Saturday, January 27, 2007
Solar Superstorm?
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/23oct_superstorm.htm
Solar Superstorm
Scientists are beginning to understand a historic solar storm in 1859. One day, they say, it could happen again.
October 23, 2003: Newly uncovered scientific data of recorded history's most massive space storm is helping a NASA scientist investigate its intensity and the probability that what occurred on Earth and in the heavens almost a century-and-a-half ago could happen again.
Right: An ultraviolet-wavelength picture of the sun taken by the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on Oct. 23, 2003.
In scientific circles where solar flares, magnetic storms and other unique solar events are discussed, the occurrences of September 1-2, 1859, are the star stuff of legend. Even 144 years ago, many of Earth's inhabitants realized something momentous had just occurred. Within hours, telegraph wires in both the United States and Europe spontaneously shorted out, causing numerous fires, while the Northern Lights, solar-induced phenomena more closely associated with regions near Earth's North Pole, were documented as far south as Rome, Havana and Hawaii, with similar effects at the South Pole.
What happened in 1859 was a combination of several events that occurred on the Sun at the same time. If they took place separately they would be somewhat notable events. But together they caused the most potent disruption of Earth's ionosphere in recorded history. "What they generated was the perfect space storm," says Bruce Tsurutani, a plasma physicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
To begin to understand the perfect space storm you must first begin to understand the gargantuan numbers with which plasma physicists like Tsurutani work every day. At over 1.4 million kilometers (869,919 miles) wide, the Sun contains 99.86 percent of the mass of the entire solar system: well over a million Earths could fit inside its bulk. The total energy radiated by the Sun averages 383 billion trillion kilowatts, the equivalent of the energy generated by 100 billion tons of TNT exploding each and every second.
But the energy released by the Sun is not always constant. Close inspection of the Sun's surface reveals a turbulent tangle of magnetic fields and boiling arc-shaped clouds of hot plasma dappled by dark, roving sunspots.
Once in a while--exactly when scientists still cannot predict--an event occurs on the surface of the Sun that releases a tremendous amount of energy in the form of a solar flare or a coronal mass ejection, an explosive burst of very hot, electrified gases with a mass that can surpass that of Mount Everest.
Below: These Northern Lights appeared over Wisconsin on Oct. 22, 2003. During the superstorm of 1859, such lights appeared as far south as Cuba and Hawaii. Photo copyright Chris VenHaus.
What transpired during the dog days of summer 1859, across the 150 million-kilometer (about 93 million-mile) chasm of interplanetary space that separates the Sun and Earth, was this: on August 28, solar observers noted the development of numerous sunspots on the Sun's surface. Sunspots are localized regions of extremely intense magnetic fields. These magnetic fields intertwine, and the resulting magnetic energy can generate a sudden, violent release of energy called a solar flare. From August 28 to September 2 several solar flares were observed. Then, on September 1, the Sun released a mammoth solar flare. For almost an entire minute the amount of sunlight the Sun produced at the region of the flare actually doubled.
"With the flare came this explosive release of a massive cloud of magnetically charged plasma called a coronal mass ejection," said Tsurutani. "Not all coronal mass ejections head toward Earth. Those that do usually take three to four days to get here. This one took all of 17 hours and 40 minutes," he noted.
Below: SOHO coronagraphs captured this movie of a coronal mass ejection (CME) heading toward Earth on Oct. 22nd. NOAA forecasters expect the CME to cause a geomagnetic storm when it reaches Earth on or about Oct. 24th, but not as severe as the superstorm of 1859.
Not only was this coronal mass ejection an extremely fast mover, the magnetic fields contained within it were extremely intense and in direct opposition with Earth's magnetic fields. That meant the coronal mass ejection of September 1, 1859, overwhelmed Earth's own magnetic field, allowing charged particles to penetrate into Earth's upper atmosphere. The endgame to such a stellar event is one heck of a light show and more -- including potential disruptions of electrical grids and communications systems.
Back in 1859 the invention of the telegraph was only 15 years old and society's electrical framework was truly in its infancy. A 1994 solar storm caused major malfunctions to two communications satellites, disrupting newspaper, network television and nationwide radio service throughout Canada. Other storms have affected systems ranging from cell phone service and TV signals to GPS systems and electrical power grids. In March 1989, a solar storm much less intense than the perfect space storm of 1859 caused the Hydro-Quebec (Canada) power grid to go down for over nine hours, and the resulting damages and loss in revenue were estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
"The question I get asked most often is, 'Could a perfect space storm happen again, and when?'" added Tsurutani. "I tell people it could, and it could very well be even more intense than what transpired in 1859. As for when, we simply do not know," he said.
The sun's million degree atmosphere is shown in this photograph taken on December 4, 2006 by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead observatory's SECCHI/EUVI telescope at 171 A released on Thursday, March 1. The new twin spacecraft si already helping scientists track pesky solar storms from the sun to Earth, where they can disrupt satellites, communications and sometimes the electricity supply, the US space agency said on Thursday.
Solar Superstorm
Scientists are beginning to understand a historic solar storm in 1859. One day, they say, it could happen again.
October 23, 2003: Newly uncovered scientific data of recorded history's most massive space storm is helping a NASA scientist investigate its intensity and the probability that what occurred on Earth and in the heavens almost a century-and-a-half ago could happen again.
Right: An ultraviolet-wavelength picture of the sun taken by the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on Oct. 23, 2003.
In scientific circles where solar flares, magnetic storms and other unique solar events are discussed, the occurrences of September 1-2, 1859, are the star stuff of legend. Even 144 years ago, many of Earth's inhabitants realized something momentous had just occurred. Within hours, telegraph wires in both the United States and Europe spontaneously shorted out, causing numerous fires, while the Northern Lights, solar-induced phenomena more closely associated with regions near Earth's North Pole, were documented as far south as Rome, Havana and Hawaii, with similar effects at the South Pole.
What happened in 1859 was a combination of several events that occurred on the Sun at the same time. If they took place separately they would be somewhat notable events. But together they caused the most potent disruption of Earth's ionosphere in recorded history. "What they generated was the perfect space storm," says Bruce Tsurutani, a plasma physicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
To begin to understand the perfect space storm you must first begin to understand the gargantuan numbers with which plasma physicists like Tsurutani work every day. At over 1.4 million kilometers (869,919 miles) wide, the Sun contains 99.86 percent of the mass of the entire solar system: well over a million Earths could fit inside its bulk. The total energy radiated by the Sun averages 383 billion trillion kilowatts, the equivalent of the energy generated by 100 billion tons of TNT exploding each and every second.
But the energy released by the Sun is not always constant. Close inspection of the Sun's surface reveals a turbulent tangle of magnetic fields and boiling arc-shaped clouds of hot plasma dappled by dark, roving sunspots.
Once in a while--exactly when scientists still cannot predict--an event occurs on the surface of the Sun that releases a tremendous amount of energy in the form of a solar flare or a coronal mass ejection, an explosive burst of very hot, electrified gases with a mass that can surpass that of Mount Everest.
Below: These Northern Lights appeared over Wisconsin on Oct. 22, 2003. During the superstorm of 1859, such lights appeared as far south as Cuba and Hawaii. Photo copyright Chris VenHaus.
What transpired during the dog days of summer 1859, across the 150 million-kilometer (about 93 million-mile) chasm of interplanetary space that separates the Sun and Earth, was this: on August 28, solar observers noted the development of numerous sunspots on the Sun's surface. Sunspots are localized regions of extremely intense magnetic fields. These magnetic fields intertwine, and the resulting magnetic energy can generate a sudden, violent release of energy called a solar flare. From August 28 to September 2 several solar flares were observed. Then, on September 1, the Sun released a mammoth solar flare. For almost an entire minute the amount of sunlight the Sun produced at the region of the flare actually doubled.
"With the flare came this explosive release of a massive cloud of magnetically charged plasma called a coronal mass ejection," said Tsurutani. "Not all coronal mass ejections head toward Earth. Those that do usually take three to four days to get here. This one took all of 17 hours and 40 minutes," he noted.
Below: SOHO coronagraphs captured this movie of a coronal mass ejection (CME) heading toward Earth on Oct. 22nd. NOAA forecasters expect the CME to cause a geomagnetic storm when it reaches Earth on or about Oct. 24th, but not as severe as the superstorm of 1859.
Not only was this coronal mass ejection an extremely fast mover, the magnetic fields contained within it were extremely intense and in direct opposition with Earth's magnetic fields. That meant the coronal mass ejection of September 1, 1859, overwhelmed Earth's own magnetic field, allowing charged particles to penetrate into Earth's upper atmosphere. The endgame to such a stellar event is one heck of a light show and more -- including potential disruptions of electrical grids and communications systems.
Back in 1859 the invention of the telegraph was only 15 years old and society's electrical framework was truly in its infancy. A 1994 solar storm caused major malfunctions to two communications satellites, disrupting newspaper, network television and nationwide radio service throughout Canada. Other storms have affected systems ranging from cell phone service and TV signals to GPS systems and electrical power grids. In March 1989, a solar storm much less intense than the perfect space storm of 1859 caused the Hydro-Quebec (Canada) power grid to go down for over nine hours, and the resulting damages and loss in revenue were estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
"The question I get asked most often is, 'Could a perfect space storm happen again, and when?'" added Tsurutani. "I tell people it could, and it could very well be even more intense than what transpired in 1859. As for when, we simply do not know," he said.
The sun's million degree atmosphere is shown in this photograph taken on December 4, 2006 by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead observatory's SECCHI/EUVI telescope at 171 A released on Thursday, March 1. The new twin spacecraft si already helping scientists track pesky solar storms from the sun to Earth, where they can disrupt satellites, communications and sometimes the electricity supply, the US space agency said on Thursday.
Labels: solar flares, solar storms
Transhumanism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism
Transhumanism (sometimes abbreviated >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as disease, aging, and death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.[1]
Although the first known use of the term "transhumanism" dates from 1957, the contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s, when a group of scientists, artists, and futurists based in the United States began to organize what has since grown into the transhumanist movement. Transhumanist thinkers postulate that human beings will eventually be transformed into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".[1]
The transhumanist vision of a profoundly transformed future humanity has attracted many supporters as well as critics from a wide range of perspectives. Transhumanism has been described by a proponent as the "movement that epitomizes the most daring, courageous, imaginative, and idealistic aspirations of humanity,"[2] while according to one outspoken opponent, it is the world's most dangerous idea.[3]
Transhumanism (sometimes abbreviated >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as disease, aging, and death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.[1]
Although the first known use of the term "transhumanism" dates from 1957, the contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s, when a group of scientists, artists, and futurists based in the United States began to organize what has since grown into the transhumanist movement. Transhumanist thinkers postulate that human beings will eventually be transformed into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".[1]
The transhumanist vision of a profoundly transformed future humanity has attracted many supporters as well as critics from a wide range of perspectives. Transhumanism has been described by a proponent as the "movement that epitomizes the most daring, courageous, imaginative, and idealistic aspirations of humanity,"[2] while according to one outspoken opponent, it is the world's most dangerous idea.[3]
Genetically modified (GM) food
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
A genetically modified food is a product developed from a different genetically modified organism (GMO) such as a crop plant, animal or microorganism. Genetically modified foods produced by genetic engineering have been available since the 1990s. The principal GM foods derived from plants are soybean, maize, canola, cocoa beans, and cotton seed oil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineering
Genetic engineering
-------------------
Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM) and gene splicing are terms for the process of manipulating genes, generally implying that the process is outside the organism's natural reproductive process.
A genetically modified food is a product developed from a different genetically modified organism (GMO) such as a crop plant, animal or microorganism. Genetically modified foods produced by genetic engineering have been available since the 1990s. The principal GM foods derived from plants are soybean, maize, canola, cocoa beans, and cotton seed oil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineering
Genetic engineering
-------------------
Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM) and gene splicing are terms for the process of manipulating genes, generally implying that the process is outside the organism's natural reproductive process.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Beta-endorphin
http://www.gulfnews.com/world/General/10095953.html
Beta-endorphin, a pain-relieving chemical the body releases in response to alcohol intake and other stimuli.
Researchers have identified a gene variation that seems to influence a person's craving for alcohol, a finding they believe could have important implications for identifying at-risk drinkers as well as for selecting the best treatment for a patient's dependence.
The gene mutation involves a cell structure called the mu-opioid receptor. In previous studies, this receptor has been shown to bind beta-endorphin, a pain-relieving chemical the body releases in response to alcohol intake and other stimuli.
Further research has shown that when the gene variant, or the "G allele", is present, the receptor binds to beta-endorphin more strongly than when the more common "A allele" is present.
Beta-endorphin, a pain-relieving chemical the body releases in response to alcohol intake and other stimuli.
Researchers have identified a gene variation that seems to influence a person's craving for alcohol, a finding they believe could have important implications for identifying at-risk drinkers as well as for selecting the best treatment for a patient's dependence.
The gene mutation involves a cell structure called the mu-opioid receptor. In previous studies, this receptor has been shown to bind beta-endorphin, a pain-relieving chemical the body releases in response to alcohol intake and other stimuli.
Further research has shown that when the gene variant, or the "G allele", is present, the receptor binds to beta-endorphin more strongly than when the more common "A allele" is present.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Heat - Cold - Queries that arise in my mind
Cold really doesnt exist and its just absence of heat that is termed as cold in the same way dark doesnt exist but its just absence of light that is termed as dark.
Are there any other intermittent forms / stages /states of these two, i.e. heat and light.
We as creatures living in 3-D world experience heat / cold, light / dark. Suppose, we were to live in 4-D or more, than can we experience any other intermittent stages of heat / cold, light / dark at a microscopic level.
What is the experience for the creatures in 1-D or 2-D. For them heat / cold or light / dark could mean what? Can they see in dark and feel the cold or heat? Do they experience any less stages of heat / cold.
Assuming ants are 2-D (length & breadth) creatures and cannot see 3-D world (height).
When a creature (human) in 3-D
1) flush water on an ants path, what does that mean to an ant, is that a natural disaster like a flood or tsunami, what is it?
2) stamps on an ant unknowingly or holds it, what does it mean?
3) what does crawling on chair or sofa in 3-D mean to a group of ants, these chairs and sofas are not created by them? than as humans, if we are walking on what we didnt create, are we irritating creatures in 4-D as ants are irritating us?
Are there any creatures in 4-D or more who see us like ants, they might be more gigantic than us such that we look like ants to them....Are they indirectly controlling us as we are intentionally or unintentionally doing with ants, i mean the natural disasters what we see in which mankind is getting effected by way of tsunamis, floods, quakes, are these created by creatures in 4-D and since we donno anything about them, we term as "Natural" or "Natures Fury"
Are there any other intermittent forms / stages /states of these two, i.e. heat and light.
We as creatures living in 3-D world experience heat / cold, light / dark. Suppose, we were to live in 4-D or more, than can we experience any other intermittent stages of heat / cold, light / dark at a microscopic level.
What is the experience for the creatures in 1-D or 2-D. For them heat / cold or light / dark could mean what? Can they see in dark and feel the cold or heat? Do they experience any less stages of heat / cold.
Assuming ants are 2-D (length & breadth) creatures and cannot see 3-D world (height).
When a creature (human) in 3-D
1) flush water on an ants path, what does that mean to an ant, is that a natural disaster like a flood or tsunami, what is it?
2) stamps on an ant unknowingly or holds it, what does it mean?
3) what does crawling on chair or sofa in 3-D mean to a group of ants, these chairs and sofas are not created by them? than as humans, if we are walking on what we didnt create, are we irritating creatures in 4-D as ants are irritating us?
Are there any creatures in 4-D or more who see us like ants, they might be more gigantic than us such that we look like ants to them....Are they indirectly controlling us as we are intentionally or unintentionally doing with ants, i mean the natural disasters what we see in which mankind is getting effected by way of tsunamis, floods, quakes, are these created by creatures in 4-D and since we donno anything about them, we term as "Natural" or "Natures Fury"
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]