup of cold water, and the trillions of individual hot and cold H2O molecules will jumble together more and more randomly until the result is lukewarm water. But mix two cups of lukewarm water together and these same trillions of molecules will never randomly jumble together in such a way as to make half the water hot and half of it cold. Entropy explains why there's no such thing as a perpetual-motion machine, and why time never runs backward, only forward.
Information entropy is mathematically similar, but rather than randomness it describes the unpredictability of information. Unpredictable information contains high entropy. The outcome of a coin toss, for instance, is information that has high entropy because it's impossible to predict in advance. On the other hand, when you see the letters F-a-s-t C-o-m-p-a-n-_ that last letter is not so hard to predict, right? This means the information conveyed by the last letter has low entropy. Similarly, the information in my original tweet about going to Starbucks is more entropic than the information in my friend's re-tweet, and a standard television broadcast is more entropic than a high-definition re-run of the same program.
Whether you ever consciously thought about it or not, you yourself almost certainly find information entropy highly useful. Think about the last time you entered a term in a search engine to try to find something either online or somewhere on your hard drive, for example. In order to find just the right information or reference, you probably entered the most unique (i.e., least predictable) description you could think of. You may not have known what the concept was called, but you were using information entropy to make your search more efficient.
Information entropy is how we learn new things and gain new perspectives. In a genuinely fascinating book, The Most Human Human, Brian Christian suggests that "we gain the most insight on a question when we take it to the friend, colleague, or mentor of whose reaction and response we're least certain." Moreover, he says, "to gain the most insight into a person, we should ask the question of whose answer we're least certain." In each of these cases, we would be seeking out high-entropy information in order to learn new things at a faster, more efficient rate. Don't tell us something we already know. Tell us something we don't know.
Entropic information may be an important clue to what it means to be conscious in the first place. Our brains are always trying to predict events and anticipate what's about to happen. So consciousness itself may be the result of our brain's effort simply to reduce the information entropy that confronts us. To predict our environment from one moment to the next. Information entropy is one reason weak ties in a social network are more useful in many contexts than close ties are, and it's also the secret sauce in creativity itself. To generate more new ideas, novel concepts, or innovations, expose yourself to high-entropy information—unusual perspectives, unanticipated stories, out-of-context ideas.
In our book Extreme Trust, Martha Rogers and I argue that one important business strategy for dealing with the growing proliferation of data and information is evidence-based management with managers using data to inform their judgments, rather than using their judgments to select the right data. And a couple of months ago I suggested in this space that putting evidence-based management into practice, whether you are managing a baseball team or bidding for offshore oil leases, is a lot harder than it looks. But extracting the right insights and knowledge from data requires more than simply relying on numbers. To get the most valuable information you also need to seek out anomalies. To find unusual things. To dig carefully for entropy.
The problem is that while high-entropy information may generate the most new knowledge and insight, we all have a natural aversion to unpredictability. As human beings we are biased to prefer the routine and familiar, as opposed to the new and different. We feel safer when we know what's going to happen next and we are simply more comfortable talking to people whose views we share. Seeking out high-entropy information may be a mind-expanding activity, in other words, but it still feels unnatural, and you can improve with practice. To get more comfortable with it, try a few exercises like these:
- Play a game with someone else to find two properly spelled English words that, when searched together on Google or Bing, return the fewest results.
- Pick a point of view you vehemently disagree with, and argue in favor of it instead. Be convincing.
- Read a magazine you would never ordinarily have the least interest in.
- At a restaurant, order a food you normally can't stand, and eat it.
- Put your clothes on in a different order every day (i.e., shirt first one day, socks first the next, right then left instead of left then right, and so forth).
- At a party, find the person you have least in common with and spend at least an hour in conversation with them.
[Image: Flickr user Jane Rahman] | <urn:uuid:384df27c-efbf-4332-8500-9c1754414075> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.fastcompany.com/1843201/entropy-can-be-good-you | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00023-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938178 | 1,273 | 2.890625 | 3 |
When [Andrei] first got his Raspberry Pi he wanted to make it a standalone computer right away. This means the normal input devices like a mouse and keyboard, but also some type of display. To avoid waiting for shipping he ended up using a cheap vehicle backup camera screen from the local big box store. It worked great, and recently he decided he would try to convert it to run off of 5V power to simplify his setup. While snooping around inside the device he discovered an unused resistive touch overlay and figured out how to get it to work.
What tipped him off is the small four-conductor connector which wasn’t hooked up to anything. He carefully soldered wires onto the flexible circuit traces, then generously covered them in hot glue to help prevent movement from breaking the rigid connection. To get this working you need to measure the resistance between the conductors. Most of the time we figure the RPi GPIO header can be used directly, but for this task an intermediary is necessary. [Andrei] went with a small Arduino clone board. A bit of trial and error was all it took to get the connections right and to iron out the code which translates the values into coordinates.
[Chris] just posted his latest tutorial which shows you how to read position data from a resistive touchscreen. These devices are fairly simple, and since they’re used in a lot of consumer electronics you can pick one up for a few bucks. This looks like it is overstock for an old Palm device.
The interface is simple, there’s just four conductors on the tab at the top of the overlay. But connecting to these is a bit of an issue since you can’t really solder directly to them. [Chris] ended up using scotch-tape to hold wires in place, with a paperclip to keep them presses against the conductors. Those conductors are used in pairs, with a positive and negative lead for the X and Y axis. To take a measurement you use I/O pins to connect voltage and ground, then read the voltage that makes it to the gound side using an ADC. This works because the point that’s being pressed on the screen acts as a variable resistor for the circuit. Data for the two axes must be read in separate operations so that the positive voltages don’t interfere with each other.
The nice thing is that once you’ve got it working with a small screen it is easily scaled up. In fact, the 23″ touchscreen used on this Android hack is just another 4-wire resistive device.
You can see a video demonstration of [Chris’] test rig embedded after the break.
Continue reading “The basics of reading data from resistive touchscreens”
If you’re looking to build a really big Android tablet the trick is not to start from scratch. [Peter] pulled off a 23″ Android Tablet hack using a collection of easily acquired parts, leaving the hard work up to hardware that was designed to do it.
He didn’t really build a tablet, as much as he built a big touch-screen add-on for one. He already had a couple of inexpensive tablets on hand to play around with. One of them has an HDMI out port, which let him easily push the display onto a 23″ monitor. He knew the tablet was a 4-wire resistive touchscreen, but he didn’t know if other touchscreens with the same number of connectors and be directly swapped and still work. To test this, he cracked open a second tablet device and connected its touchscreen to the first one’s hardware. When he was met with success it was time to source a couple of 23″ touchscreen overlays to test with the external monitor. As you can see in the clip after the break, it works like a charm!
[Peter] was inspired to write about his experiences after seeing the 23″ Android tablet video in our recent links post.
Continue reading “How to build a 23″ Android tablet”
[Jane] wrote in to let us know about the touch-based synthesizer she and her classmates just built. They call it the ToneMatrix Touch, as it was inspired by a flash application called ToneMatrix. We’re familiar with that application as it’s been the inspiration for other physical builds as well.
A resistive touch screen in the surface glass of the device provides the ability to interact by tapping the cells you wish to turn on or off. Below the glass is a grid of LEDs which represent sound bits in the looping synthesizer track. Fifteen shift registers drive the LED matrix, with the entire system controlled by an ATmega644 microcontroller. Although the control scheme is very straight forward, the jumper wires used to connect the matrix to the shift registers make for a ratsnest of wireporn that has been hidden away inside the case. Check out the demonstration video after the break to see what this looks like and sounds like when in use.
Continue reading “Touch-based synthesizer is a wiring nightmare”
This collection of touch sensor information should be of interest to anyone who liked the simple touch sensor post from Thursday. That was a resistive touch sensor and is covered in detail along with AC hum sensors that trigger based on induced current from power lines around you, and capacitive touch switches like we’ve seen in past hacks. Each different concept is discussed and clearly illustrated like the slide above. [Giorgos Lazaridis] has also put together individual posts that build and demonstrate the circuits. We’ve embedded his resistive sensor demo video after the break and linked to all three example circuits.
Continue reading “Touch sensors: overview, theory, and construction”
We never thought about it before, but having the controls on the bottom of a clock is a bit of an inconvenience. [Alex Whittemore] mutes the LEDs on his clock each night and after a while, decided he should make the mute button into a touch strip on the case. You’ll remember that the Bulbdial clock uses colored LEDs to create the effect of a sun-dial, casting colored shadows for each hand of the clock. It makes sense that this would put off a pretty good amount of light at night. [Alex’s] original thought was to use a capacitive touch sensor but complexity and cost were in his way. What he ended up with is a resistive touch switch based off of two metal strips. He used metal repair tape but suggests copper foil as he was unable to solder to tape. When your finger touches the two strips it completes the circuit for the base of a transistor, which in turn grounds the mute button on the clock. Cheap, simple, and illustrated in the video after the break.
Continue reading “Making the Bulbdial clock touch sensitive” | <urn:uuid:61ebcfed-9927-43c5-bb53-3a655f01bfe9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://hackaday.com/tag/resistive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00101-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959753 | 1,425 | 2.90625 | 3 |
|Born||Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez
June 6, 1599
|Died||Aug. 6, 1660 (at age 61)
|Works||View Complete Works|
Diego Velázquez was a notable Spanish artist who achieved notoriety and fame in the seventeenth century. Born in 1599 in Seville, he lived and painted until his death in 1660 at the age of sixty one. He was the eldest of six siblings, five brothers and one sister, although little to nothing is known about them. Diego’s father, Juan Rodriguez de Silva had high hopes for his eldest son and apprenticed him as a child to Francisco de Herrera the Elder. Not long after this, Juan found another master with more prestigious contacts and at age twelve transferred his son’s apprenticeship to Francisco Pacheco.
Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) began his apprenticeship with Francisco Pacheco in 1611 and from this time onwards, his successful career as an artist was set in motion. Firstly, Francisco Pacheco had influential contacts in the Spanish royal court which was to have more value to Diego, than his teacher’s modest artistic talent. In addition, his place of work was a regular meeting place for leading Seville intellectuals, including artists, poets, and various scholars. Frequent discussion centered on artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio, while the theory of art was, as one would expect, a central topic of discussion.
When Velázquez was just eighteen years of age, a significant milestone in his life occurred. After applying to the Painter’s Guild of St. Luke, he was accepted in 1617 and marked the beginning of his independent career as an artist. His membership in the guild allowed him to establish his own workshop, complete with assistants. More importantly, it allowed him to accept commission from the Holy Church, the major commissioner of significant artistic works at the time. The other significant event for Velázquez in his eighteenth year, was that he married the daughter of his teacher, Juana Pacheco.
His personal life was not as successful as his professional life because over the course of the following three years, he had two daughters, but only Francisca survived. The social contacts which were readily available via Juana and her father though, ensured the survival of his professional artistic career.
Between 1617 and 1822, Diego painted his first portraits and religious works. He also indulged in a common genre of the time known as bodegones, which in essence were tavern and kitchen scenes in which drink and various food items were the focal items. Significant works from this period included Three Men at Table, Old Woman Frying Eggs and the The Waterseller in Seville, while the religious works Mother Jeronima de la Fuete and the Adoration of the Magi were considered his more significant works. It is also thought that the main characters in the Adoration of the Magi are portraits of himself and his family, that is to say, Diego is the young king, his father-in-law is the old king while the Virgin Mary is his wife.
1622 – 1629
This was a period in which Velázquez experienced some growth as a painter due to his leaving Seville and visiting Madrid and Toledo. During this period he was able to see many art treasures as well as establish useful artistic contacts. He was influenced by the works of El Greco, Juan Sanchez Cotan, and Pedro de Orrente during this time, and in 1623, received his first court commission when Prime Minister Count-Duke of Olivares invited him to paint the portrait of King Philip IV. The portrait was immensely successful and led to his permanent appointment as court painter. He also enjoyed the privilege of being the only artist and painter allowed to paint the king.
Following this success, in 1628 he received a visit from the renowned artist, Rubens, while he was visiting the court at Madrid. Velázquez and Rubens spent time together while Rubens was working and this led into the next significant period of artistic influence for Velázquez. It was Rubens who invited him to visit Italy, and so began another period of development in his career.
Velázquez made his first visit to Italy in 1629. He went to Genoa and Venice where he saw the work of Titian, who he had admired since the days of his apprenticeship in Seville. His art was significantly influenced by Titian, more so than any other artist he was exposed to at this time. He also visited Florence and Rome, where the works of many masters was available for him to study. He stayed in Rome for almost a year, where he copied the masters, as well as embarking on some works of his own. He painted The Forge of Vulcan and Joseph’s Bloody Coat Brought To Jacob.
The Surrender Of Breda
Back in Madrid, Velázquez continued in the employment of the Spanish Court. By 1634, he was hard at work on the artistic side of the decorations for the Buen Retino palace. The Surrender Of Breda was one of these works and is best described as cyclic work comprising twelve battle scenes, each scene painted by a different painter. The fortress of Breda is significant in Spanish history as it was the location of a victory effected by Spinola, a famous Spanish general, after a siege at Breda which had lasted for twelve months. Velasquez painted the scene of the ceremonious handing over of the keys to the fortress of Breda. This painting has been described as a superlative historical piece of work, the best in Western Europe.
Promotion At The Spanish Court
Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) produced some of his best work between 1636 and 1649 and it was during this time that he was made Assistant to the Wardrobe and then Chamberlain of the King’s private chambers. He was also made an assistant overseeing royal building projects. During this period, he painted The Fable Of Aranchne and Venus At Her Mirror.
Velázquez visited Rome again in 1649 where he painted his famous portrait of Pope Innocent X as well as a variety of other paintings. When he returned to Madrid his patron the King made him Supreme Court Marshal and the appointment enabled him to expand his art workshop. He also took on many assistants and pupils, who unfortunately were not of the same artistic caliber as Velázquez.
His last major work was a multiple portrait of the Spanish Royal Family, called Las Meninas. The Infant Margarita is the main figure, running into Diego’s studio and followed by a procession of attendants, while the images of the king and queen appear as reflections in a background mirror, where a painting by Rubens and one by Jordaens can also be seen. It is unique in its conception and execution. Diego Velázquez died in Madrid, in the palace where he spent so much of his time, in August 1660. | <urn:uuid:408a7d12-c607-4ff5-96c1-9c7db5c66cd2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://totallyhistory.com/diego-velazquez/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988256 | 1,481 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Waste Management in Horticulture—The Global Perspective
Anthony (Tony) G. Biggs
Waste management could easily be the most significant issue confronting world horticulture by the year 2000. Some countries are already addressing the problems of pollution of waterways, leaching of nutrients, and recycling of packaging materials, but there will be increasing pressures for horticulturists to manage all the waste from production systems.
Society is demanding that the responsibility for disposing of waste must lie with those who create it and that waste products must not be dumped into the environment.
Words which are sometimes interchangeable with "waste" include "refuse","superfluous", "rejected", and "worn out". Waste products can be defined as "materials produced or used in a process, that are discarded during or on the completion of that process."
This paper reviews some of the horticultural waste problems around the world and indicates strategies in use or being developed to address the problems.
ISHS members & pay-per-view
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This part of John Draper’s presentation is about the various methods of phone phreaking as one of the early manifestations of hacking into systems.
And that’s why they can do what they can do. They were able to dial a number, and just by listening they were able to hear the little multi-frequency tones in the background, so faint that the normal person can’t hear it. They figured out that there had to be a way to do that. So, after doing a little bit of social engineering at the telephone company office they would have the ability to figure out what those frequencies were.
And then they associated those frequencies with keys on the organ. And then, to dial a number they simply played two notes at a time in different combinations to make the number. And this is how the cost of phone calls had gone way, way down.
Back in the day, to make a long-distance they used to advertise: “Make a 3-minute call for $1”, in the US. And that was a big thing the AT&T kind of bragged about. So, calls were typically around 30 cents/minute back in the day. And now, you know, a few cents a minute to make a phone call is what you can do. So, you know, this is amazing how the cost of calls has really gone down.
Now, some of the methods that the old-school phreakers used. One of them is called the mute box. What the mute box does is it takes a 2.7 kilohms resistor in series with the phone line, so that when the phone call comes in, you had a little button; you pushed the button really fast and that would stop the ringing tone but still leave the connection open. But there wouldn’t be enough current to cause the telephone to go off-hook, so therefore the billing equipment wouldn’t trigger.
This allows you to be able to receive phone calls for free to the person that’s calling you. So the person who’s calling you will not get billed for it. Why? Because you’re not picking up the phone. You are basically leaving the phone on-hook. But you’re listening to the audio, because the audio still can go through that 2.7 k resistor to the phone line.
The next thing which is very useful is called loop around numbers. Loop around numbers in the San Jose area always began with 0044 and 0045. If you dial the 0044 side, you get a high-pitch tone. It’s a 1000 Hz tone interrupted every 10 seconds. If somebody else were to call 0045 side, the two of them could get connected together and they could talk. Very useful when you want to kind of mask who your phone number was. In fact, that was how I actually got hold of Denny1. He gave me a loop around number. I called the operator, and she said: “That’s an internal test number, why should you be calling that number?”
He called me back about a month later and explained to me what loop arounds were, and I had to find out more, so I made an arrangement to meet Denny, and that was when I first learned all about how blue boxes worked.
The other thing is demonstrators. Back in the day the telephones were rotary dial. So they had to have a way of demonstrating how the new touch tone system would work. So, what they did was: you dialed a 7-digit number and it would answer with a dial tone, and you then could use your touch tone phone right next to that phone to show how fast you can dial a number; these are called demonstrator lines. Normally, these demonstrator lines are restricted to local calls only.
Yet another thing phone phreaks would use was party lines. There are 2 different kinds of party lines: one of them is if you call a busy number, like a radio station – you can actually talk between the busy beeps, and so you can give enough information out to get them to call you or something. It’s not very good to hear that constant beep all the time.
Other phone phreaks figured out that if you opened up the sleeve at an old step office, you could actually have a 10-party conference line. If you can take 10 numbers that aren’t used and you open up the sleeves in the wires, then you can actually make a conference call; usually that took social engineering because you had to call the telephone company switch office, you had to convince the guy that it’s ok and cool to bend the sleeve open to make it work.Then there are blue boxes. Blue box is a multi-frequency device; it combines different tones; there are 700 Hz, 900 Hz, 1100 Hz, 1500 Hz, and 1700 Hz. They are odd frequencies, because that way they won’t interfere with each other. It’s quite a bit different than touch tones.
Then there are red boxes. Red boxes are the boxes used for making free calls from payphones. All it does is just emulate the sound that operator hears, with money going into the phone. They have the 3-coin payphones: you put in a nickel and it goes ‘ding’; you put in a dime and it goes ‘ding-ding’; you put in a quarter and it goes ‘gong’. And that’s what the operator hears, and that’s where she knows that you are putting money in the phone.
There’s actually a demonstration number in Vancouver, Canada; it’s a recording, you dial 604-11-21 and it goes: “five cents – ding, ten cents – ding-ding, quarter – gong”. And it just repeats it over and over again, it’s like an operator training tape. And these are some of the really cool things that we found kind of exploring the system. It wasn’t the idea of making free calls, it was the idea of hacking into the system, and that’s what made it really exciting.
1 – Denny Teresi – is a blind former phone phreak and radio disk jockey, most famous for being the person who introduced John Draper to the field. | <urn:uuid:022f315f-069f-4a70-b5c8-b8a0cd0ea41f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://privacy-pc.com/articles/history-of-hacking-2-insight-into-phone-phreaking.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00042-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970846 | 1,334 | 3.578125 | 4 |
|Pope Adrian VI|
AKA Adrian Dedel
Birthplace: Utrecht, Netherlands
Location of death: Rome, Italy
Cause of death: unspecified
Remains: Buried, Santa Maria dell'Anima Church, Rome, Italy
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Executive summary: Roman Catholic Pope, 1522-23
Adrian VI, born Adrian Dedel (not Boyens, and probably not Rodenburgh), Roman Catholic Pope from 1522 to 1523, was born at Utrecht in March 1459, and studied under the Brethren of the Common Life either at Zwolle or Deventer. At Louvain he pursued philosophy, theology and canon law, becoming a doctor of theology (1491), dean of St. Peter's and vice-chancellor of the university. In 1507 he was appointed tutor to the seven-year-old Charles V. He was sent to Spain in 1515 on a very important diplomatic errand; Charles secured his succession to the see of Tortosa, and on the 14th of November 1516 commissioned him inquisitor-general of Aragon. During the minority of Charles, Adrian was associated with Cardinal Jiménez in governing Spain. After the death of the latter Adrian was appointed, on the 14th of March 1518, general of the reunited inquisitions of Castile and Aragon, in which capacity he acted until his departure from Tarragona for Rome on the 4th of August 1522; he was, however, too weak and confiding to cope with abuses which Jiménez had been able in some degree to check. When Charles left for the Netherlands in 1520 he made Adrian regent of Spain; as such he had to cope with a very serious revolt. In 1517 Pope Leo X had created him cardinal priest SS. Ioannis et Pauli; on the 9th of January 1522 he was almost unanimously elected pope. Crowned in St. Peter's on the 31st of August at the age of sixty-three, he entered upon the lonely path of the reformer. His program was to attack notorious abuses one by one; but in his attempt to improve the system of granting indulgences he was hampered by his cardinals; and reducing the number of matrimonial dispensations was impossible, for the income had been farmed out for years in advance by Leo X. The Italians saw in him a pedantic foreign professor, blind to the beauty of classical antiquity, penuriously docking the stipends of great artists. As a peacemaker among Christian princes, whom he hoped to unite in a protective war against the Turk, he was a failure; in August 1523 he was forced openly to ally himself with the Empire, England, Venice, etc., against France; meanwhile in 1522 the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had conquered Rhodes. In dealing with the early stages of the Protestant revolt in Germany Adrian did not fully recognize the gravity of the situation. At the diet which opened in December 1522 at Nuremberg he was represented by Chieregati, whose instructions contain the frank admission that the whole disorder of the church had perchance proceeded from the Curia itself, and that there the reform should begin. However, the former professor and inquisitor-general was stoutly opposed to doctrinal changes, and demanded that Martin Luther be punished for heresy. The statement in one of his works that the pope could err in matters of faith ("haeresim per suam determinationem aut Decretalem asserendo") has attracted attention; but as it is a private opinion, not an ex cathedra pronouncement, it is held not to prejudice the dogma of papal infallibility. On the 14th of September 1523 he died, after a pontificate too short to be effective. Most of Adrian VI's official papers disappeared soon after his death. He published Quaestiones in quartum sententiarum praesertim circa sacramenta (Paris, 1512, 1516, 1518, 1537; Rome, 1522), and Quaestiones quodlibeticae XII (Louvain, 1515).
University: University of Leiden
Roman Catholic Pope 9-Jan-1522 to 14-Sep-1523
Roman Catholic Cardinal 1517
Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile
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Most recent answer: 08/14/2015
How long does it take for water to freeze?
- Dara (age 12)
The answer to your question really depends on three things: how much water you have, how cold it is to start out, and how cold the things around it are. Water actually freezes when it gets to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), but the time it takes to get there may be different.
Let's start with the first. If you take two glasses, and fill one with a tiny bit of water, and the other about halfway, then put them both in the freezer, the one with less water will freeze first (you can try this at home, but I recommend using plastic cups and not glass ones).
Now let's move on to the second part. Let's say you have two glasses, and you fill one with really cold water that has been in the refrigerator, and the other with really hot water from the sink. If you put both of them in the freezer, the one that started out colder will freeze first.
For the third part, let's imagine that you have two glasses with the same amount of water in them, and the water is at the same temperature. Imagine putting one outside on a really really cold day in Georgia, and having a friend in Alaska put one outside on the same day. Since it would be so much colder in Alaska, the glass of water there would freeze before yours.
So, if you took a tiny bit of really cold water in a glass, and put it outside on a cold day in Alaska, it would freeze a lot faster than a big glass of hot water outside on a cold day in Georgia.
Hope this helps!
(published on 10/22/2007)
Follow-Up #1: freezing and authority
This isn’t a question, but in fact a correction to your answer, Sara. It has been known for centuries that hot water freezes faster than cold water. Both Aristotle and Francis Bean believed this to be true. It has been proven fact in several different experiments by many different scientists. You gave a good answer, and certainly helped out Dara, but I just wanted to make sure she got all her facts straight.
- Mackenzie (age 11)
Midland, MI, USA
Mackenzie- Thanks for your note. You're right to remind us that the common-sense result isn't always right. Sometimes the hot water freezes faster.
I would be a little more cautious than you about authority, however. Aristotle made many mistakes, even on simple questions like how many teeth women have. Francis Bacon (is that who you mean?) also wasn't much of a scientist.
My own attempts to repeat this experiment have flopped so far. I always forget to look at the glasses until they're both frozen. You might try it yourself, using metal cups so they don't break, and being sure to put the same amount of water in each. Also, try it a few times switching the positions of the hot and cold cups, since freezers don't cool evenly.
The most careful discussions of the subject (e.g.) suggest that which water freezes fastest depends on several factors, including whether it is allowed to evaporate, how well heat is conducted into it, how much gas is dissolved in it, etc.
I think Tamara has a good discussion on this site, under the name 'Mpemba effect', named after a high school student who had the courage to believe his observations rather than his teachers.
(published on 10/22/2007)
Follow-Up #2: what freezes first
Hot water does not freeze faster than cold water. That idea is ridiculous. It can be misconstrued as such when you look at it without a mind towards physics and chemistry. When a liquid is cooled, it may pass the freezing point and not appear to freeze. This is due simply to the fact that the molecules need additional energy or a solid to begin the crystallization process. If you put boiling water in the freezer along with cold water, the cold water would reach the freezing point of 0 C much more quickly, but it does not make the transition to ice until a force acts upon it. If you rap the glass you will see the liquid freeze in front of your eyes. The boiling water would not even have reached the previous temperature of the cold water. In conclusion, with both liquids under constant pressure, there is no way for hot or boiling water to "freeze" first.
- Cody (age 17)
Your argument makes a great deal of sense, but subtle complications in the real world can give strange results. Here's an example. Let's say that you set the water in a glass in a freezer with a lot of frost. The hot water may melt the frost, and then make excellent thermal contact with the cold shelf. The cold water may sit on top of the frost in poor thermal contact. Then the initially hot water could cool more quickly and end up freezing first. In some cases it's necessary to actually do experiments to find out how things act.
(published on 02/09/2010)
Follow-Up #3: how long does it take for cocoa to freeze?
Can someone answer my question??
If you put 200ml-500ml of *cold* cocoa in the any normal freezer, how long does it takes to freeze?
- Kavi (age 19)
The actual time depends on may factors: thermal contact and quantity of cocoa, beginning temperatures of the freezer and coca, composition of the cocoa, etc. The best answer is for you to do the experiment and find out for yourself. Try it several times varying one or another parameter. Keep a record and see if you can figure out a trend.
Let us know what you find.
(published on 03/04/2010)
Follow-Up #4: Time for water to freeze?
Can someone provide an answer on how long a specif volume of water will take to freeze at a typical residential freezer temp, i.e. 8 ounces of water starting at 38 degrees farenheight takes "X" minutes to freeze, or "x" minutes per ounce at "x" degrees?
- Peter Thompson (age 29)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
No. This sort of problem is unanswerable because it depends on too many variables that we don't know the values of. At best one can give scaling laws, for example twice the heat transfer rate will halve the freezing time or twice the volume, at the same transfer rate, will double the time. The freezing time depends on: the air circulation rate, the surface and shape of the container, the amount of contact area, etc. The best way to answer this question is to do some experiments and vary some of the parameters. Eventually you will get some empirical idea of what's going on.
(published on 06/13/2010)
Follow-Up #5: time and rate happeneth to all
Rate and time are being confused. RATE is DISTANCE/TIME. 100C to 0C / x = 100/x && 5C to 0C / x = 5/x. if x is 5 minutes then 100/5=20 > 5/5=1. 20>1 = FASTER RATE.Though related they are not the same thing. Hot water freezes at a faster RATE than Cold Water. The equal sized/surface/area/pressure/temp/volume of the container of water closest to 0C will freeze in a shorter period of time than the hotter container of water. Hot water is often used because it lacks the dissolved air which makes the ice look cloudy. Ice sculptures can be crystal clear like glass if the hot water is super cooled to freeze the water before much air gets caught in the water. Common Chemistry experiments are done by taking temperature readings of a solution while stirring it to maximize the solutions contact with the surface of the beaker which is submerged into a ice/salt bath. The ice/salt bath on the exterior provides an subzero environment to freeze the solution on the inside. A Computer is usually doing the sampling automatically and graphing the results in a 2d graph showing the temp reading on the y axis and the time frame on the x axis. typically the graph is logarithmic. you see the temperature of the solution plummet quickly, but the amount of energy required to break the phase barrier is exponential. So you see water go from 100C to 1C in a short period of time, then it takes a much longer period of time compared to the 100C to 1C to go from 1C to 0C. Thus, the misunderstanding is that hot water freezes 'faster' than cold water. The same can be said about boiling water. the amount of energy introduced to the system to achieve boiling point is exponentially larger than the quantity to heat it up to 99C from 1C.
observe the graphs where f(x) = y,
f(x) = log(x)
f(x) = x^2 or f(x) = x*x [pronounced x squared)
then turn each one 90 degrees to see they're the same thing on a different axis.
Maybe a more real world scenario is in order for clarification. Bob is standing at the beginning of a 100 meter dash. Walter is standing 1 meter away from the end of the 100 meter dash finish line. The whistle blows! Bob is off to a speedy start traveling at 10 meters per second. It takes Bob 12 seconds, accounting for the the time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 10 m/s, to finish the race. Walter, being 1 meter from the end took his sweet time traveling at at only 1 meter per second and crossed the finish line 11 seconds before Bob. Bob traveled at a FASTER RATE, but Walter still finished first. Who was faster? Bob was faster! Who finished in the least amount of time? Walter, because he finished in 1 second.
To properly calculate the time it would take to freeze a substance from point x to point y...
As many posts before said there is not enough information given. Glasses are typically cylindrical in shape. So lets start with the Surface Area of a Cylinder Equation: (2*pi*radius^2)+(2*pi*radius*height). The SUBSTANCE of the container is very important for heat transfer rates as well as the mass of the container.
- WALTER (over 9000 years old)
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Walter- I should defer to your advanced age, but I see no evidence that anyone was confusing time and rate. These messy practical heat flow problems cannot reliably be reduced to your simple equations.
Here's some reasons why hot water could actually freeze sooner, surprising as that is.
1. There's a burst of initial evaporation. That leaves less water in the hot container, so that less latent heat needs to get dumped to the surroundings. If that's the reason, there would of course be evidence: less final ice.
2. There's less dissolved gas. That means that the freezing point is higher. If the surroundings are just a little below 0°C, the time it takes to freeze is very sensitive to even small changes in the freezing point. For example, if there are enough solutes to lower the freezing point below the surrounding temperature, the time becomes infinite.
So the freezing time has a complicated dependence on the temperature of the surroundings, the way in which heat is conducted in, the relative humidity of the surroundings, the amount of dissolved gas..... As a result, you can occasionally get the weird situation is which the hotter water freezes sooner, at least according to some experimental reports.
(published on 12/08/2010)
Follow-Up #6: how long for water to freeze?
I don't know why you couldn't give a rough answer to the initial question. Would it take minutes or hours for a room temperature cup of tap water to freeze in a typical residential freezer? That was all the little girl was asking. You didn't answer her question, you told her to find out herself. Mythbusters answered the question about beer. Try to help, okay?
My guess would be about an hour.
UIUC Engineering Grad & Mother
- E Wickliff (age 40s)
I've made a guess as to which question your comment was intended to follow-up.
The original Q&A on this goes back to before my time on the site, so I'm not sure why an approximate answer wasn't given. It's not hard to imagine a reason, though. It's rare for the turn-around time on this site to be less than a day. Often it's weeks. Sometimes years. The time to freeze a cup of water in a home freezer is less than a day, so just doing it gets the answer quicker than asking us, and avoids having to rely on authority.
My guess would be maybe three hours to freeze if you really wanted it frozen or maybe half an hour to freeze if you were just trying to cool it and the glass would break if you forgot to take it out in time. But children shouldn't be exposed to that kind of superstition.
(published on 04/07/2011)
Follow-Up #7: philosophy of freezing water
Like E. Wickliff pointed out, its really funny that no one really answered the girl's question.
But moving forward, here's a link to why hot water DOES freeze faster than cold...
Basically put, the hot water won't create an insulating layer of frost on the top and it contains less gas bubbles due to evaporation which in turn causes the hot water to cool more quickly as it evaporates more quickly than cold water. Faster cooling means it will eventually become colder than the initial temperature of the cold water"
And age is mostly irrelevant to knowledge.
- Peter Ryan (age 31)
Vancouver, BC, Canada
I looked at your link about hot water freezing faster. It basically speculated about the same reasons as we had discussed, plus adding another speculation about how the lack of bubbles in the hot water would promote supercooling. That's a little odd, since by definition that effect would make the freezing of the hot water slower.
They then add a speculation that since the cold water would start freezing sooner, it would develop an icy crust that would slow further freezing. However, they really have no argument as to why a similar crust wouldn't form on the hot water when it starts to freeze.
The main thing I hope students would take from this is that each of these speculations can be tested.
If the theory is that some of the hot water evaporated, you can check to see if the amount of ice it makes is noticeably reduced. If the theory is that the dissolved gases in the cold water lowers its freezing point significantly, you could try using cold water that had been degassed, maybe with a vacuum pump or other means. And so forth- each idea should be checkable.
This brings us back to the simple question of about how long it takes to freeze water in a home freezer. Why would anyone ask us that when it's so easy and quick to check directly?
(published on 09/09/2011)
Follow-Up #8: testing freezing times
Yes, we can be able to test it. But what is the correct temp for the freezer? And why would it be better?
- Tina (age 12)
Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
There's no particular "best temperature" for the freezer for this experiment.
So if you were looking for the strange effect of the hot water freezing sooner, you might test with the temperature just a little below 0°C, say -5°C. That's because dissolved gases (more likely to be in cold water) lower the freezing point, and that's very
noticeable if the freezer temperature is close to the freezing point. If you were just trying to see what happens, without any particular favorite result, you could do that at any temperature, with the results maybe depending on temperature.
(published on 10/06/2011)
Follow-Up #9: time to freeze water
1 cup of cool water (in a glass tumbler) took about 3 hours to freeze in my freezer. ;)
- nnugles (age eh?)
(published on 08/01/2012)
Follow-Up #10: How long to freeze water?
I did this for my science fair project and it took 80 minutes for 4 ounces of room temperature water in a thin disposable cup to freeze in my freezer.
- Xander (age 6)
Cave Creek, AZ, US
Xander- Thanks, some of our readers will like this information.
(published on 02/17/2013)
Follow-Up #11: wisdom of babes
I'm so glad the 6 year old answered the question that it takes 3 hours. I'm making pina coladas and want to chill the pineapple juice and canned pineapple, but not freeze them. Getting an answer of 3 hours means that my timer of 1 hour will do it safely. I respect that it is better to give an ESTIMATE of an answer, than to plead ignorance.
- Peter W Lindner (age 63)
I hope he sees your thanks.
(published on 08/30/2013)
Follow-Up #12: experimenting on freezing water
i am goin to be doing my junior cert this year and have a few questions.... For my science i am doing a project which is based on which temperature of water freezes the fastest an which one melts fastest at room temerature.. i will be doing it more then once with varius sized containers to get an accurate result. the junior cert is an important set of exams and leads to how well we will do and which college we will go to. so fr ive alot written down on that topic but am struggling. My teacher has told me to find out a method for how long the water takes to freeze. so basically if i go to the freezer and both are frozen i don't know how long it took to froze. so how often should i check the water and also how do i know if there is a difference from the last time i checked? do i just check the temperature or is there something im missing? please help and thanks :)
- aoife (age ...)
I can't follow what you're comparing here, but at any rate it seems that you want to compare freezing times for several samples.
Unless you can get some sort of automatic data logger you should check pretty often, maybe every 15 minutes or 1/2 hour. I grew up on experiments like that where we had to keep an eye on things almost continuously.
Maybe now you could do something clever, like conduct the experiment in a styrofoam cooler with a viewing port. Cooling maybe could be supplied by some dry ice/alcohol slurry. Each sample could have a thermometer in it. You could take pictures with a digital camera, maybe even with a timer. To avoid fogging, the viewing port could just be a long styrofoam tube with open ends, also serving to vent the CO2 from the evaporating dry ice. A little LED light could be turned on inside when you wanted to view or take a picture.
Whatever you end up doing, a crucial part will be to write it up clearly so people can know why you did it and what you did. What are you trying to find out?
(published on 09/09/2013)
Follow-Up #13: looking at freezing water
its saying i can't check every 15 mins cause it might influece the freezing by opening the freezer
- aoife (age 14)
Sure, opening the freezer every 15 minutes will change the freezing time. It will change the time a little for both the water that started out warm and the water that started out cold. This is just like using a slightly different freezer. What's wrong with that? It's not as if you started out knowing exactly which freezer with exactly which properties was the one you wanted to do the test in.
The first thing to do here is to write up carefully what you're trying to find out and why. Without that there's not much point in worrying about the details of what to do.
And who is the "it" that's telling you what to do?
(published on 09/16/2013)
Follow-Up #14: Teach a man to fish
I could not agree more with the earlier comment that it is incredible that this question was either not provided with a solution or an estimate. With all due respect, Mike W, you have directly contributed to this thread being ridiculously long - my son almost gave up twice wanting to find the answer within the thread because there is so much 'hot air' and speculation here without an answer. In the future Mike W. I might suggest instead of pontificating about how one might go about finding the answer, that it might be better to stay off of these answer boards unless you actually have the answer. Good Day.
- Mark (age 40s)
It's a little ironical to get your suggestion now. Our group recently had a discussion about how we'd like to do more to help people figure out their own answers and test answers that they might hear, rather than just passively write down 'facts' from the Web. You know that old saying about teaching a man to fish.
(published on 11/24/2013)
Follow-Up #15: philosophy of teaching
I am a retired secondary science teacher and applaud "teaching a man to fish". Understanding the context of what we are trying to do is critical to plausibility and efficacy. Where might we now be in our troubled, perilous world if, before we began doing all the things we've done, we had first devoted an inordinate amount of time determining if we ought to be doing it at all? Simply demanding a conclusion represents a detrimental amount of arrogance and disrespect for the elegant systems, of which we are only a part.
- Robert (age 62)
We're happy to pass those thoughts on.
(published on 01/25/2014)
Follow-Up #16: Does warm water freeze faster?
If two glasses of water are placed in a home freezer, one at room temp and the other at say 150*, I believe I was taught that the warmer water would freeze first due to the fact that the warmer water had more stored heat energy than the cooler glass of water. The cooling would proceed at a faster rate in the glass of warm water. Am I correct? If not,please correct my view. Thank you.
- Marty Shows (age 71)
From what we hear, which freezes faster depends on detailed conditions. The reasons are discussed in the earlier part of the thread. The reason that you suggested though, is not one of them. More stored heat by itself would mean that it would take longer to get rid of the heat. It's other factors, such as less dissolved air, that can make the warm water freeze first.
(published on 02/22/2014)
Follow-Up #17: experimental results on freezing hot and cold water
After reading all of the variables (Answers) to this Q posted on the Physics Van, I decided to turn this into an experiment, to introduce my 6 yr old daughter to the Scientific Method. So...
We took 2 samples each of boiling and cold tap water (N= 4). Each sample was 4 oz (120 mL). 1 boiling 4- ounce sample was placed into a bowl. 1 boiling 4 ounce sample was placed into a COVERED plastic bottle. 4oz Cold tap water was placed into an identical plastic bottle, and 4oz cold H20 into an identical glass bowl. The 4 containers were placed outside in Alaska on a 10 degree F (-12.22 Celsius) winter afternoon..
My daughter won this guess- the glass bowl of COLD water froze first, at 35 minutes. The plastic bottle of Cold water froze second, at 41 minutes. The glass bowl of hot water froze third, at 44 minutes. The plastic bottle of hot water finished last, and (uncertainly) froze at 87 minutes (I'm not sure if the floating ice formed on the side of the bottle, or not). All times are for the formation of ice crystals in/on the liquid (not entirely frozen).
I came to the Van with a question; you provided the research and here is an answer. Hope this helped. -Carl Anchorage, AK
- Carl F (age 28)
Anchorage, AK, USA
Many thanks for these carefully reported results!
(published on 01/27/2015)
Follow-Up #18: freezing milk and water
How hard can this really be?? Wait it I'd hard with all the variables that go into it, from temperature of water to the humidity. There is just so many variables that go into this. So lets ask give Mike a nice round of applause for trying to help! Plus he is a savage! Would milk and water freeze at the same time if they had all the same variables down to a dot?
- Hugh G. Rexcion (age 37)
In equilibirum, the water freezes at slightly higher temperature, because the sugars and salts, etc. in the milk slighty lower it's freezing temperature. (See .) Since in practice solutions can supercool (see ), i.e. stay liquid a bit below the equilibrium freezing point, I can't guarantee that the milk won't freeze first, because the fat droplets might reduce the tendency to supercool. We'd love to hear the results of the experiment.
(published on 03/23/2015)
Follow-Up #19: pure heat conduction
So say we have this magical freezer it is always -20 degrees Celsius (The temperature is never changing) In this magical box there is no gravity and it is a vacuum. So we add a floating sphere of water. Its has a radius of 1cm so its Area is 12.57 cm2 this is about 4.19cm3 The ball of water is 10C. Now lets say this magical ball of water as well because it spreads its temperature through its self evenly (Can be treated as 1 System evenly distributing its energy). Water having a heat capacity of 75.375 ±0.05 J/mol·K and the density is 1g/cm3. Now is there any kind of calculation you can do to determine roughly how long it will take for that water reach -20C? Also if there are any more assumptions that need to be done to determine this what would they be? (Assume that the pressure is 1 Atm and constant).
- Mike Watson (age 23)
Vicotira, BC, Canada
Let's forget about the part about magic water that keeps its internal temperature uniform. That removes the only real physics of the problem, which is thermal diffusion. You've made our life easier by removing gravity, which causes convection, a much mesier process.
The water will gradually approach -20°C. If by "reach -20°C" you mean get very close, you have to wait several times the thernal diffusion time, the time it takes for heat to diffuse a distance of about the radius of the sphere.
So you need the thermal diffusion constant, which is the thermal conductivity divided by the heat capacity per unit volume. So that's (0.60 W/m-K)/ 4.2*106 J/m3-K =1.4*10-6 m2/sec. WIth your 1 cm radius, the typical diffusion time is about 100 sec. The exact solution for the time-dependent temperature can be obtained by decomposing the spatial dependence into a bunch of patterns each of which relaxes exponentially toward equilibrium. The pattern with the longest spatial wiggles has the slowest relaxation.
(published on 03/16/2015)
Follow-Up #20: physics, banking, and figuring things out
found the article trying to figure out how long it takes water to freeze and decided to read it. I am very impressed with Mike. He is patient in trying to teach and unfortunately there is not always a straight answer to many things in life due to variables. I am a banker and I see this a lot in banking. Sometimes you have to give a general answer to the public and let them learn the variables for themselves. And you get the response "but, you said!" What I said was "generally". I appreciate Mikes patience and his positive manner. Great thread.
- anna (age 42)
We really appreciate these comments!
(published on 06/25/2015)
Follow-Up #21: does cold water freeze faster?
The answer given here about cold water freezing faster than hot water is flat-out wrong and disregards the Mpemba effect. http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/10/science-this-is-why-hot-water-can-freeze-faster-than-cold-water-mpemba-effect.html
- Jay (age 33)
NY, NY, USA
The site you refer to has nice discussions of the limitations of some common explanations of the effect whereby sometimes hot water freezes before cold water. Unfortunately the explanation they give, that the heat changes the molecular bonds between the water molecules so the resemble those of ice, is pure baloney, far more than the ideas they criticize. The relaxation time for those little local modes in the water is somewhere crudely in the neighborhood of 10-12 s, not exactly long enough to help the cooling water remember anything about its past.
The main explanation that they leave out is probably the best. Heating causes dissolved gases to leave the water. Dissolved gasses lower the freezing point. So the heated water has a slightly higher freezing point.
We discuss these issues in another thread.
(published on 08/14/2015)
Follow-up on this answer. | <urn:uuid:38853839-6e5e-4760-89ef-90f2799de786> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=537 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952598 | 6,266 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Here’s the latest twist on the Jesus Wife Papyrus. To review; prior to this discovery, the common wisdom was that there was nothing – I repeat, nothing – substantiating the idea that Jesus was married. No ancient text whatsoever. It was all “Da Vinci Code” stuff. Then along comes the Jesus Papyrus: (http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-projects/the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife), a 2nd to 4th century Coptic text in which Jesus refers to someone – apparently Mary Magdalene – as his “wife”.
Instead of doing the science on this papyrus, weighing the implications and reviewing previously ignored archaeology e.g., the Talpiot tomb, the first line of theological defense was to declare the text irrelevant. The response was: “So what? Some 4th century Christians tried to rationalize marriage by saying that Jesus was married. This teaches us nothing about the historical Jesus or his marital status.” Clearly, this line of defense doesn’t work. After all, based on this logic, most Christian writings would have to be dismissed as late and historically irrelevant. The papyrus may be an invention, or it may be preserving history. But you can’t just ignore it.
So the sleeper agents of Christian Orthodoxy took another approach – it’s a forgery. Nevermind that the papyrus can be easily dated with a C-14 test, afterall a modern forger can write on a blank piece of ancient papyrus. Nevermind that the ink can be tested, afterall we can make up a Hollywood style scenario where an ancient papyrus is burned and the ash is used to pen the modern forgery (in reality, to work as ink, this is impossible since the ash would have to be mixed with modern elements, and the modern elements could be easily detected). Nevermind that there isn’t even a suspect or motive for this forgery; it’s a forgery! Why? Because we don’t like it. The “official” reasons for dismissing the papyrus were:
- The text is similar to the Gospel of Thomas.
- The text is exactly like the Gospel of Thomas.
- The text is disjointed like many damaged ancient manuscripts.
After a while, the naysayers realized that the three reasons given to dismiss the papyrus actually helped to authenticate it. Being “similar” to the Gospel of Thomas, helps to date it. Being “disjointed” makes it like other authentic, damaged manuscripts and, clearly, the text is not “exactly” like any Gospel because it’s the only one that refers to Jesus’ “wife”. So the naysayers had to fall back on some pretty heavy pseudo academic babble to scare all lay people into believing that the text is a forgery after all.
The pseudo academic babble came in the form of an online article by Andrew Bernhard from Oxford no less (http://www.gospels.net/gjw/mighthavebeenforged.pdf). And what does Andrew say? If I understand him correctly, he argues that something called the Grondin Interlinear version of the Gospel of Thomas has a kind of “typographical error” and that this type of typographical error appears in the Jesus Wife Papyrus. Meaning, someone forged the papyrus and used the Grondin Interlinear Gospel of Thomas as his guide. By copying the typographical error, however, the forger gave himself away. Bernhard’s argument is packaged in some pretty heavy analysis of Coptic writing, enough to scare anyone not at Oxford.
There’s only one slight problem with Bernhard’s analysis. I believe that Grondin’s Interlinear version became widely available online only in 2002, Bernhard says 1997. In any event, this papyrus was already seen in 1982 by Peter Munro, a prominent Egyptologist at the Free University in Berlin and a long time Director of the Kestner Museum in Hannover. More than this, he showed it to a colleague, Gerhard Fecht, who identified the papyrus as a 2nd to 4th century CE (AD) fragment. The collector who owns the papyrus turned over to Prof. King at Harvard Divinity School some signed and dated letters by Prof. Munro and an unsigned, undated note that appears to belong to the same 1982 correspondence. The latter states that “Professor Fecht believes that the small fragment…is the sole example of a text in which Jesus uses direct speech with reference to having a wife” (emphasis added). So when you get rid of the babble, what is Bernhard really saying? He is saying that the fragment was most likely forged “after 1997 when Grondin’s Interlinear was first posted online”. How could someone forge something in 1997, when the “forged” item was already referenced in 1982?
All the fancy Coptic gymnastics don’t change the basic fact that you can’t forge something retroactively. The only way around this is to argue that someone also forged the 1982 correspondence. Wow! Talk about “Da Vinci Code”, this is turning into a real whodunit. Who could be the culprit? Since the only possible suspect is the unknown owner of the manuscript, it must be him. Or not. What is his motive? Fame? Hardly, he remains anonymous. Money? Hardly, the best way to make money is to forge something that the Vatican agrees with, not dismisses. And when you blow all the pseudo-academic smoke away, there is a very easy way to ascertain whether the 1982 letter is a fake. All you have to do is go to a writing specialist and compare the unsigned 1982 letter with known writings of Prof. Munro and Fecht. If the letter matches one of them – bingo, it can’t be a forgery.
Has Bernhard or anyone else initiated an analysis of the letters accompanying the papyrus? Of course not. It’s best to just call the papyrus a “forgery”, despite the fact that no one can fake in 1997 a papyrus that was examined in 1982 – unless, of course, that forger is also a time traveler. Since all this forgery libel is just so much science fiction, maybe that’s the next line of defense. The Jesus Wife Papyrus can’t be authentic because a time traveler forged it in 1997 – and planted it in a private collection in 1982. | <urn:uuid:b85f3b58-cd7d-4459-a7a5-97ab7a5b163a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.simchajtv.com/jesus-wife-forgery-charges-are-science-fiction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00068-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949653 | 1,405 | 2.90625 | 3 |
The Seashell Science kit is designed for use in your classroom and contains shells representing nearly 30 species of marine animals from Monterey Bay. Curriculum suggestions for grades K-2 are included, focusing on adaptive features of seashore animals. Activities challenge students to sharpen their observation skills, while incorporating language and creative arts. Although curriculum suggestions target grades K-2, the shells and resources could be used for activities with any grade level.
In addition to the shell collection and curriculum, the kit also includes activity sheets, answer keys, two reference books, and a teacher preview pass to visit the Seymour Center.
Reservations: Seashell Science is available by reservation only. Please complete the Seashell Science Reservation Form. Please note the kit must be picked up and dropped off at the Seymour Center. We are unable to mail the kit.
For more information: Call the Seymour Center at (831) 459-3800.
Additional Classroom Kits are available for check-out from the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Topics include tide pools, fossils, insects, and geology. Visit www.santacruzmuseum.org for more information. | <urn:uuid:5a823267-8301-4247-88b2-de48a491a62f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/students-teachers/educator-opportunities/education-kits/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00094-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919697 | 241 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Epstein, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, had recently been surrounded by protests following the shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a policeman August 9. On Monday, she decided to do something about it. Yet, disregarding even her advanced age, Epstein was still not another random protestor in the crowd.
Born to a Jewish family in Freiburg, Germany in 1924, Epstein was eight years old when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. The daughter of a dry goods shop owner and a housewife, she fled in 1939 to England with the help of her parents in order to escape Nazi persecution, as part of the Kindertransport, a mission that helped rescue at least 10,000 Jewish children prior to the outbreak of World War II. Many times, these children were the only surviving members of their families.
As for Epstein, her parents were first sent to two different concentration camps in France. By late summer 1942, her parents, along with all other surviving members of her family, were sent to the infamous Auschwitz extermination camp in Germany. In September 1942, Epstein received a postcard from her mother that read, “Traveling to the east .. Sending you a final goodbye.” It was the last time she would hear from her. The only surviving members of Epstein’s family were an aunt and uncle, who had emigrated to the United States in 1938.
For the rest of World War II, Epstein remained in England, where she attended school and worked several jobs, including one in a factory that produced war munitions. Following the war, she returned to Germany, where she worked for the U.S. government as part of the U.S. Civil Censorship Division and as a research analyst at the Nuremberg Medical Trial. Back in Germany, she hoped to locate members of her family, an endeavor which ultimately proved unsuccessful.
In 1948, she came to the U.S., working a variety of government jobs, still in hopes of locating her family. She worked for a stint at the New York Association for New Americans, an organization which helped bring Holocaust survivors to America. Not long after, Epstein became active in social justice campaigns for human and civil rights. In 1970, she began speaking to audiences about her experience in the Holocaust and her work in Nuremburg.
In 1989, she traveled to Cambodia, Nicaragua, and Guatemala as a peace delegate. Since 2003, Epstein visited the Israeli Occupied West Bank numerous times, participating in non-violent demonstrations with Israelis and Palestinians to protest Israel’s occcupation of Palestinian land. She was detained at the Tel Aviv airport in 2004 and strip-searched. In 2006, she was tear-gassed during a peaceful demonstration in Ramallah, where bombs were also detonated, and Epstein lost some of her hearing. She has been active in supporting abortion rights, fair housing, and anti-war efforts.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Epstein felt an impulse to take action in her town regarding the incidents of late. “I really didn’t think about being arrested or doing anything like that,” Epstein said to a Newsweek reporter. “I was just going to be somebody in the crowd. I guess maybe I was impulsive: Someone said, ‘Who is willing to be arrested if that happens?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m willing.’”
Along with fellow protestors, Epstein marched toward the Wainwright Building, where the office of Governor Jay Nixon is located, to express disapproval of his decision to activate the National Guard and to request that he deescalate the situation. They were informed that the Governor was not in the building and instructed to disperse. When they refused to do so, the group was arrested by police, handcuffed, transported to a police substation, and given court dates.
As no stranger to injustice, Epstein said, “I’m deeply, deeply troubled by what’s going on in Ferguson. It’s a matter of racism and injustice, and it’s not only in Ferguson…. Racism is alive and well in the United States. The power structure looks at anyone who’s different as the other, as less worthy, and so you treat the other as someone who is less human and who needs to be controlled and who is not trusted.”
She recalled an anecdote about her experience after coming to America and working at the New York Association for New Americans in New York. An African American woman helped her get started and informed her that they had an hour for lunch each day. Epstein did not understand why they could not go to lunch together. She said that she thought, “Wait a minute. Lincoln freed the slaves. This is 1948. You can’t go to eat where I go? Isn’t someone doing something about this?”
Many years later, Epstein is troubled by police violence and riotous violence in the streets, both of which have been the subject of concern in Ferguson, Missouri. While being escorted to the police van, she said, “I didn’t think I would have to do it when I was 90. We need to stand up today so that people won’t have to do this when they’re 90.”
(Daily Corinthian columnist Stacy Jones teaches English at McNairy Central High School and UT Martin and serves on the board of directors at Corinth Theatre-Arts. She loves being a downtown Corinth resident.) | <urn:uuid:c32ed4d0-e77f-4e48-bf1d-65575e97b1f2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.dailycorinthian.com/view/full_story/25668953/article-Holocaust-survivor-continues-campaigning-for-human-rights-at-90 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397565.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00101-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983373 | 1,136 | 2.828125 | 3 |
The giant spiral assemblage of several billion stars that is home to the Sun and its family of planets, including Earth, is only one of the billions of star systems known to exist in the universe (see EXTRAGALACTIC SYSTEMS). Because it is our star system, however, it is usually called the Galaxy. The Milky Way, another name for it, is the portion visible to the naked eye.
In the 20th century, astronomers determined that the Galaxy is a disk-shaped object, far larger than most of the galaxies in its neighborhood (see LOCAL GROUP OF GALAXIES).
Its visible disk is about 100,000 LIGHT YEARS wide but only about 2,000 light-years thick. A halo of other materials, including star clusters, surrounds the disk.
The total mass of the Galaxy can be measured by studying the motions of individual stars and clouds of hydrogen gas in different parts of the galaxy and by applying CELESTIAL MECHANICS to calculate a total mass that will account for the observed motions. The mass can also be determined from the motions of the Galaxy's small satellite galaxies, especially the nearby dwarf elliptical galaxies, and globular clusters. Recent computations by both methods agree that the Galaxy's mass is possibly 1,000 to 2,000 billion times the mass of the Sun. As the Sun's mass is about average for a star in the Galaxy, the total number of stars must also be of this order. Most of these stars are invisible from the Earth, however, because the solar system lies in the dense plane of the Galaxy, where interstellar dust obscures all but its nearer parts.
The area around the Galaxy is populated by about twenty galaxies that make up a small cluster called the local group. Most of these neighbors, such as the MAGELLANIC CLOUDS, are far smaller and less luminous than the Galaxy. The only other large galaxy is the ANDROMEDA GALAXY, which is more than 2 million light-years away, is somewhat larger and more luminous than our own galaxy and is visible to the naked eye. The Andromeda spiral differs slightly in shape from our galaxy, having a larger smooth, amorphous central bulge and spiral arms that are less patchy.
The Sun lies a little more than 30,000 light-years from the center of the Galaxy. From our vantage point, the Galaxy appears thicker toward its center, in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, and somewhat thinner in other directions. However, because of the obscuration by dust, which limits our view in all directions, it is difficult to realize from observation that we are not near the center of the system.
DETERMINATION OF GALACTIC STRUCTURE
Until the 1920s it was thought that the system of stars outlined by the Milky Way was the entire universe; early attempts to understand the structure of the Galaxy were thought of as studies of the universe itself. In 1784, Sir William HERSCHEL attempted to determine the structure of the Milky Way (he referred to his work as exploring the 'construction of the heavens') by making extensive star counts through telescopes, recording the number of stars in various directions, and plotting the results in a series of maps. Assuming that all stars had approximately the same brightness and that the Galaxy was uniformly dense, Herschel calculated the extent of the system of stars in various directions and concluded that we live in the central region of a flat, round arrangement of stars that extends far along the Milky Way.
A much more accurate view of the Galaxy resulted from Harlow Shapley's studies of globular clusters, begun in 1914. Shapley realized that dust obscured large numbers of stars along the Milky Way and discovered that making star counts was not as good a way of gauging the size of the Galaxy as determining the size of the system of globular clusters that lie above and below the obscuration of the Milky Way plane. Using this method, he determined that the Galaxy is about ten times larger than previously thought, and that the Sun is located at a considerable distance from the center. He found that the clusters make up a thin, spherical halo that surrounds a bright flat disk. The detailed structure of the disk was difficult to discover because of the dust, but several astronomers, especially Jacobus C. Kapteyn in Holland and Bart J. Bok in the United States, pursued the task of plotting the distribution of stars to try to find a pattern, particularly a pattern of spiral arms like those seen in many other galaxies. Only fragments of structure emerged, however, and they were found to resemble scraps of spiral arms only when stellar associations were discovered during the late 1940s.
An important breakthrough occurred in 1951, when Harvard scientists Harold Ewen and Edward Purcell made the first radio detection of the 21-cm emission line of neutral hydrogen gas in the Milky Way. By 1954, Dutch and Australian radio astronomers were ready to assemble a radio map of the Galaxy. Since radio waves pass through the dust unimpeded, this map was far more accurate than those based on visual observations. The result clearly showed a complex and beautiful spiral structure, very much like that of the giant galaxy Messier 101 or the Whirlpool Galaxy, Messier 51.
Our present view of the Galaxy is based on highly detailed radio maps of neutral atomic hydrogen gas and other sources, including hot gas clouds and gas-dust complexes that emit radiation from various molecules and parts of molecules, such as water, carbon monoxide, and hydroxyl. The Galaxy consists of a slightly warped, scalloped disk of heavy-element-rich stars, gas clouds, and dust, surrounded by a tenuous spherical halo of old, heavy-element-poor stars and star clusters. The halo extends to about 85,000 light-years from the center, and is enveloped by the corona, which reaches to at least 200,000 light-years.
In recent years astronomers have begun to examine the core of the Milky Way in other wavelengths (see INFRARED ASTRONOMY; RADIO ASTRONOMY; X-RAY ASTRONOMY). Infrared studies have revealed a small number of fast-moving red supergiant stars within 5 light-years of the center. Strong radio and X-ray emissions from the same area suggest that a BLACK HOLE may exist in that region, and that it may be generating the extremely hot gases spiralling around the galactic center at speeds of up to 700,000 kilometers per hour. Heavy-metal synthesis, which accompanies the formation of new stars, is also thought to occur in that region. Farther out are dramatic radiowave-emitting filaments perpendicular to the galactic plane; these arcs of matter, approximately 150 light-years long, suggest that a huge magnetic field exists around the galactic core. Unrelated to these arcs are three bizarre, threadlike structures, uniformly bright and about one light-year wide and more than 100 light-years long, that cut across the central galactic regions. These threads remain unexplained but may be magnetic in structure.
COMPOSITION OF THE GALAXY
Our galaxy, like most well-studied spiral galaxies, chiefly consists of stars, gas, and dust. A census of the visible part of the Galaxy indicates that most of the mass is in the stars, with only about 2% in the form of gas (mostly hydrogen) and about 0.01% in the form of dust.
The stars of the Galaxy have been divided into two kinds, called Population I and Population II. Population I stars are prevalent in the spiral arms and include stars of all ages, from over ten billion years to only a few hundred thousand years old. They all contain elements heavier than helium, in amounts comparable to those found in the Sun. Population II stars, on the other hand, are found in the bulge around the galactic nucleus and in the spherical halo, which includes both the thin envelope of stars surrounding the disk and the globular clusters. All Population II stars are approximately 12 to 15 billion years old, and all are deficient in their amounts of heavy elements, some by factors of more than a hundred. These are the Galaxy's oldest inhabitants, and they are frequently offered as evidence that the Galaxy itself is 15 billion years old.
The total amount of stars, gas, and dust in the Galaxy does not quite equal the total measured mass. Although there has been considerable recent controversy about the matter, it may be necessary to account for the difference by suggesting that the Galaxy contains matter in some undetected, invisible form, such as molecular hydrogen, black holes (collapsed and invisible stars), or meteoroids. Recent investigations suggest that the 'missing mass' of the Galaxy might be found in the corona. The composition of the corona is unknown, but it is estimated that it contains between 100 and 200 billion solar masses.
DYNAMICS OF THE GALAXY
In the early 20th century, as the mystery of the structure of the Galaxy was being unraveled, the motions of stars were also being determined. Astronomers recorded the slow perceived position changes of stars (proper motion) and their motions toward or away from Earth (radial velocities); the latter are easily measured by the Doppler shift of the stars' spectral lines. In 1904, Kapteyn found that stars did not move at random but in two streams flowing in opposite directions along the Milky Way, one converging in the constellation of Orion and the other converging 180 deg away, in Scutum. The Swedish astronomer Bertil Lindblad showed that this streaming motion is simply the result of the rotation of the Galaxy. Stars traveling in nearly circular orbits around the galactic center with the Sun will have larger motions relative to the Sun either toward or away from the center--depending on whether they are approaching the nearest or farthest points in their elliptical orbits--than in the direction of motion. Therefore, we preferentially see motions towards us or away from us in these directions.
In 1927, Jan H. Oort of the Netherlands showed that the motions of stars in different parts of the Milky Way could be used to derive the properties of the rotation of the Galaxy, including the speed of the Sun through space. When modern values are used in Oort's equations, it is found that the Sun's velocity is approximately 250 km/sec in its orbit around the galactic center. The velocity for stars at larger distances from the center is smaller; in the inner part of the Galaxy the velocities are similar to those of solid bodies. These velocity differences cause differential rotation in the disk, and they may be the primary cause of the spiral shape of the arms (and also, incidentally, of the rotation of the bodies in the solar system, including the Earth).
The dynamics of the spiral arms are still only imperfectly understood. Differential rotation will make spiral arms out of almost any structural feature in a galaxy, but the arms should only last a fraction of the age of the galaxy. It would lead to a rapid winding-up of the arms in the 50 or so rotations that have occurred since the Galaxy was formed. One possible explanation is that the arms are not constant physical entities, but are waves of high star density moving more slowly than the stars. Stars slow down and pile up temporarily in an arm because of its higher gravitational field, then pass out of the arm and proceed until they encounter the next arm.
Determinations have been made of the Galaxy's movement as a whole, relative to the rest of the universe. For example, high-altitude measurements were made of the universe's BACKGROUND RADIATION, the residual glow of the so-called 'big bang' that is assumed to have occurred in the first moments of the universe (see COSMOLOGY). The measurements indicated that the Galaxy is moving, relative to the universe, in the same direction as the constellation Leo lies relative to the Earth, and with a velocity of more than 600 km/sec (373 mi/sec). The galaxy is also moving at about 100 km/sec (62 mi/sec), relative to the center of mass of the local group of galaxies. The local group, in turn, is moving at a comparable velocity relative to the supercluster of galaxies to which it belongs. Some astronomers have proposed that the flow is moving toward a huge, distant region of space that has been called the Great Attractor, but others have since disputed this theoretical structure.
RADIATION FROM THE GALAXY
From a distance, the Galaxy could be detected by a wide variety of means, since it emits radiation at almost all possible wavelengths: it is optically bright, emitting the equivalent of approximately 200 billion Suns in optical (visible) radiation; it is a strong source of radio-line emission, especially from its large mass of neutral hydrogen; it is a source of radio continuum noise, both from the hot gas clouds in its arms and from its dense, hot nucleus; its huge, dark, cool complexes of dust and gas emit infrared emission; it shines in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum because of its large number of very hot, recently formed stars; and it gives off X radiation from many sources. | <urn:uuid:647bbb21-0372-472f-8782-6eec073ae4f6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.schreiben10.com/referate/Physik/3/GALAXY-reon.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395166.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00025-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951105 | 2,717 | 4.46875 | 4 |
More than ever before, there is widespread interest in studying bumble bees and the critical role they play in our ecosystems. Bumble Bees of North America is the first comprehensive guide to North American bumble bees to be published in more than a century. Richly illustrated with color photographs, diagrams, range maps, and graphs of seasonal activity patterns, this guide allows amateur and professional naturalists to identify all 46 bumble bee species found north of Mexico and to understand their ecology and changing geographic distributions.
The book draws on the latest molecular research, shows the enormous color variation within species, and guides readers through the many confusing convergences between species. It draws on a large repository of data from museum collections and presents state-of-the-art results on evolutionary relationships, distributions, and ecological roles. Illustrated keys allow identification of color morphs and social castes.
A landmark publication, Bumble Bees of North America sets the standard for guides and the study of these important insects.
- The best guide yet to the 46 recognized bumble bee species in North America north of Mexico
- Up-to-date taxonomy includes previously unpublished results
- Detailed distribution maps
- Extensive keys identify the many color patterns of species
Paul H. Williams is a research entomologist at the Natural History Museum in London. Robbin W. Thorp is professor emeritus of entomology at the University of California, Davis. Leif L. Richardson is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Dartmouth College. Sheila R. Colla is an NSERC postdoctoral fellow and project leader at Wildlife Preservation Canada.
"A very helpful guide for any one interested in bumble bees."--Amanda Williams, buzzaboutbees.net
"As bee populations plummet and environmental concerns continue to make the news, there is widespread interest in bees. This attractively priced guide helps users identify the 46 species found north of Mexico and offers insight into their ecology and habitats. . . . This guide will be useful in public and academic libraries where there is an interest in bees or the environment."--Rebecca Vnuk, Booklist
"Identif[ies] the 46 species of bumblebee that are found in North America (Mexico is not included), far more than previous guides. The introduction presents clear information on these bees generally, their distribution, colony cycle, and interactions with plants. . . . An attractive, worthwhile purchase."--Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal
"Because of their importance as a pollinator, their ubiquity (in various species, of course) across the continent, and simply because the lives and behaviors bumble bees are so fascinating, Bumble Bees of North America should be considered as a must-read by all amateur naturalists. Professionals--be they entomologists, ecologists, general biologists, and most especially teachers of life science subjects at all levels--would also do well to add it to their reading lists for both its superb introduction to the genus as well as its value as a reference guide."--John Riutta, Well-read Naturalist
Table of Contents
Worker Bombus fraternus
Click to enlarge
Bee Life Cycle
Click to enlarge
Worker bumblebees foraging
Click to enlarge | <urn:uuid:c0936831-0fda-4efd-87a4-bff2ab373121> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10219.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00151-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907266 | 671 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Throughout her career, African-American actress Diana Sands successfully challenged racial barriers in the theater world by pursuing and winning parts that were traditionally played by white actresses. At a time when black actors were offered minor or marginal roles Sands battled for more interracial casting. She also appeared in noteworthy plays about the lives of African Americans.
A native New Yorker who graduated from that city’s celebrated High School of the Performing Arts, Sands made her professional debut off-Broadway playing Juliet in An Evening with Will Shakespeare (1953) and a year later she appeared in a revival of Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara. She had a few minor successes before making her Broadway debut in Lorraine Hansberry’s ground breaking play about an African-American family living in Chicago’s South Side, A Raisin in the Sun. The play was roundly praised as a work that “has vigor and veracity and is likely to destroy the complacency of any one who sees it.”1 Members of the cast, which included Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Claudia McNeil, were celebrated for their compelling portrayal of Hansberry’s vivid characters. Sands was awarded the Outer Critics Circle Award and a Variety Critics Poll Award for her performance. She revisited the part in the 1961 film version of the play.
Shortly after the success of A Raisin in the Sun, Sands appeared with Alan Alda in a Broadway romantic comedy, The Owl and the Pussycat by Bill Manhoff. The two-person play was written for white actors, and race wasn’t an element of the story—in fact it was never even mentioned. Such interracial casting was rare and thus was thought by many to be a major step toward dismantling the status quo regarding race in the theater community. Sands continued in this vein when, in the late 1960s as a member of the Repertory Theater at Lincoln Center, she became the first African-American woman to play Joan of Arc in a professional production when she appeared in Shaw’s Saint Joan.
In addition to performing with touring and regional productions, Sands appeared in films and on television. She was to play Claudine in the 1974 film of the same name, (a role for which Diahann Caroll would eventually receive an Oscar nomination) but Sands, a long-time chain smoker, was diagnosed with cancer and deemed too ill to take the role. She died in September of that year. | <urn:uuid:6804bcab-3441-4dce-b0a7-1d533acbe03d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/cvvpw/gallery/sands.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984704 | 505 | 2.515625 | 3 |
They steamed westward with America, carrying goods and people to the new frontier. They powered through the industrial revolution, moving with the times. And they transported a nation in motion, soldiers and settlers and immigrants, captains of industry and itinerant laborers. These were the steam locomotives that ruled the rails and kept America moving and working for more than a century.
Pictured here in more than 250 modern photographs of restored and preserved models, these locomotives evoke the railroad’s golden age and stand as a powerful reminder of the industry’s might. The book offers a pictorial history of the evolution of steam power from the early nineteenth century to the demise of steam power after World War II; detailed captions identify each pictured locomotive and explain its role in the history of American motive power. Featuring every prominent wheel configuration as well as shrouded “streamlined” locomotives, Steam Power conveys the grand geographic and technological breadth of North American railroading. | <urn:uuid:eaa431ca-22bf-42cb-9a33-8c299d1c5dcb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.railroadbookstore.com/shop/Steam_11948_076033336X_Steam-Power-Gallery.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402479.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00070-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954633 | 201 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Engineers have constructed a solar array smaller than a dime out of 20 solar cells
Some of the tiniest solar cells ever built have been successfully tested as a power source for even tinier microscopic machines. An article in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (JRSE), published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), describes an inch-long array of 20 of these cells -- each one about a quarter the size of a lowercase "o" in a standard 12-point font.
The cells were made of an organic polymer and were joined together in an experiment aimed at proving their ability to power tiny devices that can be used to detect chemical leaks and for other applications, says Xiaomei Jiang, who led the research at the University of South Florida.
Traditional solar cells, such as the commercial type installed on rooftops, use a brittle backing made of silicon, the same sort of material upon which computer chips are built. By contrast, organic solar cells rely upon a polymer that has the same electrical properties of silicon wafers but can be dissolved and printed onto flexible material.
"I think these materials have a lot more potential than traditional silicon," says Jiang. "They could be sprayed on any surface that is exposed to sunlight -- a uniform, a car, a house."
Jiang and her colleagues fabricated their array of 20 tiny solar cells as a power source for running a microscopic sensor for detecting dangerous chemicals and toxins. The detector, known as a microeletromechanical system (MEMS) device, is built with carbon nanotubes and has already been tested using ordinary DC power supplied by batteries. When fully powered and hooked into a circuit, the carbon nanotubes can sensitively detect particular chemicals by measuring the electrical changes that occur when chemicals enter the tubes. The type of chemical can be distinguished by the exact change in the electrical signal.
The device needs a 15-volt power source to work, so far and Jiang's solar cell array can provide about half of that -- up to 7.8 volts in their laboratory tests. The next step, she says, is to optimize the device to increase the voltage and then combine the miniature solar array to the carbon nanotube chemical sensors. Jiang estimates they will be able to demonstrate this level of power with their next generation solar array by the end of the year. | <urn:uuid:c221bd93-b044-4311-9aea-71c613eff27f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/38599 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00030-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945198 | 481 | 4.03125 | 4 |
For as long as humans have been telling stories, they have been sharing the experience of war. From Homer to Hemingway and after, their writings have left a record that has enriched our understanding of war's madness and how it affects the soldier. This section contains excerpts from the poems, stories and memoirs of veterans and a few first-hand observers - including Hemingway and Whitman - of the American Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War. No doubt, as American soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan, they will be adding to this remarkable literary cannon.
FRONTLINE thanks Dale Ritterbusch, an associate editor of War, Literature & the Arts and a visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, for his assistance in compiling this selection. The WLA journal has been published by the Air Force Humanities Institute since 1989 and offers on its web site more than 15 years of the literature and art of war.
· The American Civil War
Sam Watkins was born in Tennessee in 1839 and enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army, Company H, in 1861. With two decades of hindsight, Watkins wrote his memoirs of those years, titled Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show and Other Sketches (1881). In this excerpt, Watkins questions the veracity of his recollected experience until the present is drowned out by memories of the past. Watkins died in 1901.
[From Company Aytch]:
And while my imagination is like the weaver's shuttle, playing backward and forward through these two decades of time, I ask myself, Are these things real? did they happen? are they being enacted today? or are they the fancies of the imagination in forgetful reverie? . . . Surely these are just the vagaries of my own imagination. Surely my fancies are running wild tonight. But, hush! I now hear the approach of battle. That low, rumbling sound in the west is the roar of cannon in the distance. That rushing sound is the tread of soldiers. That quick, lurid glare is the flash that precedes the cannon's roar. And, listen! that loud report that makes the earth tremble and jar and sway, is but the bursting of a shell, as it screams through the dark, tempestuous night. That black, ebon cloud, where the lurid lightning flickers and flares, that is rolling through the heavens, is the smoke of battle; beneath is being enacted a carnage of blood and death. Listen! the soldiers are charging now. The flashes and roaring now are blended with the shouts of soldiers and the confusion of battle. . .
After finding critical success with his 1855 volume of poetry, Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman turned to nursing and journalism at the outbreak of the Civil War as a way of helping out the union cause. He published and anti-slavery newspaper and visited wounded soldiers at military hospitals in New York and Washington. In this poem, penned at the end of the war, Whitman describes how his dreams are haunted by memories of those wounded soldiers and of the home front carnage of war.
In midnight sleep of many a face of anguish,
Of the look at first of the mortally wounded, (of that indescribable look,)
Of the dead on their backs with arms extended wide,
I dream, I dream, I dream.
Of scenes of Nature, fields and mountains,
Of skies so beauteous after a storm, and at night the moon so unearthly
Shining sweetly, shining down, where we dig the trenches and gather
I dream, I dream, I dream.
Long have they pass'd, faces and trenches and fields,
Where through the carnage I moved with a callous composure, or away
from the fallen,
Onward I sped at the time -- but now of their forms at night,
I dream, I dream, I dream.
· World War I
Siegfried Sassoon was born in 1886 into a wealthy English family and spent his early years enjoying the comforts of country living and writing romantic verse. These experiences left him ill prepared for the horrors of war -- including the deaths of a close friend and a brother -- but well suited to render the details of war in poetry. By 1917, Sassoon had become disillusioned by the war and began publicly protesting Britain's military leadership. Fortunately, friend and fellow poet Robert Graves convinced Sassoon's command that he was suffering from neurasthenia, or "shell shock," and Sassoon was sent to convalesce at the military hospital at Craiglockart, Scotland. While there, he met and encouraged the work of one of the greatest World War I poets, Wilfred Owen. Although Owen's poems reached wider public acclaim than his mentor's, Sassoon's poetry is important for illustrating the lose of innocence and disillusionment that accompany a soldier's war experience.
"Repression of War Experience"
Now light the candles; one; two; there's a moth;
What silly beggars they are to blunder in
And scorch their wings with glory, liquid flame--
No, no, not that, -- it's bad to think of war,
When thoughts you've gagged all day come back to scare
And it's been proved that soldiers don't go mad
Unless they lose control of ugly thoughts
That drive them out to jabber among the trees.
Now light your pipe; look, what a steady hand.
Draw a deep breath; stop thinking; count fifteen,
And you're as right as rain. . . .
Why won't it rain? . . .
I wish there'd be a thunder-storm to-night,
With bucketsful of water to sluice the dark,
And make the roses hang their dripping heads.
Books; what a jolly company they are,
Standing so quiet and patient on their shelves,
Dressed in dim brown, and black, and white, and green,
And every kind of colour. Which will you read?
Come on; O do read something; they're so wise.
I tell you all the wisdom of the world
Is waiting for you on those shelves; and yet
You sit and gnaw your nails, and let your pipe out,
And listen to the silence: on the ceiling
There's one big, dizzy moth that bumps and flutters;
And in the breathless air outside the house
The garden waits for something that delays.
There must be crowds of ghosts among the trees,
Not people killed in battle, -- they're in France, --
But horrible shapes in shrouds -- old men who died
Slow, natural deaths, - old men with ugly souls,
Who wore their bodies out with nasty sins.
You're quiet and peaceful, summering safe at home;
You'd never think there was a bloody war on!...
O yes, you would. . . why, you can hear the guns.
Hark! Thud, thud, thud, -- quite soft. . . they never cease --
Those whispering guns -- O Christ, I want to go out
And screech at them to stop -- I'm going crazy;
I'm going stark, staring mad because of the guns.
No doubt they'll soon get well; the shock and strain
Have caused their stammering, disconnected talk.
Of course they're "longing to go out again," --
These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk.
They'll soon forget their haunted nights; their cowed
Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died, --
Their dreams that drip with murder; and they'll be proud
Of glorious war that shatter'd all their pride. . .
Men who went out to battle, grim and glad;
Children, with eyes that hate you, broken and mad.
Craiglockhart. October, 1917
"Does It Matter?"
Does it matter? -- losing your legs? . .
For people will always be kind,
And you need not show that you mind
When the others come in after hunting
To gobble their muffins and eggs.
Does it matter? -- losing your sight? . . .
There's such splendid work for the blind;
And people will always be kind,
As you sit on the terrace remembering
And turning your face to the light.
Do they matter? -- those dreams from the pit?...
You can drink and forget and be glad,
And people won't say that you're mad;
For they'll know you've fought for your country
And no one will worry a bit.
Have you forgotten yet? . . .
For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow.
Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you're a man reprieved to go,
Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.
But the past is just the same -- and War's a bloody game. . .
Have you forgotten yet?…
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you'll never forget.
Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz --
The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets?
Do you remember the rats; and the stench
Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench --
And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain?
Do you ever stop and ask, 'Is it all going to happen again?'
Do you remember that hour of din before the attack--
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads--those ashen-grey
Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay?
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you'll never forget.
Wilfred Owen was born in England in 1893 and enlisted in the British army in 1915. In 1917 he was posted to the front lines in France, where for six months he witnessed intense bombardment before being diagnose with neurasthenia, or "shell shock." Sent to convalesce at the military hospital in Craiglockhart, Scotland, Owen turned his attention to writing poetry about his war experience. Much of his most famous poetry was written in this one-year period and shows a cynical view of the grisly nature of war. While there, he met the more established poet Siegfried Sassoon, who encouraged his talents and introduced him to other prominent British writers. In June of 1918, he was deemed fit for service and returned to the front lines in France, where he died while attempting to lead his men across the Sambre Canal in November 1918, less than two weeks before the armistice.
"Dulce Et Decorum Est"
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!-An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Happy are men who yet before they are killed
Can let their veins run cold.
Whom no compassion fleers
Or makes their feet
Sore on the alleys cobbled with their brothers.
The front line withers,
But they are troops who fade, not flowers,
For poets' tearful fooling:
Men, gaps for filling:
Losses, who might have fought
Longer; but no one bothers.
And some cease feeling
Even themselves or for themselves.
Dullness best solves
The tease and doubt of shelling,
And Chance's strange arithmetic
Comes simpler than the reckoning of their shilling.
They keep no check on armies' decimation.
Happy are these who lose imagination:
They have enough to carry with ammunition.
Their spirit drags no pack.
Their old wounds, save with cold, can not more ache.
Having seen all things red,
Their eyes are rid
Of the hurt of the colour of blood for ever.
And terror's first constriction over,
Their hearts remain small-drawn.
Their senses in some scorching cautery of battle
Now long since ironed,
Can laugh among the dying, unconcerned.
Happy the soldier home, with not a notion
How somewhere, every dawn, some men attack,
And many sighs are drained.
Happy the lad whose mind was never trained:
His days are worth forgetting more than not.
He sings along the march
Which we march taciturn, because of dusk,
The long, forlorn, relentless trend
From larger day to huger night.
We wise, who with a thought besmirch
Blood over all our soul,
How should we see our task
But through his blunt and lashless eyes?
Alive, he is not vital overmuch;
Drying, not mortal overmuch;
Nor sad, nor proud,
Nor curious at all.
He cannot tell
Old men's placidity from his.
But cursed are dullards whom no cannon stuns,
That they should be as stones.
Wretched are they, and mean
With paucity that never was simplicity.
By choice they made themselves immune
To pity and whatever moans in man
Before the last sea and the hapless stars;
Whatever mourns when many leave these shores;
The eternal reciprocity of tears.
Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight?
Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows,
Drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish,
Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked?
Stroke on stroke of pain,-but what slow panic,
Gouged these chasms round their fretted sockets?
Ever from their hair and through their hands' palms
Misery swelters. Surely we have perished
Sleeping, and walk hell; but who these hellish?
These are men whose minds the Dead have ravished.
Memory fingers in their hair of murders,
Multitudinous murders they once witnessed.
Wading sloughs of flesh these helpless wander,
Treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter.
Always they must see these things and hear them,
Batter of guns and shatter of flying muscles,
Carnage incomparable, and human squander
Rucked too thick for these men's extrication.
Therefore still their eyeballs shrink tormented
Back into their brains, because on their sense
Sunlight seems a blood-smear; night comes blood-black;
Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.
Thus their heads wear this hilarious, hideous,
Awful falseness of set-smiling corpses.
Thus their hands are plucking at each other;
Picking at the rope-knouts of their scourging;
Snatching after us who smote them, brother,
Pawing us who dealt them war and madness.
In 1917, the United States had not yet joined the war in Europe, but 18-year old Earnest Hemingway joined the American Red Cross as an ambulance driver in an attempt to participate in the action. However, just a few weeks after arriving in Italy, he was severely wounded by a mortar explosion. After a long convalescence, he returned home and before long began writing fiction based on his experiences, some of the greatest war prose ever written. The following story, "Soldier's Home," written in 1925, tells of a soldier who returns to his family in the Midwest only to feel shame and isolation because they persists in seeing only the romantic side of war.
Krebs went to the war from a Methodist college in Kansas. There is a picture which shows him among his fraternity brothers, all of them wearing exactly the same height and style collar. He enlisted in the Marines in 1917 and did not return to the United States until the second division returned from the Rhine in the summer of 1919.
There is a picture which shows him on the Rhone with two German girls and another corporal. Krebs and the corporal look too big for their uniforms. The German girls are not beautiful. The Rhine does not show in the picture.
By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late. The men from the town who had been drafted had all been welcomed elaborately on their return. There had been a great deal of hysteria.
Now the reaction had set in. People seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war was over.
At first Krebs, who had been at Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel and in the Argonne did not want to talk about the war at all. Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it. His town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities. Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it. A distaste for everything that had happened to him in the war set in because of the lies he had told. All of the times that had been able to make him feel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else, now lost their cool, valuable quality and then were lost themselves.
His lies were quite unimportant lies and consisted in attributing to himself things other men had seen, done or heard of, and stating as facts certain apocryphal incidents familiar to all soldiers. Even his lies were not sensational at the pool room. His acquaintances, who had heard detailed accounts of German women found chained to machine guns in the Argonne and who could not comprehend, or were barred by their patriotism from interest in, any German machine gunners who were not chained, were not thrilled by his stories.
Krebs acquired the nausea in regard to experience that is the result of untruth or exaggeration, and when he occasionally met another man who had really been a soldier and the talked a few minutes in the dressing room at a dance he fell into the easy pose of the old soldier among other soldiers: that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time. In this way he lost everything.
During this time, it was late summer, he was sleeping late in bed, getting up to walk down town to the library to get a book, eating lunch at home, reading on the front porch until he became bored and then walking down through the town to spend the hottest hours of the day in the cool dark of the pool room. He loved to play pool.
In the evening he practiced on his clarinet, strolled down town, read and went to bed. He was still a hero to his two young sisters. His mother would have given him breakfast in bed if he had wanted it. She often came in when he was in bed and asked him to tell her about the war, but her attention always wandered. His father was non-committal.
Before Krebs went away to the war he had never been allowed to drive the family motor car. His father was in the real estate business and always wanted the car to be at his command when he required it to take clients out into the country to show them a piece of farm property. The car always stood outside the First National Bank building where his father had an office on the second floor. Now, after the war, it was still the same car.
Nothing was changed in the town except that the young girls had grown up. But they lived in such a complicated world of already defined alliances and shifting feuds that Krebs did not feel the energy or the courage to break into it. He liked to look at them, though. There were so many good-looking young girls. Most of them had their hair cut short. When he went away only little girls wore their hair like that or girls that were fast. They all wore sweaters and shirt waists with round Dutch collars. It was a pattern. He liked to look at them from the front porch as they walked on the other side of the street. He liked to watch them walking under the shade of the trees. He liked the round Dutch collars above their sweaters. He liked their silk stockings and flat shoes. He liked their bobbed hair and the way they walked.
When he was in town their appeal to him was not very strong. He did not like them when he saw them in the Greek's ice cream parlor. He did not want them themselves really. They were too complicated. There was something else. Vaguely he wanted a girl but he did not want to have to work to get her. He would have liked to have a girl but he did not want to have to spend a long time getting her. He did not want to get into the intrigue and the politics. He did not want to have to do any courting. He did not want to tell any more lies. It wasn't worth it.
He did not want any consequences. He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live along without consequences. Besides he did not really need a girl. The army had taught him that. It was all right to pose as though you had to have a girl. Nearly everybody did that. But it wasn't true. You did not need a girl. That was the funny thing. First a fellow boasted how girls mean nothing to him, that he never thought of them, that they could not touch him. Then a fellow boasted that he could not get along without girls, that he had to have them all the time, that he could not go to sleep without them.
That was all a lie. It was all a lie both ways. You did not need a girl unless you thought about them. He learned that in the army. Then sooner or later you always got one. When you were really ripe for a girl you always got one. You did not have to think about it. Sooner or later it could come. He had learned that in the army.
Now he would have liked a girl if she had come to him and not wanted to talk. But here at home it was all too complicated. He knew he could never get through it all again. It was not worth the trouble. That was the thing about French girls and German girls. There was not all this talking. You couldn't talk much and you did not need to talk. It was simple and you were friends. He thought about France and then he began to think about Germany. On the whole he had liked Germany better. He did not want to leave Germany. He did not want to come home. Still, he had come home. He sat on the front porch.
He liked the girls that were walking along the other side of the street. He liked the look of them much better than the French girls or the German girls. But the world they were in was not the world he was in. He would like to have one of them. But it was not worth it. They were such a nice pattern. He liked the pattern. It wis exciting. But he would not go through all the talking. He did not want one badly enough. He liked to look at them all, though. It was not worth it. Not now when things were getting good again.
He sat there on the porch reading a book on the war. It was a history and he was reading about all the engagements he had been in. It was the most interesting reading he had ever done. He wished there were more maps. He looked forward with a good feeling to reading all the really good histories when they would come out with good detail maps. Now he was really learning about the war. He had been a good soldier. That made a difference.
One morning after he had been home about a month his mother came into his bedroom and sat on the bed. She smoothed her apron.
"I had a talk with your father last night, Harold," she said, "and he is willing for you to take the car out in the evenings."
"Yeah?" said Krebs, who was not fully awake. "Take the car out? Yeah?"
"Yes. Your father has felt for some time that you should be able to take the car out in the evenings whenever you wished but we only talked it over last night."
"I'll bet you made him," Krebs said.
"No. It was your father's suggestion that we talk the matter over."
"Yeah. I'll bet you made him," Krebs sat up in bed.
"Will you come down to breakfast, Harold?" his mother said."
"As soon as I get my clothes on," Krebs said.
His mother went out of the room and he could hear her frying something downstairs while he washed, shaved and dressed to go down into the dining-room for breakfast. While he was eating breakfast, his sister brought in the mail.
"Well, Hare," she said. "You old sleepy-head. What do you ever get up for?"
Krebs looked at her. He liked her. She was his best sister.
"Have you got the paper?" he asked.
She handed him The Kansas City Star and he shucked off its brown wrapper and opened it to the sporting page. He folded The Star open and propped it against the water pitcher with his cereal dish to steady it, so he could read while he ate.
"Harold," his mother stood in the kitchen doorway, "Harold, please don't muss up the paper. Your father can't read his Star if its been mussed."
"I won't muss it," Krebs said.
His sister sat down at the table and watched him while he read.
"We're playing indoor over at school this afternoon," she said. "I'm going to pitch."
"Good," said Krebs. "How's the old wing?"
"I can pitch better than lots of the boys. I tell them all you taught me. The other girls aren't much good."
"Yeah?" said Krebs.
"I tell them all you're my beau. Aren't you my beau, Hare?"
"Couldn't your brother really be your beau just because he's your brother?"
"I don't know."
"Sure you know. Couldn't you be my beau, Hare, if I was old enough and if you wanted to?"
"Sure. You're my girl now."
"Am I really your girl?"
"Do you love me?"
"Do you love me always?"
"Will you come over and watch me play indoor?"
"Aw, Hare, you don't love me. If you loved me, you'd want to come over and watch me play indoor."
Krebs's mother came into the dining-room from the kitchen. She carried a plate with two fried eggs and some crisp bacon on it and a plate of buckwheat cakes.
"You run along, Helen," she said. "I want to talk to Harold."
She put the eggs and bacon down in front of him and brought in a jug of maple syrup for the buckwheat cakes. Then she sat down across the table from Krebs.
"I wish you'd put down the paper a minute, Harold," she said.
Krebs took down the paper and folded it.
"Have you decided what you are going to do yet, Harold?" his mother said, taking off her glasses.
"No," said Krebs.
"Don't you think it's about time?" His mother did not say this in a mean way. She seemed worried.
"I hadn't thought about it," Krebs said.
"God has some work for every one to do," his mother said. "There can be no idle hands in His Kingdom."
"I'm not in His Kingdom," Krebs said.
"We are all of us in His Kingdom."
Krebs felt embarrassed and resentful as always.
"I've worried about you too much, Harold," his mother went on. "I know the temptations you must have been exposed to. I know how weak men are. I know what your own dear grandfather, my own father, told us about the Civil War and I have prayed for you. I pray for you all day long, Harold."
Krebs looked at the bacon fat hardening on his plate.
"Your father is worried, too," his mother went on. "He thinks you have lost your ambition, that you haven't got a definite aim in life. Charley Simmons, who is just your age, has a good job and is going to be married. The boys are all settling down; they're all determined to get somewhere; you can see that boys like Charley Simmons are on their way to being really a credit to the community."
Krebs said nothing.
"Don't look that way, Harold," his mother said. "You know we love you and I want to tell you for your own good how matters stand. Your father does not want to hamper your freedom. He thinks you should be allowed to drive the car. If you want to take some of the nice girls out riding with you, we are only too pleased. We want you to enjoy yourself. But you are going to have to settle down to work, Harold. Your father doesn't care what you start in at. All work is honorable as he says. But you've got to make a start at something. He asked me to speak to you this morning and then you can stop in and see him at his office."
"Is that all?" Krebs said.
"Yes. Don't you love your mother dear boy?"
"No," Krebs said.
His mother looked at him across the table. Her eyes were shiny. She started crying.
"I don't love anybody," Krebs said.
It wasn't any good. He couldn't tell her, he couldn't make her see it. It was silly to have said it. He had only hurt her. He went over and took hold of her arm. She was crying with her head in her hands.
"I didn't mean it," he said. "I was just angry at something. I didn't mean I didn't love you."
His mother went on crying. Krebs put his arm on her shoulder.
"Can't you believe me, mother?"
His mother shook her head.
"Please, please, mother. Please believe me."
"All right," his mother said chokily. She looked up at him. "I believe you, Harold."
Krebs kissed her hair. She put her face up to him.
"I'm your mother," she said. "I held you next to my heart when you were a tiny baby."
Krebs felt sick and vaguely nauseated.
"I know, Mummy," he said. "I'll try and be a good boy for you."
"Would you kneel and pray with me, Harold?" his mother asked.
They knelt down beside the dining-room table and Krebs's mother prayed.
"Now, you pray, Harold," she said.
"I can't," Krebs said.
"Do you want me to pray for you?"
So his mother prayed for him and then they stood up and Krebs kissed his mother and went out of the house. He had tried so to keep his life from being complicated. Still, none of it had touched him. He had felt sorry for his mother and she had made him lie. He would go to Kansas City and get a job and she would feel all right about it. There would be one more scene maybe before he got away. He would not go down to his father's office. He would miss that one. He wanted his life to go smoothly. It had just gotten going that way. Well, that was all over now, anyway. He would go over to the schoolyard and watch Helen play indoor baseball.
· World War II
Audie Murphy is famous for being the "Most Decorated Soldier in WWII," a record that stands to this day. The son of a Texas sharecropper, Murphy lied about his age in order to join the Army at 17. By the time he was released from service two years later, he had killed 240 German soldiers and was awarded every medal for bravery that the nation bestows, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. After returning from the war, Audie's story made the cover of LIFE magazine and was turned into a feature-length film starring Murphy himself. He went on to have a long Hollywood career, consisting mostly of B-level war stories and westerns, and was killed in a plane crash in 1971 at the age of 46. However, what is less well-known about Murphy, is that he suffered from PTSD for most of his adult life. In a 1983 Esquire profile, Thomas B. Morgan writes that Murphy was uncomfortable with the country's hero worship and unable to enjoy life after the war. He suffered from eight years of insomnia, an addiction to sleeping pills, a nagging sense of insecurity and emotional numbness. In this excerpt from his 1949 memoir, To Hell and Back, Murphy describes his experience just after he has left the front lines and as he is beginning to feel the on-set of what we know today as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
[From To Hell and Back]:
In the Cannes hotel, I crawl into a tub of hot water and wallow around like a seal. Knotted muscles snap loose; and my eyes droop.
"Hey, there. You want to drown yourself?" My roommate, the restless lieutenant on the train, pauses in the middle of his shaving. "If you want to drown yourself, do it with champagne."
"I didn't know a body could get so tired."
"I'm out on my feet too. But a few snorts will fix that up."
"I'm going to take this town apart. You want to come along?"
"No, I'm going to hit the sack."
"Well, get out of the tub, bub. We've got a couple beds with sheets and everything, you know."
"I'll see you later."
"Okay. But remember, this burg's loaded with soldiers. If you want a dame, you'll have to hustle."
When I awake from the nap, it is mid-afternoon. From my window I can see the gulls wheeling over the Mediterranean and white breakers lapping the beaches. A hum comes up from the crowded city streets; and somewhere an orchestra is playing "Lili Marlene."
Turning to my pack in search of a necktie, I spy my service pistol. Automatically I pick it up, remove the clip, and check the mechanism. It works with buttered smoothness. I weigh the weapon in my hand and admire the cold, blue glint of its steel. It is more beautiful than a flower; more faithful than most friends.
The bells in a nearby cathedral start ringing. I toss the gun back into the pack and seize my necktie. In the streets, crowded with merrymakers, I feel only a vague
irritation. I want company, and I want to be alone. I want to talk, and I want to be silent. I want to sit, and I want to walk. There is VE-Day without, but no peace within.
Like a horror film run backwards, images of the war flicker through my brain. The tank in the snow with smoldering bodies on top. The smell of burning flesh. Of rotting flesh too. Novak rotting in a grave on Anzio. Horse-Face. Knowed an old girl once. The girl, red-eyed and shivering, in the Naples dawn. And Kerrigan. Kerrigan shuffling cards with half a hand. He was far luckier than Antonio. Yes, Antonio, trying to stand on the stumps of his legs with the machine gun ripping his body. And Brandon dead under the cork tree. Deer daddy, I'm in school. "I'll never enter another schoolroom," says Elleridge.
He was right. It is as though a fire had roared through this human house, leaving only the charred hulk of something that once was green.
Within a couple of hours, I have had enough. I return to my room. But I cannot sleep. My mind still whirls. When I was a child, I was told that men were branded by war. Has the brand been put on me? Have the years of blood and ruin stripped me of all decency? Of all belief?
Not of all belief. I believe in the force of a hand grenade, the power of artillery, the accuracy of a Garand. I believe in hitting before you get hit, and that dead men do not look noble.
But I also believe in men like Brandon and Novak and Swope and Kerrigan; and all the men who stood up against the enemy, taking their beatings without whimper and their triumphs without boasting. The men who went and would go again to hell and back to preserve what our country thinks right and decent.
My country. America! That is it. We have been so intent on death that we have forgotten life. And now suddenly life faces us. I swear to myself that I will measure up to it. I maybe branded by war, but I will not be defeated by it.
Gradually it becomes clear. I will go back. I will find the kind of girl of whom I once dreamed. I will learn to look at life through uncynical eyes, to have faith, to know love. I will learn to work in peace as in war. And finally-finally, like countless others, I will learn to live again.
Lucien Stryk is a veteran of World War II, a prize-winning poet, and an editor and translator of Chinese and Japanese Zen poetry. In these two poems, from his collection, And Still the Bird Sings, Stryk writes about the power of memory. Though not necessarily about Post-Traumatic Stress, these poems touch on the issue of flashbacks, and how painful memories can return unbidden and without warning -- a symptom common to those suffering from PTSD.
"Watching War Movies"
Always the same: watching
World War II movies on TV,
landing barges bursting onto
islands, my skin crawls --
heat, dust -- the scorpion
bites again. How I deceived
myself. Certain my role would
not make me killer, my unarmed
body called down fire from
scarred hills. As life took
life, blood coursed into
one stream. I knew one day,
the madness stopped, I'd make
my pilgrimage to temples,
gardens, serene masters of
a Way which pain was bonding.
Atoms fuse, a mushroom cloud,
the movie ends. But I still
stumble under camouflage, near
books of tranquil Buddhas by the
screen. The war goes on and on.
Three deliberate shots
fire this quiet town,
scatter sparrows from
the willow-oak, touch
the scar where over thirty
years ago the mortar
fragment hit: I know
once more how good it is
to live. Thinking of the
boy struck down beside
me by that shell, I see
him sink into slow jungle
green, shock burned forever
in his eyes. Again I
crawl to comfort his last
breath. Even now there's
nothing I can do but,
as the bugle fades, remember.
Robert Mason was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam from 1965-1966. Soon after he returned, he began suffering from the effects of PTSD, which lasted 14 years. He has written several memoirs about Vietnam including Chickenhawk, about his combat experience, and Chickenhawk: Back in the World, about readjusting to post-war life. In addition, his wife, Patience Mason, has written Recovering from the War, a guide to PTSD for veterans, their families and caregivers, and publishes the Post-Traumatic Gazette, a quarterly newsletter. In this excerpt, from the beginning of his post-war memoir, Mason describes his mindset soon after returning from war, but before he learned he was suffering from PTSD.
[From Chickenhawk: Back in the World]:
By the Christmas break I had been an IP for a month and Patience and I were pretty well settled. We'd rented a house in Mineral Wells, an all-American place with a garage and backyard. This was the first house we'd lived in together. We were married in 1963, just before I joined the Army. Patience and our son, Jack, had endured crummy apartments and trailers while I went through basic training, advanced infantry training, and flight school. They seldom saw me while I was a trainee soldier, and then I went to Vietnam. Jack, two years old now, was getting used to me again. I'd been away half his life and had missed the previous Christmas. I wanted to make him a present to show him I was just a regular dad. I was home. I was going to build things, pursue hobbies, do well at work. Forget.
I wasn't thinking about Vietnam, but it was there. Awake, in quiet moments, I felt a familiar dread in the pit of my stomach, even as I angrily informed myself that I was home. Asleep, my dreams were infected by what I'd seen. The explosive jump-ups I'd been having since the last month of my tour were getting more frequent. When Patience and Jack saw me leaping off the bed, Patience would make a joke of it: "Daddy's levitating again." But it scared her. I had asked the flight surgeon about it and he said I should be okay in a couple months.
During the two-week Christmas break I spent most of my time teaching myself how to print photographs at the craft shop or building Jack's present -- a rocking horse I designed, which Patience said had to be big enough for her, too -- at the woodshop. I thought I could obliterate memories of Vietnam by staying so busy I couldn't think about it.
A collection of my photographs began to assemble on our dining room wall. A few were prints of pictures I'd taken in Vietnam, but most were of abandoned farm buildings, rusted farm equipment, and stark Texas still lifes taken when Patience and Jack and I went for drives. One of the Vietnam pictures was of a second lieutenant and three of his men, tired, dirty, but alive, sitting on a paddy dike. I called it "Ghosts." Patience asked why. "Because they are all dead. Everyone we dropped off in that LZ is dead."
The photographs were technically good.
The rocking horse turned out big and sturdy. Jack named it Haysup. Why Haysup? "It's his name!" Jack said.
I was staying busy, but fear, my familiar Vietnam companion, visited me at odd moments, even times when I should've been happy. Normal people didn't have these bouts with fear. I knew that because I had been normal once, long ago. I looked forward to flight school starting again so I could lose myself in my work, shake these feelings.
I drove Patience and Jack out into the country to fetch a Christmas tree. While I chopped it down and Patience and Jack happily collected small branches to trim our house, I searched the dark places in the woods where snipers could hide.
Dale Ritterbusch was in the U.S. Army from 1966-1969, the last year serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and an associate editor of their journal, War, Literature, and the Arts. These poems are from his collection, Lessons Learned.
"When It's Late"
Sometimes, when it's late
and the house is asleep
except for me
pacing from room to room,
I walk to the backyard,
look out across the ground
by a distant streetlamp.
I remember nights
in some Asian bar
drinking a few exotic beers
that sweat quickly
through the khaki's
We'd walk out late
go back to the base
sleep off as much
of the war as we could.
When you were killed
I drank for days,
made love until I
anything but the hot
sun, the red dust
Now, this late
under the circling stars
I see you walking
in the shadows
of these trees
the backyard playthings
of my daughter:
You pick them up --
they are your daughter's
you have a wife sleeping,
the rest of her life
with you: It is
this love I see
lost in the shadows
of this night, my
mind turning back
with the chill
of late spring.
This is the loss, the love
I bury each night in the shadows,
turning a spadeful of war
over and over, and always,
in the vigilant spin of this earth
digging it up before morning.
I have little sense of place
having grown up on the other side
of the world and returned home
to foreigners on foreign soil.
Not once does the family ask questions --
as if I'd gone off for the weekend
to fish or hunt. My place at the table
is the same, same chair, same silverware:
But as I glance up from my meal
I don't recognize the family portrait
hanging on the wall -- their faces unfamiliar,
their eyes from another time or country,
another race. Even my grandfather's words,
the words I'd lived by,
dissipate like a ghostly presence
passing through the walls.
my father stands on the front porch
staring at the lawn I had so often mowed
and played on as a kid:
We share the dark and the silence,
the silence of the world
in response to inarticulate horrors; I flick
a lighted cigarette, watch its red glow
as it traces an arc over the front yard,
land I cannot recognize as home.
John Balaban served two years in Vietnam -- not as a soldier, but as a conscientious objector. He worked for the Committee of Responsibility, which brought wounded children to the U.S. for treatment, many of whom he describes in this poem. After he finished his obligations there, he stayed to record Vietnamese folk poetry and has since made a career of translating these poems into English. In the following poem, Balaban describes the horrors he witnessed happening to children in Vietnam and how they have colored his relationship with his own daughter. And, in a related selection from his memoir, he recalls a conversation he had with the novelist John Steinbeck about PTSD.
"Words for My Daughter"
About eight of us were nailing up forts
in the mulberry grove behind Reds's house
when his mother started screeching and
all of us froze except Reds -- fourteen, huge
as a hippo -- who sprang out of the tree so fast
the branch nearly bobbed me off. So fast,
he hit the ground running, hammer in hand,
and seconds after he got in the house
we heard thumps like someone beating a tire
off a rim his dad's howls the screen door
banging open Saw Reds barreling out
through the tall weeds toward the highway
the father stumbling after his fat son
who never looked back across the thick swale
of teazel and black-eyed susans until it was safe
to yell fuck you at the skinny drunk
stamping around barefoot and holding his ribs.
Another time, the Connelly kid came home to find
his alcoholic mother getting raped by the milkman.
Bobby broke a milk bottle and jabbed the guy
humping on his mom. I think it really happened
because none of us would loosely mention that
wraith of a woman who slippered around her house
and never talked to anyone, not even her kids.
Once a girl ran past my porch
with a dart in her back, her open mouth
pumping like a guppy's, her eyes wild.
Later that summer, or maybe the next,
the kids hung her brother from an oak.
Before they hoisted him, yowling and heavy
on the clothesline, they made him claw the creekbank
and eat worms. I don't know why his neck didn't snap.
Reds had another nickname you couldn't say
or he'd beat you up: "Honeybun."
His dad called him that when Reds was little.
So, these were my playmates. I love them still f
or their justice and valor and desperate loves
twisted in shapes of hammer and shard.
I want you to know about their pain
and about the pain they could loose on others.
If you're reading this, I hope you will think,
Well, my dad had it rough as a kid, so what?
If you're reading this, you can read the news
and you know that children suffer worse.
Worse for me is a cloud of memories
still drifting off the South China Sea,
like the 9-year-old boy, naked and lacerated,
thrashing in his pee on a steel operating table
and yelling, "Dau. Dau," while I, trying to translate
in the mayhem of Tet for surgeons who didn't know
who this boy was or what happened to him, kept asking
"Where? Where's the pain?" until a surgeon said,
"Forget it. His ears are blown."
I remember your first Halloween
when I held you on my chest and rocked you,
so small your toes didn't touch my lap
as I smelled your fragrant peony head
and cried because I was so happy and because
I hear, in no metaphorical way, the awful chorus
Of Soeur Anicet's orphans writhing in their cribs.
Then the doorbell rand and a tiny Green Beret
was saying trick-or-treat and I thought oh oh
but remembered it was Halloween and where I was.
I smiled at the evil midget, his map-light and night
paint, his toy knife for slitting throats, and said,
"How ya doin', soldier?" and, still holding you asleep
in my arms, gave him a Mars Bar. To his father
waiting outside in fatigues I hissed, "You, shit,"
and saw us, child, in a pose I know too well.
I want you to know the worst and be free from it.
I want you to know the worst and still find good.
Day by day, as you play nearby or laugh
With the ladies at Peoples Bank as we go around town
And I find myself beaming like a fool,
O suspect I am here less for your protection
Than you are here for mine, as if you were sent
To call me back into our helpless tribe.
[From Remembering Heaven's Face, 1991]:
A total of 8,744,000 Americans -- men and women, civilians and military -- went to Vietnam, twice the number engaged in World War I, half the number engaged in World War II. No wonder this war won't go away. It lives in varying degrees of intensity in all those heads. The average age for an American soldier in Vietnam was nineteen. As Steinbeck said, they grew up in Vietnam.
Some years ago, I was in Boulder, Colorado, to see Steinbeck at the Tibetan Buddhist center where he had lately taken refuge. We were walking outside as the Red
Zinger Bicycle Classic zoomed by us. We were talking -- of course -- about Vietnam, and specifical1y about Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which John had just written about for a magazine.
Often enough over the years, I have found myself at a window with tears in my eyes as I suddenly, without expectation, have been greeted by the naked nine-year-old thrashing on the stainless-steel operating table with his eardrums blown; often images from my COR days come floating up on mental backwater: the napalmed mother and her lovely infant daughter with the blackened arm; the pajamaed girl throwing her thigh over he old father to keep him warm as he lay dying beneath her; my carrying little anesthetized Thuy in my arms down the steps of Nhi Dong Hospital; watching a doctor unwind the turban of gauze from Thai, the scalped teenager. But somehow, if I believed at all in the existence of PTS, I thought of it as something that applied to GIs, like shellshock or battle fatigue. As Steinbeck and I spoke, however, a troubling thought overtook me. "John, do you think we've been damaged by Vietnam?"
"C'mon, Balaban, you're too smart not to have realized that."
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posted march 1, 2005
FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of wgbh educational foundation.
web site copyright 1995-2014
WGBH educational foundation | <urn:uuid:277f4dd9-98e5-4797-aefb-dbdbb9c0d420> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heart/readings/lit.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981877 | 11,694 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Results In A Heartbeat. Five To Be Exact.
About five million people visit Emergency Rooms with chest pain every year. Only a fraction of them are actually suffering serious cardiac events. For most people, there are no warning signs.
The most effective treatment for heart disease is prevention. The earlier we detect the potential for heart disease, the sooner you can begin to make changes to reduce your risk. For more than 150,000 Americans a year, the very first sign of coronary artery disease is sudden death.
Now there’s a fast, reliable, non-invasive way to rule out the cause of chest pain. In just five heartbeats, a complete coronary angiogram can be acquired and physicians can quickly rule out the three life-threatening (aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism or coronary artery disease) causes of ER chest pain in one non-invasive scan.
What is it for?
A Coronary CTA is a heart-imaging test for non-invasively determining whether either fatty deposits or calcium deposits have built up in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. We can discover signs of heart disease that would be invisible in EKGs, stress testing, calcium scoring and even cardiac catheterization. Unlike calcium scoring, coronary CTA can identify what is known as "vulnerable plaque," the type of arterial plaque most likely to develop into a life-threatening blockage. If left untreated, these areas of build-up called plaques can cause heart muscle disease which, in turn, can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain and/or heart attack.
How does it work?
A Coronary CTA comes from a special type of X-ray examination. Patients undergoing a Coronary CTA scan receive an iodine-containing contrast dye as an IV solution to ensure the best images possible. The same IV in the arm may be used to give a medication to slow or stabilize the patient’s heart rate for better imaging results. During the examination, x-rays pass through the body and are picked up by special detectors in the scanner. At Jupiter Medical Center we utilize the GE Light Speed VCT 64-slice CT scanner.
This multi-detector system delivers a comprehensive view of the heart and coronary arteries within five seconds (or five beats of the heart); essentially quadrupling the number of available thin slices over previous systems. Because of the speed of the system, it dramatically reduces artifacts due to patient motion and opens new diagnostic possibilities for the clinician.
The information collected during the Coronary CTA examination is used to identify the coronary arteries and, if present, plaques in their walls by creating 3D images on a computer screen. Though the exam typically takes approximately ten minutes, the actual scan time is only eight to ten seconds.
One or more of following risk factors can increase your risk for developing heart disease:
Heart disease affects both men and women, and while men are more susceptible at an earlier age, a woman's risk of having a heart attack rises sharply after menopause.
Don’t spend a lifetime worrying about your heart!
Because this is a screening exam it is not covered by insurance. At Jupiter Medical Center, we offer Coronary CT Angiography for $399 - including the radiologist’s interpretation.
To schedule a Coronary CT Angiography Screening, call (561) 263-4414. | <urn:uuid:3d2bf659-fb25-458b-b1c5-8a65e0d49cdc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jupitermed.com/ccta | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00012-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910403 | 716 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Schizophrenia is a complex illness that may partly involve your genes. But other events in your life may also play a role.
Scientists are edging closer to figuring out if there are ways to lower the risk of schizophrenia.
Smile, frown, or use facial expressions that fit the situation.
Talk as loudly or softly as needed.
You'll also learn skills that will help you with your treatment. These may include:
How to manage your medicines.
How to tell if your medicine is causing side effects and what to do.
How to know if you're having a relapse and what to do.
How to find the help you need.
To help you with these skills, your teachers may model them and then ask you to do the same with others in your class (role-playing). For example, you may role-play asking for help or interviewing for a job. | <urn:uuid:fad34c1b-4a88-42ce-9d2b-4a742471f000> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/schizophrenia-social-skills-training-topic-overview | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00191-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959117 | 183 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Pronunciation: (kav, käv), [key]
—v., calved, calv•ing.
1. to give birth to a calf: The cow is expected to calve tomorrow.
2. (of a glacier, an iceberg, etc.) to break up or splinter so as to produce a detached piece.
1. to give birth to (a calf).
2. (of a glacier, an iceberg, etc.) to break off or detach (a piece): The glacier calved an iceberg.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. | <urn:uuid:f930e652-dec0-490e-8aff-51e05544b818> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://dictionary.infoplease.com/calve | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393093.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00004-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.799088 | 137 | 2.765625 | 3 |
What are the characteristics of experience for Dewey? Experience begins with an impulsion of the whole organism, outward and forward. The organism moves to satisfy a need, but the nature of this motion is determined by the environment and the past experiences of the organism. Emotion always accompanies an experience. Without emotion there is no action.
A work of art does not simply evoke an emotion. The material in it becomes the content and matter of emotion when it is a part of the environment that satisfies a need in relation to the past experiences of an organism. Art objects may be inadequate or excessive in relation to the emotional needs of the spectator. Art is not nature; it is nature organized, simplified, and transformed in such a way that it places the individual and the community in a context of greater order and unity.
Therefore, for Dewey, a work of art represents nature as experienced by the artist. It organizes the public world by taking the scattered and weakened material of experience, then clarifying and concentrating it. However, a work of art does not lead to another experience of the world; it is an experience. Only secondarily, as it becomes a part of the past experiences of a person, does it transform everyday existence. Painters, for example, perceive the world just as everyone else does. However, certain lines and colors become more important to them, and they subordinate other aspects of what they are perceiving to relations among them. What they view as important is influenced by their past experiences, by their theories of art, by their attitudes toward the world, and by the scene itself. | <urn:uuid:f59ac120-b6c0-4a78-b2a0-fb7ff3e1e6d8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enotes.com/topics/art-experience | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00107-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971943 | 323 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Eating more fruit and vegetables has been proven to help lower blood pressure.
Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep your body in good condition. They also contain potassium, which helps to balance out the negative effects of salt. This has a direct effect on your blood pressure, helping to lower it.
Eat at least 5 portions a day
To help lower blood pressure, adults should eat at least 5 different portions of fruit and vegetables per day. A portion is 80 grams, or roughly the size of your fist.
The following amounts represent a portion:
- A dessert bowl of salad
- Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables
- Three heaped tablespoons of pulses (chickpeas, lentils, beans and so on)
- One medium-sized fruit (apple, orange, pear or banana)
- Two smaller fruits (plums, apricots, satsumas)
- One slice of a large fruit (melon, pineapple or mango)
- Two to three tablespoons of berries or grapes
- A glass (150ml) of fruit or vegetable juice
- One tablespoon of dried fruit
Not everything counts
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava and plantain are all vegetables, but they do not count towards your five a day total. However, you should still include them as part of your healthy eating.
Pulses, fruit juice and vegetable juice all count towards your five a day total. However they only count as one portion no matter how much you eat or drink.
10 ways to get the most from your fruit and vegetables
- Don’t buy fruit and vegetable dishes that come with sauces. They often contain a lot of fat, salt and sugar.
- Dried, frozen and tinned products can be just as good as fresh, but watch out for added salt, sugar or fats.
- Vary the types of fruit and vegetables you eat. Each has different health benefits and it will keep your meals interesting. By eating a wide range of fruit and vegetables, you will ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs.
- Don’t add sugar to fruit or salt to vegetables when you cook or serve them.
- Try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables as soon as possible. They will lose their nutrients over time, so if you want to store your ingredients for a while, it is best to freeze them or buy frozen packets
- Avoid leaving vegetables open to the air, light or heat if they have been cut. Always cover and chill them, but don't soak them because the vitamins and minerals can dissolve away.
- Vegetables keep more of their vitamins and minerals if you lightly steam or bake them, instead of boiling or frying them.
- If you boil vegetables, use as little water as possible to help keep the vitamins and minerals in them.
- Experiment with other ways of cooking vegetables, such as roasting or grilling them, for new tastes and flavours.
- Stir-fries are great for getting lots of vegetables into one meal. So are freshly-made soups. | <urn:uuid:c4c0c049-bb7a-4ef9-a3b4-8ab7e5580bcb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Eatingwell/Fruitandveg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947218 | 659 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The perfectly healthy Rufous hummingbird lay motionless in her open palm, in a trance of sorts.
Gwen Baluss, a wildlife technician with the U.S. Forest Service, had just finished banding, measuring and examining the little bird with the care a parent would take with a newborn.
It was May and snow drifts still lingered in the shadows. Despite the still-drab outdoors, the hummingbirds were alive with fervent activity in the chilly air, busily searching out nectar to refuel after a long migration north.
Back in Baluss’ hand, in the warmth of the spring sun, the hummingbird suddenly took flight, zooming into the cover of the surrounding spruce trees. It chattered its annoyance back at the group of observers.
Everyone smiled. Another bird had been counted.
Then, Baluss reached into her jacket and produced a white mesh bag. She extracted its contents — another hummer, another female — and began the process of weighing, sizing and assessing all over again.
Baluss has been recording data on Rufous hummingbirds all summer and now, with the males already gone, she’s wrapping up her research as the last of the birds — the females and juveniles — begin their migration south.
The study had multiple objectives.
“The goal is multifold,” Baluss said. “We want to learn more about the birds, what they do when they’re here and when they’re migrating.”
Specifically, she said they were interested in what native plants they preferred, how far they’d range and how often an individual bird returned to the feeder, to name just a few.
In all, Baluss and her team of volunteers banded more than 130 birds since the study officially began on April 23 at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum. They started a bit later at the Juneau Community Garden. Both places, she said, were chosen because of the prolific blooms that show up during summer months. The hummingbirds, she figured, would know about those places already.
Even with feet of snow still on the ground, Baluss and her team began capturing hummingbirds within the first few weeks.
She said the males arrived first, followed by the females. They were captured simply; a soft net was suspended over a feeder and when the bird arrived for a snack, the net was silently dropped. Baluss would reach in, clasp the bird in her hand and tuck it inside a mesh bag, before stowing it away under her jacket and against her skin to keep the bird from getting too cold and too stressed.
“One interesting thing I found through this study is that these little birds are a lot more resilient than we are in cold weather,” she said. “On those early spring days our hands would be cold and we’d be very uncomfortable, but when we’d get a bird they’d be fine. They didn’t really show signs of stress related of the cold, which is good.”
Baluss said part of that is tied to the Rufous’ unique ability to enter a state of torpor, which means they can lower their body temperature overnight.
“This helps them cope with cold weather and save energy,” she said.
Once captured, Baluss would pluck the bird out of the bag and take measurements. She measured the length of the beak, the length of the wings from “shoulder” to tip. She’d count the number of iridescent feathers on the throat patch, which is like a bird fingerprint — the number, shape, size and coloration are completely unique. She’d snap a photo. Pinch on the tiniest of tiny bands on the leg and jot down the near microscopic number on the metal bracelet. Baluss blew on the feathers of the belly, revealing the paper thin skin beneath. The feathers would spread like parting waves to reveal veins and arteries, muscle and fat deposits. On the females, she’d use this technique to view the vent of the bird — the exit site of the egg. By doing this she could tell if the female had recently mated, laid an egg or was ready to lay. On one female, the perfect outline of a dainty oblong egg could be seen directly under the surface of the skin.
Then, Baluss would lay the bird on a tiny scale, the kind one might find in a laboratory. The hummer wouldn’t budge; it seemed entranced by the process. She’d quickly jot down the number — the females always weighed more than the males — and sweep the bird once more into her hand. In a sunny spot she’d lay her palm flat, opened up to the sky and, after a moment or two, the hummingbird would zip away, often annoyed, but completely unharmed.
“The thing that was really interesting to me is that we kept getting new birds. We wouldn’t get recaptures the same day or even two weeks later,” she said. “We had zero recaptures at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum. All the birds we got there were new birds. That just blew my mind.”
Baluss said she fully expected some males — who were especially territorial — would end up as recaptures. And with the females, who would come and nest, she expected the same. Even the juveniles, she said, must not stray far from the proximity of the nest.
But even at the Community Garden, her recapture numbers were slim. In all, the team had four recaptures.
“On May 7, we initially banded a group, and then we recaptured some of those on May 19,” Baluss said. “I was just happy to see that they were healthy and that the bands were looking good.”
Another recapture happened on July 2.
“That female was probably a local nester, because she did have young around with her,” Baluss said. “She was skinny. Probably busy caring for young.”
Baluss speculates the low recapture rate was because the birds wised up and would avoid the feeder when the net was in place.
“Yet it also shows there’s a whole lot of other birds,” she said. “I often assumed it was the same birds that would keep coming back to my home feeder all day, but clearly there’s more to it than that.”
Generally speaking, Baluss believes her research this summer supports the theory there are more hummingbirds in Juneau during the late spring and summer months than people originally thought. This is a good thing, she said.
“We also know they’re moving around in a wide area, too,” she said.
Baluss hopes, if they repeat a similar effort in the same spot from year-to-year, that a trend will emerge. That trend could be migration timing — how many arrive and at what time. Or, it could be sex-linked — more males than females in an area, for example.
As far as total population numbers go, Baluss said it’s almost impossible to tell how many make their “home” in Juneau.
She said their sampling effort wasn’t huge when compared to other efforts but it’s enough to track when they’re around and already — through observations of local birders and our banding effort — she said the team is going to refine and expand the known spring arrivals and as well as the times the females are here.
“So we’re going to have much better dates on arrival, departure and when the first fledglings are coming out than we have had in the past,” Baluss said. “The other thing we’re interested in is what they’re feeding on. And that’s not related to the banding, but just collecting those observations on what native plants they enjoy.”
That information will be handy to organizations, she said, such as the USFS, on putting out information on pollinators.
“Not only for private gardens, but also restoration projects will be better informed on the proper flower selections for hummingbirds. We want more information for Alaska on that topic.”
For now, Baluss is pouring over her results and logging them into the national database. Next year, she hopes to see some of this summer’s birds again.
“It would be great to get some recaptures so we could see where these birds are going,” she said.
One thing is for sure, all the birds are headed for warmer climes, certainly bursting with the kind of broad blooms only found on Mexico’s mainland and Baja Peninsula.
• Contact Outdoors Editor Abby Lowell at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:a818064a-ad38-4071-a7fc-cc87e8adefa5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://juneauempire.com/outdoors/2013-08-09/summer-hummers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00168-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974282 | 1,897 | 2.875 | 3 |
Visit our sister site, BirdSong Nature Shop, for great prices on thousands of backyard birding items:
Sooty mold is a fungus, which causes the blackening of the leaves of certain trees. The mold forms on the leaves as a result of honeydew secretions from insects such as whiteflies, aphids and mealybugs. Insect control is the most effective way to prevent the incidence of this disease. To control the insects and prevent the secretion of their honeydew discharge, spray the tree with Bug Buster Insecticide. When spraying the tree ensure that both the top and undersides of the leaves are adequately sprayed. A second treatment spray may be required about 10 to 14 days later depending on the severity of the insect infestation.
To control and eliminate the mold growth that has already developed, spray the tree with Liquid Copper Fungicide. Generally one application of Liquid Copper is adequate for sooty mold control, but a second application about 14 days later may be required in major outbreaks. | <urn:uuid:abaeb8e6-47f7-48d7-bcf7-eae2b0a75717> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.treehelp.com/sooty-mold/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398209.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00001-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934605 | 205 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Keyboard vs Mouse
Keyboard and mouse are integral parts of a computer system and one cannot even think of interacting with the computer or monitor with the use of these two devices. In a sense, these two devices are the user interface that allows working on a computer system, and without them it is not possible to do anything on a computer. While the main purpose of a mouse is to guide the cursor on the computer monitor, a keyboard is a typewriter like device with some additional functions that allow human interaction with computer. In fact, a keyboard is the only source of providing the input to the computer and it performs the functions we ask it only with the help of this device.
While mouse is considered to be a pointing device, keyboard is the input device for a computer. Despite touch screen having been developed that allows one to use virtual keyboard onscreen, physical keyboard remains first choice of most of the individuals. There are keys with symbols printed on them in a keyboard and with the lightest of touches; the numeral or alphabet gets written on the screen of the monitor using a keyboard. There are some instructions for which one has to press a key and holding it pressed, another key has to be pressed. There are many shortcuts also used with the help of a keyboard that help save time and effort. Many computer commands are the results of these shortcuts. The major function of a keyboard is when one is using a word processor or a text editor.
A mouse is a pointing device and consists of a right and left clicks with a wheel in between that allows on to scroll up and down on a web page. The major function of a mouse is to control the cursor on the monitor of the screen. Today there are wireless mouse available that work through infrared rays.
Keyboard vs Mouse
• Mouse and keyboard are user interface that allow human interaction with a computer
• While a mouse is used as a pointing device controlling the cursor, a keyboard is a input device used to provide input commands and to type in word processors and text editors. | <urn:uuid:23125a02-8d1f-45f7-9246-e86d40557f5e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-keyboard-and-vs-mouse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397864.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944032 | 411 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Wakatobi National Park
Ministry of Emvironment
The Secretariat of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Heritage Centre do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information or documentation provided by the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to the Secretariat of UNESCO or to the World Heritage Centre.
The publication of any such advice, opinion, statement or other information documentation on the World Heritage Centre’s website and/or on working documents also does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of UNESCO or of the World Heritage Centre concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries.
Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party
Wakatobi National Park has very high marine resource potential, in terms of both species and uniqueness, with enchanting submarine landscapes. In terms of configuration, the marine waters of the park generally start flat and then slope seawards, with sheer precipices in some parts. The water depth varies, the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres with sand and coral at the bottom. This Park has 25 chains of coral reefs, and the total circumference of the coral islands is 600 km. The National Park includes an area of 1,390,000 hectares. | <urn:uuid:2f51b1b8-7a10-4659-8939-cfd3ebbd069c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://whc.unesco.org/pg_friendly_print.cfm?cid=326&id=2006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.874479 | 281 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Why did animal X stop transmitting?
Jerry - Cayman Turtle Farm Green Sea Turtle Releases
A project of Cayman Turtle Farm.
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Jerry - a 2-year-old 2nd-generation Green Sea turtle bred, laid, and hatched in captivity at Cayman Turtle Farm, now exploring the Caribbean Sea. Jerry migrated from Grand Cayman to Cuba.
"Jerry" is a 2-year-old Green Sea Turtle that is of the 2nd generation bred and raised in captivity at Cayman Turtle Farm. "Jerry's" gender is unknown as it is too young to distinguish from external observation.
"Jerry" is the first juvenile captive-bred Green Sea Turtle to be released with a satellite tag, known as a Position Tracking Transponder (PTT). To conserve battery life, "Jerry's" PTT is programmed to transmit during a 6-hour window every 54 hours. In addition to ARGOS satellite position data, "Jerry's" PTT is able to obtain GPS position fixes and transmit those in coded form via the ARGOS uplink during its transmission window. Positions displayed as coloured circles on the map above include ARGOS Location Class A through 3, as well as GPS locations.
"Jerry" was also fitted with a passive inductive transponder (PIT) tag prior to release, a type of radio frequency identification (RFID) device with a unique individual code for each animal so fitted. The PIT tag is embedded under the skin of "Jerry's" "shoulder" of the right front fin, where it should remain for the rest of "Jerry's" life so it can be read and identified if and when "Jerry" is spotted by an observer equipped with a PIT tag scanner.
"Jerry" joins over 31,000 captive-bred Green Sea Turtles released from the Cayman Turtle Farm since 1968. Tagging studies (living tags) have shown that females reared from eggs on the farm and released in the 1980s are now returning to beaches on the Cayman Islands to nest and complete their life cycles.
Cayman Turtle Farm in West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands is the first commercial sea turtle farm in the world to have achieved the 2nd generation of Green Sea turtles bred, laid, hatched and raised in captivity. Given that it typically takes two decades or more for Green Sea Turtles to reach sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce, this is a major achievement in assisting the conservation of this species. Visitors are welcomed to Cayman Turtle Farm: Island Wildlife Encounter which has been developed into a "mini theme park" attraction featuring island wildlife such as birds, fish, sharks, and crocodile in addition to sea turtles of all ages. Its "Turtle Lagoon" is one place in the world where visitors are guaranteed to be able to swim and snorkel amongst ten or more juvenile sea turtles as well as hundreds of reef fish.
Cayman Turtle Farm also participates in leading research on the biology and care of sea turtles. In 1984 Cayman Turtle Farm participated in an international project to help conserve Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, and the farm achieved the first successful captive breeding of that species for later release in that species' native territory to help boost the wild population. Cayman Turtle Farm's stock of Green Sea turtles of a wide range of known ages from hatchlings to over 40 years old, and the CTF experts' experience in the husbandry of these exotic animals, have created unique opportunities for learning more about these magnificent creatures. Some 100 scientific papers have been published or presented based on research in which Cayman Turtle Farm was involved, and there are currently a number of research projects in progress.
The release of satellite-tagged 2nd-generation juvenile captive-bred turtles will help expand knowledge of the adaptation and behaviour of captive-bred turtles released into the wild. "Jerry" was sponsored by a family from Louisiana, USA, who participated in "Jerry's" release on February 19, 2012. Cayman Turtle Farm is now seeking sponsors for imminent future releases of PTT-equipped captive-bred Green Sea turtles to continue to expand this knowledge.
More information about Cayman Turtle Farm and its programmes is available at www.turtle.ky
- The presentation of data here does not constitute publication. All data remain copyright of the project partners. Maps or data on this website may not be used or referenced without the explicit written consent of the data owners.
- For more information please visit the project website.
- This map connects positions generated by the ARGOS system designated as location class (lc) '4', '3', '2', '1', '0', 'A'. Locations that have been "filtered" are displayed as small red dots.
- This maps also shows locations of class 'B', 'Z' as small black dots which are not connected by a route line.
- Bathymetry layers are derived from the GEBCO One Minute Grid.
- Sea surface temperature and chlorophyll are derived from NASA's Ocean Color data.
- Ocean currents and sea surface heights are derived from AVISO's Ssalto/Duacs Gridded Absolute Dynamic Topography & absolute geostrophic velocities data. | <urn:uuid:892e0b21-c1c1-4b0e-be9a-8b5dea2011bc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=112227&full=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00148-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932445 | 1,087 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Cisplatin is a medicine — used alone or with other therapies — to treat cancer of the testicles, ovaries, or bladder.
The drug is also sometimes used "off-label" to treat head and neck cancers, lung cancer, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, brain tumors, melanoma, lymphoma, malignant pleural mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the chest or abdomen), or neuroblastoma (cancer that begins in the nerve cells).
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that contains platinum. It works by stopping or slowing cancer cell growth.
The medicine was one of the first effective chemotherapy drugs and is sometimes referred to as "the penicillin of cancer."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cisplatin in 1978. It's manufactured by several pharmaceutical companies.
Cisplatin contains a black-box warning because the drug can cause serious kidney problems.
Tell your doctor if you have, or have ever had, kidney disease before undergoing therapy with this drug.
Kidney complications are more common in older adults.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms while taking cisplatin:
Cisplatin also contains a black-box warning because it can cause serious and sometimes permanent hearing problems, especially in children.
Tell your healthcare provider if you've ever received radiation therapy for your head, or if you've ever had hearing problems.
Let your doctor know right away if you experience any of the following symptoms while using cisplatin:
Cisplatin contains yet another black-box warning because it can cause a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
This reaction may begin within a few minutes of receiving the drug intravenously (by IV).
Tell your doctor right away if you experience:
Cisplatin may increase your chance of developing other cancers. Talk to your doctor about this risk.
The drug can also cause severe nausea and vomiting.
Cisplatin can lower your body's ability to fight infections. Try to avoid contact with people who are ill while undergoing treatment with this medicine.
Also, before receiving cisplatin, let your healthcare provider know if you have, or have had, any of the following medical conditions:
Avoid activities that may cause bruising or injury while undergoing treatment with cisplatin.
Don't receive any live vaccines without first discussing the topic with your doctor.
Your doctor will want to perform frequent tests to check your body's response to cisplatin. Keep all appointments with your doctor and laboratory while receiving this medicine.
Older adults and children should use this medicine with caution. They may be more sensitive to certain side effects.
Your doctor will probably recommend that you drink extra fluids while receiving this therapy. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions carefully.
If this medicine touches your skin, wash it immediately with soap and water.
Cisplatin can harm an unborn baby. Don't use this medicine if you're pregnant.
Women of childbearing age should use an effective form of birth control while taking cisplatin.
Men should also use contraceptives during treatment, because the medicine can affect sperm production.
The drug can pass into breast milk. Don't breastfeed while taking cisplatin.
Tell your doctor if any of the following side effects become severe or don't go away:
Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the symptoms listed in the Cisplatin Warnings section above, or any of the following serious side effects:
Tell your doctor about all prescription, non-prescription, illegal, recreational, herbal, nutritional, or dietary drugs you're taking, especially those listed in the Cisplatin Warnings section above, or any of the following:
Cisplatin comes as a liquid that is injected into a vein over six to eight hours in a hospital or medical facility.
Your dosage will be based on your medical condition, weight, and response to the therapy.
Infusions are typically given once every three to four weeks.
Symptoms of a cisplatin overdose may include:
If you suspect an overdose, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately.
You can get in touch with a poison control center at 800-222-1222.
If you miss a dose of cisplatin, call your doctor right away.
By Lynn Marks | Medically Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD
Latest Update: 2015-12-15 | <urn:uuid:6d467947-5243-4062-9de1-3a88ba71655e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/cisplatin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00076-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913837 | 925 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the national avian reptile of the United States, now exist in all 50 and nest in at least 45 of those states. 35 years ago, no one was sure how long the species would exist. It was looking like we should have sided with Benjamin Franklin and made the wild turkey our representative. The eagles’ decline was no mystery, thanks to a recent awakening of ecological awareness among Americans. The hands on the alarm bell belonged to a quiet young woman from Pennsylvania named Rachel Carson.
|Rachel Carson in 1940, working for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.|
Carson was a marine biologist, starting out with a job with the U.S. government, but securing her future with the best-selling natural history tomes The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea. Somewhere during the waning days of World War II she became aware of a lurking menace known as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, which normal people called DDT. Her attentions turned to the perils of synthetic pesticides, but knowing the public was deaf to conservation issues, she published nothing on the matter during the post-war boom. Finally, in 1962 she sounded the bell.
|Carson and her magnum opus.|
Silent Spring sent shock waves through the American industrial complex and helped spawn the conservation movement that would christen Earth Day eight years later. Carson envisioned a spring morning of silence, absent of singing birds as their eggs had been rendered worthless by the lingering effects of pesticides.
The chemical industry reacted as would be expected. Apoplectic outrage would be an accurate description. Her thesis was flawed, they said. Her training not relevant. Unspoken by most, but always present, was the indictment of her worst offense: she was a woman trying to “do science.” To Carson’s greatest credit, she persevered. She spoke whenever and wherever she could. She made sense. The public, the folks without a hint of training in ecology, believed her. And what a blessed miracle that was, given that she was absolutely correct about everything.
|Bald eagle on a perch above Bonne Bay, Newfoundland.|
Carson succumbed to breast cancer in 1964. DDT use was banned in the United States in 1972 (1985 in Canada). The bald eagle was made an official endangered species in 1973. Today Carson’s legacy of conservation lives on, DDT is sadly still widely used on other continents, and the bald eagle has gone from a mere 400 nesting pairs in the 70’s to hundreds of thousands of birds across the continent. Two out of three ain’t bad, but there’s clearly more work to be done.
The next time I see an eagle, I promise to not so quickly take it for granted. If you listen closely, you can hear a soaring eagle speak to the wind. Not the call the birdwatchers learn, but a grateful whisper to their existence. Thank you, Rachel, they say. | <urn:uuid:f51b6b07-4c05-4a8f-8292-1f2ce4523d95> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://sharptern.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00040-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95952 | 635 | 3.046875 | 3 |
NASA Earth Image Helps Answer Flood Question
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *
NASA's Image of the Day for January 25, "Blue Marble," is a composite of images taken by the Suomi NPP satellite that provides an exquisite view of the earth from space.1 This is the latest in a series that began with the famous "Blue Marble" photo taken in 1972 by the Apollo 17 crew.
This image can help answer a question that creationists often hear: If the entire earth really was covered during the Flood of Noah's day, then where did all that water go?
According to the Bible, the water retreated from the surface of the earth,2 apparently running off the continents into newly created ocean basins. Geophysicist John Baumgardner developed a detailed, feasible model called Catastrophic Plate Tectonics of how the earth's mantle and crust might have shifted and interacted during the Flood year.3 According to this model, the configuration of today's ocean floors formed during the latter months of the Flood year.
In this scenario, powerful potential forces deep under the earth, possibly triggered by impacts that ruptured the earth's crust,4 forced molten rock upward in certain places. This cooled and quickly solidified as it spread out toward such places as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, shoving crustal plates across the earth's surface. Violent continental collisions forced material upward to create mountains, such as where India collided with Asia to form the Himalayas. Then, giant sheets of muddy water rapidly ran off the continents and carved the valleys in between today's mountains.5 The waters didn't stop until they reached the then-new and deeper ocean basins.
So, what happened to all the water from Noah's Flood? It went into the oceans. As extraordinary images of the earth from space show, water covers the majority of the blue planet. In fact, from at least one vantage point near the center of the Pacific Ocean, virtually no land is visible—just ocean!
The apostle Peter wrote specifically about water's role in restructuring the earth's surface: "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."6
NASA's new Blue Marble image, like previous ones, shows that the earth's watery surface—which is unique among all known planets—has all the fitting hallmarks of Noah's Flood: mountains made of catastrophically deposited mudrocks, valleys from which mudrock was catastrophically removed, and vast, blue reservoirs that hold the waters that were responsible for the destruction of the planet's primordial surface.
- Blue Marble. NASA Image of the Day. Posted on nasa.gov January 25, 2012, accessed January 31, 2012.
- Genesis 8:3.
- Austin, S. A. et al. 1994. Catastrophic Plate Tectonics: A Global Flood Model of Earth History. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Creationism. R. E. Walsh, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship, Inc., 609-621.
- Snelling, A. A. 2012. Did Meteors Trigger Noah's Flood? Answers. 7 (1): 68-71.
- Oard, M. 2008. Flood by Design: Receding Water Shapes the Earth's Surface. Green Forest, AR: Master Books.
- 2 Peter 3:5-6.
Image credit: NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Article posted on February 13, 2012. | <urn:uuid:3500e535-3e5e-497d-a907-e034aacf7e0d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.icr.org/articles/view/6625/355/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00039-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938291 | 779 | 3.828125 | 4 |
The average age at which teens are now “coming out” and acknowledging their sexual orientations is now at age 13, according to an Advocate article posted at Gay.com:
In time for National Coming Out Day, a new four-year study of LGBT youths shows that the average age a teenager comes out is now 13, reports the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sun-Sentinel newspaper.
The study, conducted by clinical social worker Caitlin Ryan of San Francisco State University, highlights how LGBT youths are feeling more comfortable coming out at earlier ages than their older peers did. With a variety of books, magazines, and Internet sites geared toward gay teens, along with television programs like “Degrassi: The Next Generation” that feature honest portrayals of queer youths, and gay-straight alliances in nearly 10 percent of high schools nationwide, there are more options than ever for young gay people to express themselves.
However, studies have also found that one out of every four teens who comes out faces family rejection. The Safe Schools Coalition Web site notes that research done for the FBI in 1998 found that these LGBT teenagers make up 30 percent to 40 percent of the nation’s homeless youths and that usually the gay youths’ coming-out conflicts with their families’ moral and religious beliefs.
Even LGBT youths who don’t face rejection at home usually face some at school. According to the National Mental Health Institute, the average secondary school student hears an anti-gay slur 26 times a day. And 31 percent of kids who are gay or are perceived as gay were physically harassed or assaulted last year at school. (The Advocate) | <urn:uuid:e1ffb402-7e7d-49e8-913a-3937ade97fb7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://interstateq.com/archives/1469/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00080-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963019 | 336 | 3 | 3 |
A high white blood cell count is an increase in disease-fighting cells in your blood.
The exact threshold for a high white blood cell count varies from one laboratory to another. In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells (leukocytes) in a microliter of blood is considered a high white blood cell count.
A high white blood cell count is also called leukocytosis.
Dec. 17, 2015
- Cerny J, et al. Why does my patient have leukocytosis? Hematology Oncology Clinics of North America. 2012;26:303.
- McPherson RA, et al. Leukocytic disorders. In: Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. Accessed Oct. 6, 2015. | <urn:uuid:64babea9-0460-4aa4-9d0d-59241b2bc5da> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/high-white-blood-cell-count/basics/definition/sym-20050611 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00006-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.831375 | 184 | 3.625 | 4 |
|Water moccasin showing its venomous fangs|
The Water moccasin is a species of venomous water snake known by the scientific name Agkistrodon piscivorus. Its body is very thick and dark colored. It can be found usually by swamps, rivers, or other bodies of water. It is best known as one of the most venomous snakes in North America. The snake is very aware of its surroundings and when it feels threatened it may simply curl up in a coil and open its mouth, or calmly disappear into the water for its own protection, or attack fast and hard. It is highly advised to seek medical help if you are bitten by one of these snakes. If you are not treated properly or quickly, there is the possibility of death.
The snake can be found either during night or day. It is most common though, to find them at night time in hot climate areas. It has been found in the winter but usually when it is sunny. The water moccasin eats all sorts of different kinds of prey. This includes a variety of aquatic and land prey, which are: amphibians, lizards, snakes, small turtles, baby alligators, mammals, birds, and most importantly fish. The mating season for the snakes happens during the early time of summer. This time of year is when the male gender of the water moccasin get aggressive. This is because of the competition for males to mate with the female moccasin.
There are distinctions of how to tell if what you are looking at is a water moccasin. Water moccasin, when they are young, are very light colored. Though when they are older and more mature, they become dark. The head of the snake is kind of shaped like a triangle. The eyes of the snake are similar to those of a cat. In other words, they have a yellowish tint to them and the pupils of the snake are vertical. The mouth of the water moccasin is very white. In it are its large fangs. When swimming through the water, the water moccasin doesn't go all the way under the water like normal water snakes do, they usually have their back out of the water while swimming.
In general, all snakes have a tiny hole opening behind their tongue. This is called the glottis. The glottis opens into a trachea. The snake's glottis is never opened. This creates a tall slit. What creates the hissing noise that the snake makes is the glottis, which vibrates when the snake breathes out. The snake has a trachea, which is a very thin structure, which is helped out by cartilaginous rings, the supported rings are not complete rings. What completes the ring is a slender membrane.
The water moccasin is ovoviviparous. The female moccasin can have a litter of up to twenty, though that is very rare. The usual litter is around six to eight. Neonates are usually 22-35 cm long. If the weather conditions are good and food can be easily found, the growth of a water moccasin is fast and females may not reproduce as much as than three years of living and a total length of as small as 60 cm. Water moccasin babies are born in August or September,and mating can happen during any of the warmer months of the year.
The water moccasin can be found in the south eastern part of the United States of America. It mostly inhabits the parts of the state of Florida. It also can be found in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
The water moccasin lives in swampy areas and not as much as the large deep waters. It can be found in the low waters like: a lake, swamp, river, canals, or small clear rocky mountain streams. It has been found swimming in saltwater but not as likely. The water moccasin can develop better to it's environment if it lives in a dry climate. The less moist the environment the better.
The water moccasin is one of the most deadly venomous snakes in North America. They are very aggressive when they think they are going to be attacked. The way they inject their venom is like the same way a rattlesnake does. The venom can be looked at in different steps. Which is the Proterozoic enzymes completely mess up and destroy your tissues. The venom also can cause a sudden shock to the victim.
5,000 snake bites are reported each year in the United States. About 42% of those reports are due to the water moccasin snake bite. Studies show that water moccasin bites come from more of the males than females. This is probable due to the fact of the testosterone that the males posses. If you are bitten, here are some signs indicating whether you have been infected with venom or not. If there is pain around the bite. Also swelling, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea may show. Fang marks from the bite might not show on a victim from a water moccasin bite. The treatment for a wound depends on how much venom has gotten in your system. There isn't a lot of medication that you can take. It can take up to a six week recovery period.
- Cottonmouth / Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus) - Venomous by Kimberly Andrews, University of Georgia – edited by J.D. Willson, University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Accessed March 1, 2011.
- Poisonous Water Moccasins by Alexandra Hubbard, edited by Chitika, accessed March 5,2011.
- Envenomation by Sean P Bush, MD, FACEP, edited by Eric J Lavonas, updated July 24, 2008. | <urn:uuid:2a0a95a9-5c67-46b0-b0d4-2bf8a94be54b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://creationwiki.org/Water_moccasin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00086-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961184 | 1,229 | 3.75 | 4 |
By Kshirabdhi Tanaya
Over last couple of years, a sharp shrinkage of the Gahirmatha beach, considered world's largest rookery of Olive Ridley sea turtles, has caused concern among the wildlife lovers and environmentalists regarding safe nesting and breeding of the endangered species.
Significantly, the endangered marine species has been accorded threatened status like tiger as per schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 1991). It is protected under the migratory species convention and Convention of International Trade on Wildlife Flora and Fauna (CITES).
However, the peaceful environment of the sandy beach is fast turning unsuitable as it is undergoing rapid topographical changes over the last few years. The beach has become a matter of worry for the conservationists who apprehend that the turtles may get distracted by the broken nesting sites.
Official sources said that once the 15 km stretched beach, one of the largest nesting grounds in the world on the east coast of the Bay of Bengal, has been reduced to more than half of its earlier shape following massive sea erosion.
According to Rajnagar Mangrove Forest division official sources, the rookery which is situated at the Gahirmatha beach, comprising parts of Nasi-I, Nasi-II, Ekakulanasi and Babubali isles, used to play a favourite nesting place to the marine species. However, of late, the nesting grounds mainly at Nasi-I and Nasi-II have shrunk in most parts. Nasi –I is now reduced to 2.1 km long. But the fact of worry is that it is divided into at least three short parts, over the last four years, said Kishore Swain, a local environmentalist.
Apart from the sea erosion, the violent tidal waves caused breaches, changing the geographical character of the scenic island and affecting the space of the turtle habitat. On the other hand, the Nasi–I island, which is stretched 3km, is less affected by the sea erosion, said forest official sources. | <urn:uuid:d93f0f09-5cf4-4a94-9771-f52b28c95d11> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ioseaturtles.org/headline_detail.php?id=3362 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00090-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947326 | 425 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Two new views from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, showcase the telescope's talent for spying objects near and far.
Using the world's most brilliant X-ray source, scientists have for the first time peered into molten magma at conditions of the deep Earth mantle. The analysis at DESY's light source PETRA III revealed that molten basalt changes its structure when exposed to pressure of up to 60 gigapascals (GPa), corresponding to a depth of about 1400 kilometres below the surface.
For the first time since exoplanets, or planets around stars other than the sun, were discovered almost 20 years ago, X-ray observations have detected an exoplanet passing in front of its parent star.
Astronomers are baffled by the discovery of a pulsar - a tiny spinning stars, heavier than the sun and smaller than a city - that emits different types of radiation at different times.
The first four-legged animals dragged themselves across the ground like seals, a reconstruction of their backbones has shown.
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) has taken its first look at the giant black hole at the center of our galaxy - and caught it right in the middle of a flare-up.
Astronomers have identified an "extraordinary" galaxy cluster which scientists describe as one of largest objects in the universe.
A population of old, volatile stellar black holes has been discovered, following an 'extraordinary outburst' from one located in a nearby galaxy.
Astronomers at the Chandra X-ray observatory say they've observed a planet so close to an active star that it's evaporating.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has discovered new characteristics of solar flares - with great timing, as one's due to hit Earth tomorrow.
The president of the Allied Pilots Association is urging to pilots to opt out of the naked body scanners, which are also known as Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). This mass opposition to TSA porno scanners is one of the first steps in the right direction.
America has been known as the military–industrial complex for decades now, so it’s not surprising that the post 9/11 national security state has created big brother problems.
Astronomers believe they've found a new type of black hole, following observations of the most extreme ultra-luminous X-ray source yet discovered. | <urn:uuid:07906c81-9d6e-4282-bd88-f299282dd2a0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.tgdaily.com/tag/x-rays-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00002-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932093 | 493 | 2.609375 | 3 |
10 Animals With Terrifying Teeth
Saber-toothed tigers never fail to capture our imagination. They’re an (albeit extinct) example of just how terrifying teeth can get—but as we’ll find out, the dangers of extreme dentition aren’t merely confined to the past. In this list, we’ll take a look at the most dangerous, bizarre, and shocking teeth you could ever hope to avoid encountering:
There are some animals so bizarre and disturbing that we begin to question how evolution managed to create such creatures. The four species of babirusa possess exceedingly bizarre weaponry, with which they carry out acts of aggression.
Native to Indonesia, these “Deer Pigs” not only possess massive lower canines that curl, fang-like, over the upper jaw—but their upper canines also come in backwards, pairing with the lower tusks and curling back towards the head. Males slash each other with their sabers during vicious mating disputes. The upward direction allows them to be effective in combat, but if the Babirusa fails to grind them down, they may grow into the animal’s skull—with fatal results.
Yes—saber-toothed deer. The thought is so strange and terrifying that one might be tempted to dismiss it as fantasy. In fact, several species of ungulate known as “musk deer”, native to Eurasia, possess massive fangs, which develop from outgrowths of the canine tooth.
Musk deer fangs extend several inches past their lower jaw. Unlike the infamous cats of the distant past, musk deer go to battle against other males with their canine sabers, sinking them into each other during mating disputes. The creatures are genetically distinct from true deer (cervids), and are named after the powerful scent they produce to mark their territory.
Back when the saber-toothed tiger was still roaming around on land, the terrifying payara was evolving exactly the same weaponry for domination of the rivers—but in reverse. Growing to lengths of more than four feet (1.2m), payara stalk the waters of the Amazon, sinking their three-to-four-inch fangs through the vital organs of their prey.
As the stricken prey sinks towards the bottom, the payara’s cavernous jaws engulf it. Unlike most saber-toothed animals, its fangs remain entirely inside its mouth, sliding into two holes in the upper jaw. The ghastly appearance and potential danger of a bite from the “vampire characin” sends chills through the spine of even the most seasoned fisherman.
At first glance, the goosander looks like a typical waterfowl; but when feeding ducks at the pond, you might not want to offer your hand to the members of this unusual species. As the largest of the “Sawbills” of the genus Mergus, the goosander inhabits rivers, estuaries, and park lakes throughout Eurasia, Canada, and the USA.
Extending from its bill are more than one hundred and fifty razor-sharp teeth, curved backwards, which can slice through the bodies of fish like a hot knife in butter. A bird with teeth is always going to be an anomaly—but even more eerily, this dinosaurian “devil duck” may at times saw up small mammals, and even other birds, as though it were some form of aquatic raptor.
The fact that an animal is a herbivore should never tempt you into the belief that it poses no danger to you. Some plant eaters still have particularly wicked canine teeth.
Take the familiar and apparently blasé dromedary camel, for instance. Although this species has long been used as a pack animal and grazer, those thick lips hide impressive teeth that reach over three inches (7.5cm) in length. With such massive jaws and sharp teeth, it is easy to understand how owners have been killed—sometimes in their sleep—by camels with a mind for revenge. It is well within their power to crush a human skull. Fatal bites, such as the one recently reported in China, may also occur during mating season, when the animals are defensive and territorial.
This is the only extinct species on this list. The helicopron was a shark, twenty feet (6m) in length, which used its enormous teeth in a manner unlike that of any known living creature. Attached to a circular muscle, the shark’s mouth apparatus would shoot out and shred prey into bite-sized pieces, much like an actual chainsaw.
The shark’s bizarre form of dentition was misunderstood by scientists for years, before the strange and disturbing truth was eventually revealed. The two-inch (5cm)-long teeth were tightly packed in a descending spiral, ensuring that the prey was torn to pieces with great speed.
The “unicorn of the sea” was afforded mythical status by explorers and researchers—until the moment when the bizarre creature was properly documented and found to be real.
In a bizarre twist of physiology, this relatively small, thirteen-foot (4m)-long whale developed a lethal “spear” atop its head, which could be used during territorial disputes and in self-defense. Occasionally, it is used to break up ice in the whale’s arctic habitat.
In a departure from the norm of symmetry in the animal kingdom, the narwhal’s enormous weapon is actually a modified right canine tooth that angles forwards and extends through the animal’s forehead. The narwhal has no other teeth in its oddly-shaped jaws, but on occasion, the left canine socket may sprout a second “tusk,” sometimes of equal length to the first.
Baboons are the largest monkeys on Earth, filling out at more than eighty pounds (36kg). Despite being around half the size of most humans, the average baboon’s fang-like canines often reach two inches (5cm) in length—even longer than the teeth of most adult lions. Although these simian sabers appear fit to kill even the most intimidating prey, they are more often used in mating season fights among rival males—suggesting that it was sexual selection which led to the development of oversized fangs. But this doesn’t afford much comfort to those who stray into baboon territory.
The hippopotamus may reach a length of more than sixteen feet (5m), and can put on an incredible nine thousand pounds (4000kg) in weight, making it the third-most massive land animal. The hippopotamus (to avoid the contentious plural) also has the largest canines of any land animal, with two sword-like teeth that reach a whopping sixteen inches (40cm) in length.
Essentially, we are dealing with a truck-sized river monster with teeth capable of running through two humans in one bite. And we grew up thinking that crocodiles were our biggest enemies on the Nile… In one notable case, a tour guide was partially swallowed by a hippopotamus, and his arm was lost. And in a final fascinating twist, genetic research has shown that these saber-toothed creatures are relatives of whales, rather than pigs as once thought.
With a name like that, anything is possible—this is one fish you do not want to meet on a diving trip. Reaching well over two feet (60cm) in length, these tropical reef inhabitants can be found in shallow waters. They are known to fiercely defend their territories against intruders, including human explorers. Triggerfish teeth—their purpose being to crush rock-hard coral—are shockingly sharp and powerful, and appear almost human-like.
Triggerfish teeth are unusual in that they are straight yet extremely thin. This makes them exceptionally sharp, yet they’re also extremely strong, and resilient to damage.
Ron Harlan investigates of the mysteries of nature and the bizarre findings that often crop up on this planet. He is a freelance writer and student of science. | <urn:uuid:52223730-3035-48f2-9b8c-55f002661dde> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://listverse.com/2013/05/18/10-animals-with-terrifying-teeth/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397213.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00065-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959761 | 1,685 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Elderberries are popular for their unusual taste in pies,
jellies, and jams. They are occasionally used in winemaking. The plants
are very hardy (usually to Zone 4 but some kinds to Zone 3), and because
they flower in late June, the crop is seldom damaged by late spring frost.
They are attractive and easy to grow, and are great in
landscape plantings. Elderberries contain more phosphorus and potassium
than any other temperate fruit crop. The fruit is also rich in vitamin
Elderberries grow best in moist, fertile, well-drained soil with a
pH between 5.5 and 6.5, but will tolerate a wide range of soil texture,
fertility, and acidity. It's a myth that they prefer swampy areas. In
fact, they do not tolerate poor drainage. Plant elderberries in spring,
as soon as possible after they arrive from the nursery to prevent plants
from drying out. Space plants 6 to 10 feet apart. Elderberries are shallow
rooted, so keep them well-watered during the first season. Plants are
easy to propagate from hardwood cuttings taken when plants are dormant.
Elderberries respond well to fertilization. In addition to incorporating
manure or compost before planting, apply additional fertilizer annually
in early spring. Apply 1/8 pound of ammonium nitrate (or .5 lbs. 10-10-10)
for each year of the plant's age, up to one pound per plant (or up to
4 lbs. 10-10-10).
The most difficult problem faced when growing elderberries is weed
control. Because they have shallow roots, do not cultivate deeper than
2 inches. After the first year, it is best to avoid disturbing the soil
at all because the slightest injury can damage the fibrous root system
or kill one of the new upright shoots. Use a combination of pulling weeds
by hand while they are still small, mowing and mulching to control weeds
without disturbing the elderberry roots. Once you develop a thick hedgerow
of plants, elderberries can suppress weeds quite well.
Harvest elderberry fruit in late August through early September,
depending on the cultivar. When ripe, the entire cluster should be -removed
and the berries stripped from the cluster for use. Uncooked berries have
a dark purple juice and are astringent and inedible. Use the fruit as
soon as possible or keep it at a cool temperature for later use. It is
difficult to transport elderberries because the fruits fall off the cluster
Elderberries send up many new canes each year. The canes usually
reach full height in one season and develop lateral branches in the second.
Flowers and fruit develop on the tips of the current season's growth,
often on the new canes but especially on laterals. Second-year elderberry
canes with good lateral development are the most fruitful. In the third
or fourth year, older wood tends to lose vigor and become weak. In late
winter to early spring while the plants are dormant, remove all dead,
broken or weak canes, plus all canes more than three years old. Leave
an equal number of one, two, and three-year-old canes.
Individual flowers are small, white, and borne
in large compound clusters. They are nearly self-unfruitful, so plant
two different cultivars within 60 feet of each other to provide adequate
cross-pollination. 'Adams No. 1' and 'Adams No. 2' are two old cultivars,
introduced by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in 1926.
They are strong, vigorous, productive, hardy to Zone 4 and bear large
fruit clusters. They also ripen late, with fruit maturing in early September.
Other cultivars with large clusters and berries include 'York',' Johns','
Kent','Nova', and 'Scotia'. 'York' is somewhat more productive than the
Adams series, and the berries tend to be larger.
Diseases and Insects
Elderberry plants are generally free of pests, which makes them great
for landscape plantings. Powdery mildew is a problem in some years, especially
when it affects the fruit. Cane borers occasionally cause damage, but
are usually not present in large numbers. Pruning out infested canes is
the best remedy for home gardeners.
© Copyright, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.
Website design and coding: Rachel Kennedy and Craig Cramer [email protected] | <urn:uuid:6a098b07-86d5-4e4b-a63b-ac1f93730c55> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/elderberries.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92345 | 973 | 3.09375 | 3 |
A dramatic, large engraving based on F.O.C. Darley's drawing of the Wyoming Valley massacre. Darley is perhaps best known as America's first great illustrator, producing numerous images for books and magazines in the nineteenth century. He also, though, produced many historical images which were made into separate folio prints. Indeed, such was Darley's influence through his illustrations and prints that he must be seen as seminal in the forging of the American national identity. This print shows the fight on July 3, 1777 between Patriot militia and Loyalist troops supported by Indian allies in the Wyoming Valley in northern Pennsylvania. After a brief but fierce battle, the militia troops fled, only to be pursed, especially by the Indians, who killed and tortured those they could catch. This "massacre" became a rallying point for Patriots leading to retaliation in the Sullivan-Clinton campaign against the Iroquois in 1779. This print was supposed to be "First of a Series of national Engravings" to be issued by W.H. Holbrooke, or both New York and London, but none others seem to have been issued. $1,200
Mid-nineteenth century Indian portraits. From various publications. Ca. 1850-60. Wood engravings. Original hand color. Good condition, though some with stains.
In the mid-nineteenth century, a number of histories of the United States were issued containing wood-engraved illustrations of American views, portraits and scenes from our past. Some of these were potraits of famous Native Americans, who were beginning to be looked at as historic figures of note and interest.
A page from this famous illustrated newspaper about the the Onondaga Indians who lived south of Syracuse, New York. Interesting text and images based on photographs. $50
For more information call, write, fax or e-mail to:
8441 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
(215) 242-4750 [Phone]
(215) 242-6977 [Fax]
©The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd. Last updated April 25, 2016 | <urn:uuid:0d791240-661b-4e24-853f-1a8f1a58fad8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.philaprintshop.com/indian2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00007-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967337 | 433 | 2.953125 | 3 |
SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Coastal N.C. Counties Fighting Sea-Level Rise Prediction
from the Charlotte Observer
State lawmakers are considering a measure that would limit how North Carolina prepares for sea-level rise, which many scientists consider one of the surest results of climate change. Federal authorities say the North Carolina coast is vulnerable because of its low, flat land and thin fringe of barrier islands. A state-appointed science panel has reported that a 1-meter rise is likely by 2100.
The calculation, prepared for the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, was intended to help the state plan for rising water that could threaten 2,000 square miles. Critics say it could thwart economic development on just as large a scale.
A coastal economic development group called NC-20 attacked the report, insisting the scientific research it cited is flawed. The science panel last month confirmed its findings, recommending that they be reassessed every five years. | <urn:uuid:d61990f0-8a0c-4b0c-9571-688b49f45109> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.americanscientist.org/science/id.15738,content.true,css.print/science.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402479.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943918 | 194 | 2.9375 | 3 |
|This Web site contains information on activities of the National Geologic Map Database Project (NGMDB). The NGMDB is a collaborative effort primarily involving the USGS and the Association of American State Geologists. This Web site contains informal, generally time-sensitive material intended for project members, cooperators, and interested parties.|
The National Geologic Map Database project plan identifies three principal phases [for progress reports and information, please see
These guiding concepts have been presented and discussed at numerous public meetings (e.g., see http://pubs.usgs.gov/openfile/of00-325/soller4.html).
Through a series of prototype databases, we began to build this database. When each prototype reaches maturity, results are presented for discussion at public meetings; this is an essential aspect of the effort -- to provide to the geoscience community a tangible object for discussion and reflection (e.g., "is this what we really want?"). The initial prototype was developed for 1:100,000-scale geologic map quadrangle information in the Greater Yellowstone Area. The next prototype, building on preliminary technical findings in the Yellowstone project, began in 2000, in cooperation with the Kentucky Geological Survey. That effort has matured, and has been publicly discussed (see http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/of01-223/soller2.html). The next prototype is being planned; results and discussions will be posted at this site.
While these prototypes are underway, the National Geologic Map Database project is supporting some activities designed to produce National-scale geologic map information, as described elsewhere. | <urn:uuid:eed7fd91-f0d8-4916-8c8f-def077c6824e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Info/mapDB/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.894872 | 339 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Storm Surge Frequently Asked Questions
Surge Overview | Storm Surge Unit | SLOSH | P-SURGE | Surge Products | Local Impacts | FAQ | Resources
- What is storm surge vs. storm tide?
- What impacts storm surge and how are these impacts generalized?
- How is storm surge forecast at the National Hurricane Center?
- How often are SLOSH basins updated?
- What is included in these SLOSH basin updates?
- What storm surge products are generated using the SLOSH model?
- What are some of the key strengths associated with the SLOSH model?
- What are some of the limitations associated with the SLOSH model?
- What are vertical datums, and why are they so important?
- What is storm surge inundation?
- How is storm surge observed and measured?
- What are some issues related to storm surge data?
- Where can one find important storm surge data and storm related products during a tropical event?
- Can I obtain the data used to create the storm surge interactive risk maps?
- The storm surge interactive risk maps show storm surge risk as a function of categories in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. How is this possible considering the recent removal of storm surge from the Saffir-Simpson Scale?
- The storm surge interactive risk maps are different from my local hurricane evacuation zones. Which is correct?
- According to the storm surge interactive risk maps, I live along the edge of an area susceptible to inundation. Does this mean my home is safe from the potential impacts from storm surge?
What is storm surge vs. storm tide?
- STORM SURGE is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide.
- STORM TIDE is the water level rise during a storm due to the combination of storm surge and the astronomical tide.
Storm Surge vs. Storm Tide
What impacts storm surge and how are these impacts generalized?
- Intensity (higher winds speeds=increased storm surge)
- Central pressure (little impact)
- Forward speed (slower storms=higher and broader storm surge inland including bays and estuaries; faster storms=more storm surge along the open coast)
- Size (storm with large wind field=more storm surge; storm with small wind field=less storm surge)
- Angle of approach (perpendicular to coastline=more storm surge; parallel to coastline=less storm surge)
- Width and slope of continental shelf (wide shelf/gentle slope=more storm surge with relatively small waves; narrow shelf/sharp slope=less storm surge with relatively big waves)
- Local features (concavity of coastlines, bays, rivers, headlands, islands, etc.=greater storm surge impact); see figure below
Storm surge impacted by local features
How is storm surge forecast at the National Hurricane Center?
- The Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model is the computer model utilized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for coastal inundation risk assessment and the operational prediction of storm surge.
- Operationally, the SLOSH model computes the maximum potential impact due to storm surge for a particular area from tropical cyclones based on storm intensity, track, and estimates of storm size provided by hurricane specialists/forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. These input parameters are needed to create a model of the wind field. This parameterized wind field is what drives the storm surge heights within the SLOSH model. A sample output can be seen here for Hurricane Ike.
- SLOSH has been applied to the entire U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
coastlines. In addition, coverage extends to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands, and the Bahamas. The SLOSH model coverage is subdivided into
37 regions or basins. These basins represent sections of coastline that are
centered upon particularly susceptible features: inlets, large coastal centers
of population, low-lying topography, and ports. An example of a typical
computational domain, or basin, is the New Orleans basin.
SLOSH model basin coverage
How often are SLOSH basins updated?
- Currently, SLOSH basins are being updated at an average rate of 6 basins per year. SLOSH basin updates are ultimately governed by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Hurricanes (ICCOH). The ICCOH manages hazard and post-storm analysis for the Hurricane Evacuation Studies under FEMA's Hurricane Program. Updates are driven by a number of different factors. These factors include changes to a basin's topography/bathymetry due to a hurricane event, degree of vulnerability to storm surge, availability of new data, changes to the coast, and addition of engineered flood protection devices (e.g., levees). The National Weather Service's Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) incorporates the latest topography/bathymetry and other data in the basin building process. These updates are provided to the National Hurricane Center's Storm Surge Unit in order to conduct storm surge simulation studies.
What is included in these SLOSH basin updates?
- Grid spacing is sometimes decreased to better resolve surge
- Hypothetical tracks covering a larger area which can more accurately model surge risk zones
- Conversion to updated vertical reference datum: NGVD29 to NAVD88
- Latest topography/bathymetry data resulting in a more accurate representation of barriers, gaps, passes, and other local features
- Higher resolution grids especially near the coast and center of the basin
What storm surge products are generated using the SLOSH model?
- Probabilistic Surge (P-Surge)
- Maximum of MEOWs (MOMs)
- Maximum Envelopes of High Water (MEOWs)
For more information about storm surge products and how they could be used operationally click here.
What are some of the key strengths associated with the SLOSH model?
- Computationally efficient and fast
- Resolves flow through barriers/gaps/passes
- Models deep passes between bodies of water
- Resolves inland inundation (wetting/drying of a cell)
- Models the overtopping of barrier systems, levees, and roads
- Resolves coastal reflections (e.g., coastally trapped Kelvin waves)
What are some of the limitations associated with the SLOSH model?
- Does not model the impacts from waves
- Does not model astronomical tide explicitly
- Operational runs can be run at varying water level anomalies to model the water level conditions at the onset of operational runs
- Does not model normal river flow and rain
What are vertical datums, and why are they so important?
- A vertical datum is an established surface that serves as a reference to measure or model heights and depths. All water level observations, including SLOSH storm surge heights, are referenced as height above a vertical reference datum. Currently, the SLOSH model utilizes the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). All basins are being updated to NAVD88 because NGVD29 is dated and no longer being supported.
- It is important to note that when comparing water level observations (e.g. tide stations) with other observations, observations with models, or models to models, one MUST always use consistent vertical datums.
What is storm surge inundation?
- This is simply referencing storm surge as height above ground level.
For the SLOSH model, this is done by subtracting the average elevation of
each SLOSH grid cell from the water level computed by the SLOSH model which
is referenced to a vertical datum. This helps to alleviate the confusion
inherent with vertical datums. Now, when we say twenty feet of water,
we mean twenty feet above ground level.
Storm Surge Inundation
How is storm surge observed and measured?
- Tide Stations (NOAA): A network of 175 long-term, continuously operating
water level stations throughout the U.S. serving as the foundation for NOAA's
tide prediction products and providing data for storm surge estimates.
NOAA Tide Station
- Measure still water (e.g., no waves)
- Traditionally most reliable
- Limited stations
- FEMA/USGS High Water Marks (HWM): These marks are lines found on trees and other
structures marking the highest elevation (peak) of the water surface for a
flood event created by foam, seed, or other debris. Survey crews are deployed
after a storm to locate and record reliable HWMs. GPS methods are used to
determine location for coastal HWMs, which are then mapped relative to a
vertical reference datum such as NAVD88.
High Water Marks Inside A Building
- Traditionally best method for capturing highest surge
- Subjective and often include impacts of waves
- Pressure Sensors (USGS): These are temporary water-level and
barometric-pressure sensors which provide information about storm surge
duration, times of surge arrival/retreat, and maximum depths.
USGS Pressure Sensor
- Relatively new method
- Deployed in advance of storms at expected location of highest surge
- Can contain impacts of waves
What are some issues related to storm surge data?
- Incomplete data or data does not capture height of event resulting from instrument failures during an event
- Complicated conversion methods resulting from different reference levels
- Different or even unknown error characteristics resulting from incompatible data sources
- "Still water" data versus the impacts of waves
Where can one find storm surge data and storm related products during a tropical event?
- Probabilistic Surge (P-Surge): http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
- NHC Public Advisories: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- WFO Products: http://www.weather.gov/
- NOAA Tide Stations: http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov
Can I obtain the data used to create the storm surge interactive risk maps?
- The storm surge interactive risk maps and associated data are currently under development and not available for dissemination. However, you can help the NHC improve upon this new service by providing comments or suggestions.
The storm surge interactive risk maps show storm surge risk as a function of categories in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. How is this possible considering the recent removal of storm surge from the Saffir-Simpson Scale?
Earlier versions of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale incorporated storm surge as a component of each category. Storm surge was quantified by category in the earliest published versions of the
scale dating back to 1972. However, hurricane size (extent of hurricane-force winds), local bathymetry (depth of near-shore waters), topography, the hurricane's forward speed and angle to the coast
also affect the surge that is produced. For example, the very large Hurricane Ike (with hurricane force winds extending as much as 125 mi from the center) in 2008 made landfall in Texas as a
Category 2 hurricane and had peak storm surge values of about 20 ft. In contrast, tiny Hurricane Charley (with hurricane force winds extending at most 25 mi from the center) struck Florida in
2004 as a Category 4 hurricane and produced a peak storm surge of only about 7 ft. These storm surge values were substantially outside of the ranges suggested in the original scale. Thus to
help reduce public confusion about the impacts associated with the various hurricane categories as well as to provide a more scientifically defensible scale, the storm surge ranges have been removed
from the scale and only peak winds are employed in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Unlike earlier versions of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale which only provide average storm surge values by category, the storm surge interactive risk maps show potential storm surge vulnerability for all areas and incorporate varying landfall locations, local bathymetry and topography, varying storm sizes, forward speeds, tracks, approach angles, and tide levels. This is accomplished by performing thousands of different SLOSH simulations for a given area and then compositing the results into a worst case snapshot, by Saffir-Simpson Category, indicating storm surge vulnerability. Thus, for a given area of interest, the storm surge interactive risk maps make use of thousands of hurricane landfall scenarios.
The storm surge interactive risk maps are different from my local hurricane evacuation zones. Which is correct?
- Under no circumstances should the storm surge interactive risk maps be compared with local hurricane evacuation zones. Hurricane evacuation zones consider other critical factors which affect hurricane evacuation decision-making. These maps are provided for informational and educational purposes only and do not supersede hurricane evacuation zones set by local and state emergency management.
According to the storm surge interactive risk maps, I live along the edge of an area susceptible to inundation. Does this mean my home is safe from the potential impacts from storm surge?
- No. Points of interest that are displayed as dry but are close to the edge of an inundated area should also be considered extremely vulnerable to hurricane storm surge. As an example, in the accompanying illustration the actual model data do not show the red areas as inundated. Yet they are as vulnerable to storm surge as are the actual inundation areas, which are shown in yellow. | <urn:uuid:689b4fbf-9dca-431b-b5a9-f193214ecd03> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/faq.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902954 | 2,794 | 2.5625 | 3 |
(Published in The New Indian Express, School Edition, on 21 June 2012, retrieved from http://newindianexpress.com/education/school/article547183.ece)
On May 31 this year, private company SpaceX made history, as its unmanned Dragon capsule shot into the Pacific, returning after a 9-day test flight on which its tasks included delivering supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
This mission, the first such successful attempt by a private company, is very important, because NASA’s fleet of space shuttles retired last year, and the space agency is exploring the idea of using private companies to send cargo, and later perhaps astronauts, to the ISS.
What is SpaceX?
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, is a space transport company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded by Elon Musk, who is now 40, in 2002. Musk had made his money at PayPal, which he co-founded. He also runs electric car company Tesla Motors.
What has it done?
Since its inception, SpaceX has often collaborated with NASA. The Falcon series of launch vehicles were designed after the company signed a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract with NASA in 2006.
Soon after, the company began to develop the Dragon spacecraft, which was to be flown into orbit by the Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
On 9 December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft, as the Dragon capsule returned after a two-orbit flight. The launch had been postponed several times, but was successful on the first attempt.
It was the second flight of the Dragon spacecraft, which was first tested on June 4, 2010, with a mock-up version. The operational spacecraft was launched in December. The capsule made a controlled re-entry burn, splashing into the Pacific Ocean. It was subsequently recovered – before this, only government agencies had been able to recover orbital spacecraft.
This achievement was recognised by the Space Foundation, which gave SpaceX the Space Achievement Award in 2011.
On 25 May 2012, SpaceX sent a cargo payload on the Dragon spacecraft, to the ISS, where it docked. It is hoped that this spacecraft will eventually be able to carry humans.
The Dragon spacecraft
The building of the Dragon spacecraft was preceded by a 2005 announcement from SpaceX, saying it was planning a commercial space programme that would allow humans to jet off. The capsule was intended to carry cargo, humans, or a mixture of both, to and from the orbit of the Earth.
On 4 June, 2010, a flight of the Dragon structural test article took place from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, during the first flight of Falcon 9. The fully operational spacecraft was launched on Falcon 9 six months later, and returned after fulfilling its mission objectives.
Where does SpaceX get its funding?
From June 2002 to March 2006, Musk had invested $100 million of his own money. Other investors contributed approximately the same amount over a 10-year period.
By May 2012, the company is believed to have received funding of up to $1 billion. Most of this comes from payments on launch and development contracts.
NASA’s contribution works out to about $500 million. This includes a grant of $75 million, to develop Dragon’s integrated launch escape system, to prepare for its eventually transporting people to space – a project that may be realised in the next two or three years.
How much is SpaceX worth?
Since it was founded, the company has grown progressively larger, with about 1800 employees today, as compared to 160 employees in 2005.
Musk has recovered his investment many times over. His 70 million shares, which form two-thirds of the company, were calculated as worth roughly $875 million on private markets in February.
After the successful mission with the Dragon Spacecraft, the company’s worth shot up to $ 4.8 billion, and Musk’s to $1.6 billion.
In collaboration with NASA, SpaceX is planning its first crewed Dragon spacecraft launch in 2015. The space agency also plans to send a robotic mission to Mars in 2018, through SpaceX. Musk has said the long-term plan of the company is to help human exploration and settlement in Mars.
Called The Red Dragon, this project is expected to be proposed for funding next year, as a NASA Discovery mission. The robotic mission, which will cost about $425 million, will seek out evidence of life, and drill underground to sample reservoirs of water ice below the surface.
SpaceX had also signed contracts with government agencies outside the US, private sector companies and the American military for its launch services. The company hopes to launch its first commercial geostationary satellite, the medium-sized SES-8, in 2013, from a Falcon 9.
Musk has also said he hopes to make space more accessible and lower the cost of travel.
June, 2002: SpaceX is founded by PayPal and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk.
January, 2005: SpaceX buys a 10% stake in Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
May 2, 2005: SpaceX announces signing of an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Responsive Small Spacelift launch services by the US Air Force.
August 18 2006: NASA signs Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract with SpaceX, to demonstrate cargo delivery to the ISS, with the possibility of sending crew later.
April 22, 2008: SpaceX announces signing of IDIQ contract with NASA for launches of Falcon 1 and Falcon 9. Also says it has sold 14 contracts for flights on the Falcon vehicles.
August 4, 2008: SpaceX accepts $20 million investment from the Founders Fund.
September 28, 2008: Falcon 1 makes its first successful flight.
December 23, 2008: SpaceX announces that it has won a Commercial Resupply Services contract, for at least 12 missions to carry supplies and cargo to and from the ISS.
June 16, 2009: SpaceX opens its Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Department, hires former NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox to head it.
June 4, 2010: Falcon 9 successfully flies into orbit on its maiden launch.
June, 2010: SpaceX is awarded the largest-ever commercial space launch contract, worth $492 million, to launch Iridium satellites using Falcon 9 rockets.
December 9, 2010: SpaceX becomes the first privately-funded company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft, with the launch of the COTS Demo Flight 1.
July 13, 2011: SpaceX breaks ground on its own launch site, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, as Falcon 1 carries its first successful commercial payload, RazakSAT, into orbit.
May 22, 2012: Unmanned Dragon capsule is sent into space, marking the first time a private company has sent a spacecraft to the ISS.
May 25, 2012: SpaceX becomes the first private company to send a cargo payload to the ISS. | <urn:uuid:6c09e591-ced3-4745-947f-37d62f97f4ff> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://disbursedmeditations.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-spacex-created-history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00182-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968342 | 1,430 | 3.296875 | 3 |
- freely available
Sustainability 2013, 5(3), 1256-1265; doi:10.3390/su5031256
Abstract: In Scotland, homebuilders are requested to take valiant efforts to meet the government’s ambition that all newly built homes should be carbon-neutral by 2016/17. In delivering net zero carbon homes, the application of renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating systems, is almost inevitable. Cost-effectiveness of emerging green technologies is a major factor that affects stakeholders’ housing design decision-making on whether or not the innovations can be applied in practical terms. Based on the United Kingdom (UK) government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for energy rating of dwellings, this study conducted a comparative value assessment of 19 design alternatives set. The options also included ones that encompassed both electricity and heat generation potentials of PV applications—i.e., air-sourced PV thermal (PV/T) systems. Based on the SAP simulation results, it concluded that operational energy use and cost, as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) emission levels, can drastically be reduced particularly when a PV/T system is combined with a low-energy and high-performance mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system that can extract fresh air heated by PV. This study led to visualizing the cost-effectiveness of PV/T MVHR systems and identifying the economic value over 10 years at the interest rate of 10%, based on an assumption that the innovations are applied to Scottish homes today.
In general, the energy use required to operate a comfortable house depends on the occupants’ family structure and usage patterns related to their behavior . Moreover, climatic variations, housing sizes and types, and thermal properties of building skins also correlate with the amount of energy demand particularly for space and water heating capacity of houses built in Scotland . Besides the human factors, the cost and performance of housing depends generally on design components selected. Thus, design decisions need to be made carefully with due consideration of the current and future values of not only component alternatives in question but also the combined attributes. In the UK, the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for energy rating of dwellings has been applied for issuing Energy Performance Certificates today [3,4].
In Scotland, the installation of heating systems in housing is almost inevitable keeping the occupants’ thermal comfort throughout the year. In addition to domestic heaters, active building service devices including mechanical ventilation systems and renewable energy technologies are readily applicable to the delivery of low-energy healthy homes today. A natural gas combination (or combi) boiler is one of the most popular heating systems being installed in homes build in Scotland. It is a compact system applied for domestic water and space heating and radiators are dominant devices that help spread the heat throughout a house. Ventilation in Scottish housing has been secured basically in two ways: natural and mechanical ventilation. The latter has a clear linkage to electricity consumption. Seemingly, the specific fan power (SFP), efficiency and ductwork arrangements have an impact on energy consumption particularly when a balanced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system is concerned. A solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating system is one of the renewable energy technologies being applied to both new and existing homes in Scotland. PV generates electricity and the panels are often installed in the rooftop. The roofs are usually able to accommodate 4kWp PV systems, yet the amount of electricity generation depends on the cell types and panel sizes, as well as the orientation and sloping angle. With the heat released from the cells, snow tends to melt on the PV rooftop during the daytime. Seemingly, there is a synergy between PV and MVHR operations. For instance, PV generated electricity can contribute to the operation of an MVHR system, which is able to extract PV-heated fresh air running under the solar roofs. This linkage can lead to the establishment of an air-sourced photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) MVHR system, which may be applied to homes in Scotland and help create a thermally comfortable healthy living environment at low energy costs achieved through the synergy.
There is limited research data that clarifies the effect of the hybrid PV/T HVHR application to houses in Scotland on domestic energy consumption and cost, as well as CO2 emissions. Accordingly, this study was aimed firstly at demonstrating how the hybrid PV/T MVHR system can physically be applied to housing in Scotland and secondly at examining the cost and performance. In this study, SAP was applied for the energy simulation. In order to facilitate the further cost-effectiveness assessment of design alternatives given, a conceptual house was proposed in consideration of the aforementioned passive design considerations.
2. PV/T MVHR System Demonstration
In order to demonstrate the applicability of a PV/T MVHR system to housing in Scotland, a 3-story semidetached house was designed conceptually (Figure 1, Figure 2). The proposed house was called ‘ZEMCH109’ assumed to be built in an existing post-council housing development area in Prestwick, Scotland. A PV/T MVHR system was introduced to the house’s south-facing roof, whose slope angle was considered to be 30° (Figure 3). The ground floor entrance is designed in the form of a draft lobby and a machine room, two children bedrooms, and a toilet are located on the same level. The 1st floor contains an open kitchen and dining space, which is linked continuously to a lounge that faces north due to the view of a vast green park. A master bedroom is located on the 2nd floor, which is also equipped with a bathroom facing the park and a storage space. In order to reduce the energy load for space heating, high thermal performance building envelopes were desired; for instance, U-value of the walls was assumed to be 0.15 W/m2K and ceilings and roofs were designed to achieve U-values of 0.10 W/m2K. The air permeability was expected to be 3 m3/m2 h. A natural gas combi boiler was selected for the main space and water heating. Without MVHR and PV systems in question, the house’s operational energy consumption was estimated at 9,092kWh/annum . This amount was used for the comparative analysis of design alternatives, which will be identified later (Figure 3).
In this project, PV tiles were considered as a practical solution not only to enhance the architectural integration but also to secure the heat extraction. Today, such PV tiles are widely available in Scotland being installed in roofs of conventional roofing practice. The size of a PV roof panel is 420 mm in width and 1,220 mm in length. To secure ventilation airflow under the PV roof, wooden battens are laid vertically on the sheathing (Figure 4). Moreover, the ventilation cavity needs to be sealed sufficiently so as to draw fresh air that is running and heated by the PV roof.
The conversion efficiency of mono-crystallized silicon PV cells selected was considered to be 14% in view of the author’s previous study . When the PV tiles are laid at gauges, the weight possibly becomes nearly 20 kg/m2. It was concerned that the efficiency of PV systems would be reduced by approx. 0.7% annually . Nonetheless, PV installers in Scotland tend to offer a 10-year warranty for the structural damage and further guarantee the minimal expected power output over the period of 25 years from the date of commissioning.
2.1. Alternative Settings
For the performance assessment, 6 MVHR products were selected in view of their SFP and efficiency variations (Table 1). The products chosen were further studied in order to identify their impacts on operational energy consumption and cost, as well as CO2 emission levels, when they are applied to the ZEMCH 109 demonstration house, where a 90.3% efficiency mains gas combi boiler is to be installed as the standard water and space heating equipment. The south-facing roof of the house was designed to accommodate 4 kWp PV systems. The PV roof coverage was estimated at 28.57 m2 accompanied by the underside airflow at 432 m3/h or the velocity of 0.5m/s. In consideration of the Scottish climatic conditions, the PV thermal energy generation capacity was considered to be 3,440 kWh per annum . The PV heated air needs to be drawn to the rooms sufficiently in order to utilize the byproduct for potential space heating. In this demonstration, MVHR systems were to be installed in ZEMCH 109 with the aim to extract PV heated fresh air and to mix it with indoor pre-heated air constantly.
|SPECIFIC FAN POWER (W/l/s)||0.4||0.61||0.76||1.2||0.68||0.77|
|HEAT RECOVERY EFFICIENCY (%)||91||93||94||83||84||88|
In this study, total 19 options were developed for the cost and performance assessment (Table 2).The Option 1 was considered as the benchmark design alternative, which contains neither an MVHR system nor PV panels. A combi boiler was selected to supply the demonstration house’s space and water heating, as described previously. The options given include a PV system for the purpose of power generation alone, while some others contain the device to benefit from the electricity and heat generation capacity.
Using the SAP (version 2009) simulation, the effect of each given design option on the demonstration house’s annual operational energy consumption and cost was assessed (Table 3). In the UK, the unit price of mains gas are estimated at 3.10 pence per kWh; the CO2 emission factor is 0.198 kg CO2 per kWh; and the primary energy factor is regarded as 1.02 . Similarly, those of electricity are considered to be 11.46 pence per kWh, 0.517 kg CO2 per kWh, and 2.92, respectively. These figures suggest that the use of electricity in Scotland leads to 2.6 times more CO2 emissions than mains gas. Thus, the use of a gas combi boiler essentially helps reduce the green emissions as opposed to that of heaters run by electricity, unless the consumption from the grid is replaced with the energy supplied by locally installed renewable energy technologies. On the other hand, the unit price of electricity sold to the grid is considered to be 11.46 pence per kWh, while the CO2 emission factor and primary energy factor of electricity displaced from the grid is assumed to be 0.529 kg CO2 per kWh and 2.92, respectively. These figures also articulate the significance of generating electricity via locally installed renewables, such as PV.
|OPTION||MAINS GAS COMBI BOILER||MVHR||PV ELECTRICITY||PV THERMAL|
|OPTION||DELIVERED ENERGY USE (kWh/year)||PRIMARY ENERGY USE (kWh/year)||PV ELECTRICITY GENERATION (kWh/year)||PV/T HEAT GENERATION (kWh/year)||ANNUAL UTILITY COST (GBP)|
According to the assessment results, the options that do not contain PV systems can be characterized by their relatively high overall energy consumption, which in turn raise the utility cost (Options 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14 & 17). In comparison, the energy use and cost figures are lower in those that benefit from PV power generation (Options 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 & 18). Moreover, the tendency can be accelerated when PV thermal capacity is also treated as a source that advances indoor space heating (Options 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 & 19).
3. Future Worth Implications via Systems’ Operating Energy Costs
In order to compare design alternatives given in financial terms, the ‘Time Value of Money’ concept was reviewed . The concept reflects the fact that today’s money is more worth in the future when it is accumulated with an interest rate assigned. The future worth is the value of an asset in the future and determines the worth for a given sum of money at a specific time to which an assumed rate of interest is applied. In this study, the future worth of each design option was estimated using the following formula:
FW = future worth of the option selected
AC = annual energy cost
i = annual interest rate
n = number of the year in question
Moreover, in this study, Option 1 was considered as the benchmark design alternative, as described previously, and the future worth of the benchmark would hereafter be denoted as ACOPT 1 for further comparative economic assessment. Accordingly, in comparison to Option 1, the cost-effectiveness of all other design alternatives has been assessed using the following formula:
CEOPT x = cost-effectiveness of annual energy cost difference
ACOPT 1 = annual energy cost of the benchmark option (OPT 1)
ACOPT x = annual energy cost of the option selected (OPT X)
i = annual interest rate
n = number of the year in question
The future worth (or value) of the aforementioned options has been calculated based on an assumption that the interest rate of 10% is applicable to a period of 10 years in which the proposed PV/T MVHR system will run possibly without experiencing major operational failures (Figure 5). In this assessment, the positive values imply energy cost savings, i.e., financial benefits to the house owner, at the end of the period set, in comparison to the benchmark design alternative (Option 1) which contains neither MVHR nor PV systems. On the other hand, the negative values indicate the amount of a financial loss at the end of the assessment period set. For instance, Option 11 shows the negative figure of −75.22 GBP at the end of 10 years when it is compared to Option 1. This implies that the selection of the MVHR system, which has the highest SFP requirement (1.2 W/l/s) and lowest efficiency (83%) among the others, brings about worse economic value than the benchmark option with no PV or MVHR systems. On the other hand, Option 4 indicates the highest value among the others, marked with 1328.00 GBP in comparison to Option 1. In addition to Option 4, all others that are equipped with PV/T MVHR systems, i.e., Options 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19, resulted in relatively high returns—i.e., 1273.53, 1234.62, 1123.09, 1219.06, 1190.53 GBP, respectively. The results indicate that the selection of design alternatives that include PV/T MVHR systems leads to drastic savings of operational energy cost. The degree depends on the performance of an MVHR system chosen in consideration of the SFP and efficiency levels, as well as the duct type. Seemingly, rigid ducts tend to reduce the operational energy consumption as opposed to flexible ones in relation to the surface area exposed to the ventilation airflow.
In view of SAP domestic energy simulation parameters, this study started with highlighting some of the key passive design considerations, which are effective in lowering operational energy demand of a house to be built in Scotland. Moreover, this study brought out the synergy between MVHR and PV systems. PV generated electricity can contribute to the operation of an MVHR system, while the ventilator can help extract fresh air heated by PV. To date, PV thermal capacity for space heating had been less of a consideration in housing practices in Scotland. The cost-effective assessment conducted in this study drew the potential positive effect of the hybrid system on the drastic increase of economic values. The applicability of PV/T MVHR systems to Scottish homes was illustrated towards creation of a thermally comfortable healthy living environment at low energy costs. The PV/T roof ventilation cavity should be sealed properly so as to enhance or maintain the extraction level of fresh air heated by PV cells. The velocity of air running under PV panels should be retained higher than 0.5 m/s to collect enough PV heat, which helps advance indoor space heating. Not to mention, insulation of ducts is essential for optimal performance of MVHR systems. Nonetheless, bypass duct arrangement may be required to prevent too much extraction of PV heat that may cause overheating on the hot summer days even in Scotland. This study explored the potential waste heat recuperation of PV/T MVHR systems for the application to Scottish homes in heating seasons. In order to make the hybrid system applicable in both heating and cooling seasons, the design details to avoid the overheating need to be scrutinized and the economic impact during the cooling seasons should be examined further. Moreover, in this study, a fixed interest rate of 10% was applied solely for the economic analysis of each alternative given, regardless of economic fluctuations over products’ lifespan. Accordingly, in consideration of local economic outlook, various interest rates can also be set for the further exploration.
The author is a National Expert representing the UK in the International Energy Agency (IEA) joint Implementing Programs Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Task 40 / Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS) Annex 52: Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings. The work presented in this paper is informed by his participation in the Task40/Annex 52. The author would like to thank his past postgraduate research students, Kajal Dhamne and Anushree Rohatgi, for their immense contribution to data analysis and value visualisation required for development of this article. Also, he would like to extend his sincere gratitude to NRGStyle Ltd. for the supply of ZEMCH 109 digital images and their entrepreneurial aspiration towards realisation of the zero energy mass custom housing delivery in Scotland.
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© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). | <urn:uuid:b5f425dc-7e3a-4ed4-bc02-f87fc0455f92> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/3/1256/htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00024-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918329 | 4,186 | 2.6875 | 3 |
NFWF's History in the Gulf
NFWF has more than two decades of experience as a conservation leader in the Gulf of Mexico. Our ongoing collaborations with federal and state agencies, conservation organizations, corporations and foundations have protected and restored species and habitats throughout the region.
Following the Deepwater Horizon explosion, NFWF invested nearly $23 million between 2010 and 2012 to benefit Gulf Coast natural resources (see project list). Working with a wide network of agencies and conservation groups, NFWF implemented a restoration strategy to boost populations of sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds, oysters and fish. These post-spill investments, made possible through the Recovered Oil Fund for Wildlife, continue to yield results for wildlife and coastal ecosystems.
To date, NFWF’s actions after the oil spill have resulted in approximately 80,000-100,000 additional sea turtle hatchlings annually. NFWF grantees also restored over 500,000 acres of wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds, rebuilt more than three miles of oyster reefs and enhanced capacity at 14 wildlife rescue facilities.
NFWF also worked with FedEx during the summer of 2010 to transfer 25,000 endangered sea turtle eggs from the Gulf coast to the Atlantic coast—one of the largest wildlife relocations in history.
In 2013, a U.S. District Court approved two plea agreements resolving certain criminal cases against BP and Transocean which arose from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The agreements direct a total of $2.544 billion to NFWF to fund projects benefiting the natural resources of the Gulf Coast that were impacted by the spill. NFWF established the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) in May 2013 and made initial GEBF project obligations from it six months later. | <urn:uuid:c3d26a4e-2503-41ef-96eb-fd141726ae67> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nfwf.org/gulf/Pages/nfwf-gulf-history.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00008-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935767 | 367 | 2.515625 | 3 |
School of Education
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) is a long-term and ongoing set of interrelated federally funded projects. Central to MCC is its long-term collaboration with Yup’ik elders, teachers, and Alaskan school districts to develop culturally based curricular materials, especially supplemental math curriculum for elementary school students. At this time, MCC has published ten different supplemental math modules: three at the second grade, one for grade 3-5, and six at the sixth grade (most of these are applicable to 7th grade students). The modules also include supporting materials such as DVD clips of teachers’ implementing exemplary lessons, written case studies, a Guide to Implementing MCC, literacy activities and stories that develop cultural, mathematical, and contextual connections for students.
Most importantly, most MCC modules have been tested using either a quasi or experimental design with findings repeatedly showing that MCC students outperform comparable control group students who use their regular math curriculum. This occurs at statistically significant levels and with moderate effect sizes. For further information, please see the 44(3): 1-100, December 2005 and for more recent data see Journal of American Indian Education 46(3):94-116 which includes the results of our most rigorous study to date. Again, the second grade students in this study outperformed their control group counterparts on key subscales such as measuring, representation (graphing and tables), grouping, and place value. This occurred in urban districts and rural districts; novice and experienced teachers using MCC each outperformed novice and experienced teachers using control group materials. This reform-oriented curriculum, designed for Alaskan students, is one of the few curricula that has been so extensively studied and meets the highest research standards. It is one of the very few projects and studies for Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) students that shows such powerful results.
At the present time, MCC has two distinct and interrelated projects that are open to a limited number of school districts in Alaska. The first grant is funded by the US Department of Education and is entitled Measuring Proportionally: Elders' Wisdom applied to Teaching and Learning Math. This project develops elementary school mathematics curriculum based on Indigenous ways of thinking and doing. Measuring proportionally is one of the very few programs that use Indigenous Knowledge, ways of thinking and doing, in the teaching of a core academic content area (mathematics). Alaska Native students and students in general underperform when compared to their international counterparts in measuring, ratios, and fractions. Thus, Measuring Proportionally recognizes the unique contribution that Alaska Native Knowledge can play in teaching elementary school mathematics. This project has the potential to improve the mathematics performance of Alaska Native students, but it also has the possibility of strengthening the mathematical thinking of all students.
Guiding Principles of the Measuring Proportionally program:
- Sustainability—we will recruit and prepare Alaska Native educators and other long-term stakeholders within the school community to ensure the knowledge gained from this project stays in the targeted schools and communities.
- Working together—collaborating with Alaska Native knowledge holders, Alaska Native organizations, school district personnel—superintendents, teachers, and paraprofessionals, working with the Measuring Proportionally staff to develop innovative materials and approaches to teaching mathematics.
- Appreciating Alaska Native culture—Because the foundation of this program begins with Indigenous Knowledge and how that knowledge establishes a mathematical learning trajectory (symmetrical measuring/splitting), Indigenous Knowledge is respected and honored.
- Culturally Competent Teachers—Connectedness—We seek to develop teachers who can teach mathematics through Indigenous Knowledge in a mathematically and culturally authentic way.
The second grant is funded by the National Science Foundation and is entitled The Potential Contribution of Indigenous Knowledge to Teaching and Learning Mathematics. The National Science Foundation grant provides deep insights into Indigenous Cultural Knowledge including Alaska Native elders as well as Indigenous knowledge holders from Greenland, Norway, Kamchatka (Russia), and Yap.
● To improve the math performance of elementary school students, especially Alaska Native students
● To provide professional development to Alaskan school districts
● For school districts to adapt and adopt MCC modules
● To research the effectiveness of the modules in improving students’ math performance
● Study specific impacts by math subscales and by other factors
● To study contextual factors that contribute to the effectiveness of implementing MCC
● To expand an already existing data base on MCC
● Further develop professional development materials including
● A Guide for using MCC
● Case Studies
● Video clips of effective implementation | <urn:uuid:dfdf05f4-e6a2-4c11-9eff-64003eee34c8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.uaf.edu/mcc/about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00131-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93376 | 951 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Definition of haustorium
: a food-absorbing outgrowth of a plant organ (as a hypha or stem)
Origin and Etymology of haustorium
New Latin, from Latin haurire
First Known Use: 1875
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up haustorium? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). | <urn:uuid:f4072c75-ec3b-4534-b4a6-fa565f99f6ee> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haustorium | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00048-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.864871 | 88 | 2.671875 | 3 |
How to Horizontally Transform a Function
You can transform any function into a related function by shifting it horizontally or vertically, flipping it over (reflecting it) horizontally or vertically, or stretching or shrinking it horizontally or vertically. Let’s go through the horizontal transformations. Consider the exponential function
Take a look at the following graph.
You make horizontal changes by adding a number to or subtracting a number from the input variable x, or by multiplying x by some number.
All horizontal transformations, except reflection, work the opposite way you’d expect:
Adding to x makes the function go left.
Subtracting from x makes the function go right.
Multiplying x by a number greater than 1 shrinks the function.
Multiplying x by a number less than 1 expands the function.
For example, the graph of y = 2x+3 has the same shape and orientation as the graph for y = 2x. It’s just shifted three units to the left. Instead of passing through (0, 1) and (1, 2), the shifted function goes through (–3, 1) and (–2, 2). And the graph of y = 2x–3 is three units to the right of y = 2x.
Horizontal shrinking and stretching
For the next two transformations, why don’t you try graphing them on your own.
So, every point on the new function is half of its original distance from the y-axis. The y-coordinate of every point stays the same; the x-coordinate is cut in half. For example,
Multiplying x by a number less than 1 has the opposite effect.
The last horizontal transformation is a reflection over the y-axis.
Note that after the reflection, points are on the opposite side of the y-axis, but remain the same distance from the axis. And original points that lie on the y-axis (the y-intercepts) stay where they are. | <urn:uuid:82803589-9d46-4666-85bf-1c0c5b82c968> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-horizontally-transform-a-function.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.878288 | 419 | 4.46875 | 4 |
Byzantine Art and Painting in Italy during the 1200s and 1300s
Many of the Gallery’s early Italian paintings were originally parts of altarpieces, a form that first appeared in Italy in the thirteenth century as new attention was focused on the altar by changes in the liturgy, church architecture, and the display of relics. Painting on wooden panels had not been common in the West, but by this time the gilded and painted panels of elaborate altarpieces had begun to join—and would eventually overshadow—fresco and mosaic as the principal forms of decoration in Italian churches. Western artists working on panel turned for inspiration to the Christian East, adapting the techniques, style, and subject matter of Byzantine icons. For Byzantine Christians—and Orthodox Christians today—the icon was a true copy of its holy model. Theologians used the analogy of a wax impression and the seal used to create it to describe the relation between an icon and its subject. Because they depict a holy and infinite presence, not the temporal physical world, icons avoid direct reference to earthly reality, to specific time or place. Instead, backgrounds are dematerialized with shimmering gold, settings are schematized, and figures often appear timeless and static.
Icons are devotional images—windows through which viewer and holy subject make contact. Church decoration was also meant to instruct the faithful, however. And in the West, this role came to foster styles that could, in effect, tell a story. Church frescoes and mosaics—and now panel painting—illustrated the lives of Christ, the Virgin, and saints. New religious orders, especially the Franciscans, who renounced their possessions to preach in villages and towns as Christ had done, stimulated interest in the human life of holy figures. Artists sought to capture the world of everyday experience with greater verisimilitude, relying less on an “ideal image in the soul” to work instead from what was seen by the eye.
Among the first and most important artists to move in this direction was Giotto. Recognized as a father of “modern” painting, he was the first Western artist since antiquity to capture the weight and mass of bodies moving in space, making them three-dimensional with light and shadow. He abandoned the decorative pattern and complicated line of Byzantine art; his forms are heavy and his shapes simple. And as if to match their convincing visual form, Giotto animated his figures with human psychology. Renaissance critics contrasted Giotto’s style, which they termed “Latin,” with the work of his Sienese contemporary Duccio, whose inspiration was Greek. Two panels from Duccio’s greatest work, the monumental Maestà altarpiece, are featured on this tour.
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Certain aspects of technique suggest that the artist who painted this panel was a Greek, trained as an icon painter. However, its blend of Byzantine and Western elements indicates that he was probably working in Italy or, at least, for a Western patron. The delicate gold striations defining the folds of cloth are a Byzantine convention, and the composition itself is closely modeled on one of the most enduring icon types, the Hodegetria—the Virgin who, by indicating the Child, “shows the way.” Yet Jesus gives the Western, not Eastern, sign of blessing, and the halos are not the plain burnished disks found in Byzantium but are decorated with the floral patterns popular in Italy. The three-dimensional view of the Virgin’s throne may also reflect Western influence. With her red shoes and the archangels’ imperial regalia, the elaborate throne underscores Mary’s role as queen of Heaven.
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Originally forming part of the back of an altarpiece, this panel when joined with a companion panel also in the Gallery’s collection would have shown James Minor and John the Evangelist standing under an arcade; round cuttings in the spandrels probably held glass ornaments. Other panels from this altarpiece, now in other museums, include a Madonna and the remaining apostles as well as Saint Francis. Inclusion of Saint Francis would have had particular significance for Franciscans, many of whom regarded their founder as the thirteenth apostle. In fact, the monks, who sat in the choir of the church behind the altar, were the only members of the congregation normally able to see these panels.
The artist apparently modeled the arcade and the Roman-style dress after an early Christian sarcophagus unearthed in 1262. This marble coffin was reused for the burial of the Blessed Egido, a companion of Saint Francis, in the crypt of the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia. Probably the two panels here were originally in the same church, placed on the altar directly above Egido's coffin.
Note how faces and folds of cloth are defined with white highlights applied over the background colors. Later works in the Gallery's collection—Giotto's Madonna and Child, for example—use a gradual and continuous blending of dark colors to re-create the realistic appearance of shadows.
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The poet Petrarch called Venice “a world apart.” Protected by a bewildering network of canals, the city naturally turned to the sea and, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, commanded an extensive empire in the eastern Mediterranean. When Venetian commercial interests diverted the Fourth Crusade from the Holy Land to loot the riches of Byzantium instead, many Greek artists were forced to find work in Italy.
That the city remained tied to its Byzantine traditions is evident in the work of Paolo Veneziano, the first Venetian artist we know by name. If he was aware of the more naturalistic styles of his contemporaries in other parts of Italy, he chose not to emulate them. This painting’s small size and arched shape suggest that it might have originally crowned a larger panel in a multipart altarpiece. Paolo’s style is essentially Byzantine, with ethereal figures and flat gold backgrounds. But his form—the altarpiece—is a Western one.
Paolo's Coronation of the Virgin also is part of the Gallery’s collection. The subject of the Coronation was not painted by Byzantine artists and seems to have originated near Paris in the twelfth century. This may be the first such scene painted in Venice. Its strong colors and brittle figures seem almost abstract, a sense increased by the gold striations of the drapery: even without Byzantine models to follow, Paolo’s painting has a strong Byzantine character.
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This was one of the rear panels of Duccio’s magnificent Maestà in Siena cathedral. With more than fifty individual scenes, the altarpiece was about fourteen feet wide and towered to gabled pinnacles some seventeen feet over the main altar. It was installed in June 1311 after a triumphant procession through the streets of Siena. Priests, city officials, and citizens were followed by women and children ringing bells for joy. Shops were closed all day and alms were given to the poor. Completed in less than three years, the Maestà was a huge undertaking for which Duccio received 3,000 gold florins—more than any artist had ever commanded. Nevertheless, Duccio, like all artists of his time, was regarded as a craftsman and was often called on to paint ceiling coffers, parade shields, and the like. Not until the middle and later fourteenth century did the status of artists rise.
Duccio signed the main section of the Maestà, or “Virgin in Majesty,” which is still in Siena. His signature, one of the earliest, reads: “Holy Mother of God, be the cause of peace for Siena and life for Duccio because he painted you thus.” This plea for eternal life—and perhaps fame—signals a new self-awareness among artists. Within a hundred years signatures become commonplace.
This rear panel of the Maestà is at least partly the work of Duccio’s students and assistants.
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The Nativity, flanked by Old Testament prophets who foretold the birth of Jesus, was on the front of the Maestà, the altarpiece at Siena cathedral. It was one of the scenes from Christ’s childhood painted above and below the central image of Mary enthroned in a crowd of saints and angels. Devotion to the Virgin, who was patron saint of Siena, increased with the new interest in Christ’s humanity and the surge of popular religion that grew around mendicant preachers. By including a large devotional image of the Virgin with a story-telling scene that had traditionally been painted on church walls, the Maestà combined the functions of both icon and narrative art.
A blend of Byzantine and other influences characterizes Duccio’s style. Many of his motifs seem to be based on Byzantine manuscript illuminations. The cave setting, for example, is typically Byzantine. Duccio, however, added a manger roof similar to ones found in the Gothic art of northern Europe. Though he used the gold background of Byzantine painting, he was nevertheless keenly attuned to a specific sense of place, carefully repeating outdoor settings to give continuity from one scene to the next. While the effect of gold and brilliant colors is highly decorative, the elegant lines that define drapery folds and Duccio’s undulating brushstrokes soften the austerity of the Byzantine style.
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While Duccio—with his reliance on Byzantine traditions, flat planes, and decorative line—can be said to sum up the past, Giotto was recognized even by his contemporaries as anticipating the future. Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch all praised his naturalism. Giotto’s panel, probably the central section of a five-part altarpiece, was painted late in his career. The colors are sober and restrained. Soft shadows model the Virgin and child. We sense the weight and volume of their bodies and feel the pull of gravity on them.
We also sense that they are actors in a quiet drama. We are witnesses to the human interaction between a mother and a child. The infant steadies himself by grasping his mother’s finger and reaches—like any baby—for the flower she holds. This emphasis on the humanity of the participants is a departure from the devotional Byzantine tradition, as in the Gallery’s Enthroned Madonna and Child, in which the infant Christ does not turn to his mother, but rather offers a blessing to the worshiper.
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This panel, the Gallery’s Baptism of Christ, and several in other museums were part of an altarpiece illustrating the life of John the Baptist. It may have been commissioned for use in a baptistery. The various panels can be linked because the halos were decorated with the same metal punches and the backgrounds carved in the same brocade pattern. Such clues can often help identify paintings from a single workshop and to reconstruct works that have been dismantled and dispersed over time.
Here we see a sequence of three separate events from the Baptist’s infancy. First, two women admire the new infant, while a child peers in from the doorway. Next, John’s father, Zacharias, writes “his name is John” on a scroll. While writing he regains the power of speech, which had been taken from him because he was skeptical of God’s announcement that his elderly wife would conceive. One witness looks right, leading our eye to the third scene, where the infant John struggles while being circumcised.
The panel’s strong narrative sense and broad, simple figures reflect Giotto’s influence. But its strongly contrasting colors and rich detail—the patterned background, the heavy curtains, and architectural decoration—express the younger artist’s own preferences.
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Nardo, who with brothers Andrea (called Orcagna) and Jacopo had Florence’s busiest workshop in the late 1300s, painted this small work similar to a church altarpiece for use in private devotion at home. It may have been specifically commissioned or bought from stock. The wings pivot to close like shutters; because they protected the surface, this painting is especially well preserved. Its splendor and clear colors, now rare, must have been typical.
Nardo’s Virgin, despite her soft expression, appears removed from human concerns. Bright, artificial colors separate her from the real world, and the stiff saints on either side underscore her hierarchical importance. Around the middle of the fourteenth century, Florentine artists like Nardo and his brothers abandoned the human concerns and naturalism of Giotto. For several decades the older, traditional styles again predominated. Art historians continue to debate why this occurred. Perhaps Giotto’s work was only appreciated, as Petrarch believed, by a small, educated elite.
Perhaps intensified religious sentiment following the plague of 1348—when up to half the population of Italian cities died within a few weeks—prompted this conservatism. Or perhaps the deaths of so many artists and patrons changed the nature of commissions and workshop practice.
9 of 9 | <urn:uuid:a1fb1aa2-b178-44c9-adb1-6f8d38773db8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/features/slideshows/byzantine-art-and-painting-in-italy-during-the-1200s-and-1300s.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00083-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968021 | 2,783 | 3.75 | 4 |
Disclosure: I received a free app download to facilitate my Reading App review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
Do you have young kids learning to read or have a classroom of young kids learning to read? Whether you’re a homeschooler, teacher or a parent looking to encourage reading, Rhyme to Read is a valuable app!
Rhyme to Read is a beginning reading program made up of 20 books. It can be used for beginning readers or readers that may need additional help. The only recommended prerequisite is a knowledge of letters and consonant letter sound connections. Our older two children (ages 6 and 8) are both delayed readers due to their special needs, so I was definitely looking forward to trying out the Rhyme to Read app.
The Rhyme to Read app was created by two educators. Lynn Klaiman is a learning specialist and Sara Hines has a PHd in Special Education. This alone intrigued me since we have three special needs kids. I felt like I was going to get an opportunity to introduce our kids to something special from those that understand special needs. I was definitely right!
Our whole family has been enjoying Rhyme to Read. My original intent was to work it into part of our homeschool day and have each child use it individually so they wouldn’t have distractions and could easily focus on what they are reading. What ended up happening, though, is our preschooler wanted to get involved, too, so it has now become part of our nighttime story time! We’ll all gather around, and our oldest son and daughter will each read one of the books (or a few!). Even our preschooler (age 4) has started recognizing some of the words!
What really stands out about Rhyme to Read is it truly is structured in a way to help kids build upon what they have learned. In addition to being progressive, each book highlights a short vowel sound (4 books per short vowel sound) and word families (like bat, cat, rat). Plus each word family is color coded so they recognize the word families. Our kids are very visual, so the color coding really stood out in their minds. They could clearly see how the word families relate and had a much easier time reading those words because of this feature. It also repeats and re emphasizes the word family to really help it “stick.”
Color coding the word families also helps them to recognize the differences – that words begin with different sounds. This really helps stress the phonemic sounds, which has been key to our children’s learning. Phonemic awareness is really what has helped our children start to overcome their barriers, and Rhyme to Read definitely provided them with it. They are happy and confident when reading the books on Rhyme to Read versus being frustrated, which is often the case.
In addition to phonological awareness, Rhyme to Read does also introduce sight words. Sight words are in black font to help them recognize them. I always get nervous when sight words pop up because that is one of the things our kids have struggled with most. The way it eases into them, though, and then offers a page at the back to review them really helped them to recognize the sight words, which is a huge step in their reading! There are thirty-five common sight words total that are previewed the first five times they appear.
All three kids really enjoy the characters and pretty much know them by name now. Since their names are often part of the word families this has once again helped them to recognize the word family. I truly love that they do enjoy it as well! Plus I love that it has really been a great way to wind down together enjoying reading for once. Even if we’ve had a stressful homeschool day, this is reading time we all enjoy together.
Rhyme to Read is available on the App Store in 2 versions. The 1st Version is free and includes Book #1. You can then opt to make in app purchases of the additional books at $.99 each. The 2nd Version includes all 20 books for just $9.99 – a great value! We have been using it on our 2nd generation iPad with the current iOS, though it can be used on Apple devices with iOS 6 and higher.
For More Information:
*Giveaway Coming Soon!*
Stay tuned! I’ll be sharing a giveaway of the full Rhyme to Read app soon! 3 will win! It will be open worldwide ages 18+. Check back soon to enter to win! | <urn:uuid:a9ef71e1-5f0a-4423-bd4f-62ed49704295> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://peaofsweetness.com/great-reading-app-young-children/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399428.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00117-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979358 | 948 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Weeks of rain in central and southern China have produced severe flooding along numerous rivers. More than 2.3 million people have been displaced, and government officials have faced the difficult decision of having to destroy existing dykes to allow rivers to spread out into farmland in order to prevent more severe flooding in urban areas.
These images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite show the severe flooding in eastern China on July 23 and August 1, 2003. The false-color images have been enhanced to bring out the presence of standing water, which appears dark blue or black. Floodwaters stand out along the streams and rivers feeding the Huai River at top (July 23). The gold color indicates vegetated land surfaces.
More than 560 people have died this year in flooding along the rivers of eastern China, though the flood season has only just begun. Lasting from June through September, flood-season storms bring more rain than the rivers and tributary systems in this part of China can handle, which often results in disaster for residents in the flood zones. The Chinese government estimates that over half a million homes have been destroyed, and another 1.3 million have been damaged. The Huai River and Hongze Lake region were especially hard hit this year.
Note: Often times, due to the size, browsers have a difficult time opening and displaying images. If you experiece an error when clicking on an image link, please try directly downloading the image (using a right click, save as method) to view it locally. | <urn:uuid:219b55cf-9e27-4d8c-b8ac-e146a2fe3c3b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=67596 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00028-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95104 | 333 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Named for John Hancock
John Hancock [1737 - 1793] was the first governor of Commonwealth of Massachussetts. He was a member of the Continental Congress from 1775-80 and 1785-86, serving as President of the Congress from 1775-77.
Hancock is most famous as the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hancock made his signature large, "So the King of England could read it without his spectacles" or so the legends say....
Established Seven Years after Illinois became a State
Formed on 13 Jan 1825 from unorganized territory attached to Pike County, Illinois.The first county courthouse was at Montebello, on the banks of the Mississippi River between Warsaw and Nauvoo. The town site is no longer occupied, but is marked by a plaque placed by the Hancock County Historical Society at the Hoot Owl Rest Area along the River.
In 1833, the General Assembly of the state of Illinois, commisioned the founding of the first permanent county seat at Carthage, in the center of the county. The first log courthouse was built in 1833 on the south side of the square. It was used from 1839-45 for other purposes.
The second courthouse in Carthage, was built in the center of the square 1839 by Moses Stephens, at a cost of $3,700. It was razed in 1906 to make way for the new courthouse.
The present county courthouse was dedicated on October 21, 1908. [More information and photos of the courthouse]
On October 2, 1925, during the Hancock County's centennial year, a plaque was placed on the north side of the Hancock County Courthouse:
The Founding of Hancock County, commemorated by the Six Thousand Children of the Elementary Schools. October 2, 1925 Erected and dedicated in honor of John Hancock.The plaque was unveiled by 10-year-old John Siepel, a native of Hancock Township, Hancock County, Illinois.
Part of the Military TractLand granted to veterans of the War of 1812. [More about the Military Tract]
The Mormons in Hancock County
About 1839, the Mormons came to the town of Commerce. The settlement was renamed Nauvoo (Beautiful Place). From 1839-1846, Nauvoo was Illinois' largest (population 20,000) and most politically powerful town. In June of 1844, the Mormon prophet and leader, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum Smith were killed by a mob while detained in the jail at Carthage. The Mormon exodus from Nauvoo began in early 1846 as they traveled across the Great Plains to their new headquarters in Utah. [More about Historic Nauvoo].
French Icarians - Utopia in Nauvoo
The Icarians came to Nauvoo in 1849. They established a utopian society. Emile Baxter, an Icarian, planted Baxter's Vineyards, now the oldest winery in Illinois.
History of Communities in Hancock County
Looking for more info?Copyright © 1996-2016 Infobahn Outfitters, Inc, All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:8dab0cf9-21a2-4d91-9219-52b2b6c450dc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://illinois.outfitters.com/illinois/hancock/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00113-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971284 | 645 | 3.265625 | 3 |
What is Opal
Opal contains every colour of the spectrum, from deepest and clearest blues and iridescent greens, through to golden orange, red and fuchsia; it can be pale and delicate, or dark and brilliant.
Due to its structure, opal may contain any combination of an infinite number of patterns and may reveal itself all at once - glorious from all directions – or it may be quiet and surprising, showing its greatest brilliance only during flashes of movement.
Indeed, precious opal is like no other gemstone because it changes colour as the observer turns the stone.
How is Opal formed?
The uniqueness of the opal extends further than just the physical stone that miners toil for and magnificent stones you see on display in opal shops and the stunning pieces created by specialist jewellery artisans. The creation of the opal is so unique that requires a special series of specific geological, climatic and biological elements to coincide to enable the formation of this elusive gem, and as such, it is only found in a few places around the world. Australia is fortunate to be one of those places and our central desert regions account for around 90% of the international opal supply.
These phenomena that contribute to the formation of opal extends back to the Cretaceous period (145-65 million years ago) and during that period the interior of Australia was made up of an inland sea and towards the end of this era, the water recede, refilled, and receded several times and continued to do so for may aeons, resulting in deposits of fine marine sands rich in silica being deposited on the ever-changing shoreline. About 30 million years ago, extensive weathering acting upon the stratified sediment and released large quantities of soluble silica.
Voids and cracks in the ground enabled the silica-rich solution to flow down and these are where the opal forms. Additionally, as organic matter of plants and animals was laid down into the sediment during the Cretaceous period and that in turn decomposed, the solution also filled these spaces to form the much prized fossilised opal. This process is very slow and is estimated by experts to take as long as 5 million years to form a 1cm thick opal vein.
The resultant gemstone is a non-crystalline silica, similar to quartz, but is not a mineral. Its internal structure enables unique diffraction of light to produce white, grey, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black.
Due to the unique nature of its formation, there are no steadfast rules of reasons how and where it is formed and as such, Opal mining is not an exact science. Many people, especially miners, equate opal mining as playing the lottery, but with a lot of digging.
Types of Opal?
Opal is known for its colour and is distinguished from other gems due to its ‘play of light’ or ‘fire’. This refers to the opal’s ability to show a vast array or all the colours the rainbow and are visible in the grains of the stone. When viewed, if the stone is tilted or rotated, the colours may change of disappear due to the change in direction of the light hitting the grain/s. This is what makes the opal so unique and strikingly beautiful.
Opals, those untreated other than than cutting and polishing are referred to as natural, while treated/modified Opals are refered to as 'man-made'.
Natural Opals are made up of:
- Natural – Light, Dark and Black
- Natural – Boulder
- Natural – Matrix
Man-Made Opals include:
- Man-Made - Treated Matrix
- Man-Made - Composites
- Man-Made - Synthetic
Opal classification is determined by ‘base/body tone’ and ‘transparency. Body tone refers to the stones tone which can range from colourless, white, and grey to black, while transparency refers to whether it is opaque, translucent or transparent. The clearer the transparency, the sharper the colour and these are often referred to as Crystal Opal.
Natural - Light Opals
Light Opals are those that exhibit colourless to medium grey in terms of base/body tone with many people classifying them as white (this should only be used if the specimen is in fact 'milky'). The Light Opal, which makes up the bulk of the precious opal are sourced primarily from Coober Pedy and Mintabie in the north of South Australia and to a less extent in White Cliffs (Outback NSW) where they were first discovered.
Natural - Black/Dark Opals
The most valued of all opals is the Black Opal, of which Lightning Ridge is ’home’ and their inherent value comes from their rarity. Black Opal is distinguished from other opals by their dark background (Body Tone) and this characteristic enables the brightness of colour of which they are known. The ‘darkness’ is the result of the opal is formed on a darker (black) quartz-like layer that enables greater refraction/reflection of the light to the top of the opal, especially the reds and pinks. It is the 'reds' that are more valuable.
To expand the 'play of color' of Black Opal even further, some specimens have a light crystal colour bar on dark opal potch (colourless opal) which gives the otherwise light opal a dark appearance. Even expensive black/dark opals may have only a very thin colour bar on black potch (Colourless Opal).
Black Opal is found as what is referred to as 'Nobbies', which are fossil replacements of corals or sponges. As the opal is formed, silica replaces the organic material and carbonaceous material or impurities like titanium impregnates the mineral structure giving the Black Opal its body colour.
Compared to Light and Boulder opals, Black Opals fetch a higher price for a given colour, clarity and pattern, due to their scarcity.
Natural - Boulder Opals
Formed in areas of Ironstone, Boulder Opals are created when the host rock (Ironstone) forms with/as part of the opal when the gem is formed in cracks/voids within the host rock. The resulting opal is often a thin vein laid on (natural) the Ironstone.
Boulder Opal, with colours ranging from black or light, is sourced from areas in Western Queensland, which are cut to incorporate the brown host Ironstone and are valuable due to their high demand. Around Andamooka in South Australia, where the host-rock is quartz which is lighter in colour, the Boulder Opal is also referred to as a ‘Painted Ladies’.
Natural - Matrix Opals
Matrix Opals are silicified sandstone or ironstone which has opal forming within infillings of pores or holes or between grains of the host rock.
Queensland Boulder Matrix Opal is distinguished by its ironstone host rock, while Andamooka Matrix Opal is a porous material from Andamooka, South Australia, which is often treated to enhance the colour by depositing black carbon via chemical treatment in the pore spaces in the stone. The Andamooka Matrix Opal is classified more as a made-made opal.
Man Made - Composites:
Composites a slice of Light Opal and adhered to a back of black potch, plastic or boulder. While they are popular as souvenirs, they are not investment quality stones and lack the durability of the natural variety with the veneer of the opal and back vulnerable to splitting due to moisture and heat.
Composites can be triplets or doublets, with the former being a veneer of opal on a black backing, while the triplet is a doublet with protective layer glued to the top. Doublets, with generally more opal used in their construction, are generally more expensive than the triplet.
Getting your Own Opal
Time in Lightning Ridge will inevitably turn to buying opal and the Ridge has plenty of opal shops and opal jewerly artisans. Check out our Buying Opal section for more information
If the partner is wanting but the wallet is unwilling, you can always fossick for your own opal at the visitor centre where a regularly replenished supply of material is provided and many who try their luck have been pleasantly surprised. In fact, last year a couple found a piece of Black Opal valued at over $20,000. So it can certainly be worth it. ** A note of caution though, this is the only place in town that you can do this and fossicking in someone else's claim, or 'ratting' as it is known, is not something that is taken too kindly and should be avoided. | <urn:uuid:5d4e5e63-a404-4fa9-8888-ece44629298c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://lightningridgeinfo.com.au/about-black-opals.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00018-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949985 | 1,868 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Scientists closer to Ebola drug
Paris - US scientists said on Sunday they had cleared a key hurdle in the quest for a drug to treat Ebola, a notorious African virus and feared future weapon of bioterrorism.
A treatment administered to rhesus monkeys within an hour of being infected by the deadliest strain of Ebola was 60% effective, and a companion drug was 100% effective in shielding cynomolgus monkeys against Ebola's cousin, the Marburg virus.
After studying the findings, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light for trials on a small group of human volunteers, they said.
Ebola and Marburg are part of a family of so-called filoviruses, which cause haemorrhagic fever - a disease with mortality rates of up to 90% where, in some cases, the patient bleeds to death.
The drugs are in a class of compound called PMO, for phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers. They are designed to hamper the virus' replication in cells, thus buying time for the immune system to mount a response and crush the invader.
The research, appearing online in the journal Nature Medicine, was conducted by the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in collaboration with a Washington-based biotech firm, AVI BioPharma.
The Pentagon pumped funding into research for a vaccine and treatment for Ebola-type viruses in the wake of the September 9 2001 terror attacks on the United States.
Filoviruses are on the list of pathogens such as anthrax that are considered tempting sources for biological warfare or terrorism.
An important step in combating Ebola was announced in May this year, again using tests on lab monkeys but involving a somewhat different technique to disrupt viral replication.
A team at the US National Emerging Diseases Laboratory Institute at Boston University Medical School designed drugs with small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, which hamstring reproductive enzymes.
Despite this progress, a long road lies ahead before any treatment is licensed for humans, experts say.
Testing a prototype drug is a three-phase process that starts with a tiny group of volunteers, where it is initially assessed for safety, and then broadens out to successively bigger groups, where effectiveness becomes a parallel question.
According to the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO), about 1 850 cases of Ebola, with some 1 200 deaths, have occurred since 1976.
The virus has a natural reservoir in several species of African fruit bat.
Gorillas and other non-human primates are also susceptible to the disease. | <urn:uuid:ef252e8d-281e-4541-85fa-9c4dbe7d3e4c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Scientists-closer-to-Ebola-drug-20100822 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00096-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947562 | 530 | 2.734375 | 3 |
March 9, 2013
Passing Asteroid Will Be Broadcast Live By SLOOH Today
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Onlinestatement earlier this week that it will be broadcasting the asteroid 2013 ET on Saturday (Mar 9) as the it passes by Earth at about 2.5 times the Moon's distance from us.
2013 ET was first discovered on March 3, 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey, and astronomers believe it is between 210- and 460-feet wide. Slooh said at its maximum brightness, the asteroid will have a magnitude of 17, which is not bright enough to view through a backyard telescope. So, for anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the NEO, Slooh could be a great option.
"We only have a short viewing window of an hour or so from our Canary Islands observatory on March 9th, but we wanted to give the general public a front row seat to witness this new asteroid in real time as it passes by Earth," said Slooh president Patrick Paolucci.
2013 ET will be rushing through space at a velocity of 26,552 MPH, which is 15 times faster than a bullet barreling out of a rifle. According to Slooh, if the asteroid were to strike Earth, it could create enough damage to destroy a small city.
"The recent flurry of asteroidal close calls and near misses, including the double whammy of DA14 and the Siberian meteor on February 15th, is starting to make our region of space seem like a video game or pinball contest," said Astronomer Bob Berman, columnist and contributing editor of Astronomy magazine. "This latest interloper arrives just as serious debates are unfolding as to the obvious need for more and better monitoring of potentially hazardous asteroids crossing our orbit -- and even whether we should develop a ℠deflection´ system."
The asteroid will not be the only big celestial event taking place in our skies this weekend. Comet PANSTARRS will be making its appearance in the Northern Hemisphere finally this weekend, just above the horizon. Scientists believe this comet will shine as brightly as the stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper or Orion's belt. This comet will no longer be seen in the evening sky by the end of March, but it will be visible just before sunrise.
Perhaps the main event for backyard astronomers this year will be comet ISON. This November comet has the potential to become as bright as the moon, and possibly may even be seen during the daytime hours.
Below is Slooh's live broadcast of tonight's asteroid as it passes by. The show will begin at 3:45 eastern time. | <urn:uuid:7ed71db8-1f20-44e2-9229-fc348f9f510f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112799950/slooh-broadcast-asteroid-pass-030913/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00162-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959669 | 548 | 3.203125 | 3 |
It was in a middle school classroom that I recently saw the writing on the wall … literally. Energetic history teacher Brandi Thomas, at Yucca Middle School, carried a wireless digital tablet (about the size of a clipboard) around her classroom, and as she wrote on it, the writing appeared on the large screen at the front of the classroom for all her students to see. Then, she’d hand the same tablet to one of her students to respond, and their writing would also be shared on the same screen. Thomas often ties in the SMART board, an interactive whiteboard upon which students write with their fingers, and “virtual” ink appears in a variety of colors. When asked, Ms. Thomas maintains that technology engages her students so well and she believes it “brings history to life.”
Down the hall is Kristina Roehrig, math teacher at Yucca, who teaches daily with her SMART board. Her students love the variety of interactive tools of the SMART board and remained fully engaged throughout the lesson I saw. Mrs. Roehrig can also digitally record a lesson or activity through her interactive whiteboard and play it later. I saw an example of this when I dropped by her classroom on another day and saw a substitute teacher was present, but there was that magic writing on the wall. Though Mrs. Roehrig was absent, it was her voice explaining and drawing a demonstration of a math concept through a digitally recorded lesson on the SMART board screen. Mrs. Roehrig strongly believes “kids relate to technology, so the more I am speaking their language, the better they’ll listen.”
Dana Horne, Cameo Elementary’s speech therapist, also integrates a variety of technologies to serve the needs of her students. She’s used built-in video-recording software on her laptop with innovative activities and found that, as students hear and see themselves, they are more apt to self-correct, and it’s the students themselves who insist on repeating exercises to perfect their work.
Recently dropping by her classroom again, I found the ever-enthusiastic Mrs. Horne using the amazing iPad from Apple, with phonics and literacy applications on the interactive touch-screen. She finds technology is a constant motivator and highly enhances her activities with students. When one of her students had a birthday, Mrs. Horne even used the iPad to celebrate. With the iPad screen filled with a crystal-clear image of a birthday cupcake with a “virtual” candle burning, she let the child “blow out” the virtual candle (through a tiny microphone detecting the breath). All clapped in delight as only the curling wisp of smoke remained on the screen candle.
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century won’t be those who can’t read and write, but those who can’t learn, unlearn and relearn.” I do believe he, too, saw the writing on the wall. | <urn:uuid:7861fa58-7591-404d-9ae6-98cc21b6355e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://cnjonline.com/2010/09/29/education-column-technology-aids-in-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397797.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968224 | 638 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In
rhetoric, it is ... "The Rhetoric of Excess in Baroque Literature and Thought" (PDF)
There are many examples of hyperbole in literature including humor from Mark
Twain and supreme emphasis from Paul Bunyan.
Definition and a list of examples of hyperbole. Hyperbole is the use of obvious
and deliberate exaggeration.
Hyperbole, or exaggeration used to make a point, is a common and colorful
technique in literature. Learn more through a comprehensive definition...
Hyperbole in Literature (Middle Grades). Hyperbole is exaggeration. We use
hyperbole in our everyday language all the time. Example: My mom is going to
Hyperbole. Hyperbole is the literary term used for exaggeration. When authors
use hyperbole, they do not mean for their statements to be taken literally-they are
For examples of hyperbole in literature, see our analysis of Frank O'Hara's "The
Day Lady Died", Claudio's language in Much Ado About Nothing, or our analysis
These 10 passages demonstrate some of the ways in which hyperbole can be
used to dramatize ideas and convey strong emotions.
These hyperbole examples are high quality with very few cliches, a great
resource ... L.7.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and
A figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect
. Hyperbole is common in love poetry, in which it is used to convey the lover's ... | <urn:uuid:4c663198-aaf1-4c5f-8ebf-6813aad46b5a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=6&o=102140&oo=102140&l=dir&gc=1&q=Hyperbole+in+Literature | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398869.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00167-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.830173 | 336 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Ending a long-standing dispute about the height of world's tallest mountain, Nepal and China have agreed to recognise the snow and rock height of Mount Everest, official sources said on Thursday, a report in Telegraph UK stated.
The great mountain lies on the border between the two countries and they have disagreed for nearly 150 years over its exact height, which Nepal had put at 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) -- nearly 13 feet more than the measurement used by China.
However, officials revealed in talks in Kathmandu this week that the two measurements referred to different things -- one to the height of Everest's rock and the other to the height of its snow cap.
"Both are correct heights. No measurement is absolute. This is a problem of scientific research," said Raja Ram Chhatkuli, director general of Nepal's survey department, the report also stated.
Scores of mountaineers from across the globe have climbed Mount Everest since the first ascent in 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, but its exact height has been a source of dispute ever since the first measurement was made in 1856.
The broadly accepted height of 8,848 metres was first determined by an Indian survey in 1955, and measured the mountain's snow cap, rather than the rock beneath it.
To complicate matters, geologists believe Everest is growing as India is gradually pushed beneath China and Nepal by the shifting of the continental plates, the report added.
Image: Wind blows snow off the summit at sunrise of Mount Everest | Photograph: David Gray / Reuters | <urn:uuid:cbbc5921-da03-4cef-a428-fa69d23e91b4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/apr/09/china-nepal-resolve-mt-everest-height-row.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00069-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966316 | 325 | 3.046875 | 3 |
In 1956 the West African coast between southern Mauretania and western Cameroon was lined with no less than ten European colonial territories, along with a single independent African state. All of these colonial units have joined Liberia in formal political independence. Their political experiences since 1956 and indeed the forms of their present political regimes themselves have varied very widely over this period, from the defiant and paranoid austerity of Guinea to the gleeful surge of Nigeria's oil-generated capitalist expansion. In political taste the present governments cover almost the full spectrum of Third World regimes. Yet the societies themselves have many geographical and historical features in common, certainly far more in common than in the case of most units studied by analysts of comparative politics. This book was first published in 1978.
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Rent West African States 1st edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by David Robinson. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Need help ASAP? We have you covered with 24/7 instant online tutoring. Connect with one of our tutors now. | <urn:uuid:759dee8f-3572-4d52-9030-11a92da27512> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.chegg.com/textbooks/west-african-states-1st-edition-9780521292832-0521292832?ii=24&trackid=55e0f4d5&omre_ir=1&omre_sp= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00157-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967044 | 221 | 2.796875 | 3 |
by Anne Edgerton
ChildFund Disaster Management Team Leader
Guatemala is experiencing the beginning of a nutritional emergency caused by drought in the country’s eastern region, known as the coredor seco — the dry corridor.
The lack of rainfall caused some Guatemalans to lose their entire harvest for 2009. The loss will have a year-long impact on these agricultural communities, as each family normally stores its harvest until the next rainy season. They depend on their crops to provide food for all family members.
This crisis is predicted to increase in gravity this month. In the coming months, affected families will not only lack their own food stores, the poorest community members will be unable to purchase food, as prices spike during a drought.
In Guatemala, the agricultural sector accounts for one-fourth of national GDP. The drought has already generated a high local unemployment rate, eliminating subsistence agriculture as a form of employment.
Given all of these deteriorating conditions, malnutrition is already present in children under age five in some communities. In response, ChildFund Guatemala is redirecting funds in affected communities to address this crisis. We will be providing nutritional supplementary food to the most vulnerable children in ChildFund communities. In addition, we will be working with parents on the use of kitchen gardens and orchards and providing education on nutritional health. By introducing alternative resources and skills, we aim to help children and families better cope with this crisis.
In the eastern areas where ChildFund works, there are no other international partners. ChildFund will use current community-based monitoring systems and will increase coordination with Guatemala’s Ministry of Health as a means of strengthening community management of malnutrition.
To donate to the ChildAlert emergency fund, click here. | <urn:uuid:b80d0c5d-e741-49ae-8db6-39cc690ed206> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.childfund.org/2010/01/childfund-responds-to-guatemala-drought/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00002-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937346 | 353 | 3.109375 | 3 |
You know that list of vanishing species you keep hearing about? The one full of species that have been on the earth for millions of years, but that have recently become as scarce as liberal op-ed columnists? Well, you can now add wild oysters to the list, simple bivalves that go back nearly 250 million years, to the Triassic period. (Something that looked, and probably tasted, much like oysters probably goes back a lot farther.)
According to a study published in the February issue of BioScience, 85% percent of the world's native oyster reefs have been destroyed. Three-quarters of the wild oysters left in the world, the study says, now live in North America and they aren't all doing that great, either. Many of the native reefs that still exist are "functionally extinct," meaning they no longer play a significant role in the ecosystem, which is a big deal since these rugged little buggers used to do such things as create habitats for other species, keep the water clean and shore up coastlines. One of the last major areas to harbor native oyster reefs is the Gulf of Mexico, and at least half of the ones there were destroyed by the BP oil spill or the subsequent attempts to clean it up.
Oysters aren't delicate creatures. In fact, you have to go out of your way to make life difficult for these animals, which happen to be the most efficient water filters in the world. For centuries, they kept the English Channel from choking itself on sewage and industrial sludge; a few beds can clean the entire New York City harbor in a matter of months, according to Mark Kurlansky's admirable book, The Big Oyster. In it, he notes that the creatures just a hundred years ago were so common and copious that you could buy a big jar of them, shelled, for a quarter. The indigenous peoples of Manhattan ate so many oysters that the leftover shells formed mountains that could be used as landmarks. More recently, their shells have been turned into calcium supplements and construction materials. But alas, out of pure shortsightedness, these incredibly beneficial animals have been driven to functional extinction. How did this happen?
It happened the same way bluefin overfishing happened and the same way wild salmon is about to happen. Small-scale fishermen don't worry about the big picture because, for the most part, they are barely making a living. The managers of big commercial fleets don't worry because their competitors don't and because, in a market where they make less every year, the idea of trading short-term profits for an actual future has no tangible payoff. As with global warming, there are any number of paid stooges and lobbyists willing to dispute the science and muddy the waters, further exacerbating the situation. Nor are progressives free from blame: with their reflexive abhorrence of farmed seafood and their equally thoughtless embrace of wild seafood, they are only hastening the end of the latter and the necessity of the former.
Oysters are an excellent case in point. Right now, nearly all the ones we eat are farmed. Oysters, like cattle, today exist essentially for the sole purpose of being eaten by people. So all you foodies can rest easy you'll still be able to go to fancy restaurants and pay $3.50 to slurp down a mindless sea stomach. But that continuing convenience doesn't minimize the tawdry demise of a wild animal that has thrived on this planet for a quarter of a billion years.
It's not too late to restore native oyster reefs. But to succeed on a mass scale, we'd need a powerful and incorruptible superstate that has the ability to police the world's best interests, to incentivize conservation efforts and, in the meantime, promote safe aquaculture. But my dreams of living in such a benevolent technocracy vanished when I found out I wasn't Norwegian. No, in most places it's still every man for himself, and the animal world be damned. That attitude will likely persist until we all starve to death, and periodic expressions of sorrow and anger won't do much to change it. And that's a fact that doesn't go down easy.
Ozersky is a James Beard Awardwinning food writer and the author of The Hamburger: A History. His food video site, Ozersky.TV, is updated daily. He is currently at work on a biography of Colonel Sanders. Taste of America, Ozersky's food column for TIME.com, usually appears every Wednesday. | <urn:uuid:93b53804-f31b-43b7-94eb-8e6d17f0cb37> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2047245,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00166-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964246 | 935 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Gateway to the Sandias: Building with Site and Climate
Straquadine, Amber Marie
MetadataShow full item record
Cities in the American Southwest such as Albuquerque, New Mexico consume large amounts of resources to build buildings and to operate them under extreme desert conditions. Architecture is the opportunity to investigate thresholds between urban and nature additionally inside and outside for solutions to natural resource depletion. In-between spaces often divided between inside and outside with a simplistic and arbitrary line. By viewing architecture as an ecotone, a transition space between two different ecosystems, designers can begin to stratify the threshold allowing for layered adaptability in different weather conditions. The Sandia Mountain Aerial Tram, at the eastern edge of Albuquerque offers opportunity for investigating a desert mountain ecotone to find solutions to the conflict between urban and nature as well as the built and wild. The building program examines the threshold between botany and land art approaches to the disruption of desert ecotone and natural resource depletion. The disciplines of botany and land art span the sciences and arts and offer innovative ways of looking at our natural environment. | <urn:uuid:482ccc22-7f4f-442b-a8d9-f0a72c1ad03f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/12599 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00058-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929442 | 222 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Click Image to Enlarge
In addition to manufacturing large turbine engine components, McSwain also processes a wide variety of small workpieces for the aerospace and information technology industries. The shop has four Mazak Palletech flexible manufacturing cells to help process workpieces on this side of the business.
Andy Thiemann, manufacturing engineer for McSwain Manufacturing Corporation, provides scale to one of the numerous turbine engine disks manufactured at the company.
This is one of 14 VTLs McSwain uses to turn the chrome-moly forgings that are the raw material for the turbine disks. This Olympia vertical has a worktable 60 inches in diameter. The shop has capacity to turn disks up to 92 inches.
Turning is one of humankind's oldest material-working processes. Evidence of lathe working is found in Egyptian tombs and other ancient archeological sites.
Interestingly, in the past few years the process of turning in metalworking has seen some of the most dramatic innovation applied to it. Live tooling, C-axis, Y-axis, tool changers, inverted vertical spindles and more can be found on numerous machines currently available.
In some cases, the industry has been hard-pressed to define some of these new machine tools. Are they turning machines that can mill, drill and tap, or machining centers that can turn? Identity conscientious notwithstanding, many shops are successfully applying these advanced technology machines to their workpieces.
There are also many applications where what seems to be old-fashioned technology is the best means to make parts. The traditionally designed VTL (vertical turret lathe) is an example of this class of technology. While its basic form has been around awhile, the VTL hasn't stopped evolving. New versions of these machine tools incorporate many of the productive technological innovations found in horizontal turning centers.
We visited McSwain Manufacturing Corporation (Cincinnati, Ohio) to find out more about current VTL technology. This company of 135 employees has 14 VTLs ranging in size from 48 inches to 92 inches in diameter. We talked to Andy Thiemann, manufacturing engineer, about what his company looks for in vertical turning for its shop's applications.
Most of the workpieces McSwain puts across its stable of VTLs are disks of various sizes that will eventually hold turbine blades in gas turbine engines. "We supply several hundred different major components for one of the largest suppliers of gas turbine engines," says Mr. Thiemann.
Among the uses for gas turbine engines, a major one is as back up for electric power generation. As peak demand for electricity reaches ever-higher levels, U.S. power plants are looking to auxiliary power sources to handle the additional demand.
Like most turbines, functionally a gas turbine is a relatively simple machine. Fuel is burned in a combustion chamber, and the expanding gas passes through a series of blades turning them like air across a fan. Rotational speeds and temperatures are very high in these engines.
McSwain manufactures the shafts and disks used in the turbine engines. The material is chrome-moly steel. The blanks are pre-machined forgings.
An order enters the shop and is processed through as a kit. All of the relevant parts for a given gas turbine are processed through the shop at once. Scheduling demands coordination among the various machining departments to get all of the work through the shop at the same time.
What do you call the modern VTL? The historic difference between vertical boring mills (VBM) and vertical turret lathes has become blurred. Traditionally a VBM had one or two ram-type heads that delivered a tool to the workpiece. An indexable tool turret head distinguished traditional VTLs from VBMs.
Aside from turret head or ram head, both machine designs use a rotating table to support the workpiece and use a bridge-type construction that carries the X axis. A ram traverses the X-axis guides and delivers the cutter.
Numerous modern machine designs combine turrets with rams, and some have a boring ram mounted alongside a turret head. The traditional distinction between the two types has become meaningless.
What To Look For
An important advantage of the VTL machine is the ease in which large heavy workpieces can be set and held in place for machining. An advantage to any shop using VTL is that gravity is an important factor in holding these parts. Generally only a minimum of hard clamping is required. McSwain has workpiece blanks weighing as much as 22,000 lbs.
"We can hold the work in place using relatively light clamping," says Mr. Thiemann. "This is preferred for our applications where clamping too hard could induce warpage in the turbine disks. We do not use plain-face top-jaw tables on our machines because of the runout requirements of our workpieces. Instead we were able to get independent four jaw tables on the Olympia machines."
Like many shops looking for large turning capacity, McSwain has in the past gone to the used machine market. Rebuilt and remanufactured VTLs can be a good value.
More recently, though, the company has begun purchasing new machines. Most of these have been from Olympia Engineering, Ltd. (Toronto, Canada).
According to Mr. Thiemann, "prices for new VTLs have become competitive with some used and rebuilt machines. Some of this has been caused by the economic problems in Asia. Also the collapse of the Soviet Union has made castings and other base materials available to builders at highly reduced rates. Both of these factors have contributed to lower prices for this class of machine tool."
Buying components inexpensively is not sufficient to make a good machine, however. Design considerations that McSwain looks for are, of course, in line with the company's requirements for turning turbine disks and other major components for gas turbine engines.
"The ram is generally the weakest link in the VTL design," says Mr. Thiemann. "Rigidity of the ram is a critical consideration for our shop because of the amount of metal we remove from the forging blank. Heavy cuts, especially in tough material, will quickly expose structural weaknesses in the machine tool."
Obviously the ratio of ram deflection to its extension is a key indicator of the cutting ability of a machine. In operation, lowering the cross rail so the ram is extended only as far as necessary to reach the workpiece can minimize the extension of the ram.
Cutting forces of 11,000 lbs can be generated on the Olympia VTLs. McSwain is able to hold the tolerance of these large workpieces to ±0.0005 inch on the diameter with no material conditioning.
Runout requirements for the disks are 0.0005 inch from primary to secondary operations. The overall finish requirement for the various families of workpieces is 32 RMS.
For McSwain's disk turning application, Mr. Thiemann likes the half-rail design of the Olympia. "Rigidity is also enhanced by use of a half-travel rail system," he says. "Instead of building the ways across the full width of the cross rail, so that X-axis zero is in the middle of the cross rail, on the half-travel system the ram carrier extends only about 100 mm past the table centerline. This concentrates the mass of the structure and allows use of shorter ballscrews."
The downside of a half travel rail system is that it requires use of both left- and right-hand tooling. "That's not a problem for us," says Mr. Thiemann, "because our machines have 12 station tool changers. Due to the long cycle times, the ratio of cutting time to tool change time is inconsequential."
One of the more challenging aspects of the metalworking is the variety of technology available. For many applications in metalworking, a CNC-equipped VTL with tool changer is viable technology.
McSwain, of course, uses that technology successfully. The company is also in the forefront of technology on another important side of its business, small workpiece manufacturing.
Among the technologies applied on this side of the business are four Mazak Palletech cells that process aluminum castings for the aerospace and information technology industries. "These are high speed machining cells," says Mr. Thiemann, "designed for high mix, medium volume production of high precision parts."
At this shop, up-to-date classic turning technology meets what many consider state-of-the-art manufacturing all under one roof. As with so much of the technology available to shops, the art of metalworking is matching the right technological science to the job you have to do. McSwain represents a good example of this idea in practice.blog comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:0eec69b5-0912-4c69-9403-8844f8c2413e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/a-shop39s-view-of-vertical-turning | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944164 | 1,822 | 2.828125 | 3 |
The use of anti-fever drugs such as aspirin
and acetaminophen may prolong influenza A and possibly other viral
infections, according to researchers at the University of Maryland
schools of medicine and pharmacy.
In a series of vaccine studies conducted between
1978 and 1987 at the University's Center for Vaccine Development:
- 54 volunteers were injected with Influenza
- 45 with S. sonnei
- 21 with R. rickettsii
During these studies, some of the subjects were
given aspirin or acetaminophen
(paracetamol) for relief of symptoms such as fever.
The current study compared the duration of illness
in those who received the medication with those who did not and
found that flu sufferers who took one of the anti-fever medications
were sick an average of 3.5 days longer
than people who did not take either of the drugs.
On average, flu symptoms lasted 5.3 days in
participants who did not take aspirin or acetaminophen, compared
with 8.8 days in people who took the anti-fever drugs.
"The analysis suggests that anti-fever
therapy prolonged illness in subjects infected with Influenza A,
but not shigellosis or Rocky Mountain spotted fever," says
Philip A. Mackowiak, MD, one of the study's principal investigators
and chief of the Medical Care Clinical Center, V.A. Maryland Health
Care System and professor at the School of Medicine.
"Our research suggests that fever may have
different roles in the resolution of bacterial and viral infections,"
says Karen I. Plaisance, PharmD, associate professor at the School
of Pharmacy, the study's other lead investigator.
In comments to Reuters Health, Dr. Plaisance
noted that similar findings have been reported in studies of chickenpox.
She also noted that the findings are based on
studies conducted in the past, but that they hope to conduct studies
in the future in which people with flu symptoms are randomly assigned
to receive anti-fever medication or an inactive placebo.
"The good news is that
anti-fever drugs make people feel better when they have infections.
The bad news is that they may cause the illness to linger longer,"
says Dr. Mackowiak, adding that people "should be aware that
anti-fever drugs have a modest
cost associated with relief and that cost is that they
may be sick longer."
December 2000; 20: 1417-1422 | <urn:uuid:b21af9d9-9183-4cd8-9c38-41b7700bfe72> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/17/fever-flu.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392069.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949746 | 533 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Focus: Atomic Holograms
For most of this century physicists have looked for ways to peer inside solids and learn the positions of atoms. While techniques such as x-ray and neutron diffraction have been successful for many decades, they have their limits: They work best on large, high-quality crystals, which are hard to grow for many materials and impossible for others. And diffraction methods record only the intensity of scattered radiation, not the phase, which adds an additional layer of complexity to many experiments. The 14 June PRL describes progress in x-ray holography, a technique developed over the past few years that might overcome these limitations. Using x-ray holography, researchers hope to probe samples such as proteins and imperfect crystals which are difficult or impossible to study by more traditional methods.
Since shorter wavelengths of radiation can resolve correspondingly smaller objects, researchers recently developed a way to exploit x-rays to make holograms at the atomic scale. Atoms in a solid are excited by an x-ray beam to emit x rays; some of these x rays reach a detector directly, while others first scatter off nearby atoms. The hologram is the interference pattern between those two beams, and it shows the positions of the atoms in three dimensions.
The early x-ray holograms suffered from several technical problems, especially the difficulty of separating the weak x-ray scattering signal from the background. To get good data, the earlier holograms made with laboratory x-ray sources took as long as 40 days to record. Another problem was that the resolution of the hologram in some directions was poor because of the inability to measure x-rays coming out of the sample in all directions.
Now Miklos Tegze, of the Research Institute for Solid State Physics in Hungary, and his colleagues have overcome some of these problems. They improved the signal quality by using a synchrotron x-ray source, which provides a stronger beam, and by building a special graphite x-ray analyzer. The analyzer could tolerate the high intensity x rays from the synchrotron, and it had very high energy resolution, so compared with previous instruments, it could more easily discriminate “signal” x rays at a specific energy from the barrage of “background” x rays at other energies. This allowed the team to get a hologram of a cobalt oxide crystal in hours instead of days. To get equally good resolution in all directions, the researchers figured out the symmetry of the crystal from their measurements and used that knowledge to fill in the blanks in the angles that could not be measured. They determined the atomic positions of cobalt atoms to within 0.1 Å.
“The group has really produced by far the best images achieved to date,” says Charles Fadley of the University of California at Davis and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Abraham Szoke, a pioneer of x-ray holography at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, agrees: “They did a beautiful job; the experiments are exquisite.” But they also point out that the technique has a long way to go before it can help unravel the structures of interesting materials, like proteins. “I don’t think this is the end of the road,” says Szoke, but to get x-ray holography to work well is now “more of a technical problem than a physics problem,” says Fadley.
Meher Antia is a freelance science writer. | <urn:uuid:71e9bf7f-b0b8-4200-a29e-0b7d0bd40387> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://physics.aps.org/story/v3/st34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956404 | 718 | 3.765625 | 4 |
ShoreLINES: Heritage Notes from Parks Canada's Special Protected Places in PEI - Fall 2012
National Acadian Feast Day
Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst National Historic Site played a very important role in Acadian history of Prince Edward Island, making it a perfect location to celebrate National Acadian Feast Day. On August 12, 2012, Parks Canada, with much appreciated collaboration from the Comité de la Réunion Michel Haché Gallant, the Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, and the provincial Library Services, hosted the third annual National Acadian Feast Day.
The day began with a Mi’kmaq purification ceremony offered by Elder Judy Clark of the Abgeweit First Nation. This was followed by the raising of the Acadian flag and the singing of the Acadian National Anthem, l’Ave Maris Stella. Aline Bouffard-Cohen, Executive Director of the Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin offered remarks on behalf of the President, Gabriel Arsenault. This closed the ceremonial part of the day and participants were later able to participate in conferences, interpretive activities and a musical extravaganza.
Audiences in both French and English enjoyed conferences led by Melvin Gallant, retired professor from the Université de Moncton, on the life of Michel Haché Gallant who was the first Acadian to settle at Port-la-Joye with the arrival of the French settlers. Mr. Gallant has recently published a book on this subject as well. During the afternoon, Parks Canada staff offered a music-led interpretive activity called “Let the Fiddle Take you Back”. This time travel experience ended in a present-day finale showcasing today’s Acadian community’s “joie de vivre” with semi-professional step-dancers stepping to the Sainte-Anne’s Reel. Later in the afternoon, the Ross Family took to the outdoor stage and pleased the audience with a lively combination of virtuosic keyboard playing, guitar playing, violin playing, singing and step-dancing.
The day culminated with une Tintamarre (a noisy parade!) Une Tintamarre is the Acadian custom of marching through a given area (usually a festival site) making noise with noisemakers, pots and pans and musical instruments or improvised instruments, usually in celebration of National Acadian Feast Day. The term originates from the Acadian French word meaning "clangour" or "din". The purpose of the custom is to demonstrate the vitality and solidarity of the Acadian community, and to act as a testament to the presence of Acadians in our society. Its present-day application seems to have originated in the mid-twentieth century (probably 1955) and was most likely inspired by an ancient folk custom practiced by many cultures. The early practice in France was known as the Charivari.
Those who missed out on the festivities this year will not want to miss out on it again next year!
Another way to enjoy the site is to explore the newly established 5km trail network and view the interpretive panels to discover its long and fascinating history. Port-la-Joye – Fort Amherst National Historic Site is of national historic significance because it served as the seat of government and port of entry for settlers to Prince Edward Island from 1720 to 1770 and because of its role as a colonial outpost in the Franco-British struggle for dominance in North America. This site and the surrrounding lands and shores have been part of traditional Mi’kma’ki since time immemorial. With the arrival of 300 French settlers in 1720, the first permanent European settlement was established at this harbour location. The four cultures that converged at the site– Mi’kmaq, French, Acadian and British-- and the friendships, conflicts and alliances forged in the 18th century set the stage for what would become Prince Edward Island.
Port-la-Joye – Fort Amherst National Historic Site is just one of many historic sites and national parks that Parks Canada preserves and presents to the people of Canada as part of a national network of natural and historic treasures. | <urn:uuid:ffc02c54-d77b-40cc-952a-31dbd86088a1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/plan/bulletin-newsletter-2/bulletin-newsletter-fete.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00012-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936659 | 886 | 2.8125 | 3 |
The deployment heuristic creates a distribution plan for one product at one location of the supply chain model. Once production is complete, the system first checks what product quantities are actually available at the source locations (locations where there is stock). The sum of these product quantities is known as the available-to-deploy (ATD) quantity. The system then determines how the ATD quantity is to be distributed to destination locations (locations where there is demand). The system considers the various distribution rules if the available product quantities exceed or fall below the demand (fair share and push rules). You can set these rules in the SNP deployment profile or on the SNP 2 tab page of the location product master. Deployment takes into account a number of deployment horizons that you also define in the location product master.
Fair Share Rules
If demand exceeds supply, the system can use fair share rules to calculate deployment using the available-to-deploy (ATD) quantity. Various methods use fair share rules to assign a limited amount of available product to sources of demand. The following rules are available:
· Fair Share Rule A: Proportional Distribution Based on Demands
The objective of fair share rule A is to distribute the stock proportionally to all demand locations according to planned distribution demand.
· Fair Share Rule B: Proportional Distribution Based on Target Stock
The objective of fair share rule B is to raise the stock levels at all demand locations to approximately the same percentage of target stock level. The percentage at each destination location is defined as the deployment-relevant stock (=stock on hand – SNP stock transfers) divided by the target stock level. If the deployment-relevant stock, is negative the system first attempts to raise the stock level at all destination locations up to zero. The system then attempts to raise the stock level at all destination locations to the same target stock level percentage.
· Fair Share Rule C: Percentage Distribution Based on Quota Arrangements
The objective of fair share rule C is to distribute the stock according to quota arrangements at the demand locations. To apply rule C, you have to define outbound quota arrangements for source location products in the Supply Chain Engineer.
· Fair Share Rule D: Distribution Based on Distribution Priority
The objective of fair share rule D is to distribute stock according to priorities that you defined for the outbound transportation lanes of the source location (distribution priority). At the onset of a fair share situation, the system attempts to fulfill all of the current date’s demands until the ATD quantity is exhausted. For example, you have three outbound transportation lanes to your destination locations (A, B, and C), each with corresponding priorities (1, 2, and 3). Your ATD quantity is 150 pieces and the required quantity in each location is 100 pieces. If you choose fair share rule D, destination location A receives a quantity of 100 pieces over the transportation lane with priority 1. Destination location B receives a quantity of 50 pieces over the transportation lane with priority 2, and destination location C receives nothing over the transportation lane with priority 3.
SNP only uses push rules to calculate deployment if the ATD quantity covers the demand. The following rules are available:
· Pull Distribution
Deployment fulfills all of the demand within the pull deployment horizon (for definition, see below). Products are distributed according to the due date specified at the demand locations. The system does not distribute any supply to the demand source in advance of the demand date.
· Pull/Push Distribution
The system immediately distributes all supply to the demand locations (ignoring the demand dates specified at the demand locations) to fulfill all demands within the pull deployment horizon.
· Push Distribution by Demand
The system immediately distributes the entire supply for the entire planning horizon to the demand locations to fulfill all demands. The pull deployment horizon is ignored.
· Push Distribution by Quota Arrangement
The system immediately distributes the supply according to the quota arrangements defined for the demand location. The demand situation at destination locations is ignored.
· Push Distribution Taking the Safety Stock Horizon into Account
The system confirms planned issues that are to be covered by safety stock at the source location if the difference between the demand and deploy date is smaller than the safety stock horizon (see below). This means, the system will only fall below the safety stock level that you defined on the Lot Size tab page of the location product master if the demand to be fulfilled is in the safety stock horizon. Note that the safety stock horizon moves forward (rolls) with planning.
The following example illustrates the three push rules: Pull distribution, pull/push distribution, and push distribution by demands.
Pull distribution - A quantity of 200 is distributed to the distribution centers on every day within the pull horizon where there is existing demand (four days into the future).
Pull/Push - A quantity of 200 pieces is distributed on the first day, when supply amounts to 200 pieces. On the second day, a quantity of 600 pieces is distributed. Although supply is 1000 pieces, the demand within the pull horizon is for only 600 pieces, so only 600 pieces are distributed.
Push distribution by demands - 200 pieces are distributed on the first day when supply amounts to 200 pieces; on the second day, when the supply is 1000, 1000 pieces are distributed. Since the demand in the system is 1400, all the supply can be distributed. A demand of 200 at the end of the planning horizon is left unfulfilled due to insufficient supply within the push horizon. If the demand in the system had been 800, only 800 would be distributed on the second day.
If you set the Push not allowed indicator on the SNP tab page of the location master (only possible in active version), the available supply is distributed according to the daily demand at the demand locations only.
The deployment heuristic takes into account the following four different deployment horizons (that you define on the SNP2 tab page of the location product master):
· Pull deployment horizon: This horizon refers to the period of time over which deployment takes into account the planned distribution demand. The horizon starts from today’s date.
During the deployment run, the system attempts to fulfill all distribution demands within this horizon. Distribution begins on the first day for which distribution demands exist in the system and ends on the last day of the pull deployment horizon.
The pull deployment horizon is also used during push distribution. In this instance, it specifies whether the demand is to be fulfilled immediately (pull/push distribution) or according to the due date (pull distribution). It puts a limitation on the date by which SNP stock transfers are to be considered as relevant for deployment. Within this horizon, deployment only fulfills planned demand that has been confirmed.
· Push deployment horizon: This horizon refers to the period of time over which deployment takes into account the receipts defined in the ATD receipt category group of the location master. The horizon starts from today’s date.
If push distribution has been specified (if the distribution demand is smaller than the supply and stock on hand), this horizon determines whether stock on hand is to be distributed before the distribution demand due date according to the push rule specified. Only stock on hand within the push deployment horizon is taken into account for push deployment (deployment before the actual demand date).
· Safety stock horizon: This horizon is only used during push rule Push distribution taking the safety stock horizon into account (for an explanation, see below).
· SNP checking horizon: Deployment uses this horizon to calculate the quantity available for distributing to demand locations. It puts a limitation on the quantity that is available within the push deployment horizon. Within the SNP checking horizon, deployment calculates the ATD quantity for a period by adding up the ATD receipts from the current and preceding periods, and subtracting all the ATD issues within the SNP checking horizon.
Source Determination in Supply Network Planning (for information regarding determination of destination locations, transportation lanes, and means of transport) | <urn:uuid:0a77cbab-99d9-49c8-a6e7-a52665c803aa> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://help.sap.com/saphelp_ewm70/helpdata/en/58/6a7b372d696966e10000009b38f889/content.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397111.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906015 | 1,626 | 2.5625 | 3 |
This little book tries to describe what an intelligent person would see and hear in ancient Athens, if by some legerdemain he were translated to the fourth century B.C. and conducted about the city under competent guidance. Rare happenings have been omitted and sometimes, to avoid long explanations, PROBABLE matters have been stated as if they were ascertained facts; but these instances are few, and it is hoped no reader will be led into serious error.
Attica was perhaps the most favored portion of all, Around her coasts, rocky often and broken by pebbly beaches and little craggy peninsulas, surged the deep blue ∆gean, the most glorious expanse of ocean in the world. Far away spread the azure water[*],--often foam-crested and sometimes alive with the dolphins leaping at their play,--reaching towards a shimmering sky line where rose "the isles of Greece," masses of green foliage, or else of tawny rock, scattered afar, to adapt the words of Homer, "like shields laid on the face of the glancing deep."
[*]The peculiar blueness of the water near Attica is probably caused by the clear rocky bottom of the sea, as well as by the intensity of the sunlight.
Above the sea spread the noble arch of the heavens,--the atmosphere often dazzlingly bright, and carrying its glamour and sparkle almost into the hearts of men. The Athenians were proud of the air about their land. Their poets gladly sung its praises, as, for example, Euripides[*], when he tells how his fellow countrymen enjoy being--
Ever through air clear shining brightly As on wings uplifted, pacing lightly.
5. The Mountains of Attica.--The third great element, besides the sea and the atmosphere of Athens, was the mountains. One after another the bold hills reared themselves, cutting short all the plainlands and making the farmsteads often a ma | <urn:uuid:e4af6181-2e61-4dc5-adaa-b33a3231fbb3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://manybooks.net/titles/daviswiletext038adio10.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00115-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965223 | 408 | 2.515625 | 3 |
- Historic Sites
Winston Churchill And “the Natural Captain Of The West”
Fifty years after FDR first took office, a British statesman and historian evaluates the President’s role in the twentieth century’s most important partnership
October/november 1982 | Volume 33, Issue 6
Franklin Roosevelt was, and remains, a hero to the British. During his rise to power we were detached from and ignorant of American internal politics to an extent that is not easily imaginable today. The Atlantic in the twenties and thirties was still very wide. The majority, including those politically involved and informed, never crossed it. Very few did so frequently. Anthony Eden, a young, vigorous, and peripatetic foreign secretary in the second half of the thirties, spent over two and one-fourth years in that office without ever once thinking of including Washington in his diplomatic tours. Winston Churchill, after a nasty accident with a taxi on Fifth Avenue in 1931, did not return again for ten years.
The bitter internal controversies of Roosevelt’s first term and a half therefore passed largely over British heads. There was little awareness of the enmity that he aroused amongst his moneyed opponents or of the fluctuations of policy and uncertainties of delegation that flowed from his prismatic character. He appeared as the strong, charismatic, and accepted leader of a united people, almost above the politics at which he was in fact such a determined and skillful player. The result of the 1936 election would have been more accurately guessed in Britain, though mostly for the wrong reasons, than by many in America.
And the election mostly gave pleasure and reassurance. At a time when war shadows were again beginning to lengthen over Europe, it seemed right that the first President since Wilson to have his name be a household word should be confirmed in office. The fact that his first term had been almost entirely lacking in any international initiatives was largely passed over. He was there, he had a great name, and he seemed to be handling the post-Depression economy with more success than his British contemporaries.
The most powerful of these, Neville Chamberlain, chancellor of the exchequer for six years until he became prime minister in 1937, did not share this view. He did not know Roosevelt personally—again an indication of the vast difference between the Western world of fifty years ago and that of today, when every European leader expects to be in Washington within three months of a new President taking office—but what he knew about him he was against. With a certain consistency he looked upon Roosevelt with the same distrust that the restless, innovating, erratic genius of Lloyd George had long aroused in his mind.
Yet Chamberlain was an exception. For the moderate left, Roosevelt was a beacon of successful liberalism at a time when any comparable feature was sadly lacking in Europe. For the antiappeasement right, he represented a reserve of strength, perhaps a little problematical but already of immense potential importance in the mounting world power struggle. With each six months that went by, with each advance of Hitler and with each faltering of the governments of Britain and France, the need for America, symbolized by Roosevelt, became greater. And as the need became greater, so there increased the determination to believe, sometimes against the evidence, that he would eventually save the democracies.
When, in 1941, Churchill quoted the lines of Clough familiar to many as a Victorian hymn, he was merely expressing in a peculiarly evocative form a thought that had been strongly present in many minds for several years past:
Such was the resolve to believe that the many hesitations on the other side of the Atlantic and Roosevelt’s slow progress toward involvement were, if not exactly unnoticed, received with a remarkable lack of impatience. It was the favorable statements that were remembered and the unfavorable ones that were quickly forgotten. Thus, in the campaign for the 1940 election, Roosevelt’s Charlottes ville speech as France moved toward collapse was seen as a ray of substantial light in an otherwise dreadful world, while in Boston four months later, his dampening and doubtfully wise or honest assurance to the “mothers of America” that “your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars” was passed over as an aberration on the path to his overwhelmingly desirable third victory. Poor Willkie’s resolutely pro-Allied campaign carried no resonance across the Atlantic. There was faith in America because the alternative was too awful to contemplate, and that faith was concentrated on Roosevelt. | <urn:uuid:f2402829-5518-4c23-965d-be6c7471afeb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.americanheritage.com/content/winston-churchill-and-%E2%80%9C-natural-captain-west%E2%80%9D | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00069-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982144 | 931 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Chief town of Somerset county. This town is situated on both sides of the Kennebec river, 28 miles N. from Augusta. Incorporated, 1788. Population, 1837, 1,955. Its surface is diversified with hills of a moderate elevation, the soil various, but generally good and well cultivated. Wheat crop, 1837, 10,299 bushels. This town was formerly the site of the celebrated tribe of Norridgewock Indians. Their village was situated at the foot of Norridgewock falls in the N.W. part of the town, and the border of Madison. The tribe had a church, the bell of which was dug up a few years since, and placed in the cabinet at Bowdoin college. The tribe was destroyed by a party of 168 men, sent out from Massachusetts for that purpose, commanded by Capt. Moulton, on the afternoon of August 23, 1724. Among the killed was the noted Jesuit missionary, Ralle. A monument was erected the 23d of August, 1833, by Bishop Fenwick, to his memory.
Norridgewock village is situated on the north side of the river, directly in the bend, five miles west of Skowhegan falls. It is one of the most pleasant and delightful villages, especially in the summer, in the state. The main street is lined with ornamental trees, some of them venerable for age and magnitude, extending their long arms quite across the street, forming a beautiful avenue from east to west. On the south side of the river, connected by a bridge, is a pleasant and rapidly increasing village.
The public buildings consist of a church and court house, on the north side of the river, and on the south, a female academy, and a free church at "Oak Hill," abbout 5 miles from the village.
This section of the country is remarkable for its luxuriant growth of the white pine. A few years since one of these trees was cut for a canoe. Its length was 154 feet and measured 4 1/2 feet in diameter. | <urn:uuid:51719532-a2a1-4804-bece-0e7200e9a6f5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://newenglandtowns.org/maine/norridgewock | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979319 | 430 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/10/2011 (1707 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Thanks to a crew of citizen "research assistants" from around the world, tracking individual polar bears around Churchill is literally a snap.
"We can't handle and mark polar bears in the tourist region because the marks would interfere with their photography," Jane Waterman said as she transferred photos of four polar bears from one computer screen on her desk to another.
"But, in order to study the behaviour of bears, we need to identify individuals."
The solution was the University of Manitoba's Whiskerprint Project, a database of polar bear photos -- most of which have been taken by tourists around the rocky shores of Hudson Bay near Churchill, 1,465 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
"The library uses photographs of the polar bear's facial profile (left or right side) to distinguish among individuals based on whisker-spot patterns and scars," Waterman said.
The photos of the bears she was transferring -- Lagoon, Ottawa, Ox and Pumpkin -- are now part of the University of Manitoba Polar Bear Photo-identification Library.
It's a visual database of polar bear encounters, said Waterman, a behavioural ecologist and an associate professor in the biological sciences department at the U of M.
Anyone can take part by submitting photographs, as long as they're of a bear's side profile -- a bear mug shot -- and they record the approximate date of the photos.
"With digital photography and our identification software, we can now follow individuals through time and space. And, since almost everyone who goes to Churchill carries a camera, we now have the possibility of hundreds of citizen research assistants.
"If they take photographs and upload them then we, as researchers, can get a lot of information about how long that bear stayed in the area, estimate the population of bears in an area and find out if these are the bears that end up in the polar bear detention centre. It's another example of how basic research leads to applied solutions," Waterman said.
Image-recognition software, which a former student of Waterman's developed, can quickly identify individual polar bears.
Although Waterman travels to Churchill in the autumn to photograph bears, she doesn't really need to make the journey because her project is, as she puts it, oriented toward "citizen-science." Dozens of photo-snapping tourists are pleased to be part of contributing to understanding and protecting this at-risk species.
France Rivet, a nature photographer from Gatineau, Que., had the chance to contribute to Waterman's study last October during a five-day Lords of the Arctic learning vacation at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. Waterman guest-lectures at the centre during their fall polar bear viewing vacations.
"We worked with Jane to classify the photos we wished to share with her," said Rivet, who operates the website Polar Horizons/Polaires, www.polarhorizons.com
"We went through the photos and tried to group them by bear. Each unique bear was assigned a name linked to an alphabetic list. We used alcoholic beverages -- Ale, Bourbon, Cider, Gin, Ice Wine.
"The task was not always obvious, and several criteria needed to be taken into consideration. More than once, Jane's questions and comments made us realize how important it is that we not jump to conclusions too quickly."
"I found it fascinating to hear Jane talk about her experiences in the field, and to find out what happens behind the scenes and describe the different bear behaviours.
"It made me feel proud that I could help even if it was in a very small way."
Waterman's research has focused on factors that influence the evolution of the bears' sociality and mating systems.
In 1994, when she was a post-doctoral fellow with the late eco-physiologist Malcolm Ramsay at the University of Saskatchewan, Waterman went up to Churchill to study male polar bear groupings.
"Such all-male groups are quite rare among mammals and thus provide an excellent opportunity to gain important insight into forces leading to sociality," Waterman said.
"Human-polar bear interactions are another focus of my research, in order to provide data for sound management and conservation of this species."
To contribute to the polar bear library, go to http://www.polarbearlibrary.org/ | <urn:uuid:5768f86d-246f-4346-9900-8b541ae16a7d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/polar-express-132841893.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00190-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954168 | 917 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Written by Rob Haworth, Assistant Superintendent
Did sports participation build the character of the professional football player who funded a dog fighting ring? Did sports participation build the character of the high school athletes who sexually assaulted their younger teammates in a hazing activity? Beyond these actions are the constant news stories of cheating and unsportsmanlike behavior by athletes, coaches and parents.
For years, we have justified athletic programs in our academic institutions by stating that athletic participation builds character.
Ask any high school administrator or college president the role that athletics plays on their campus and you will probably hear something about character in their answer. Communities have spent millions of dollars on public recreation facilities to provide adequate athletic facilities all because of a belief that sports build character.
Approximately a half century ago, researchers began to investigate whether the age old saying “sports build character” was correct. Their findings suggest that it all depends upon what type of character you are talking about.
If you are talking about moral character or what is just, right and fair then “no.” If however you are talking about social character or the willingness to sacrifice for others then “yes.” The problem is moral character without social interaction does very little good and social character without a moral compass can be dangerous.
Despite the difficulty in defining character, the definition that lends itself to what schools and communities want from their sports programs combines the moral and social definitions of character. This athletic based definition of character includes a list of qualities that have been historically linked to the word character.
The outcome for athletic based character would then be an individual who is loyal, cooperative, selfless, courageous, honest, responsible, fair and respectful.
Even with this understanding of character, rolling out the balls and lining the field can only take an athlete half way there. Despite how we feel regarding the demonstration of poor behavior we should always remember that character is a learned behavior. Athletes develop their skills in an environment led by adults.
Sports do NOT build character in young people- character driven adults do! So for character to be learned it must be taught. Character-driven athletics must be intentional. Inherent to character-driven athletics is the belief that character is handed down from one generation to the next.
Until those providing athletic opportunities are willing to commit to character-driven athletics and put the athlete first, the current cycle of character development will continue. | <urn:uuid:0252da4f-6d3e-48de-bb38-71e8cb51b172> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.valpolife.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10488&catid=153&Itemid=161 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00063-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960025 | 488 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Maps of the internet have been around in one form or another since the late 1990s, but most of these tend to be static, two-dimensional affairs. PEER 1 Hosting of Vancouver, British Columbia, is adding bit of depth to internet charting with its Map of the Internet app for iOS and Android devices that provides an interactive 3D representation of the online world. It’s purpose is to act as an educational tool showing the evolution of the internet from 1994 to the present, with projections going forward to 2020.
The internet is a bit like the London Underground – you know its there, but visualizing it is next to impossible. Sure its possible to make a map of what it actually looks like if you could open up the tunnels, but it wouldn’t be much more than a confusing pile of tangled lines. In the case of the internet, these lines would be a constantly shifting set of tangles.
What’s needed is something more functional. The Underground uses the classic approach of abandoning physical relationships for the connections between the lines and stations. An internet map takes a similar approach based on nodes and connections to build up a stylized representation of the net that explains its layout without displaying to the actual wires and satellite links.
The Map of the Internet app had its starting point in a 2011 infographic poster of the internet also created by PEER 1. Based on data from the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), the idea was to produce a more refined 3D, interactive version of the 2011 map showing 22,961 autonomous system nodes joined by 50,519 connections making up ISPs, universities, companies, internet exchange points, network information centers and organization networks weighted according to their size and connections.
The general appearance and the feel of the app is a pleasing mix of white and colored dots and balls that stand out nicely on the black background even on a small scale. The touchscreen interactions are fun, though not very practical if you’re like me and have big fingers and a small phone. The zoom is tricky to control and takes a bit of practice.
The operation of the app is fairly straightforward. There are two views, Globe and Network and a third Timeline function for both views.
In Globe view, you get a slowly rotating view of the Earth with the locations of the internet nodes represented as lighted circles. The color of the circles show the type of node, while the size shows its relative “size” based on connections. It’s a classic example of why a geographic map isn’t always the most effective because it often isn't clear what information we're seeing. One unfortunate point is that the lights are the only indication of a land mass and the globe itself is invisible save for graph lines, so its often difficult to figure out where you’re looking.
In Network view, the internet comes off looking like an electric jellyfish. The size and how far up the lighted balls representing the nodes are, the larger and better connected. The elevation is obvious, though it isn’t clear from looking what a ball’s position left or right or further or closer to the axis is supposed to convey.
The Timeline function is available in both views and is based on an algorithm that combines current data and predictions. It's the most entertaining of the features as you see what the internet looked like when the dotcom bubble burst or Youtube started. The app also uses an algorithm based on industry projections to show what the internet may look like in 2020 as the globe gets brighter or the jellyfish bigger.
However, the Timeline is also fiddly to navigate on a small screen. Adult fingers prove much too inaccurate so trying to select a specific year is likely to take a few attempts. Furthermore, the captions for each year blink out much too fast to read properly.
Other features for the Map of the Internet include a Search function. Fortunately, it's already preloaded with a list of suggested searches, which eliminates the frustrating "Cool, but I have no idea what to search for" conundrum. Tap on Google or Comcast and the ball representing it becomes the center of a spray of lines showing its major connections to other nodes.
The problem with the data returned by Search is the same as that shared by the Globe and Network view – it's difficult to decipher what the information presented means. What do the lines really signify? What do the connection numbers refer to? It looks cool, but it’s not as helpful as it could be. However, there’s also a Help function that has simple, graphic explanations of how to use the app.
According to Peer 1, the app can also map a trace route between the user’s location and a particular node, though this feature seems to not be active in the current Android version. | <urn:uuid:429e3c17-bcb0-4740-a948-f75d8ad93daf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gizmag.com/internet-map-app-peer1/26704/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00008-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951416 | 988 | 2.671875 | 3 |
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One of the more reliable methods of determining regional [#permalink]
21 Apr 2005, 10:40
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One of the more reliable methods of determining regional climatic conditions in prehistoric periods is to examine plant pollen trapped in glacial ice during ancient times. By comparing such pollen samples with spores taken from modern vegetation, scientists can figure out approximately what the weather was like at the time of pollen deposition. Furthermore, by submitting the prehistoric samples to radiocarbon dating techniques, we can also determine when certain climatic conditions were prevalent in that portion of the globe.
Which one of the following may be inferred from the information in the passage?
(A) The earth has undergone several glacial periods.
(B) Radiocarbon dating can be corroborated by glacial evidence.
(C) Similarities between prehistoric and contemporary climates do not exist.
(D) Pollen deposition is a fairly continuous process.
(E) Certain floras are reliably associated with particular climatic conditions.
(E) would be top choice if it were worded as there is at least (this serves as an assumption) one type of flora that can be associated with certain climatic conditions.
I like (D).
If there are abrupt changes in the pollen deposition then carbon dating wont give the time period correctly. So the assumption has to be that "pollen deposition is a continuous process"
anand, Since the scientists are using a sample that is already found in the glaciers to determine climatic conditions, I do not follow why there has to be a continuous pollen deposition.
Am I missing something?
anand, Since the scientists are using a sample that is already found in the glaciers to determine climatic conditions, I do not follow why there has to be a continuous pollen deposition. Am I missing something?
My logic is the following.
Assume climatic period lasts for 100 years. Also assume that the pollen taken for carbon dating is 1000 thousand year old. If the polen deposition were not a continuos process and instead was abrupt then it is possible that all the pollen found for sampling might be at the end of that climatic period.
it is possible that the climatic condition existed 1100 thousand years back.
If the deposition happens anytime within the 100 years then the date could range from 900 thousand years to 1100 thousand years. | <urn:uuid:81f9f83e-2dfe-4e15-9044-696de98e0925> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://gmatclub.com/forum/one-of-the-more-reliable-methods-of-determining-regional-15760.html?fl=similar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402479.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00153-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946916 | 551 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Starting and maintaining an attractive and long lasting flower garden in a zone 5 climate can be challenging. States like Missouri, Pennsylvania and Iowa have varying temperatures that require special care when choosing and planting flowers.
A low-growing ground cover, sweet woodruff thrives best in shaded areas as a summer plant in zone 5 regions. It produces tiny, fragrant white blossoms that resemble larger versions of baby's breath blossoms. Plant sweet woodruff in partial shade during mid-spring to produce flowers by June in colder regions. As a ground cover, the plant is most attractive when planted near walkways and ponds.
The foam flower is unusual, beautiful and easily grown in cooler climates such as zone 5 regions. It is identified by its star-shaped clusters of white flowers. It has a shallow root system, so it should be planted as a companion plant to ground covers for added protection from elements. If planted in early spring, the perennial plant will bloom every season from April through June in zone 5 areas.
The English roseum is a very hardy flower that is tolerant to both hot temperatures and frost. Its versatility to climate makes it a wonderful addition to any zone 5 flower garden, and its beautiful multi-colored blooms add a splash of cheer to your landscape. Plant it in either planters or raised flower beds to assure that the soil is well drained for the health of the plant. | <urn:uuid:01226b49-2ded-43a3-95e8-aaa24e08d941> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gardenguides.com/85692-flowers-zone-5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00107-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949433 | 283 | 2.65625 | 3 |
British canal and river networks are in good shape, even in urban areas, according to an environmental study.
Kingfishers indicate the health of the waterway ecosystem
People taking part in the National Waterway Wildlife Survey made 4,000 sightings of various species.
They included more than 300 kingfishers - birds which are seen as a good indicator of healthy water systems.
British Waterways said there were good numbers of kingfishers in places such as central London, Manchester, Aylesbury, Coventry and Preston.
Kingfishers were the fourth most spotted bird species behind mallards, swans and herons.
Also seen were water voles, otters and bats, and even some seals and a massive North American alligator snapping turtle.
British Waterways national ecology manager Mark Robinson said: "As well as being a strikingly beautiful bird, kingfishers are an important indicator of the general health of the waterway ecosystem as, like the big cats on the African plains, they are at the top of the waterway food chain.
"And good populations of kingfishers - even in urban areas - show the important role waterways have in greening our towns and cities by providing wildlife corridors which help sustain populations of a variety of both common and endangered species including bats, water voles and otters."
British Waterways is planning a number of improvements to kingfisher habitats at locations including Regent's Canal in London and the Grand Union Canal at Leighton Buzzard.
The organisation manages more than 2,200 miles of canals and rivers in England, Scotland and Wales. | <urn:uuid:69a03187-f8bc-408e-85a8-b5a8f432243e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7102876.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00087-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945694 | 327 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Translation of vigil in Spanish:
- 1 (watch) to keep (a) vigil over somethingvelar sobre algowe must keep a constant vigildebemos mantenernos siempre alertasExample sentences
- A mourner, fallen asleep in a late-night vigil, awakes the next morning to find that not only are his trousers missing, but the corpse has been stolen as well.
- But when I came and kept vigil in his armchair while he lay on his left ribs, his back rolled around him like an exoskeleton, all night I stared at his books neat in their shelves.
- In the old days families kept vigil and ate little ‘Soul’ cakes.
- N.O.W. was planning to hold a candlelight vigil outside the jail where Yates is being held.
- The local authorities' campaign headquarters plans to hold protest vigils outside the treasury every few days, each time representing two different municipalities.
- On March 27, about 200 teachers and students from the Wellington and Hutt Valley regions staged a protest vigil outside parliament.
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed. | <urn:uuid:a8936a09-7ce5-4d16-96b4-380ba59e8ca3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/translate/english-spanish/vigil | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948278 | 257 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Antiviral agents act to destroy viruses in the body. They should be distinguished from viricides, which are not medication but deactivate or destroy virus particles.
Antiviral drugs are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic drugs, and for the most part, they are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections.
Viral infections can be a huge challenge for medical doctors. And the use of antiviral herbs holds some distinct advantages over the use of drugs.
Countless numbers of antiviral drugs have been developed, each made to work only for specific types of viruses but, there are some problems with the use of drugs. For example, viruses can adapt and become immune to drugs. As this occurs, stronger drugs and higher doses must be used and that can be detrimental to the human body. We have all heard reports deadly, drug resistant virus strains. Of course another problem with using antiviral drugs is, virtually every pharmaceutical drug has numerous side effects.
Fortunately, nature has already bestowed on us a wide variety of antiviral remedies in the form of herbs, and viruses do not develop resistance to them. Antiviral herbs are full spectrum. Because natural herbs work with the body, rather than against it, you can be sure that nature's pharmacopoeia will be effective regardless of what kind of viral infection you may have.
Natural viricides include garlic, oregano, ginseng, onions, echinacea, goldenseal, chamomile, shiitake, schizandra and St. John's wort.
Antivirals also can be found in essential oils of various herbs, such as basil oil, orange oil, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, and sandalwood oil and their constituents. It is important to note that the aforementioned viricides, regardless of their effectiveness, are not considered legitimate antiviral therapy by mainstream allopathic physicians.
Herbs with antiviral qualities include | <urn:uuid:bb3bb543-8710-4255-94e6-98dd4ef403f7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.myspiceblends.com/glossary/herbal_properties_glossary/Antiviral.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00055-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939958 | 421 | 3 | 3 |
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2007 December 6
Explanation: Very good telescopic views of Mars can be expected in the coming weeks as the Red Planet nears opposition on December 24th. Of course, opposition means opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky - an arrangement that occurs every 26 months for Mars. Because of Mars' more elliptical orbit, the actual date of closest approach to Earth will be December 18, when Mars will be within about 88 million kilometers of our fair planet. Situated in the constellation Gemini and rising after evening twilight, the bright, ruddy disk of Mars will reach nearly 16 arcseconds in diameter (about 1/100th the diameter of the Full Moon). In this already exceptional image taken on November 18, north is down and surface markings around the sprawling, dark, albedo feature Syrtis Major are remarkably clear. The image was recorded with a video camera and filters on a 1 meter telescope at Pic Du Midi, a mountain top observatory in the French Pyrenees. NASA launched the Phoenix lander to Mars in August, scheduled to arrive in May 2008.
Authors & editors:
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U. | <urn:uuid:a2d5f5e4-df27-4a8d-96f5-c3e332edc122> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071206.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393146.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00188-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.895541 | 292 | 3.40625 | 3 |
In Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, 1998), Kerry Healey and Christine Smith reported on their study of batterer intervention programs. The study was designed to help criminal justice personnel better understand the issues surrounding batterer intervention to enable them to make appropriate referrals to programs and to communicate effectively with program providers. Healey and Smith looked at both "mainstream" programs and innovative approaches across the country. Although many programs are structurally similar, there is considerable diversity in terms of the theoretical approaches used to treat perpetrators of intimate partner violence.
The Feminist Model
The feminist model attributes domestic violence to social values that legitimize male control. In this view, violence is a way to maintain male dominance of the family. Feminist programs attempt to raise consciousness about sex-role conditioning and how it influences men's emotions and behavior. These programs use education and skill building to resocialize batterers and help them learn to build relationships based on trust instead of fear. Most feminist approaches also support confronting men about their misuse of power and control tactics.
Detractors of this approach claim that the feminist perspective overemphasizes sociocultural factors to the exclusion of individual factors, such as growing up abused or witnessing family violence. Some observers argue that the feminist approach is too confrontational and alienates the batterer, thereby increasing his hostility.
The Family Systems Model
The family systems model is based on the theory that violent behavior stems from dysfunctional family interactions. It focuses on cultivating communication and conflict resolution skills within the family. According to this model, both partners may contribute to the escalation of conflict, with each attempting to dominate the other. Either partner may resort to violence, although the male's violence will likely have greater consequences. From this perspective, interactions produce violence; therefore, no one is considered to be a perpetrator or victim.
Critics of the family systems model contest the idea that the majority of partner abuse involves shared responsibility. They believe batterers bear full responsibility for the violence. Many also fear that counseling of the couple may place the victim at risk if the woman expresses complaints during a counseling session. This model is not widely used; in fact, couples counseling is expressly prohibited in twenty state standards.
The psychological perspective views abuse as a symptom of underlying emotional problems. This approach emphasizes therapy and counseling to uncover and resolve a batterer's unconscious problems. Proponents of this approach believe that other interventions are superficial and only suppress violence temporarily. Critics argue that attaching psychiatric labels to batterers provides them with an excuse for their behavior.
Cognitive-behavioral group therapy is the most common psychological approach used in batterer intervention programs. This therapy is intended to help individuals function better by changing how they think and act, focusing on skills training and anger management. According to the theory underlying this approach, behaviors are learned as a result of positive and negative reinforcements, and interventions should focus on building skills and changing thought patterns. Feminists criticize this approach, however, saying it fails to explain why intimate partner batterers are not violent in other relationships and why some men continue to abuse women even when their behavior is not rewarded.
Some investigators use the psychological model to study battering behavior. In "Neuropsychological Correlates of Domestic Violence" (Violence and Victims, vol. 14, no. 4, Winter 1999), researchers Ronald A. Cohen et al. studied the neurological functioning of thirty-nine male abusers and sixty-three nonviolent subjects to determine whether there was any relationship between neurological functioning and domestic abuse. They divided the groups into men who suffered from head injuries and men who had not, and measured both groups for general intelligence and neurological functioning. The subjects were tested to assess their marital satisfaction and their current level of emotional distress. The subjects were also tested to diagnose antisocial personality disorders.
Cohen et al. found that the batterers had less formal education than the nonbatterers, but that neither group differed in the amount of alcohol they consumed, nor in the number of times they used illegal drugs. The batterers did, however, have past problems with aggression while under the influence of alcohol. The study also revealed a higher incidence of head injury among batterers, with 46.2% of that group reporting head injuries, compared to 20.6% of nonbatterers. In addition, batterers had a higher incidence of prior academic problems.
Batterers with head injuries also showed a higher level of frontal lobe dysfunction, which is among the clinical variables most strongly associated with violence and aggressive behavior. Researchers reported a strong relationship between neurological functioning and domestic violence.
Cohen et al. concluded that brain dysfunction may contribute to the propensity for violence and other aggressive behaviors; however, they cautioned that while dys-function contributes to the propensity for domestic violence among some batterers, it is not involved in all cases of domestic violence, nor does it explain all types of aggression. Nonetheless, they believe that the relationship between brain dysfunction and domestic violence has significance for planning preventive and therapeutic interventions for some batterers. Patients identified with cognitive defects and with a propensity for aggression may be taught behavioral and cognitive strategies to inhibit aggressive behaviors. The results of this research also indicate the need to investigate the efficacy of biological and pharmacological (prescription drug) treatment of domestic violence.
Content of Batterer Intervention Programs
Among the batterer programs Healy and Smith studied, most combine elements of different theoretical models. They reviewed three mainstream programs. The Duluth Curriculum uses a classroom format and focuses on issues of power and control. The development of critical
|Prevalence of criminal justice incidents involving same victim and perpetrator, 1996
||6 months after assignment1
||12 months after assignment2
1Chi-square (2)=12.35, p=.003
2Chi-square (2)=13.13, p=.001
SOURCE: Shelly Jackson, Lynette Feder, David R. Forde, Robert C. Davis, Christopher D. Maxwell, and Bruce G. Taylor, "Exhibit 3. Prevalence of Criminal Justice Incidents Involving Same Victim and Perpetrator," in Batterer Intervention Programs: Where Do We Go From Here? National Institute of Justice, NCJ 195079, June 2003, http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/195079.pdf (accessed November 12, 2004)
|26-week batterer treatment (n=129)
|8-week batterer treatment (n=61)
|Control (community service) (n=186)
thinking skills is emphasized to help batterers understand and change their behavior. In contrast, the other two mainstream models, Emerge and AMEND, involve more in-depth counseling and are of longer duration.
THE DULUTH CURRICULUM. The Duluth model, based on the feminist idea that patriarchal ideology causes domestic violence, was developed in the early 1980s by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project of Duluth, Minnesota. The classroom curriculum focuses on the development of critical thinking skills relating to the themes of nonviolence, nonthreatening behavior, respect, support, trust, honesty, partnership, negotiation, and fairness. Two or three sessions are devoted to exploring each theme. For example, the first session begins with a video demonstration of specific controlling behaviors. The video is followed by discussion of the actions used by the batterer in the video. Each participant contributes by describing his particular use of the controlling behavior. The group then identifies and discusses alternative behaviors that can build healthier, more equal relationships. Programs based on the Duluth model are the most commonly used batterer invention program in the country, with many states mandating its use.
The National Institute of Justice reported on evaluations of batterer intervention programs based on the Duluth model in "Do Batterer Intervention Programs Work? Two Studies" (NCJ 200331, September 2003). Two studies based in New York and Florida found that the programs had little or no effect on subsequent domestic violence, and that the programs did not change batterers' attitudes toward women and battering. The New York study, conducted in 1996, did find that men assigned to a longer, twenty-six-week program were less likely to be arrested again within twelve months than men assigned to an eight-week, accelerated program. (See Table 6.1.) However, men were much more likely to graduate from the shorter program than the longer program, illustrating the problem of high drop-out rates in implementing effective batterer intervention programs. (See Table 6.2.)
|Attendance in 8- versus 26-week batterers' group, 1996
SOURCE: Shelly Jackson, Lynette Feder, David R. Forde, Robert C. Davis, Christopher D. Maxwell, and Bruce G. Taylor, "Exhibit 2. Attendance in 8- versus 26-Week Batterers' Group," in Batterer Intervention Programs: Where Do We Go From Here? National Institute of Justice, NCJ 195079, June 2003, http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/195079.pdf (accessed November 12, 2004)
|26-week format (n=129)
|8-week format (n=61)
EMERGE. Emerge, a forty-eight-week batterer intervention program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, combines several different models. It begins with eight weeks of educational and skill-building sessions. Program members who complete this phase and admit to domestic violence then progress to an ongoing group that blends cognitive behavioral techniques with group therapy centered on personal accountability.
In the group, new members describe the events and actions that brought them to the program, answer questions about their behavior, and accept responsibility for their violence. Regular group members also talk about their actions during the previous week. There may also be discussion of particular incidents disclosed by members of the group.
David Adams, the president and cofounder of Emerge, considers battering any act that forces the victim to do something she does not want to do, prevents her from doing something she wants to do, or causes her to be afraid. He views violence as not simply a series of isolated blowups, but a process of deliberate intimidation intended to coerce the victim to comply with the victimizer's wishes. According to Adams, the abuser's high level of control can be seen in how agreeable he can be with police, bosses, neighbors, and others with whom it is in his best interest to appear reasonable.
Even though abusive men in the program are supposed to be working on their relationships, Emerge counselors have observed that the men devalue and denigrate their partners. Ellen Pence, who helped to develop the Duluth Curriculum, noticed that men rarely call the women they abuse by name, because they refuse to see them as people in their own right. In one group session, she counted ninety-seven references to women, many of them obscene, before someone used his partner's name. When Pence insisted program participants use the names of their partners, she reported that many could hardly speak.
Emerge focuses not only on the abusive behavior, but also on the broader relationship between the batterer and the victim. Each member formulates goals related to his control tactics, and the group helps him develop ways to address these concerns. It combines a psycho-educational curriculum, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and an assessment of the needs of the individual.
AMEND. The professionals who created AMEND (Abusive Men Exploring New Directions), a program in Denver, Colorado, share the same commitment to long-term treatment based on several treatment models as the founders of Emerge. The purpose of AMEND is to establish client accountability, increase awareness of the social context of battering, and build new social skills. AMEND group leaders serve as "moral guides" who take a firm position against violence and vigorously describe their clients' behavior as unacceptable and illegal.
The program's long-term approach has four stages. The first two stages consist of several months of education and confrontation to break through the batterer's denial and resistance. Several months of advanced group therapy follow during which the batterer identifies his own rationalizations for abusive behavior and admits the truth about his actions. This stage includes ongoing contact of program leaders with the abused partner, who can reveal relapses or more subtle forms of abuse. During this stage, the client develops a plan that includes participation in a support network to prevent future violence. The fourth stage, which is optional, consists of involvement in community service and political action to stop domestic violence.
SAN DIEGO NAVY EXPERIMENT: THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL APPROACH. In the study "The San Diego Navy Experiment: An Assessment of Interventions for Men Who Assault Their Wives" (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vol. 68, no. 3, June 2000), Franklyn W. Dunford compared three different year-long interventions for men who had physically assaulted their wives. The study involved randomly assigning 861 couples to one of four groups: a men's group, a conjoint group (men and women), a rigorously monitored group, and a control group. The men's and conjoint groups received cognitive-behavioral therapy and outcomes were measured every six months.
The men's group met weekly for six months, and then monthly for the second six months. Group leaders covered a wide range of perpetrator attitudes and values and taught skills believed to be important to ending the abuse of women, such as empathy and communication skills, as well as anger and jealousy management. Along with instruction, participants practiced their newly acquired skills and developed plans to assume complete responsibility for their behavior.
Employing the same curriculum used by the men's group, the conjoint group, composed of victims and perpetrators, was a controversial treatment approach since most conventional programs do not believe it is useful or effective to treat victims and their abusers together. But the leaders were interested in finding out if couple therapy would be effective. They also anticipated some benefits from the presence of the wives, such as less "women bashing" within the context of the group and more realistic opportunities to engage participants in role-playing to help them practice more constructive behaviors.
The rigorous monitoring intervention aimed to inhibit abuse by making service members' commanding officers aware of every instance of abuse. By closely monitoring and reporting their behavior, this approach attempted to increase scrutiny of the perpetrators' lives, creating a situation Dunford called a "fishbowl" effect.
Men assigned to the control group received no treatment; however, to ensure their wives' safety, the wives were given preliminary stabilization and safety planning counseling to help prevent additional instances of abuse.
The results of the interventions were measured, controlling for demographic variables—age, rank, family size, ethnicity, education, and income—and outcome assessments. Outcomes were evaluated using self-reports and spouse reports, and the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale, which examined forty-two aspects relating to the type and frequency of abuse. Official police and court records, as well as reports of new injuries, were also considered as outcome measures.
The study found no significant differences in the prevalence or frequency of abuse, as reported by the wives or their spouses, between the treatment groups. No significant differences were found among the four groups in Modified Conflict Tactics Scale scores. The study also found no differences in terms of new arrests among the perpetrators in all four groups. These findings suggest that none of the three treatment approaches was any more effective at reducing abuse than participation in the control group.
Dunford concluded that the cognitive-behavioral model is ineffective as an intervention for spouse abuse, at least in this military setting. He called for further research to confirm his study's findings and hypothesized that the one-size-fits-all approach to treatment may be responsible for the ineffectiveness of treatment. | <urn:uuid:08cf72b3-9dc5-47a9-a762-8d3feaf5f0be> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/2063/Treatment-Male-Batterers-NATIONAL-STUDY-BATTERER-INTERVENTION.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00141-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952827 | 3,253 | 2.78125 | 3 |
According to a new report from the CDC, hospitals should be doing a lot more to help mothers start and continue to breastfeeding. Their recommendations are couched within an argument about childhood obesity, but it’s clear that breastfeeding has a variety of positive outcomes which hospitals should be trying to promote. Most, unfortunately, are not.
Only 4% of hospitals follow all of the World Health Organization’s “ten steps to successful breastfeeding,” and although most women start breastfeeding their babies in the week after birth, many switch to formula far before they need to. Indeed, by 9 months, only 31% of babies are breastfeeding at all.
The CDC points out that breastfeeding can help protect against childhood obesity, which is true. It also boosts a baby’s immune system and improves maternal health. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be fed nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months and that breastfeeding continue until the baby is at least 1 year old. This has dramatic effects on the baby’s health (and decreases post-natal healthcare costs), and mothers have lower risks of breast and ovarian cancers. It also makes the mother’s uterus contract and can help women lose weight in the months after giving birth.
As researcher Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz succinctly put it in an article for the La Leche League: “The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them.”
Breastfeeding is the way to go. So why aren’t more people doing it? Hospitals may be a large part of the problem, especially if they’re not giving women the tools to breastfeed their children effectively. Breastfeeding can be difficult for women to learn, and the hours and days after childbirth are the ideal time to provide resources about its benefits, and to help women through the initial challenges.
Hospitals sometimes give babies formula or sugar-water, even though there is no nutritional reason to do so. New mothers are also sometimes given gift bags with formula upon leaving the hospital, which sends the wrong message. Only half of hospitals help new moms place their infant on their skin and breastfeed within the first hour after birth, which can be a crucial time in which the mother and baby bond and begin to nurse. And very few hospitals provide breastfeeding support after families leave the hospital.
Given the fact that when mothers leave the hospital, some states (like Michigan) have no laws protecting women who breastfeed in public, hospitals should really be doing all they can to help women navigate this tricky terrain.
The CDC has a number of recommendations for ways that hospitals can begin to improve their breastfeeding services. And, in the middle of World Breastfeeding Week, it’s a good example of how beneficial breastfeeding can be – and how much more we have to do before it becomes a culturally normalized practice in the United States. It’s also a reminder for mothers-to-be to check out their hospital’s policies on breastfeeding, and find out what kind of support they’ll be receiving as they begin this intimate process with their newborn child.
Photo from aurimas_m via flickr. | <urn:uuid:5fe1a893-2068-461b-bf06-511680364949> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.care2.com/causes/cdc-says-hospitals-need-to-do-more-to-help-moms-breastfeed.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397565.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00066-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951726 | 652 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Warren G. Harding in The 1920s
Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) was the 29th President of the United States. A personable, conservative senator from Ohio, Harding won the presidential election of 1920 in a landslide by promising a "return to normalcy" after World War I.
Harding's administration ended up plagued by corruption scandals, as many of the President's cronies used their high positions in government for illegal personal gain. Harding died of a heart attack less than three years into his term, before the worst revelations of corruption in his administration were revealed to the public. In retrospect, many historians rank Harding among the very worst presidents of all time. | <urn:uuid:2cb96393-90c7-4c80-93ac-47200d68170d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.shmoop.com/1920s/warren-g-harding.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00175-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977114 | 139 | 3.171875 | 3 |
August 14, 2013
No Clear Sign That Less Soot, Methane Reduces Global Warming
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online
Reducing emissions of only soot and methane won't do as much to reduce global warming as some previous research has suggested, according to a new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)."Cutting back only on soot and methane emissions will help the climate, but not as much as previously thought," said study author Steve Smith, a climate researcher at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNL).
The researchers advise focusing instead on reducing levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
"If we want to stabilize the climate system, we need to focus on greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane,” Smith said. "Concentrating on soot and methane alone is not likely to offer much of a shortcut."
Soot, also known as black carbon, is made of fine, carbon-based particles that are given off by car and truck tailpipes and wood stoves. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is released from leaking pipelines, coal mines, oil wells, cattle, rice paddies and landfills.
Both soot and methane remain in the atmosphere for relatively short periods of time – a few weeks for soot and up to a decade for methane. But carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for 1,000 years or more, Smith and colleagues said in their report.
Previous research has suggested that reducing soot and methane emissions could curtail human-caused global temperature increases by an average of about 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. But the current study, which used computer models, concluded that cutting soot and methane emissions would reduce temperature increases by about 0.28 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050 – far less than predicted in previous studies.
By comparison, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would cut temperature increases by 0.49 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, the researchers said.
"Focusing on soot and methane may be worth targeting for health reasons, as previous studies have identified substantial health benefits from reducing those emissions," Smith noted.
"To stabilize the global climate, however, the focus needs to be on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases," he concluded. | <urn:uuid:115b3391-6168-450b-9d90-4a2d121df23b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112922961/global-warming-continue-cut-soot-methane-081413/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00095-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954692 | 476 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Prescribed Burns Return with Stricter Rules
Thursday, March 8, 2007
This week, the U.S. Forest Service lifted a moratorium on prescribed burns in Cleveland National Forest. A prescribed burn is when firefighters intentionally burn dry brush to reduce fire hazard. The moratorium was imposed a year ago, after one prescribed burn erupted into a wildfire. It ended up burning more than 10,000 acres. KPBS Radio's Andrea Hsu reports, the forest service is once again burning brush, but this time, under stricter rules.
I'm heading up Palomar Mountain on a windy road with Fire Prevention Officer Kerri Uglik. The first prescribed burns of the year are at 5,000 feet. Uglick points out piles of dead trees along the way.
Uglik: The bark beetle came through and pretty much killed most of our pines, and a lot of the cedars have also died because of the drought conditions.
We enter Frye Creek Campground -- a 27 acre area that's the focus of this burn. The idea is the burn will help protect campers in the event of a fire, wild or otherwise. The campground is closed at the moment, but all around is the toasty smell of burning wood. There are five or six piles of burning brush that look like campfires -- with red-hot embers in the middle and smoldering ashes around the edges. Uglick picks up a handful of dirt and nods approvingly.
Uglik: That's what we want. More moisture, keeps it more controlled.
It's rained here in recent days -- and nearby there are still a few patches of snow.
Uglik: This overcast cloud came in that brings the humidity, and brings moisture in the air, so that helps, really helps a lot.
The other thing that helps is a lack of wind - says Engine Captain Cheryl Raines. She's one of a couple dozen firefighters tending to the prescribed burns at Frye Creek.
Raines: We had a lot of wind events this year - geez, I don't think they ended until January or February this year - that's another reason we couldn't burn until now --everything was too dry.
Wind events meaning Santa Ana winds. The Forest Service doesn't do prescribed burns when Santa Anas are in the forecast. And now even tougher rules are in place. No fire can be ignited if the National Weather Service predicts winds above 15 miles per hour.
Firefighters have more work to do when "mopping up" after the burn is over. They have new infrared devices that pick up on remaining hot spots.
The Forest Service hopes the new rules will help improve its record in California. The Associated Press says 30 prescribed burns got out of control on federal land here since 2003.
Here at Frye Creek there are half a dozen fire trucks on hand, in case something goes wrong. Captain Raines and the other firefighters aren't taking any chances. They're suited up in bright yellow flame-resistant gear.
Raines: We have Nomex pants, Nomex shirts, eye protection, hard hats, it's just like going out to a wild-land fire - all the same gear, boots.
There's a saying among firefighters - hurry up and wait. And that certainly seems to be the case here. So while they sit watching the fires, some find other things to do.
Yanez: I knew I was going to burn today - so I figured I'd bring hot dogs today and make hot dogs over the fire.
Dan Yanez's grilling implement of choice? A pitchfork.
Yanez: Usually I'd use a stick but it gets a little warm sometimes, so...
Captain Raines reaches over with a bun and grabs the nicely browned dog.
Raines: Thanks, you're all right! No problem.
And up the road just a bit, I find Firefighter Prawit Hess.
Hess: Since I'm new at bagpipe and never had a music background before, so just practicing.
Hess picked up the bagpipe five months ago after he volunteered to be a member of the Forest Service Honor Guard. He figures he'll get in another couple hours of practice before it's time to mop up the fires.
Prescribed burns in the Cleveland National Forest are scheduled to continue through spring, weather permitting.
For KPBS, I'm Andrea Hsu.
(Photo: A fire prevention team conducts a controlled burn on Palomar Mountain. Andrea Hsu/KPBS ).
Please stay on topic and be as concise as possible. Leaving a comment means you agree to our Community Discussion Rules. We like civilized discourse. We don't like spam, lying, profanity, harassment or personal attacks. | <urn:uuid:413db2b7-709b-465c-b331-f66adb019782> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.kpbs.org/news/2007/mar/08/prescribed-burns-return-with-stricter-rules/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00095-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941995 | 994 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The Wolfram System treats equations as logical statements. If you type in an equation like , the Wolfram System interprets this as a logical statement that asserts that is equal to . If you have assigned an explicit value to , say , then the Wolfram System can explicitly determine that the logical statement is False.
The quadratic equation can be thought of as an implicit statement about the value of . As shown in the example above, you can use the function Reduce to get a more explicit statement about the value of . The expression produced by Reduce has the form . This expression is again a logical statement, which asserts that either is equal to , or is equal to . The values of that are consistent with this statement are exactly the same as the ones that are consistent with the original quadratic equation. For many purposes, however, the form that Reduce gives is much more useful than the original equation.
You can combine and manipulate equations just like other logical statements. You can use logical connectives such as and to specify alternative or simultaneous conditions. You can use functions like LogicalExpand, as well as FullSimplify, to simplify collections of equations.
For many purposes, you will find it convenient to manipulate equations simply as logical statements. Sometimes, however, you will actually want to use explicit solutions to equations in other calculations. In such cases, it is convenient to convert equations that are stated in the form into transformation rules of the form . Once you have the solutions to an equation in the form of explicit transformation rules, you can substitute the solutions into expressions by using the operator. | <urn:uuid:a9f0241c-10c3-4a4e-b594-ee8ef957856f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/TheRepresentationOfEquationsAndSolutions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00166-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940479 | 322 | 4.03125 | 4 |
June 30, 2005
Scientists Show Wildlife Corridors Promote Animal, Plant Dispersal
A study by a North Carolina State University zoologist and colleagues from the University of Florida and Allegheny College says that landscape corridors "“ strips of land connecting separated areas of similar habitat "“ are effective in promoting animal and plant seed movement to help sustain diversity and dispersal of native animals and plants.
In addition, says Dr. Nick Haddad, associate professor of zoology at NC State and a co-author of the paper describing the research, the study shows that easy-to-measure animal behaviors can serve as predictors for whether landscape corridors will be effective dispersal mechanisms for those specific animals and the plants they eat.The research is published in the July 1 edition of Science.
Haddad and other scientists have published a number of studies on the efficacy of landscape corridors in promoting dispersal of animals. Haddad says corridors essentially reconnect habitats that were once connected before fragmentation "“ brought on by urban or farm development, for example "“ threatened native animals and plants. Lack of dispersal means animals and plants become vulnerable to being lost or developing negative genetic effects found in small populations, like those acquired through inbreeding, Haddad says.
The researchers tested their corridors at the Savannah River Site National Environmental Research Park, a federally protected area on the South Carolina-Georgia border that is mostly dominated by pine tree forests. At the researchers' request, the U.S. Forest Service arranged eight similar sites; each site included five areas cleared of trees. The central patch was connected to one other patch by a 150-meter-long, 25-meter-wide corridor, while three other patches were isolated from the central patch "“ and themselves "“ by forest.
In the study, the researchers found that Eastern Bluebirds, one of the major seed dispersers in South Carolina, were 31 percent more likely to be found in the center of connected patches than the center of unconnected patches. The study also showed that seeds from wax myrtle plants "“ found in the fecal matter of the birds "“ were 37 percent more likely to be found in traps in the center of connected patches than in traps in the center of unconnected patches.
These results "“ showing increased movement of animals and plants in habitats connected by corridors "“ mimicked other previously published studies done by these and other researchers, Haddad says.
But this study has an even more important and broad impact, according to Haddad.
The researchers observed behaviors of bluebirds during the course of the study and found that the birds were not necessarily using the landscape corridors, but were instead often traveling along the edges of the corridors.
Using these behaviors in a predictive model, the researchers arrived at estimates of the numbers of birds distributing seeds to both the connected and unconnected patches.
The study shows a "tight fit" between predictions and actual seed movement.
"From behavioral studies, we can predict how animals will move in large-scale landscapes," Haddad says. "This study is specifically designed to understand how species might move through corridors. But understanding behavioral approaches is important in any context where you're worried about the spread of organisms through a landscape, like the spread of non-native invasive species or birds that carry diseases."
The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and by the Department of Energy-Savannah River Operations Office through the U.S. Forest Service Savannah River Institut
On the Web: | <urn:uuid:04ea1a1f-c68d-4009-adde-65da223f72ed> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/164305/scientists_show_wildlife_corridors_promote_animal_plant_dispersal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397842.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00021-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956277 | 726 | 3.53125 | 4 |
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Balancing Rest and ActivitySkip to the navigation
Children who have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) need a careful balance of rest and activity.
- Children who have JIA may need extra naps or quiet time during the day to rest their joints and to regain their strength. JIA can be a tiring disease, especially when symptoms flare. Some medicines used to treat JIA may also cause tiredness.
- Children are often good judges of their need for rest. Rest doesn't have to mean a nap. Reading quietly, watching a movie, or listening to music is fine, too. Let your child help decide when and how much rest he or she needs.
- Rest is important. But it is just as important not to rest too much. Long periods without activity can cause your child's joints to stiffen and may eventually lead to weakness in unused muscles. Children who don't get enough activity are at greater risk for severe joint stiffening that results in deformities (contractures). Not being active also increases the chance that the child will become overweight.
- It is also important not to overdo activity. Children often want to participate in activities with their friends and don't think about how they will feel the next day. Activity that causes pain or stiffness the following day is too much. That activity should be modified if tried again. For example, the child may play for a shorter time or play with lighter equipment.
Primary Medical Reviewer Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
Current as ofFebruary 24, 2016
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org. | <urn:uuid:2240867d-1e15-416d-a3ff-0cc3cc22fdc7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.uwhealth.org/health/topic/special/juvenile-idiopathic-arthritis-balancing-rest-and-activity/hw95379.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00079-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957601 | 351 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Reference Publication: Parker, D. S. and P. W. Fairey (2001). Preliminary Evaluation of Energy-Efficiency Improvements to Modular Classrooms. Report No. FSEC-CR-1272-01. Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL 32922.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and are not intended to represent the views and opinions of the Florida Solar Energy Center.
Evaluation of Energy-Efficiency
Improvements to Modular Classrooms
The objective of our investigation is to evaluate innovations that would enable modular classroom builders to improve the energy performance of their classrooms. We investigate improved insulation, better windows, daylighting, cross-ventilation, sensible and latent heat recovery of ventilation air and light colored surfaces and radiant barriers for cooling dominated climates. The tasks associated with this work are as follows:
Classroom Simulation Model
We created a building energy simulation to model the energy performance of modular classrooms. We utilized a modified version of EnergyGauge USA to accommodate classroom schedules and occupancies. The program uses DOE-2.1E as the simulation engine. The model and its validation are more completely described elsewhere (Parker et al., 1999; Fuerhlein, 2000).
Separate schedules were developed for
lighting and HVAC use based on a conventional school year (August
15th - May 15th) and one which includes
summer school. The schedule assumes the school day to extend
from 7 AM to 5 PM based on both occupancy and after-school activities.
The degree with which HVAC equipment and lighting systems are
positively switched off is based on previous monitoring and surveys
(Callahan et al., 1999). The performance of enthalpy recovery
ventilators (ERVs) and the application of ASHRAE Standard 62-1989
are based on a detailed monitoring evaluation of such equipment
(Shirey et al., 1997).
Our work plan had several tasks: collect data, prepare computer models, develop a baseline building, evaluate design possibilities, generate design alternatives and evaluate their performance. Later, we plan to analyze costs and select the final designs. The baseline modular classroom building (Figures 1 and 2) is 28' x 64' and has the following energy-related specifications: walls R-11, floors R-11, roof R-30, (2) aluminum frame slider type windows U = 1.17, (2) insulated steel doors, 2' x 4' recessed four-tube fluorescent light fixtures -50 Fc and a 3-ton air conditioner with 10 kW of strip resistance heating.
Figure 1. Baseline modular classroom building
Figure 2. Floor plan of the baseline modular classroom.
We plan to analyze the heating and cooling loads of the baseline modular classroom building with its long side facing east in seven different climates: Tampa, Florida; Sacramento, California; Rochester, New York; Raleigh, North Carolina; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona using a specially produced DOE-2.1E software. Each climate presents a different challenge to mitigate the energy consumption of the classroom against the prevailing weather conditions. However, for this initial analysis we simulated the two heating and cooling extremes (Rochester, New York and Tampa, Florida) as well as a mixed climate (Raleigh, North Carolina). The analyses were used to redesign the modular classroom to integrate daylighting, windows and envelope design, and heat recovery for ventilation air as appropriate for each climate. Based on individual parametric analyses, we assemble successful groupings of measures (packages) for each climate.
While modular classrooms come in different sizes and configurations a double-classroom structure with a common wall and a low-slope roof appears to dominate the market. To characterize the modular classroom market, we evaluated submitted designs from the manufacturers: United Modular (Glenrose, TX), Roger Carter (Kingston, NC) and Walden Structures (Capistrano, CA). By far the most models are double classroom units with dimensions of twenty-four (24') to twenty-eight feet (28') in width and from fifty-six (56') to sixty-four (64') feet in length. The study baseline unit is one half of a 28' x 64' two classroom unit with a restroom (see Figures 1 and 2). This type of unit is comprised of two 14' wide by 64' long modular sections. This unit has a pitched roof with the ridge running in the 64' direction. A T-bar suspension ceiling is typical with the ventilation of the roof plenum as a construction variable. The unit is also equipped with two exterior door and two windows per classroom. The construction of this unit is consistent with The Uniform Building Code (UBC) type 5 non-rated construction, light frame wood. The occupancy classification is E-1, educational, with 25 occupants. The following is a brief summary highlighting some of the standard features of this baseline modular classroom.
Floor ConstructionThe floor construction is comprised of light wood framed joists with plywood floor sheathing, fiberglass batt insulation, and typically carpet for a finish.
Wall ConstructionThe exterior wall construction is comprised of light wood frame studs with a plywood combination siding and structural sheathing (i.e., T1-11), fiberglass batt insulation and an interior finish of a pre-decorated gypsum board.
Roof ConstructionThe roof/ceiling construction is made up of light wood framed trusses with plywood sheathing, fiberglass composition shingles, fiberglass batt insulation and a suspended acoustical tile ceiling system. Consistent with the submitted plans, the roof top structure is a low-slope metal roof.
Heating and Ventilating SystemThis unit is equipped with a 3-ton wall-hung package unitary heat pump with 10 kW back-up electric resistance heating. A 32 foot supply duct runs down the classroom centerline and is located in the plenum space (attic).
Electrical SystemThe main electrical service for this unit is a 200 amp 120/240 volt single-phase system controlled by a main distribution panel. Provisions are made for lighting, electrical convenience outlets, fire alarm systems, intercom and clock systems as well as serving power to the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.
Energy Baseline for Various Climates
We plan to perform simulations for the following seven climates representing much of the market areas and climatic variation within the U.S.
For this draft preliminary report, an analysis was done on the two extreme climates (Tampa and Rochester and a mixed climate- Raleigh. The hourly simulation uses Typical Meteorological Year (TMY2) data for each location to perform the calculations. The energy baseline was simulated using the information gathered during the early phase of the project based on submitted plans. The simulations use a nine-month schooling period. The schedules for people, lights, and equipment are based on a study of classroom modules in Florida. The simulation was performed with the assumption that each classroom holds 25 students and 1 teacher (26 people total) that generate 240 Btu/hr/person of latent heat and 100 Btu/hr/person of sensible heat into the space. Impact of the large interactions of waste heat from the lighting system and heat loss and gains from the building envelope are intrinsically computed within the simulation. In order to accurately simulate the performance of the HVAC system, the performance data for the units was input for a Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) unit with heat-pump as the heat source. The data was obtained from the manufacturer (Bard, Wall-Mount heat pump, model WH361-A). Three different sets of performance data were input: the Cooling Capacity, the Heating Capacity, and the Heating Electric Input Ratio (EIR) and Cooling Electric Input Ratio (CEIR) of the system.
Comparison of Simulation Model to Measured Data
In order to verify the accuracy of our baseline simulation, we compared the simulation's fuel use predictions to energy use records collected for a Florida classroom building. Detailed monitoring has been performed within this project (Callahan, et. al., 1999). Daytona Beaches' climate data was used for simulating the module classroom in Port Orange, Florida due to its geographical proximity and climatic similarity.
Teachers in the modular buildings for the academic year 1998 were interviewed. The questionnaire included clarifications regarding the number of students occupying the classroom, the schedule for the equipment use, and the use of lights and hot water, and the schedule of the class for the whole academic year. No alteration was required from the established schedule. However, to approximately match the predicted performance of the baseline case with the actual energy use, the following rough changes were made to the baseline case.
Table 1. End Use Predicted and Simulated at Silver Sands Portable Classroom kWh per Day
|End Use||Measured kWh*||Predicted kWh||Error (%)|
Source: M.P. Callahan, D.S. Parker, J.R. Sherwin and M.T. Anello, 1999, Evaluation of Energy Efficiency Improvements to Portable Classroms in Florida, FSEC-CR-1133-99, November, 1999 (see Figure 3). The degree of correspondence is particularly good considering that the specific schedules and weather data were necessarily approximate to the corresponding conditions associated with the measured performance. Our prediction was within 5% of the actual energy use indicating that our simulation is fairly representative of the monitored modular classroom building. This also gives confidence in the simulation results.
Baseline Reference Building
We analyzed a series of efficiency measures in each climate location for the reference modular classroom. The base building in each location had R-11 walls and floor insulation, R-19 ceiling insulation (suspending between the trusses), single glazed windows with two insulated doors. The space conditioning system consisted of a 3-ton air conditioner (SEER 9) with 10 kW of electric strip heat. The supply duct was located in the attic space; the duct related leakage of the distribution system amounted to 168 cfm at a tested system pressure of 25 Pa (Qn = 0.15). This characterization is in agreement with an assessment done by Cummings (1998) on seven portable classrooms in Florida.
We note that many of the space conditioning systems in portable classrooms have significant leakage around the through the wall penetrations for the side-mount AC units. The lighting system consists of six four-tube flourescent fixtures with 40 W tubes and magnetic ballast (180 Watts each). Based on our experience with the lighting energy use in the two monitored portables in Port Orange, Florida (Callahan, et.al., 1999), we assume that lighting is accidently left on about 10% of the time over night and about 5% of the time over weekends and holidays. We also assume that the HVAC systems are accidently left on for similar periods. These assumed rates for human error allow evaluation of the potential savings of occupancy based controls.
Issues Associated with Ventilation and Infiltration
Based on our survey of manufacturers and installers, as well as from local units surveyed in Florida we learned that nearly all modular classrooms are shipped with outside air dampers closed. No installers with which we spoke indicated that these were opened when installed in the field although the mechanical engineers associated with the modular designs were aware of the potential issue. Although we analyzed a specific case with dampers closed as they are likely installed, we assumed that the dampers were placed in the first stop (150 cfm) for our reference case. Since we assumed average occupancy for the purposes of ASHRAE Standard 62-1989 (25 students and teachers in the classroom), this amounts to 6 cfm/student and corresponds well to previous studies (Callahan, et.al., 1999). It is noteworthy that this is not adequate to meet the requirements for ASHRAE Standard 62-1989 which requires 15 cfm/student. In recent years, much attention has been leveled at improving school ventilation as a means to improve indoor air quality (Construction Specifier, 1999; Energy Design Update, 1997). Thus, for our analysis of potential improvements we compare compliance with ASHRAE Standard 62-1989 with a case where only 6 cfm/student is being provided. We do this so that the predicted energy savings associated with the suggested changes to modular classrooms will not be altogether out of keeping with the actual achieved savings.
Another conservatism associated with the analysis is that we assume that the roof/plenum is not ventilated as is done with some models. When this is done with the dominated T-bar suspended ceiling, the attic vents become a site for major envelope air leakage. This has been observed in work done on building leakage and air change rates on seven portable classrooms in Central Florida (Cummings, 1998). For instance, those with T-bar ceilings with ventilated plenums were found to have total envelope leakages averaging 22 ACH @ 50 Pa pressure. On the other hand, with one building which had a rigid ceiling, the leakage was only 7 ACH at 50 Pa. Thus, within the analysis we assumed that although T-bar ceilings would be used, that the attic plenum would not be vented. This was the case for two of the three submitted plans which were reviewed.
Below we list and briefly describe the specific measures analyzed for each site.
As options we evaluate increases to roof insulation thickness from R-19 hr-ft2-F/Btu to R-30 or R-38. We also predict the impact of the addition of a perforated foil face to the roof insulation creating an attic radiant barrier. We also evaluate the impact of choosing a reflective white metal roof rather than an unfinished galvanized surface. Both of these measures are demonstrated to reduce cooling, although the reflective roofing will increase heating somewhat (Callahan et al., 1999).
We analyze how a thicker 2 x 6" wall with R-19 will improve performance. We also examine how adding 1 inch of isocyanurate sheathing to the exterior of the R-11 wall would alter heating and cooling. Finally, we also evaluate how a light pastel wall color would reduce cooling as compared to the base line medium tan color (solar absorptance = 0.6).
We evaluate double clear glass compared with the single glass normally assumed (U= 0.69 Btu/h-ft2-F). We also evaluate double glazed units with a low-e coating (U= 0.59). And finally, we evaluate the above with a solar control outer lite designed to reduce cooling needs (SHGC = 0.38). All glazing units were assumed to have aluminum frames.
We evaluate a sealed air distribution system where tested leakage to outdoors is only 54 cfm (Qn= 0.05). We also evaluate the impact of moving the supply duct to the interior of the conditioned classroom to avoid duct conduction losses.
We evaluate the substitution of slim-line T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts for the T-12 system with magnetic ballasts in the baseline system. This reduces the 4-tube fixture wattage from 180 watts to about 110 W. We also estimate the savings from using occupancy sensor control to positively shut off lights during unoccupied periods.
We evaluate a proposed daylighting package with a reduction to fixture lighting density. This involves adding three 22" tubular solar skylights spaced evenly down the center line of the classroom along with a strip of one foot high glazing located along the sides of the building up by the top of the door-line. These would include an interior light shelf to prevent glare and to reflect daylight to the ceiling. To achieve savings, the lighting fixtures would be altered from four tube to two-tube T-8 fixtures. This simple expedient would insure lighting systems, save on costs and result in a simple and robust system to harvest daylight.
Heating and Cooling Systems
The baseline air conditioner would be altered to a more efficient SEER 10 unit, or with a heat pump with supplemental strip heat. Finally, occupancy based HVAC controls would be evaluated to provide positive off during unoccupied periods.
Parametric evaluation considers no ventilation as many modular classrooms are shipped and operated, as well as compliance with Standard 62-1989 without heat recovery, but with a 4-ton heating and cooling system. Other evaluation would be made of use a 60% effective enthalpy recovery ventilator (ERV) in compliance with 62-1989 providing 375 cfm of outdoor air to the classroom. Based on performance data, the required fan power for such systems is approximately 0.9 W/cfm which was modeled within DOE-2. Such a system was modeled with standard strip heat and with a heat pump. Finally, we evaluate the impact of using operable windows in the daylighting package to provide cross ventilation to reduce cooling needs.
Based on the parametric evaluation of the specific measures, ones were chosen which showed the potential to produce promising systems. These are noted in the Tables A, B and C that follow and are marked with an asterisk (*). The combined performance of the packages is shown for the standard school schedule and for one including summer school.
The results of the simulation parametric analysis and the grouping of measure packages is given in Tables A, B and C (pages 10-12) for Rochester, NY, Tampa, FL and Raleigh, NC, respectively. Even though the annual energy consumption in the simulated model matched to within 5% of the actual energy consumption in our test evaluation where metered data was available, it would be desirable to obtain similar data from a cold climate location. Even thought the measures differed with different locations the predicted energy savings were approximately 45% in all locations. An implicit assumption within our analysis is that the attic/plenum space will be sealed. This is important given the findings by Cummings (1998) showing that T-bar ceilings in portable classrooms are inherently leaky. A general summary of the results is as follows:
In hot, cooling dominated climates such as Tampa, measures which reduce lighting and its internal heat generation show greatest promise to reduce building energy needs. Daylighting looks particularly attractive in this location although solar control glass looks important to reduce the space cooling liability. Similarly, light colored surfaces and solar control glazing looks more important than insulation. Heating system type is not as critical as cooling efficiency. Floor insulation is counterproductive.. In cold, heating dominated climates such as Rochester, New York, insulation measures and duct air leakage control measures look to be most important. The results would further suggest that ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) or natural gas heating may be attractive alternatives to air-source heat pumps. Daylighting, while producing savings in lighting energy, tends to increase heating budgets and is not as attractive as insulation and heating system measures. It appears important that a successful daylighting strategy in such location utilize highly insulated glazing (double glazed low-e was assumed) in order to be successful. Floor and wall insulation is important, solar control glass is counterproductive.. Mixed climates, such as Raleigh, North Carolina, evidence an amalgam of the preceding extremes. Insulation with a radiant barrier looks to be the best strategy for the roofing system as it helps control both heating and cooling needs. However, daylighting is quite attractive as it reduces lighting energy and substantially reduces space cooling. Insulation measures, duct leakage control and a more efficient heating system all look to be promising measures. Specification of a heat pump is important to controlling heating costs.
All packages show that ventilation heat recovery is vital to prevent energy savings from envelope and lighting measures from being swamped by the thermal impacts of complying with ASHRAE Standard 62-1989. Similarly, occupancy based control of lighting and HVAC systems is beneficial in all locations. A summary of results is given below in Figure 3.
|Figure 3.||Annual Energy Savings Potential for Typical Modular Classrooms for 3 Climate Types: 1) a heating dominated climate, 2) a cooling dominated climate and 3) a mixed climate.|
ASHRAE Standard 62-1989, Ventilation for Indoor Air Quality, American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA.
Callahan, M.P., D. S. Parker, J.R. Sherwin and M.T. Anello, Evaluation of Energy Efficient Improvements to Portable Classrooms in Florida, FSEC-CR-1133-99, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL, November, 1999.
Callahan, M.P., D. S. Parker, W.L. Dutton and J.E.R. McIlvaine, Energy Efficiency for Florida Educational Facilities: The 1996 Energy Survey of Florida Schools, FSEC-CR-951-97, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL, July 1997.
Clark, W.H.,II, "Outside Air Units for Schools," Engineered Systems, April, 1997.
Construction Specifier, 1999. "Poor IAQ in Schools Raising Concern," October, 1999, p. 10.
Cummings, J.B., "Brevard County Schools: Portable Classrooms at Kennedy and McNair Middle Schools," Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL, April, 1998.
Cutter information Corp, 1997, "Investigators Look to Improve Ventilation in Portable Classrooms," IEQ Strategies, June, 1997, p. 6.
Fuehrlein, B.S., S. Chandra, D. Beal, D.S. Parker, and R. K. Vieira , "Evaluation of EnergyGauge® USA, A Residential Energy Design Software, Against Monitored Data," Proceedings of ACEEE 2000 Summer Study, pp 2.115 - 2.126, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Washington, DC, August 2000.
Parker, D.S., P.A. Broman, L.B. Grant, L. Gu, M.T. Anello, and R.K. Viera, "EnergyGauge® USA: A Residential Building Energy Simulation Design Tool", Proceedings of Building Simulation '99, Kyoto, Japan, 1999
Shirey, D.B., R.A. Raustad and M. Brassard, Evaluation of an Enthalpy Recovery Ventilator Installed in a Portable Classroom, FSEC-CR-1133-99, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL, 1999.
National Association of State Energy Officials
1414 Prince St., Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314 | <urn:uuid:1f80e526-08c4-4b1a-b93d-aa6c3fafd182> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-CR-1272-01/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397842.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00054-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929939 | 4,675 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Geologic Tour of New Mexico
New Mexico State Parks and Monuments
A series of articles on the geology of the state parks in New Mexico by Virginia T. McLemore has been published in New Mexico Geology since 1979. These webpages are summaries, revisions, and updates of these articles.
New Mexico State Parks and Monuments truly have something for everyone. The parks are managed by the State Parks Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department. The geology and recreational activities of the parks are as diverse as New Mexico is. Geologic processes created the mesas, flood plains, mountains, and volcanoes that attract visitors to New Mexico state parks. These webpages are written primarily for nongeologists, but geologists and students should also find them useful.
There were 45 state parks, some of which were managed by local cities, and 6 state monuments (Table 1 — 50 kb PDF ). As a result of budget constraints or other reasons, several state parks have either been closed or transferred to other government agencies for management (see below). The Valley of Fires State Park is now part of the BLM Valley of Fires Wilderness Area. Chicosa Lake State Park closed in April 1996 because of excessive drawdown of the water table and subsequent drying of the lake; the animals were moved to Las Cruces. Only the 31 state parks and 5 state monuments open in 2003. Smokey Bear Historical Park was transferred from the State Parks Division to the State Forestry Department and also is included in this section.
The purpose of the state parks is to protect and preserve spacious areas, diversity of resources and to provide recreation. Resources include scientific, aesthetic, geologic, historical, recreational, and natural. The state monuments were established to protect historical sites and educate the public. Many of New Mexico state parks were established for picnicking, camping, and other recreational activities; some of the state parks and all of the state monuments are historical in theme. Geology always plays an underlying role. | <urn:uuid:e395937b-387c-4ce8-8823-3a0443c11535> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/state/home.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00039-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963215 | 407 | 3.25 | 3 |
It is easy to understand that humans are adding heat to the earth. We burn coal, oil, natural gas, and the combustion creates heat. Hard to build a cold fire.
Are you suggesting that the heat itself produced from fossil fuels is having an effect on global temperatures?
And we can show how greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane insulate.
Yes but it's only one variable of many variables, the total effect is unknown.
The headline findings of the fourth IPCC assessment were:
This would be the same organization that published the hockey stick. yes? The same organization that has had to retract many things in these reports, yes? This would be same organization that has been widely criticized both internally and externally for for the inordinate way in which they have been compiled outside of the typical scientific process? David the IPCC is political organization, it's not a scientific one. For example the head of the IPCC specialty is economics and soft *censored* novelists on the side who just happens to have vast investments in many companies that would benefit from climate change legislation.
Wikipedia is written by everyone, not just anti-capitalists.
Interesting you have mentioned Wikipedia as a reliable source.......
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/col ... 78af9cb409
Connolley took control of all things climate in the most used information source the world has ever known -Wikipedia. Starting in February 2003, just when opposition to the claims of the band members were beginning to gel, Connolley set to work on the Wikipedia site. He rewrote Wikipedia's articles on global warming, on the greenhouse effect, on the instrumental temperature record, on the urban heat island, on climate models, on global cooling. On Feb. 14, he began to erase the Little Ice Age; on Aug. 11, the Medieval Warm Period. In October, he turned his attention to the hockey stick graph. He rewrote articles on the politics of global warming and on the scientists who were skeptical of the band. Richard Lindzen and Fred Singer, two of the world's most distinguished climate scientists, were among his early targets, followed by others that the band especially hated, such as Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, authorities on the Medieval Warm Period.
All told, Connolley created or rewrote 5,428 unique Wikipedia articles. His control over Wikipedia was greater still, however, through the role he obtained at Wikipedia as a website administrator, which allowed him to act with virtual impunity. When Connolley didn't like the subject of a certain article, he removed it -- more than 500 articles of various descriptions disappeared at his hand. When he disapproved of the arguments that others were making, he often had them barred -- over 2,000 Wikipedia contributors who ran afoul of him found themselves blocked from making further contributions. Acolytes whose writing conformed to Connolley's global warming views, in contrast, were rewarded with Wikipedia's blessings. In these ways, Connolley turned Wikipedia into the missionary wing of the global warming movement.
In case you're interested Connolley was banned by Wikipedia eventually but the damage was done at that point.
You're going to have to come up with something more that the IPCC and Wikipedia to back up your claim 97 to 98% of scientists in the climate field agree humans are causing warming.
What is the benefit in believing that humans have had nothing to do with what is happening on this planet? I'm curious.
I don't believe we are or aren't, there simply isn't enough evidence to fully support either position. | <urn:uuid:60219ea4-e0a0-49df-8fc6-e1d68dfe06bf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nepacrossroads.com/about24436-60.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972557 | 748 | 2.828125 | 3 |
The Illinois Solar Schools and Illinois Wind Schools Programs, sponsored by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, teach the value of renewable energy and energy efficiency to K-12 students. By turning school buildings into hands-on science experiments, this program makes science fun and teaches students how their everyday actions can positively impact the environment.
The Illinois Solar Schools Program promotes the installation of 1 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at K-12 schools and other educational facilities. Although each system is relatively small, students see first-hand on a daily basis how sunlight is converted to electricity. Schools and other educational institutions reduce their electricity consumption by using a clean renewable fuel that is free. To enhance the educational value of the system, online monitoring to provide real-time data on the amount of electricity generated is included in the grant.
The Illinois Wind Schools Pilot Program launched in 2011 to support the installation of small-scale (1-5 kW) wind turbines at K-12 schools and other educational facilities. For this pilot, applicants are required to be recipients of Illinois Solar Schools grants. The wind turbine will diversify the schools’ energy portfolio as well as the students’ educational experience. They will not only have the opportunity to learn about both wind and solar, but will be able to better understand the relationship between these two energy sources. Every day, the students are able to access data showing energy production through the online monitoring systems included in the grant and available online.
Since the Solar Schools Program's launch in 2006, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation has awarded over $$2.6 Million in grants to over 280 schools to support the installation of 1 kW solar (PV) systems. Annually, each solar school installation will generate about 1,200 kWh of electricity and help avoid 1,350 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions. The Foundation has also supported the installation of 10 small wind turbines under the Illinois Wind Schools Pilot program. Annually, each turbine will generate approximately 3,200 kWh of electricity and help avoid 3,600 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions. | <urn:uuid:4f2c835b-17ef-49eb-b912-da32032f97cc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://illinoissolarschools.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942997 | 415 | 3.203125 | 3 |
United States Senate Historical Office
Created and maintained by the Office of the Secretary of the United States Senate.
Reviewed January 2004.
The United States Senate Historical Office World Wide Web site provides scholars, students, and lifetime learners with a wealth of useful historical information about the upper house of the United States Congress. Available data include a broad range of historical statistics and facts pertaining to the Senate, primary texts (specifically oral history interviews of former senators), and a timeline of the legislative body’s history. The site also boasts valuable interpretive materials, including a collection of “historical minutes,” brief discussions of significant episodes in Senate history prepared by the Senate historian. Finally, the site provides researchers with information about further historical materials pertaining to the Senate that reside in the U.S. National Archives and a list of historical publications available through the Senate Historical Office.
The factual information presented on this site makes it a welcome addition to the American historical resources available online. Many of the data are vital to students of history and political science and to journalists and others seeking detailed political information: to wit, there is a biographical directory of all individuals who have served in the Senate, a table displaying the numerical representation of political parties in the body since its inception, and a list of majority and minority leaders and whips. But this body of information also provides users with far more esoteric morsels as well; for example, one can find a chart of senators' salaries from the beginning and lists of Senate chaplains, cabinet nominations rejected or withdrawn, and rejected treaties.
These historical materials reside within a much larger Web site that is a significant new addition to the Senate’s public face. Senators and their staffers should be thrilled about the attractive appearance and ready usability of much of this online resource, and the Senate should be commended for making materials from its history available through one of the six primary links available on the site’s front page. But the Senate Historical Office should feel less satisfied with its place in the United States Senate Web site. Web users arriving at http://www.senate.gov and clicking on a link marked “Art and History” find themselves delivered to a page devoted, unsurprisingly, to both the Senate’s art collection and its history. Here users confront a confused organizational scheme that only serves to make the valuable historical information available on the Senate Web site somewhat difficult to use. Nowhere do Web users find a brief introduction to the nature and scope of historical materials available on the site. Rather, they must uncover the site’s riches through the practice of trial and error. Users may find the Senate Historical Office’s official page, which might well serve to provide Web users with this badly needed overview, only through a series of links beginning on the right of the page.
I suspect that this unproductive organizational scheme is the result of a Web site designed, first and foremost, for the use of sitting senators, their staffs, and their constituents. This reviewer urges Senate Web masters to reconsider their organization and presentation of historical materials and provide the public with an online resource befitting the Senate Historical Office’s rich collection of historical resources.
Drew E. VandeCreek
Northern Illinois University | <urn:uuid:4bc1c068-dd99-42fb-a367-3d2b4ad02241> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/2600/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402479.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00161-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915749 | 660 | 2.8125 | 3 |
July, unlike June, is named for a mortal, albeit one who devised and ruled an empire. Julius Caesar was a Roman general, statesman, and historian who conquered Gaul (what is now part of Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands), changed the structure of the Roman government into a dictatorship, was assassinated in legendary fashion, and most importantly for our purposes, helped make the calendar what it is today.
Caesar is responsible for the year as we know it having 365 days, and for the existence of a leap year every four years. How did this Julian Calendar change things? The early Roman calendar had an intercalary month called Intercalans that was 27 or 28 days long, added once every two years after February 23rd. For years including Intercalans, the remaining five days of February were omitted. Our contemporary calendar is still pretty much the same system Caesar instituted more than 2000 years ago.
July was named in honor of Julius Caesar. When Julius Caesar died, Quintilis, which was his birth month, was renamed with July. Quintilis means “fifth month” in Latin, which represents where this month originally fell in the Roman calendar.
(If you think the story behind July is odd, check out why Tuesday is Tiw’s Day.)
Another of Julius Caesar’s legacies is the C section. The Caesarian section is “an operation by which a fetus is taken from the uterus by cutting through the walls of the abdomen and uterus.” It is thought that Julius Caesar himself was born in this way.
Back to Top | <urn:uuid:0d638ce4-7d3b-4413-a1a8-431e3e5ae425> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.dictionary.com/july/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00030-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984695 | 329 | 3.625 | 4 |
Is faster-than-light travel possible?
July 23, 2013
Engineers at NASA Johnson Space Center are designing instruments to find out, by slightly warping the trajectory of a photon and measuring the distance it travels, The New York Times reports.
Inspiration for the research came from Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre, who proposed in 1994 a method of stretching space in a wave which would in theory cause the fabric of space ahead of a spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand, as Anderson Institute explains. The ship would ride this wave inside a region known as a warp bubble of flat space.
“Dr. Alcubierre’s paper was purely theoretical, and suggested insurmountable hurdles. Among other things, it depended on large amounts of a little understood or observed type of “exotic matter” that violates typical physical laws,” says the Times.
However, “Dr. White believes that advances he and others have made render warp speed less implausible. Among other things, he has redesigned the theoretical warp-traveling spacecraft — and in particular a ring around it that is key to its propulsion system — in a way that he believes will greatly reduce the energy requirements.” | <urn:uuid:ede6f9cb-808a-426f-a893-83a0a4ff97ac> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-faster-than-light-travel-possible | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00105-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956753 | 250 | 4.375 | 4 |
George Washington is responsible for proclaiming ‘a day of public thanksgiving’ in 1789. I will discuss Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of the first president of the United States.
The "First Thanksgiving" of 1621 is generally agreed as the time when the pilgrims at Plymouth Plantations held a feast to celebrate a successful growing season.
As for the government recognizing the day as a secular holiday, there first was President George Washington. Then during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the last Thursday in November, beginning with 1863. And that is how the day of Thanksgiving came about.
Gilbert Stuart, a portrait painter, was born in Rhode Island in 1755. Stuart made sketches directly on the canvas before applying paint. This was considered unusual for an artist at that time. Sketches have been found on some of his unfinished works.
His first portrait of George Washington painted from life was in 1795 and is called "The Vaughan Portrait." It resides at the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
The most famous and highly recognized portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart is "The Athenaeum." It was painted from life in 1796 and remained unfinished. Stuart would use the image for the U.S. currency’s one-dollar bill. "The Athenaeum" can be seen (when on exhibit) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, M.A. A copy of this painting hangs in the White House.
The third portrait of George Washington is "The Lansdowne Portrait" (1796). This painting also resides at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
'The Lansdowne Portrait' painting
This is a portrait of the president standing, with objects in the room symbolic of war and peace. This portrait was amazingly saved when British soldiers burned down the White House during the War of 1812.
There is speculation as to who actually saved "The Lansdowne Portrait" from destruction. Was it First Lady Dolley Madison or a White House cook? You be the judge.
You can own your own art print of "George Washington" by Gilbert Stuart.
Artprice.com, "THE WORLD LEADER IN ART MARKET INFORMATION."
To research art market prices,you only need enter the artist's last name below: | <urn:uuid:bc31ec07-6542-40f3-92c9-89fb475f890b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art64525.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00010-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957268 | 494 | 3.765625 | 4 |
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