Clipmarks | pokkets's Comments

Invisibility cloak within sight

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:45:26 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: News of the latest research

Maggie Fox

Scientists have created two new types of materials that can bend light the wrong way, creating the first step toward an invisibility cloaking device.

the vanishing act takes place on a nanoscale, measured in billionths of a metre

experiments, led by Professor Xiang Zhang at the University of California at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, are reported simultaneously today in the British journal Nature and the US-based journal Science.

Both are so-called metamaterials, artificially engineered structures that have properties not seen in nature, such as negative refractive index

When you see a fish in the water, the fish will appear to be in front of the position it really is. Or if you put a stick in the water, the stick seems to bend away from you

The negative refraction achieved by the teams at Berkeley would be different

Instead of the fish appearing to be slightly ahead of where it is in the water, it would actually appear to be above the water's surface

Cats happy to share if they're top dog

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:06:32 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: It's the dog's fault according to the researcher.
The example at the bottom of the clip, is used as an analogy. And they've never seen a jealous cat?
One problem is that the dog starts copying the cat. When very often in 'cat free' homes, the dog will copy (for better or worse) the owner.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Jennifer Viegas

Dogs and cats can be best of friends, suggests a new study - so long as the cat is in the home first and introductions are made at a young age.

Strange bedfellows: dogs may begin to take on cat-like qualities, by sniffing noses rather than nether regions

According to authors Neta-Li Feuerstein and Professor Joseph Terkel from Tel Aviv University, the study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, is the first to examine relationships between dogs and cats living in the same house.

if the animals are introduced to each other while still a puppy and a kitten, the two can actually learn each other's body language.

with homes in which a dog is adopted either before or after a baby is born

When the dog enters a home with a baby in residence, the status quo is already in place

However, when the baby is born after the dog has become accustomed to a certain amount of attention

the dog will often display behaviour resembling jealousy."

Noseless seats a less pressing option

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:28:14 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: It should be a great alternative for recreational use, and some professions where bike riding is part of the job description, but it isn't really an option for sports racing, where time is more important than comfort. Some bike racers would prefer to have a groin injury, than lose a second. Another remedy suggested by Dr Barnes, apart from seat adjustment, is a good quality chamois in the shorts. - However you may want to be careful not to use it to dry the car.
Another thing. Police may know how to ride a bike, but what fraction have ever adjusted the seat?

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Claudine Ryan

A long day on the bike leaves most of us uncomfortable, but US scientists have good news for those men who find themselves with more than a numb backside

Research published in the latest issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that bicycle seats without the protruding nose extension can help to ease discomfort some male bike riders experience

past researchers have found men riding their bikes for extended periods are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, as well as genital numbness.

Researchers evaluated 90 bike police officers in five metropolitan areas in the United States. After six months of using no-nose bike seats the number of officers who reported no genital numbness rose from 27% to 82%.

Sports Medicine Australia's

Dr Peter Barnes says there are easier ways for men to alleviate groin discomfort bike riding can cause.

It's a common problem, but it's not a major problem that can't be overcome with pretty simple adjustments to the set up of their bike

Hydrogen harvested using nature's recipe

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:59:05 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Dani Cooper

Researchers have split water into hydrogen and oxygen by replicating how plants use photosynthesis to make carbohydrates.

The team of Australian and US researchers says their findings, published in the latest Angewandte Chemie International Edition could lead to a cheap and easy way of making hydrogen, which many experts believe is the green fuel of the future.

Professor Leone Spiccia, of Monash University's School of Chemistry says the team has mimicked the process of photosynthesis, whereby plants convert light and atmospheric carbon dioxide into energy.

The new system involves an electrode coated with a proton conductor that is then impregnated with a form of manganese.

Manganese clusters are essential to a plant's ability to use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to make carbohydrates

However instead of creating carbohydrates, the team have used nature's recipe to split water into its two elements, oxygen and hydrogen.

with the help of sunlight and 1.2 volts of electricity.

What if Electricity Was FREE???

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:23:04 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: The life story and work of Nikola Tesla. He invented AC electricity, Neon Lights, Radio transmission, The Electric motor, Wireless electricity transfer, Remote control, Hydraulics, Lasers, Space weapons, Robotics, and many, many more things.

As Tesla claimed to have invented a way to harness free energy from the voltage difference in the ionosphere that causes lightning, he was seen as a threat to the world energy economy and most of his inventions were classified for national security by the US government.

A lot of his discoveries in physics have not been released to the public, despite being invented nearly 100 years ago. In 2006 the first company publicly announced it could successfully power items by remote power without wires, (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6129460. stm) something Tesla had invented nearly a century ago.

Clip Source: www.deepinfo.com

Tesla showed that gravity does not pull us to earth, but rather is a force gradient present everywhere, even in space. The earth acts as a shield from the push of the energy forces that would be under us. Newtonian physics was refined: 2 objects do not attract to the inverse square of their distances: they mutually shield from gravitational "push"
Tesla wanted everyone to have FREE ELECTRICITY, so he invented a FREE ENERGY machine to convert the high potential energy gradient (present everywhere) to electricity. Unfortunately, his notes disappeared when he died. Research based on his has produced different forms of a FREE ENERGY convertor . Tesla's convertor gave much more power than current re-creations.

Clip Source: www.tesla.org

Who was Nikola Tesla ? * Tesla's Inventions * The Tesla Timeline

More on TESLA * Tesla Society of New York * The Tesla Coil

Tesla Power Transmitter Tower * Tesla's Writings * Tesla Coil WebRing

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: energy, greed, physics

Sublime & Sensual Smoke Art - amazing

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:19:25 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "mesmerizing and enchanting dance of evolving forms":

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

Today, we'll feature some examples of "smoke art", and marvel at how such an elusive substance can be possibly herded into fascinating shapes.

irst, lets see how a NATURAL smoke can be made to look so wonderful - without any Photoshop manipulations.

Irene Muller examines the inner wisps and curls of colored smoke, producing photographs worthy to be framed in the process. See the whole series on her site

Or the smoke that's produced in explosive interaction with electricity:

More awesome electricity at play here:

The most basic combination of elements: fire and air (smoke) - make for an endlessly mesmerizing and enchanting dance of evolving forms:

"Fire and smoke" set from Brent:

"One Strobe coming from the left and to the rear of the match. Shutter was set to capture ambient flame" -

Unintentional Shapes

Magical combination of smoke and sunrays

urning incense sticks makes groovy "colored smoke"

Thomas Herbrich has an excellent series "Smoke" on his site:

Scientists stop the aging process.

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:12:01 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Perhaps suspend. In a mouse liver. The findings linked aging to the ability of cells to expel toxins,which when not removed cause a buildup which results in degeneration. The degeneration then reducing the ability to remove toxins. The toxins that are removed are generally natural, but I don't know how the results would extend to artificial toxins which are leeching through our environments.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scientists have stopped the ageing process in an entire organ for the first time, a study released today says.

Clean bill of health: Scientists have shown that clearing damaged protein from the liver helps stop age decline in the organ

Published in today's online edition of Nature Medicine, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City also say the older organs function as well as they did when the host animal was younger.

The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build-up of harmful proteins inside the organ's cells.

As people age their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a build-up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The benefits of restoring the cleaning mechanisms found inside all cells could extend far beyond a single organ, says Cuervo.

USAF study: Invading Iran "negative" for USA

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:08:54 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Urges patience, engagement, toning down policy statements

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

a major study produced for the U.S. Air Force by a top defense think tank concluded that U.S. military action against Iran was "likely to have negative effects for the United States".

Entitled "Iran's Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities," the 156-page report also called for Washington to "tone down" its policy statements supporting "regime change" and to "discourage Iranian ethnic groups from revolting against the regime". Both policies, it said, are likely to be counter-productive.

Instead, according to the three main authors of the study, Washington should adopt a more patient approach, "designed to create conditions for effective relations (with Tehran) over the long haul."

the RAND study bolsters those who favor engagement with Iran, even as it also supports the maintenance of certain kinds of sanctions, notably the embargo on certain high-tech gas liquefaction technologies, as a bargaining chip for future negotiations with Tehran

Tags: iran, war on terror

Complex decision? Don't sleep on it

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:09:34 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Since its publication two years ago by a Dutch research team in the journal Science, the earlier finding had been used to encourage decision-makers to make "snap" decisions (for example, in the best-selling book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell) or to leave complex choices to the powers of unconscious thought ("Sleep on it", Dijksterhuis et al., Science, 2006).

But in the new study, to be published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, scientists ran four experiments in which participants were presented with complex decisions and asked to choose the best option immediately ("blink"), after a period of conscious deliberation ("think"), or after a period of distraction ("sleep on it"), which is claimed to encourage "unconscious thought processes".

In all experiments, there was some evidence that conscious deliberation can lead to better choices and little evidence for superiority of choices made "unconsciously".

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Neither snap judgements nor sleeping on a problem are any better than conscious thinking for making complex decisions, according to new research.

The finding debunks a controversial 2006 research result asserting that unconscious thought is superior for complex decisions, such as buying a house or car.

If anything, the new study suggests that conscious thought leads to better choices.

"Claims that we can make superior 'snap' decisions by trusting intuition or through the 'power' of unconscious thought have received a great deal of attention in the media," says University of New South Wales psychologist, Dr Ben Newell, lead author of the new study.

"At best, these sorts of headlines are misleading," says Dr Newell. "At worst, they're outright dangerous. In stark contrast to claims made by the Dutch research team and in the media, we found very little evidence of the superiority of unconscious thought for complex decisions.

Tags: behavior, decision making, rationality, intuition

10 Things You Need to Know About Coffee

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:03:02 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks:
A millennium ago on a mountainside in Africa, a herd of goats kept a shepherd up at night after feasting on red coffee berries. The shepherd took his animals' discovery to some monks, and very long prayer sessions ensued. It's a good story, anyway.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

2. Coffee Can Be Good For You
A study shows that Americans get most of their antioxidants from their daily fix of java. One to two cups a day appear to be beneficial. Or, if you don't like coffee, try black tea, the second most consumed antioxidant source. Bananas, dry beans, and corn wrap up the top five.

3. Caffeine Might Boost Female Sex Drive
It worked on rats anyway. But researchers say in humans, coffee might enhance the sexual experience only among people who are not habitual users.

6. Decaf Coffee Has Caffeine!
If you drink five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee, you could get as much caffeine as from one or two cups of caffeinated coffee, a study found.

7. Decaffeination Uses Chemicals
Beans are steamed, so that dissolved caffeine rises to the surface, where it is washed off using an organic solvent called methylene chloride.

8. Caffeine Is Not The Bitter Culprit
Caffeine is not the main bitter compound in coffee. Rather, the pungent perpetrators are antioxidants.

Tags: love, it

The Most Important Story So Far This Month

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:57:29 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: I join you in your anger, disgust and dismay.

I'ts the best news corporate can buy! (0.00 / 0)
Between this story and the Matthew McConaughey placenta spectacular, I thank God I've lived long enough to remember what journalism used to be. Including the status of our servicemen and women, there are so many issues to be tackled and this...is the best that media can come up with? I'm too flustered to read more than the headlines of this swill. Specifically gave up on network television news 2 years ago...is print next?

Clip Source: www.vetvoice.com

by: RockRichard

Fri Aug 08, 2008

This evening on ABC's nightly national news broadcast, former Presidential candidate and 2004 Vice Presidential Nominee John Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair with a campaign videographer for a brief period in 2006.

What's the worst aspect of this story? More after the fold.

RockRichard :: The Most Important Story So Far This Month The worst part of this story is that for the past several weeks, this as swirled around the news media. Beginning in the highly reputable National Enquirer, rolling through North Carolina's Charlotte Observer, making a stop at Fox News, and finally landing on ABC. Every pundit who had not yet opined on this story will tonight.

The world is shocked and dismayed. Talking heads will be spinning for weeks to come.

And no one seems to give a shit that 17 Soldiers have died this month in a war of choice in Iraq, and a war of neglect in Afghanistan. And that's the most important story so far this month.

Georgia: Where US loss of moral authority matters

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:50:12 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Bush rebukes; Russians point to US invasion of Iraq

Clip Source: www.dailykos.com

Bush today:

"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state.... Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century.... We have no doubts about it. This is a deliberate attempt to destroy an entire country and change the regime."

Right. Invading a sovereign state to destroy a country and change the regime isn't acceptable in the 21st century. Good to know.

Charles King, Russia expert and professor in the School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government at Georgetown University, in an interivew with Glenn Greenwald:

there's that exchange in the UN where the US ambassador to the UN said that Russia had intended 'regime change' in Georgia, to which the Russian ambassador replied that that was an American concept

The U.S. has no moral authority, Bush's having "looked into Putin's soul" notwithstanding.

Tags: bush, georgia, foreign policy

Lack of Corporate taxes, New Orleans Non-profit corruption

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:42:33 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: Trillions of untaxed income....wait, what?

Clip Source: www.freep.com

Most U.S. corporations and foreign companies doing business in the United States pay no federal income tax, according to a new report from Congress.

The study by the Government Accountability Office, expected to be released today, said two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1998 to 2005 and about 68% of foreign companies doing business in the United States avoided corporate taxes over the same period.

Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to the GAO's estimate.

"It's shameful that so many corporations make big profits and pay nothing to support our country," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who asked for the GAO study with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

NEW ORLEANS: FBI raids office hired in Katrina cleanup

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents went to offices of the New Orleans Affordable Homeownership Corp. on Monday, the FBI said.

Biodiversity Declining at 'Unprecedented Rate'

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:53:28 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Going, going, ................

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

The biodiversity of Earth "is declining at an unprecedented rate" according to a new study of threatened species that labels 15,589 plants and animals as threatened for extinction.

Among the report's conclusions:

At least 15 species have gone extinct in the past 20 years; 12 other species survive only in captivity. The actual extinction figure may be higher.

A total of 15,589 species (7,266 animals and 8,323 plants and lichens) are considered at risk of extinction.

One in three amphibians and 42 percent of turtles and tortoises are threatened with extinction, along with 12 percent of birds 23 percent of mammals.

The numbers of threatened species are increasing across almost all major taxonomic groups;

Current extinction rates are at least one hundred to a thousand times higher than background, or "natural" rates.

The list is larger than versions past in part because it includes a more complete assessment of amphibians.

Tags: nature

Hubble unveils colorful star birth region on 100,000th orbit milestone

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:58:53 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

In commemoration of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope completing its 100,000th orbit around the Earth in its 18th year of exploration and discovery, scientists have aimed Hubble to take a snapshot of a dazzling region of celestial birth and renewal. Hubble peered into a small portion of the nebula near the star cluster NGC 2074 (upper, left). The region is a firestorm of raw stellar creation, perhaps triggered by a nearby supernova explosion. It lies about 170,000 light-years away near the Tarantula nebula, one of the most active star-forming regions in our Local Group of galaxies. This representative color image was taken on August 10, 2008, with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. Red shows emission from sulphur atoms, green from glowing hydrogen and blue from glowing oxygen. Credit: NASA, ESA and M. Livio (STScI)

Tags: astronomy