All that triggers interest in me to know more!

Cosmic 'umbilical cord' discovered

2011-10-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.tgdaily.com/space-features/58759-cosmic-umbilical-cord-discovered

Posted on September 29, 2011 - 06:42 by Kate Taylor

Australian astronomers say they've found proof of a vast filament of material that connects our Milky Way galaxy to nearby clusters of galaxies and on to the rest of the universe.

The Australian National University team examined the positions of ancient groupings of stars called globular clusters, and found that they form a narrow plane around the Milky Way rather than being scattered across the sky.

And the Milky Way’s own entourage of small satellites also inhabits the same plane.

"What we have discovered is evidence for the cosmic thread that connects us to the vast expanse of the universe," says Dr Stefan Keller of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at ANU.

"The filament of star clusters and small galaxies around the Milky Way is like the umbilical cord that fed our galaxy during its youth."

Because of the Big Bang and the dominance of dark matter in the universe, he says, ordinary matter is driven, like foam on the crest of a wave, into vast interconnected sheets and filaments stretched over enormous cosmic voids – "much like the structure of a kitchen sponge."

"Unlike a sponge, however, gravity draws the material over these interconnecting filaments towards the largest lumps of matter, and our findings show that the globular clusters and satellite galaxies of the Milky Way trace this cosmic filament," he says.

Most globular clusters are the central cores of small galaxies that have been drawn along the filament by gravity. Once these small galaxies got too close to the Milky Way, the majority of stars were stripped away and added to our galaxy, leaving only their cores.

"It is thought that the Milky Way has grown to its current size by the consumption of hundreds of such smaller galaxies over cosmic time," says Keller.

Scientists undo evolution to create chicken maniraptora snout

2011-08-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2027558/Scientists-undo-evolution-create-chicken-maniraptora-snout.html#ixzz1VY9AjDmu

Rewinding evolution: Scientists alter chicken DNA to create embryo with 'alligator-like' snoutProcess could help detect birth defects in human children
By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:24 PM on 19th August 2011

Scientists have undone the progress made by evolution by altering chicken DNA to create embryos with alligator-like snouts instead of beaks.

Experts changed the DNA of chicken embryos in the early stage of their development, enabling them to undo evolutionary progress and give the creatures snouts which are thought to have been lost in the cretaceous period millions of years ago.

The scientific revelation of 'rewinding' evolution could pave the way for scientists altering DNA in the other direction and use the same process to create species better able to adapt to Earth's climate.

It has also been claimed that the breakthrough could eventually help eliminate birth defects in human children.

Arkhat Abzhanov, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, developed the chickens with snouts by cutting a square hole in the shell of a chicken egg and dropping in a small gelatinous protein bead before watching the embryo develop.

The changes allowed separate molecules on the side of the face free to grow into snouts within 14 days.

Although ethical rules prevent the eggs from bring hatched, Dr Abzhanov said he hopes to complete the work one day by turning chickens into Maniraptora.

Dr Abzhanov made the changes by analysing the 'signalling molecules' which control the anatomical changes in birds and other animals.

Adding protein beads to the egg which stifle the development of certain molecules also prevents the birds from growing certain features.

Maniraptora are small dinosaurs which it is thought spawned thousands of species of birds which exist today.

Chickens and other birds are thought to have descended from dinosaurs through a series of genetic changes.

By altering the DNA of chickens to resemble alligator genes before the beak developed, Dr Abzhanov was able to change the evolutionary path of chickens so that they grew snouts instead.

Dr Abzhanov told the New Scientist: 'It looks exactly like a snout looks in an alligator [at this stage].'

Jack Horner, a leading paleontologist based at the University of Montana, is conducting similar work in an attempt to make a 'chickenosaurus' with a tail and hands similar to those of a dinosaur.

Craig Albertson, a developmental biologist at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, said: 'Abzhanov's 'snouted' chicken provides a striking demonstration of just how easy it can be to provoke major evolutionary changes.'

Hopes for artificial brain after cell is made in lab

2011-04-26T02:43:00.000-07:00

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Hopes-for-artificial-brain-after-cell-is-made-in-lab/articleshow/8086640.cms

Researchers have for the first time created a synthetic synapse circuit whose behaviour duplicates the function of a brain cell. A synapse is a junction that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another nerve or brain cell.

The team, led by professors Alice Parker and Chongwu Zhou at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, combined circuit design with nanotechnology to address the complex problem of capturing brain function.

"This is a necessary first step in the process," said Parker, who began looking at the possibility of developing a synthetic brain in 2006. "We wanted to answer the question: Can you build a circuit that would act like a neuron? The next step is even more complex. How can we build structures out of these circuits that mimic the function of the brain?"

Parker emphasized that the actual development of a synthetic brain, or even a functional brain area is decades away. She believes the breakthrough could have long-term implications for everything — from developing prosthetic nanotechnology to heal traumatic brain injuries to developing intelligent, safe cars that would protect drivers in bold new ways.

Use of graphene photovoltaics as alternate source of energy

2010-10-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

Could you imagine people powering their cell phone or music/video device while jogging on a sunny day?

A University of Southern California team has produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that may have great potential for a new breed of solar cells. Inside a paper recently published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers stated that organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have been proposed as an approach to create low priced energy due to their ease of manufacture, light weight, and compatibility with flexible substrates.

This work shows that graphene, a highly conductive and highly transparent kind of carbon composed of atoms-thick sheets of carbon atoms, has high possibility to fill this role.While graphene’s existence has been known for decades, it has only been studied extensively since 2004 because of the impracticality of manufacturing it in high quality and quantity.

The University of southern California team has produced graphene/polymer sheets ranging in sizes nearly 150 square centimeters that in turn may be used to create dense arrays of flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells.These organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices convert solar radiation to electricity, but not as efficiently as silicon cells.

The power provided by sunlight on a sunny day is around 1,000 watts per meter square, for every 1,000 watts of sunlight that hits a square meter part of the standard silicon solar cell, 14 watts of electricity will be generated, Organic solar cells are less efficient; their conversion rate for that same 1,000 watts of sunlight in the graphene-based solar cell would be only 1.3 watts.But what graphene organic photovoltaic (OPV) lack in efficiency, can potentially be compensated by its lower price and, greater physical flexibility.

Researchers think it may eventually be possible to cover with inexpensive solar cell layers extensive areas like newspapers, magazines or power generating clothing.In the meanwhile Prof. Ruoff and his colleagues of the mechanical engineering department at the University of Texas at Austin, are studying the basic science in the development of graphene-based ultracapacitors for usage in electronics and other fields.Prof. Ruoff says batteries are relatively slow, they can store energy but require some time to charge up, and then they distribute energy slowly, over time.

Ultracapacitors can be charged rapidly, in seconds, and discharge quickly, but, right now, they can’t store very much electrical energy.The development of stable and cheaper ultracapacitors should be a key step in using wind or solar-generated power, especially if researchers can find solutions to enable capacitors to store energy longer, that is not yet possible.

Even with their current storage capacity, the graphene devices could provide quick energy when needed in certain situations on the eco-friendly way.They may be used, for instance, to absorb the heat generated in braking an automobile or train, and store it for a short time, and employ it for the electrical needs of the vehicle (i.e. starting the car or acceleration)

source: http://www.comptalks.com/use-of-graphene-photovoltaics-as-alternate-source-of-energy/

Graphene 100 Times Stronger Than Steel

2010-10-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

Graphite, a form of carbon, has always been a strange substance. It is one of the few materials that doesn't expand when heated or shrink when cooled (i.e., it has zero coefficient of linear expansion). It isn't a metal, but it conducts electricity like a metal. And, the strangest thing of all: in a universe that is essentially three dimensional, graphite forms a unique two-dimensional crystal (i.e., a crystal that is a sheet rather than a three dimensional shape). The graphite we are all familiar with, such as a pencil lead, is simply a pile of these crystal sheets. When you rub a pencil lead it feels oily. It's not. What you feel is the movement of these crystal sheets, which makes for the slipperiness.

These crystal sheets are very thin - only one atom thick. It would take a stack of 177 million or so of them to make an inch. No one was ever able to split off and examine a single sheet - until a pair of Nobel Prize winning scientists figured out how.

And, what they discovered was truly amazing. Graphene, the name given to a single sheet of graphite turns out to be the strongest material known - 100 times stronger than steel. It is not just a good conductor of electricity; it is the best-known conductor of electricity. And, it is slippery, very slippery.

Suspended Aimation technique can bring back dead to life

2010-09-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Pumping ice-cold fluid into patients' veins could bring them 'back from the dead'
Last updated at 4:28 PM on 27th September 2010

Victims of violent crime and road accidents could be 'brought back from the dead' with a pioneering new treatment.

Surgeons often only have minutes to save patients who have sustained gunshot, knife or car crash wounds.

But scientists said doctors could gain extra time to operate by pumping ice-cold fluid into a patient's veins.

The huge drop in body temperature slows the dying process and stops the brain from shutting down before the heart stops beating.

Research leader Dr Hasan Alam, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, claims the procedure could save 90 per cent of patients with fatal wounds.

He said: 'By cooling them rapidly in this fashion, we can convert that almost-certain death into almost-certain survival.

'We're talking about 90 per cent-plus survival with normal cognitive function, normal brain activity, normal organ function. It's challenging but it's doable.'

Dr Alam has successfully performed his 'suspended animation' technique in operations on hundreds of pigs and now hopes to begin tests on humans.

The surgery involves pumping a chilled fluid called a 'plasma expander', which contains nutrients and chemicals to preserve organs, into a patient's blood vessels.

Under normal circumstances, humans suffer brain damage if they are deprived of oxygen for five minutes and death follows 15 minutes later.

However, cooling the body slows metabolic activity, thereby reducing the need for oxygen.

Once surgery to repair a wound is complete, the patient is gradually warmed up by infusing their own blood back into their bodies.

Dr Kevin Fong, consultant anaesthetist at University College London Hospital, believes the discovery could "revolutionise" surgery.

He said: 'Death is not a moment but a process which we might be able to stretch out, giving doctors a chance to intervene.

'Hypothermia is helping us re-draw the line between life and death, and it has the potential to revolutionise everything from trauma surgery to resuscitation medicine.'

A documentary detailing the new research will be screened at 9pm tonight on BBC 2 'Horizon: Back From the Dead'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspended_animation
INFO: Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use of this process has led to the developing science of cryonics. Cryonics is another method of life preservation but it cryopreserved organisms using liquid nitrogen that will preserve the organism until reanimation. Laina Beasley was kept in suspended animation as a two-celled embryo for 13 years.

Human hibernation: There are many research projects currently investigating how to achieve "induced hibernation" in humans. This ability to hibernate humans would be useful for a number of reasons, such as saving the lives of seriously ill or injured people by temporarily putting them in a state of hibernation until treatment can be given. NASA is also casually interested in possibly putting astronauts in hibernation when going on very long space journeys, though they are not funding any research to this effect.

There are cases of accidental human hibernation. The most recent is the case of Mitsutaka Uchikoshi, a Japanese man who survived the cold for 24 days in 2006 without food or water when he fell into a hypothermic state similar to hibernation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1315525/Pumping-ice-cold-fluid-patients-veins-bring-people-dead.html#ixzz10tZPzflu

http://www.discovermagazine.com/2007/may/suspended-animation

In continuation to my thought posted on 7th July 2009 - Our universe could be inside a black hole

2010-08-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7918978/A-universe-could-exist-inside-every-black-hole-claims-scientist.html

A hidden universe could exist inside every black hole, a Polish cosmologist has claimed
By Amy Willis
Published: 4:25PM BST 02 Aug 2010

Using an adaptation of Einstein's general theory of relativity, Nikodem Poplawski, of Indiana University, Bloomington, analysed the theoretical motion of particles entering a black hole.

He concluded that it was possible for a whole new universe to exist inside every black hole, which could mean that our own universe could be inside a black hole as well.

"Maybe the huge black holes at the centre of the Milky Way and other galaxies are bridges to different universes," he told New Scientist.

Explaining his theory in the journal Physics Letters B, he said he used the Einstein-Cartan-Kibble-Sciama (ECKS) theory of gravity, in his analysis to account for the angular momentum of particles in a black hole. Doing this it made it possible to calculate a quality of space-time called torsion, a property believed to repel gravity.

He says instead of matter reaching infinite density in a black hole called "singularities" in Einstein's theory of relativity - the behaviour of the space-time acts more like a spring being compressed with matter rebounding and expanding continuously.

Dr Poplawski explains that this "bounce-back" effect is caused by the torsion of space-time having a repulsive force against the gargantuan strength of gravity in a black hole.

Dr Poplawski also claims that this recoiling effect could be what has led to our expanding universe that we observe today and could explain why our universe is flat, homogeneous and isotropic without needing cosmic inflation.

It is hard to see how we could test whether or not Dr Poplawski's theory is correct; the force of gravity in black holes is such that nothing can escape, so no information about what is going on inside one can ever reach us.

However, according to Dr Poplawski, if we were living in a spinning black hole then the spin would transfer to the space-time inside, meaning the universe would have a preferred direction - something we would be able to measure. Such a preferred direction could be related to the observed imbalance of matter and anti-matter in the universe and could explain the oscillation of neutrinos.

Big Bang - Black holes

2009-07-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Couple of years ago, while I was reading some interesting stuff on big bang, black holes and their existence, formation and the related examples to understand the subject, it struck to my mind " if we are actually living inside a black hole" and all the universe that we are seeing actually is just only part of a bigger thing out there, I mean there might be other black holes like ours in which there might be more matter, life, i.e. other universes.

When the big bang had occured, did it not create a kind of super black hole in the space?

Well, it might be a weired thought, but thought of putting it on my blog.

BTW, found below interesting stuff on googling.

Life inside a black hole
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925381.200-life-inside-a-black-hole.html

Earth-Sized Planet Discovered in the Habitable Zone

2009-04-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.universetoday.com/2007/04/25/earth-sized-planet-discovered-in-the-habitable-zone/

-----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitable_zone

22nd April, today is Earth day and the promising news is that Earth-Sized Planet has been discovered in the Habitable Zone, that means in a region of space where stellar conditions are favorable for life as it is found on Earth. There are two regions that must be favorable, one within a planetary system and the other within the galaxy. Planets and moons in these regions are the likeliest candidates to be habitable and thus capable of bearing extraterrestrial life similar to our own.

The habitable zone is not to be confused with the planetary habitability. While planetary habitability deals solely with the planetary conditions required to maintain carbon-based life, the habitable zone deals with the stellar conditions required to maintain carbon-based life, and these two factors are not meant to be juxtaposed.

Astronomers believe that life is most likely to form within the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) within a solar system, and the galactic habitable zone (GHZ) of the larger galaxy (though research on the latter point remains nascent). The HZ may also be referred to as the "life zone", "Comfort Zone", "Green Belt" or "Goldilocks Zone" (because it's neither too hot nor too cold, but "just right").

In our own solar system, the CHZ is thought to extend from a distance of 0.95 to 1.37 astronomical units.
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Gliese 581 d, the third planet of the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light years distance from Earth), appears to be the best example which has been found so far of an extrasolar planet which orbits in the theoretical habitable zone of space surrounding its star.

Great big Jupiter-like planets are one thing, but the Holy Grail of extrasolar planetary discover is going to be another Earth - complete with life. We’re not there yet, but astronomers announced the next best thing yesterday: a roughly Earth-mass planet orbiting within the habitable zone of its parent star. In other words, liquid water could exist on this rocky planet.

The host star is called Gliese 581, and it’s one of the 100 closest star to us, located only 20.5 light years away in the constellation Libra. Unlike our Sun, it’s a red dwarf star, emitting much less light and energy. This brings its habitable zone in close and tight to the star. For a planet to be orbiting its parent star within this habitable zone, it’s got to have a really tight orbit.

And this is how the planet was discovered. It was made by measuring the star’s radial velocity, where the planet’s gravity tugs its parent star back and forth (aka, the Wobble Method). Astronomers can measure this velocity with tremendous precision to determine the planet’s mass and orbital period. And the tool for the job is the European Southern Observatory’s HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity for Planetary Searcher) spectrograph connected to the 3.6-m telescope at La Silla, Chile.

The planet is “Earth-like”, but it wouldn’t seem much like home. It’s 50% larger than the Earth, and has about 5 times our planet’s mass. It also completes an orbit every 13 days - it’s 14 times closer to its star than the Earth is to the Sun. Since it’s in the habitable zone, there would very likely be liquid water on its surface.

Unfortunately, the radial method only tells astronomers what the planet’s mass and orbital distance are. They’re not directly observing it. So there’s no way to know if there is actually water on the surface, or even oxygen in the atmosphere that would indicate the presence of life. But future missions, like Darwin, will certainly put it in the cross hairs to get a better look for life.

The discovering team think that turning up an Earth-sized planet around a red dwarf star is now just a matter of time.

Brahmapuranam - 7 islands - now 7 continents, are they same?

2009-03-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

We all have studied that there are 7 continents in the world, i.e.
1) Africa,
2) Antarctica,
3) Asia,
4) Europe,
5) North America,
6) South America and
7) Australia.

Recently, I came across an interesting article in which it was mentioned in ancient Hindu literature Brahmapuranam that long before any transformations took place on earth, there were 7 islands, i.e.
1) Jambu,
2) Plaksha,
3) Shalmalee,
4) Kusha,
5) Krouncha,
6) Shaaka and
7) Pushkara.

Are these the same continents that we have learnt in schools?

Also, interesting to note is that all these were individual islands, which later got attached or detached due to various reasons and got transformed into present state.

Turritopsis nutricula - The world’s only “immortal” creature

2009-03-07T22:25:00.000-08:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan with a life cycle in which it reverts to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the only known case of a metazoan capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage [2]. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. Theoretically, this cycle can repeat indefinitely, rendering it biologically immortal.

Description
Turritopsis nutricula has a diameter of about 5 millimetres (0.20 in). It has an equally high and bell-shaped figure. The walls are uniformly thin. The bright red, big stomach has a cruciform shape in its cross section. Young specimens have only eight tentacles along the edge, while adult specimens have 80-90 tentacles.

Distribution and range
The species is originally from the Caribbean but has spread all over the world.[3] T. nutricula are found in temperate to tropical regions in all of the world's oceans. Turritopsis is believed to be spreading across the world as ships ballast water is discharged in ports.

Life cycle
The fertilized eggs develop in the stomach and in the screen formed by the cave in the jellyfish planula. The eggs are then planted on the seabed in polyp colonies. The jellyfish hatches after two days. The jellyfish becomes sexually mature after a few weeks (the exact duration depends on the ocean temperature; at 20 °C (68 °F) it is 25 to 30 days and at 22 °C (72 °F) it is 18 to 22 days).

Immortality
Jellyfish usually die after propagating; however, the Turritopsis nutricula has developed the ability to return to a polyp state. This is done through a cell change in the external screen (exumbrella). The ability to reverse the life cycle is probably unique in the animal kingdom, and allows the jellyfish to bypass death, rendering the Turritopsis nutricula biologically immortal.

Genome Transplant turns one species into another

2007-06-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12157-tycoon-succeeds-in-genome-transplant.html

Tycoon succeeds in 'genome transplant'
19:00 28 June 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Peter Aldhous

Call it bacterial alchemy: using a "genome transplant", researchers have turned one species of bacterium into another. The transformation is the latest feat from US genomics pioneer Craig Venter, and marks another step towards his goal of creating a synthetic life-form.

Over the past few years, Venter and his colleagues have defined a minimal genome containing less than 400 genes needed to sustain a free-living cell.

They have done this by systematically knocking out genes in the simple bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium, a sexually-transmitted parasite that infects humans. Venter aims to chemically synthesise this genome from the nucleotide building blocks of DNA, and then put it into a bacterial cell.

Achieving that goal requires a technique to replace a Mycoplasma genome with the synthetic version – and the new work on genome "transplantation" provides proof that this should be possible.

Complex transfer
Venter's team, led by John Glass of the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, US, managed to transfer the genome of Mycoplasma mycoides to a related parasite called M. capricolum. Both species infect goats, sheep and cows.

Judging from the proteins they produced, the resulting cells seemed to have completely transformed into M. mycoides.

Mycoplasma cells are too small to manipulate mechanically, so the researchers had to devise laborious chemical and physical methods to extract the genome from one species and introduce it to the other. "It's very simple in concept, very complex in actual execution," Venter says.

The researchers took a strain of M. mycoides that is resistant to the antibiotic tetracycline, broke open the cells and carefully "digested" the proteins, leaving just the intact circular chromosomes, the DNA.

These chromosomes were then incubated with M. capricolum cells in a medium containing a polymer that encourages cell membranes to fuse. The researchers speculate that some M. capricolum cells fused together, encapsulating an M. mycoides chromosome as they did so.

Finally, the researchers treated their cultures with tetracycline, so that only M. capricolum cells containing the M. mycoides genome would survive.

Mysterious process
The transplantation worked in about 1 in every 150,000 cells, but that was enough to give healthy colonies of the transformed bacteria, which did not contain M. capricolum DNA.

Exactly how the M. mycoides genome took over the cell is unclear, but the researchers suggest that cells containing multiple genomes soon divide, with each daughter cell containing just one genome. Those containing the host M. capricolum genome would then have been quickly wiped out by the tetracycline.

Venter, who has ignited controversy by trying to patent his minimal genome, says that the team’s efforts to synthesise it from scratch are still in progress. But once the finished genome is ready, the transplant technique should allow the first "synthetic" bacterium to be created in rapid time. "It could be weeks or months," says Venter.

Journal reference: Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.1144622)

Tectonic plates - Eqrthquate - Tsunami

2007-03-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

The crust of our planet is cracked into seven large and many other smaller slabs of rock called plates, averaging about 50 miles thick. As they move (only inches per year), and depending on the direction of that movement, they collide, forming deep ocean trenches, mountains, volcanoes, and generating earthquakes.

Other userful info:
http://www.extremescience.com/PlateTectonicsmap.htm
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/
http://iri.columbia.edu/%7elareef/tsunami/

Data storage on a photon: Scientists say it's possible

2007-03-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9008999

January 24, 2007 (TechWorld.com) -- Scientists are claiming a breakthrough in the ability to attach an image to a photon of light and retrieve it later.

Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York used their college logo, consisting of a few hundred pixels, for the experiment and were able to attach the image to a single photon of light. The photon or pulse of light was slowed down 100 nanoseconds and compressed to 1% of its original length. The scientists claim that the technology could one day store tremendous amounts of information very densely.

Researcher John Howell, assistant professor of physics at the university, is now working on delaying dozens of pulses for as long as several milliseconds, and as many as 10,000 pulses for up to a nanosecond in a 4-in. cell of cesium gas at a warm 100 degrees Celsius.

Previous optical buffering trials have found that most information carried by the light is lost. This latest achievement is important because engineers are trying to speed up computer processing and network speeds using light. Their systems slow down when they have to convert light to electronic signals to store information, even for a short while.

"It sort of sounds impossible, but instead of storing just ones and zeros, we're storing an entire image. It's analogous to the difference between snapping a picture with a single pixel and doing it with a camera -- this is like a 6-megapixel camera," Howell said.

The device was revealed in today's online issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.

"Now I want to see if we can delay something almost permanently, even at the single photon level," Howell said. "If we can do that, we're looking at storing incredible amounts of information in just a few photons."

Huge Underground Ocean Found Beneath Asia

2007-03-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070227-ocean-asia_2.html

Huge Underground "Ocean" Found Beneath Asia
Richard A. Lovett
for National Geographic News

February 27, 2007
A giant blob of water the size of the Arctic Ocean has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath eastern Asia, scientists report.

Researchers found the underground "ocean" while scanning seismic waves as they passed through Earth's interior

But nobody will be exploring this sea by submarine. The water is locked in moisture-containing rocks 400 to 800 miles (700 to 1,400 kilometers) beneath the surface.

"I've gotten all sorts of emails asking if this is the water that burst out in Noah's flood," said the leader of the research team, Michael Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis.

"It isn't an ocean. [The water] is a very low percentage [of the rock], probably less than 0.1 percent."

Given the region's size, however, that's enough to add up to a vast amount of water.

Earthquakes Reveal "Ocean"

Wysession and former graduate student Jesse Lawrence discovered the damp spot by observing how seismic waves from distant earthquakes pass through Earth's mantle.

The wet zone, which runs from Indonesia to the northern tip of Russia, showed up as an area of relatively weak rock, causing the seismic waves to lose strength much more rapidly than elsewhere.

The water got there by the process of plate tectonics, in which sections of the Earth's crust shift. This process caused the ocean bottom to be pulled beneath continental plates all around the Pacific Rim.

Normally, Earth's internal heat bakes the water out of the rocks before it gets more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) deep. The water then escapes upward as volcanic gas.

But along the eastern Pacific Rim, conditions allow the rock to be drawn much deeper before the moisture is cooked out.

The find may help scientists better understand the formation of volcanic regions such as those in Iceland, Hawaii, and Yellowstone National Park.

(Read related story: "Supervolcano Raises Yellowstone, Fuels Geysers, Study Says" [March 1, 2006].)

One theory suggests that these areas are volcanic because hot spots deep within the Earth's interior melt the underlying rock like a giant blowtorch, producing large quantities of lava.

Wysession says that the presence of water may allow such hot spots to melt more rock, thereby creating more lava.

"If you add water [to the rock] you can get an increased amount of melting," he said.

"There's a consensus that not all hot spots are equal. Some are hot spots; some are wet spots."

Wysession and Lawrence report their findings in a study published by the American Geophysical Union.

A Look at Earth's Fate

The new study also reveals clues to Earth's long-term fate, says Norman Sleep, a geophysicist at Stanford University who was not involved in the project.

When the planet was young, steam came from the deep interior to the surface as volcanic gas and eventually produced today's oceans. But as Earth's interior ages and cools, it becomes easier for water to return below the surface.

"So, rather than degassing, now [Earth] may be losing water into the mantle," Sleep said.

This gradual suction of water back below the surface may be a good thing for Earth's geological stability, he notes.

Underground water acts as a kind of lubricant that allows plates in Earth's crust to keep shifting at their present rate, Sleep explains.

This helps keep the thickness and elevation of the continents relatively stable.

If things changed, he said, "we'd have Pike's Peak boat tours."

See also:World's Longest Underground River Discovered in Mexico, Divers Say

Chronology of Indonesia Disasters since 2004

2007-03-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

Indonesia is at the boundary of four tectonic plates
The Indo-Australian Plate, The Pacific Plate, The Philippine Plate, The Eurasian Plate

March 6 (Reuters) - Two strong earthquakes killed at least 70 people and injured dozens on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday.

Following is a list of some of the other disasters to hit Indonesia since the Asian tsunami of 2004:

Dec 26, 2004 - Nearly 132,000 Indonesians are killed and more than 37,000 listed as missing after a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia and a tsunami triggered by it in the Indian ocean region. The toll in affected Indian Ocean countries reaches 230,000 dead.

Feb 21, 2005 - At least 96 are killed in landslide that sweeps through two West Java villages near a garbage dump.

March 28, 2005 - Nearly 1,000 are believed killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 hits the coast of Sumatra.

July 20, 2005 - Indonesia confirms first deaths from bird flu. To date the disease has killed 63 people in Indonesia, the world's highest bird flu death toll.

Sept 1, 2005 - Landslide on island of Sumatra kills 14 and leaves more than a dozen missing.

Sept 5, 2005 - Domestic airliner operated by local carrier Mandala Airlines crashes in residential area of Indonesia's third biggest city Medan, killing 102 aboard and 47 local residents in an inferno on the ground.

May 15, 2006 - Mount Merapi volcano erupts with clouds of hot gas and rains ash on surrounding areas.

May 27, 2006 - Earthquake rocks area around ancient royal city of Yogyakarta killing at least 5,000 and destroying or damaging 150,000 homes.

July 17, 2006 - A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills at least 550 people. At least 54,000 people are displaced.

Dec 30, 2006 - A ferry with at least 600 aboard sinks during a stormy night voyage as it travelled between Borneo and Java.

Jan 1, 2007 - An Adam Air passenger plane flying from Surabaya to Manado with 102 people aboard crashes into the sea off the west coast of Sulawesi.

Feb 22, 2007 - At least 42 people are killed when fire breaks out aboard a ferry which was heading from Jakarta to Bangka island off Sumatra.

March 6, 2007 - Two strong earthquakes kill at least 31 people and injure dozens in the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang.

March 7, 2007 - A passenger jet with more than 130 people on board caught fire when it landed in Indonesia, killing at least 20 people

Source: Reuters;

Salamander is capable of regenerating lost limbs - why not humans..

2007-02-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

Salamander is the common name applied to approximately 500 amphibians with slender bodies, short legs, and long tails. The moist skin of the amphibians fits them to habitats either near water or under some protection on moist ground, usually in a forest. Some species are aquatic throughout life, some take to the water intermittently, and some are entirely terrestrial as adults. Salamanders superficially resemble lizards, but are easily distinguished by their lack of scales. They are capable of regenerating lost limbs.

A blastema is a mass of undifferentiated cells capable of growth and regeneration into organs or body parts. Blastemata are typically found in the early stages of an organism's development such as in embryos, and in the regeneration of tissues, organs and bone.

http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4614

Einstein's Big Idea

2007-02-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/
http://physics.physorg.com/

While searching for "Twin Paradox" solved by Indian scientist Subhash Kak, I landed on the above site.

http://www.physorg.com/news90697187.html

Subhash Kak, Delaune Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at LSU, recently resolved the twin paradox, known as one of the most enduring puzzles of modern-day physics.

First suggested by Albert Einstein more than 100 years ago, the paradox deals with the effects of time in the context of travel at near the speed of light. Einstein originally used the example of two clocks – one motionless, one in transit. He stated that, due to the laws of physics, clocks being transported near the speed of light would move more slowly than clocks that remained stationary.

In more recent times, the paradox has been described using the analogy of twins. If one twin is placed on a space shuttle and travels near the speed of light while the remaining twin remains earthbound, the unmoved twin would have aged dramatically compared to his interstellar sibling, according to the paradox.

“If the twin aboard the spaceship went to the nearest star, which is 4.45 light years away at 86 percent of the speed of light, when he returned, he would have aged 5 years. But the earthbound twin would have aged more than 10 years!” said Kak.

The fact that time slows down on moving objects has been documented and verified over the years through repeated experimentation. But, in the previous scenario, the paradox is that the earthbound twin is the one who would be considered to be in motion – in relation to the sibling – and therefore should be the one aging more slowly. Einstein and other scientists have attempted to resolve this problem before, but none of the formulas they presented proved satisfactory.

Kak’s findings were published online in the International Journal of Theoretical Physics, and will appear in the upcoming print version of the publication. “I solved the paradox by incorporating a new principle within the relativity framework that defines motion not in relation to individual objects, such as the two twins with respect to each other, but in relation to distant stars,” said Kak. Using probabilistic relationships, Kak’s solution assumes that the universe has the same general properties no matter where one might be within it.

The implications of this resolution will be widespread, generally enhancing the scientific community’s comprehension of relativity. It may eventually even have some impact on quantum communications and computers, potentially making it possible to design more efficient and reliable communication systems for space applications.

kak@ece.lsu.edu

Project MetaCat

2007-02-20T05:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.cs.pomona.edu/~marshall/metacat/dissertation.pdf

Metacat: A Self-Watching Cognitive Architecture for Analogy-Making and High-Level Perception

Traditionally, researchers working on the computational modeling of analogy have
tended to view analogy-making as a special type of thinking useful for solving prob-
lems via the technique of analogical reasoning. According to this view, a good way to
solve a given problem is often by recourse to a similar problem that one has encoun-
tered and solved previously. By setting up an analogy between the previous problem
and the current problem, and using the previous solution as a guide, one can often
discover a solution to the problem at hand. This type of reasoning is often used by students when trying to work through scientifc or mathematical problems in textbooks. Typically, a worked-out example in the text, similar to the problem to be solved, is frst identifed (the more similar, the better). The worked-out example solution is then applied to the corresponding elements of the new problem (hopefully without too much modifcation required), yielding a solution.

What made me post above para is I found a smilarity in my thought process and above para (though not exact) as I always say that "When we solve some problem, handle some project / work..etc. in our life and face a failure, there is nothing to get disappointed and depressed on it as I believe that depression leads to lac of self confidence in oneself and topples the whole identity of a person. Instead, what we need to do is analyze our past work and identify a smallest success in what we have done. Though we have reached a failure, we might have done some part of it successfully, though its small, it keeps your morale high, next identify those what lead to its failure...keep them as experience and when you do next project, try not to do those what you have done and failed already...apply different methods and ways to achieve it."

Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC)

2007-02-20T05:14:00.001-08:00

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/bec/

Bose-Einstein Condensation in a gas: a new form of matter at the coldest temperatures in the universe...

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516971

Predicted 1924... ...Created 1995

Physicists at Harvard have discovered a “quantum-mechanical magic trick” by finding a way to stop a pulse of light in one part of space and make it reappear two tenths of a millimeter away, according to researchers at the University’s Hau Laboratory.

Led by Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Lene V. Hau, the experiment involved firing lasers through two clouds of sodium atoms cooled to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero.

At such cold temperatures the atoms’ motions are virtually halted, and they begin to behave more like waves than particles.

Featured in the Feb. 8 issue of Nature, the study showed that once a laser pulse is shot into one sodium cloud—known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)—it is signficantly compressed and deccelerated.

“The light pulse is slowed from 186,000 miles per second to 15 miles per hour, and is also spatially compressed from 1 kilometer to less than half the width of a hair,” Hau wrote in an e-mail.

From the beginning of the experiment, a control laser is continually fired through the BECs. When the experimental laser pulse enters the first BEC traveling in the opposite direction of the control laser, a matter imprint is made and both lasers are manually shut off.

Even with both lasers discontinued, the matter imprint continues to travel at 700 feet per hour through the cloud, exiting the first BEC, continuing on through free space, and ultimately entering the second BEC.

The control laser is then rekindled and the laser pulse is revived and exits the second BEC at its original speed of 186,000 miles per second, Hau explained.

According to Hau, who collaborated with research assistant Naomi S. Ginsberg and post-doctoral fellow Sean R. Garner on the study, matter is easier to manipulate than light, which implies many future applications of their discovery.

When the light pulse is in a matter state between BECs, “we can grab it with a laser beam—put it on the shelf so to speak—and later let it back on its way and revive it in the second BEC,” Hau said. During this “shelved” period, the matter wave can be manipulated by physicists and will preserve any changes when it is revived again as a laser.

In particular, these maniuplations can potentially be used in the processing and encoding of optical information, Hau said.

Data could be sent along optical fibers, much like what many internet service providers use to facilitate internet communication, and be manipulated in the process by using the sodium clouds.

According to Hau, the system could also be applied to quantum information networks.

---------------------------------------------

More info found at http://www.physorg.com/news90077438.html

Physicists have for the first time stopped and extinguished a light pulse in one part of space and then revived it in a completely separate location. They accomplished this feat by completely converting the light pulse into matter that travels between the two locations and is subsequently changed back to light.

Two years later, she brought light to a complete halt in a cloud of ultracold atoms. Next, she restarted the stalled light without changing any of its characteristics, and sent it on its way. These highly successful experiments brought her a tenured professorship at Harvard University and a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation award to spend as she pleased.

Now Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics, Hau has done it again. She and her team made a light pulse disappear from one cold cloud then retrieved it from another cloud nearby. In the process, light was converted into matter then back into light. For the first time in history, this gives science a way to control light with matter and vice versa.

It's a thing that most scientists never thought was possible. Some colleagues had asked Hau, "Why try that experiment? It can't be done."

In the experiment, a light pulse was slowed to bicycle speed by beaming it into a cold cloud of atoms. The light made a "fingerprint" of itself in the atoms before the experimenters turned it off. Then Hau and her assistants guided that fingerprint into a second clump of cold atoms. And get this - the clumps were not touching and no light passed between them.

"The two atom clouds were separated and had never seen each other before," Hau notes. They were eight-thousandths of an inch apart, a relatively huge distance on the scale of atoms.

The experimenters then nudged the second cloud of atoms with a laser beam, and the atomic imprint was revived as a light pulse. The revived light had all the characteristics present when it entered the first cloud of atomic matter, the same shape and wavelength. The restored light exited the cloud slowly then quickly sped up to its normal 186,000 miles a second.

Communicating by light

Light carries information, so think of information being manipulated in ways that have never before been possible. That information can be stored - put on a shelf, so to speak - retrieved at will, and converted back to light. The retrieved light would contain the same information as the original light, without so much as a period being lost.

Or the information could be changed. "The light waves can be sculpted," is the way Hau puts it. "Then it can be passed on. We have already observed such re-sculpted light in our lab."

A weird thing happens to the light as it enters the cold atomic cloud, called a Bose-Einstein condensate. It becomes squeezed into a space 50 million times smaller. Imagine a light beam 3,200 feet (one kilometer) long, loaded with information, that now is only a hair width in length but still encodes as much information.

From there it becomes easier to imagine new types of computers and communications systems - smaller, faster, more reliable, and tamper-proof.

Atoms at room temperature move in a random, chaotic way. But when chilled in a vacuum to about 460 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, under certain conditions millions of atoms lock together and behave as a single mass. When a laser beam enters such a condensate, the light leaves an imprint on a portion of the atoms. That imprint moves like a wave through the cloud and exits at a speed of about 700 feet per hour. This wave of matter will keep going and enter another nearby ultracold condensate. That's how light moves darkly from one cloud to another in Hau's laboratory.

This invisible wave of matter keeps going unless it's stopped in the second cloud with another laser beam, after which it can be revived as light again.

Atoms in matter waves exist in slightly different energy levels and states than atoms in the clouds they move through. These energy states match the shape and phase of the original light pulse. To make a long story short, information in this form can be made absolutely tamper proof. Personal information would be perfectly safe.

Such a light-to-matter, matter-to-light system "is a wonderful thing to wrap your brain around," Hau muses.

Details of the experiments appear as the cover story of the Feb. 8 issue of Nature. Authors of the report include graduate student Naomi Ginsberg, postdoctoral fellow Sean Garner, and Hau.

In a practical manner

You won't see a light-matter converter flashing away in a factory, business, or mall anytime soon. Despite all the intriguing possibilities, "there are no immediate practical uses," Hau admits.

However, she has no doubt that practical systems will come. And when they do, they will look completely different from anything we are familiar with today. They won't need a lot of wires and electronics. "Instead of light shining through optical fibers into boxes full of wires and semiconductor chips, intact data, messages, and images will be read directly from the light," Hau imagines.

Creating those ultracold atomic clouds in a factory, office, or recreation room will be a problem, but one she believes can be solved. "The atomic clouds we use in our lab are only a tenth of a millimeter (0.004 inch) long," she points out. "Such atom clouds can be kept in small containers, not all of the equipment has to be so cold. Most likely, a practical system designed by engineers will look totally unlike the setup we have in our lab today."

There are no "maybes" in Hau's voice. She is coolly confident that light-to-matter communication networks, codes, clocks, and guidance systems can be made part of daily life. If you doubt her, remember she is the person who stopped light, converted it to matter, carried it around, and transformed it back to light.

Source: Harvard University, by William J. Cromie

Lagrangian point

2007-02-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

The Lagrangian points or also Lagrange point, L-point, or libration point, are the five positions in an orbital configuration where a small object affected only by gravity can theoretically be stationary relative to two larger objects (such as a satellite with respect to the Earth and Moon). The Lagrange points mark positions where the combined gravitational pull of the two large masses provides precisely the centripetal force required to rotate with them. They are analogous to geosynchronous orbits in that they allow an object to be in a "fixed" position in space rather than an orbit in which its relative position changes continuously.

A more precise but technical definition is that the Lagrangian points are the stationary solutions of the circular restricted three-body problem. For example, given two massive bodies in circular orbits around their common center of mass, there are five positions in space where a third body, of comparatively negligible mass, could be placed which would then maintain its position relative to the two massive bodies. As seen in a frame of reference which rotates with the same period as the two co-orbiting bodies, the gravitational fields of two massive bodies combined with the centrifugal force are in balance at the Lagrangian points, allowing the third body to be stationary with respect to the first two bodies.

Over 100 fossilised eggs of dinosaur found in MP

2007-02-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Geological Survey of India's former Director Arun Sonakia shows fossilized eggs of dinosaurs to media persons at Mandav, around 280 kilometers (175 miles) west of Bhopal, India on Monday. Explorers have stumbled upon more than 100 fossilized eggs of dinosaurs belonging to the Cretaceous Era (approximately 144 to 65 million years ago), in Kukshi-Bagh area of Dhar district, of Madhya Pradesh according to a newspaper report.

Article on Hindustan Times
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1920136,00040009.htm

Over 100 fossilised eggs of dinosaur found in MP

Nivedita Khandekar

Indore, February 5, 2007

In a remarkable feat, three amateur explorers have stumbled upon more than 100 fossilised eggs of dinosaurs in Madhya Pradesh. The eggs, belonging to the Cretaceous Era (approximately 144 to 65 million years ago), have been discovered in Kukshi-Bagh area of Dhar district, some 150 kms south-west of Indore.

The rare find is a significant step in the study of pre-historic life in the Narmada Valley.

"All the eggs were discovered from a single nesting site in a start to end exploration for 18 hours at the site in Kukshi-Bagh area, 40 kms from Manavar. As many as 6-8 eggs were found per nests," an excited Vishal Verma of the Mangal Panchayatan Parishad, a group of amateur explorers, told Hindustan Times from near the site.

"The eggs are from upper cretaceous era when the dinosaurs were yet to be extinct. These eggs can be categorised in three types of soropaud dinosaurs, which were herbivorous. These animals used to come from far away areas to lay eggs on the sandy banks of the rivers in this area, identified scientifically as Lameta bed," Verma said.
The dinosaurs were 40-90 feet in length, he added.

Along with the fossilised eggs, the team - comprising two other members Rajesh Chouhan and Govind Verma - also discovered footprints of the dinosaurs through which they could also trace the 'track way' of the heavy animals now extinct.

Geological Survey of India's former Director (Palaeontology) Dr Arun Sonakia who was also at the site of the find told this correspondent over telephone, "It's a good job done by amateurs. With this find, the scientists would be able to know more about the spread of the dinosaurs. It can also throw light on the reasons of extinction."
"Plus the nesting sites and large number of fossilised eggs would also throw light on the variety of dinosaurs that existed in the cretaceous era," Sonakia added.

The Parishad had earlier discovered fossilised bones of the dinosaurs in the region.

• The richest dinosaur field in India is in the "Deccan Traps" near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

• About 65 million years ago, a huge mass of volcanic rock erupted from the earth, covering 500,000 sq km in Maharashtra and MP with lava 2 km high. This is exactly the time when all large dinosaur species became extinct.

• A small but ferocious dinosaur, about the size of adult humans, was named Jubbulpuria after it was found in Jabalpur by Matley in 1933.

Solar Superstorm?

2007-01-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Transhumanism

2007-01-27T04:49:00.000-08:00

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]

Genetically modified (GM) food

2007-01-27T04:18:00.000-08:00

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.

Beta-endorphin

2007-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

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.

Heat - Cold - Queries that arise in my mind

2007-01-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

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"

Parthenogenesis: An Evolutionary Twist in Komodo Dragon

2006-12-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

Flora the Komodo dragon walks around her enclosure at Chester Zoo, Chester, England on Monday, Dec. 18. In an evolutionary twist, Flora has managed to become pregnant all on her own without any male help. Other reptile species reproduce asexually in a process known as parthenogenesis. But Flora's virginal conception, and that of another Komodo dragon earlier this year at the London Zoo, are the first time it has been documented in a Komodo dragon.

Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon or Komodo Monitor (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres (approximately 6.5-10 feet). It is a member of the monitor lizard family, Varanidae, and only inhabits the islands of Komodo, Rinca (or Rintja), Padar, Flores, Gili Motang, Owadi and Samiin in central Indonesia. [1]

Sightings of the Komodo dragon were first reported to Europeans in 1910. Widespread notoriety came after 1912, in which Peter Ouwens, the director of the Zoological Museum at Bogor, Java, published a paper on the topic. In 1980, Komodo National Park was founded to help protect its limited population.

Komodo dragons are carnivorous. Although they eat much carrion, studies show that they also hunt live prey with a stealthy approach followed by a sudden short charge, during which they can reach of up to 20 km/h (~13 mph). Komodo dragons have not traditionally been considered venomous, but it has recently been suggested that they may produce a weak venom (Fry et al., 2006). In addition to the possible venom, it also possesses virulent bacteria in its saliva of which more than 15 strains have been isolated. These bacteria cause septicemia in their victim; if an initial bite does not kill the prey animal and it escapes, it will commonly succumb within a week to the resulting infection. The lizard is able to locate its prey using its keen sense of smell, which can locate a dead or dying animal from a range of up to four miles. The Komodo dragon appears to be immune to its resident bacteria.

Feeding follows a social hierarchy - the dominant male eats first, with other dragons eating only when he is finished. Females however do not follow any set hierarchy and eat together. Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh while holding their food down with their forelegs then swallowing it whole. Their loosely articulated jaws and expandable stomachs allow them to eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in one meal, akin to a 200 lb man (90.7 kg) eating 160 lbs (72.6 kg) of food during one sitting.

The Komodo dragon diet is wide-ranging, and includes invertebrates, other reptiles (including smaller dragons), birds, bird eggs, small mammals, monkeys, wild pigs, goats, deer, horses and water buffalos. Occasionally they have been known to consume humans and human corpses. Over a dozen human deaths have been attributed to dragon bites in the last century, although there are reports of survivors of the resulting septicemia.

Conservation status
There are approximately 6,000 living Komodo dragons

Reproduction
Mating occurs between May and August, with the eggs laid in September. During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs, with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground. During copulation, the male often scratches the female's back, sometimes even to the point of drawing blood. The female will lay her eggs in the ground or in tree hollows (thereby lending them a certain degree of protection). Clutches contain an average of 20 eggs which have an incubation period of 7 months. The hatchlings are born more or less defenseless, and many do not survive. Young Komodo dragons spend much of their first few years in trees, where they are relatively safe from predators. Dragons take about three to five years to mature, and may live for up to 30 years.

There are recorded examples of parthenogenesis (reproduction without the contribution of a male), a phenomenon also known to occur in some other reptile species.

On December 20, 2006, it was reported that Flora, a captive Komodo dragon living in the Chester Zoo in England, is the second Komodo dragon to have fertilized her eggs herself, via the process of parthenogenesis. Scientists at Liverpool University in northern England verified that Flora had had no male help by means of genetic tests on three eggs that collapsed after being moved to an incubator. (Flora had never had physical contact with a male dragon.) Sungai, a Komodo dragon at London Zoo, laid a clutch of eggs in early 2006 after being separated from males for more than two years. Scientists initially assumed that she had been able to store sperm from her earlier encounter with a male (an adaptation referred to as superfecundation), but after being apprised of the condition of Flora's eggs, testing showed that Sungai's eggs were also produced without outside fertilisation.[8]

Due to a ZW chromosomal sex-determination system, all progeny of Komodo dragon parthenogenesis are male. When a female Komodo dragon(who has ZW sex chromosomes) reproduces in this manner, she provides her progeny with only one chromosome from each of her pairs of chromosomes, including only one of her two sex chromosomes. This single set of chromosomes is duplicated in the egg, which develops parthenogenetically. Eggs receiving a Z chromosome become ZZ (male) while those receiving a W chromosome become WW and fail to develop. [9]

It has been hypothesised that this reproductive adaptation allows a single female to enter an isolated ecologic niche (such as an island) and by parthenogenesis produce male offspring, thereby establishing a sexually reproducing population. (It permits mating of the mother with her male progeny to produce both male and female offspring).

Parthenogenesis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parthenogenesis (from the Greek παρθενος parthenos, "virgin", + γενεσις genesis, "birth") describes the growth and development of an embryo or seed without fertilization by a male. Parthenogenesis occurs naturally in some species, including lower plants (called agamospermy), invertebrates (e.g. water fleas, aphids, some bees and parasitic wasps), and vertebrates (e.g. some reptiles,[1] fish, and, very rarely, birds[2]).

The offspring of parthenogenesis will be all female if two like chromosomes determine the female sex (such as systems where XX is female and XY is male), but male if the female sex is determined by unlike chromosomes (such as systems where WZ is female and ZZ is male), because the process involves the inheritance and subsequent duplication of only a single sex chromosome. The offspring may be capable of sexual reproduction, if this mode exists in the species. A parthenogenetic offspring is sometimes called a parthenogen. As with all types of asexual reproduction, there are both costs (reduced genetic diversity generated) and benefits (reproduction without the need for a male) associated with parthenogenesis.

Parthenogenesis is distinct from artificial animal cloning, a process where the new organism is identical to the cell donor. Parthenogenesis is truly a reproductive process which creates a new individual or individuals from the naturally varied genetic material contained in the eggs of the mother. A litter of animals resulting from parthenogenesis may contain all genetically unique siblings without any twins or multiple numbers from the same genetic material. Parthenogenic offspring of a parthenogen are, however, all genetically identical to each other and to the mother, as a parthenogen is homozygous.

In April 2004, scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture used parthenogenesis to successfully create fatherless mice. In theory, the process could be used to reproduce humans after extensive testing and perfection. The alternation between parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction is called heterogamy. Forms of reproduction related to parthenogenesis but that require the presence of sperm are known as gynogenesis and hybridogenesis.

Technical Aspects of Ballistic Missile Defense

2006-11-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

While I was reading an article in Eenadu on Tuesday , November 28, 2006 , I came across an article on successful tests done by Indian on a missile that can destruct one of enemies. I came acrossa term called "atmospheric intercept system" which made me search for it on internet and ended up posting below article for my future reference.

http://www.fas.org/rlg/garwin-aps.htm

Turing test

2006-08-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test

The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's capability to perform human-like conversation. Described by Alan Turing in the 1950 paper "Computing machinery and intelligence", it proceeds as follows: a human judge engages in a natural language conversation with two other parties, one a human and the other a machine; if the judge cannot reliably tell which is which, then the machine is said to pass the test. It is assumed that both the human and the machine try to appear human. In order to keep the test setting simple and universal (to explicitly test the linguistic capability of the machine instead of its ability to render words into audio), the conversation is usually limited to a text-only channel such as a teletype machine as Turing suggested or, more recently IRC or instant messaging.

CAPTCHA

2006-08-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha

CAPTCHA (an acronym for "completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart", trademarked by Carnegie Mellon University) is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is human. The term was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas J. Hopper of Carnegie Mellon University, and John Langford of IBM. A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type the letters of a distorted image, sometimes with the addition of an obscured sequence of letters or digits that appears on the screen. Because the test is administered by a computer, in contrast to the standard Turing test that is administered by a human, a CAPTCHA is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test. This term, however, is ambiguous because it could also mean a Turing test in which the participants are both attempting to prove they are the computer.

Copper better than stainless steel for food safety, scientists say

2006-07-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=69284-copper-stainless-steel-food-safety

Copper better than stainless steel for food safety, scientists say

20/07/2006 - That copper cooking kettle may provide better protection against foodborne bacteria than a stainless steel one, according to scientists.The study suggests that the use of cast copper alloys during food processing may help prevent cross-contamination of E. coli better than stainless steel, say researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK and the Copper Development Association in New York.

Their findings appear in the June 2006 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The study could counter a current trend in the food processing sector to use equipment made of stainless steel in their plants. Stainless steel is believed to be easier to clean and does not corrode as easily as copper under the frequent chemical cleanings needed to remove harmful pathogens.

Escherichia coli O157 is one of the most serious food-borne pathogens worldwide, causing symptoms ranging from diarrhea to hemorrhagic colitis. Cattle is a major reservoir of E. coli O157, therefore outbreaks are primarily associated with consumption of undercooked ground beef, the researchers stated.

"Cross-contamination of infected meat with points of contact during processing makes it extremely difficult to maintain," the scientists stated in a press release. "Currently, stainless steel has been the metal of choice for food preparation, however, studies have shown that even with consistent cleaning and sanitation procedures bacteria can remain viable."

In the study cast copper alloys, a mixture of metals containing varying degrees of copper, were exposed to E. coli. The same methods were used on stainless steel. Some of the copper and stainless steel samples were mixed with beef juice, some without.

The mix was incubated at either 22 degrees Celsius or four degrees Celsius for up to six hours. The results showed that three copper alloys not exposed to beef juice completely killed E. coli when stored at 22 degrees Celsius.

Only the metal alloys containing 85 per cent or more copper significantly reduced E. coli at four degrees Celsius, the scientists found.

With beef juice, alloys made up of 93 per cent or more copper greatly reduced E. coli at 4 degrees Celsius, while only one alloy (containing 95% copper) completely killed the bacterium at 22 degrees. No significant reduction in cell numbers was reported for stainless steel.

“These results clearly demonstrate the antimicrobial properties of cast copper alloys with regard to E. coli O157, and consequently these alloys have the potential to aid in food safety,” say the researchers.

A similar study in 2003 by the university and the copper association found that using copper alloys for food processing surfaces holds promise for stemming Listeria contamination.
Listeria monocytogenes contamination is usually associated with the processing of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. The study showed that the survival time of the often-deadly bacteria at room temperature is reduced to 60 minutest to 90 minutes on a copper-based surface, depending on the alloy.

During the 4.5-hour time period of the tests, there was only a minimal reduction of the bacteria on stainless steel, the scientists found.

Both studies were funded by the International Copper Association and managed by the Copper Development Association.

Guerrilla marketing

2006-07-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_marketing

Guerrilla marketing, as described by Jay Conrad Levinson in his popular 1982 book Guerrilla Marketing, is an unconventional way of performing promotional activities on a very low budget. Such promotions are sometimes designed so that the target audience is left unaware they have been marketed to and may therefore be a form of undercover marketing (also called stealth marketing).

It is up to the guerrilla marketer to be creative and devise unconventional methods of promotion. He must use all of his contacts, both professional and personal, and must examine his company and its products, looking for sources of publicity. Many forms of publicity can be very inexpensive, and others are free.

It is argued that if one uses guerrilla tactics, one will find one's small size an advantage. One will be able to obtain publicity more easily than a large company. One will be closer to one's customers and more agile.

Levinson identifies the following principles as the foundation of guerrilla marketing:
Guerrilla Marketing is specifically geared for the small business.

It should be based on human psychology instead of experience, judgement, and guesswork.
Instead of money, the primary investments of marketing should be time, energy, and imagination.

The primary statistic to measure your business is the amount of profits, not sales.
The marketer should also concentrate on how many new relationships are made each month.
Create a standard of excellence with an acute focus instead of trying to diversify by offering allied products and services.

Instead of concentrating on getting new customers, aim for more referrals, more transactions with existing customers, and larger transactions.

Forget about the competition and concentrate more on cooperating with other businesses.
Guerrilla Marketers should always use a combination of marketing methods for a campaign.
Use current technology as a tool to empower your marketing.

Guerrilla marketing tactics:
Although there are many unconventional marketing techniques, the following is a sample:
Word of mouth campaign
Reaching the consumer directly through their daily routine
Personal canvassing
Forehead advertising/Headvertise campaign
Bluejacking sending a personal message by bluetooth
Telemarketing by all members of the firm
Personal letters
Advertisements in the Yellow Pages
Personal meetings
Circulars and brochures distributed at parking lots, homes, offices, malls, etc.
Classified ads
Ads in local community newspapers
Billboards
Truck and automotive signs
Direct mail campaigns
Seminars, lectures, and demonstrations
Searchlights
Flags and banners
T-shirts
Matches, pens, and calendars
Interactive Urinal Communicator
Advertisements printed on your own as well as other stores receipts
Guerrilla marketing was designed for small businesses, but it is now increasingly used by large businesses.

Timeline: Attacks on India

2006-07-11T22:58:00.000-07:00

While I was reading this news in one of the Middle East online newspaper called Gulf News a thought sprung up in my mind as to "am I a citizen of such a vulnerable nation which is prone to frequent bomb attacks by terrorits, communal roits on the name of religion and moreover attack on parliament.......what picture does these news articles give to the international community about my nation...am I proud of being an Indian...leave alone proud...may be, but when can I be proud...when I am safe and alive....am I safe in in my own country with very frequent chaos happening......

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/India/10052758.html

Gulf News Web Report

The following is a chronology of bomb blasts in India in the last few years.

July 11, 2006: At least seven bombs hit India's railway network, killing more than 100 people, according to Mumbai police.March 9, 2006: Three blasts in Uttar Pradesh - including two blasts at a railway station - kill 14 people and critically injure 16 others.

March 7, 2006: Bomb blasts kill 14 people in the Hindu pilgrimage city of Varanasi.

October 29, 2005: Bomb attacks hit Delhi and kill at least 62 people. A Kashmiri group claims the attacks.

August 25, 2003: At least 50 people are killed in two simultaneous bomb blasts in Bombay.

July, 2003: Bus blast kills three people.March 13, 2003: A powerful bomb blast shattered a bogie of a local train at Mulund railway station in the peak hours killing 11 people and injuring more than 65.

January 27, 2003: At least 30 people were injured when a bomb planted on a bicycle went off throwing splinters of sharp nails outside Vile Parle railway station.

December 6, 2002: 25 people were injured in a bomb blast at McDonalds fast food restaurant at Mumbai Central Railway Station.

December 2, 2002: Two persons were killed and 31 injured in a powerful explosion in a bus outside the crowded Ghatkopar railway station.

March 12, 1993: A series of 13 bomb explosions killed more than 257 people and injured 1,400 others.

The power of compounding interest

2006-06-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/jun/29perfin.htm

If compound interest is so simple that it is taught in high school, how come it took Albert Einstein, arguably the greatest scientist in the world, to call it the 8th wonder of the world?
Was it to remind us that we forgot about a magic theory? Really, understanding compound interest is very, very difficult. The human mind does not comprehend such growth so easily. We in our physical selves have a simpler type of growth. So we do not comprehend compounding of growth. A few old, really old stories might just help.

Let us start with the famous story of the Persian emperor who was so enchanted with a new 'chess' game that he wanted to fulfill any wish the inventor of the game had. This inventor, a mathematician, decided to ask for one seed of grain on the first square of the chessboard doubling the amounts on each of the following squares.

The emperor, at first happy about such modesty, was soon to discover that the total yield of his entire empire would not be sufficient to fulfill the 'modest' wish.

The amount needed on the 64th square of the chessboard equals 440 times the yield of grain of the entire planet. Just try converting into money in any currency and you will realise the importance of compounding.

A similar analogy is that one penny invested at the birth of Jesus Christ at 4% interest would have bought one ball of gold equal to the weight of the earth in the year 1750. In 1990, however, it would buy 8,190 such balls of gold.

At 5 per cent, interest it would have bought one ball of gold by the year 1466. By 1990, it would buy 2,200 billion balls of gold equal to the weight of the earth!

The example shows the enormous difference 1% makes. It also proves that the continual payment of interest and compound interest is arithmetically, as well as practically, impossible.
Just see what a difference it would have made if your great grandfather had invested in a bank fixed deposit only Rs 100 say 150 years back. What it would have grown to?

Here is a dream sheet. See for yourself. Imagine Rs 100 is invested and it grows at 10 per cent every year.

Column 2 is what it will grow to if it was held for the number of years in column 1. So if your great grandfather invested Rs 100, 150 years ago, you would have inherited Rs 16 crore (Rs 160 million).

No. of years it is invested for:	What it would grow to in Rupees:
1	110
5	161
10	259
15	418
25	1,083
50	11,739
100	1,378,061
150	161,771,784
200	18,990,527,646
300	261,701,099,618,845
400	3,606,401,402,752,540,000
500	49,698,419,673,124,400,000,000

So what is the learning from this sheet? Even a 1 per cent difference can make a mountain of a difference, but the greatest difference is made by the number of years the money remains untouched. That is the key.

For those more mathematically inclined, I state below the formula:

Vn = Vo * (1+r)^n

'n' in the compounding formula is the number of times the amount is compounded.

But for practical purposes if you take that as the time for which you stay invested in an instrument, you would not be too wrong either.

What it means is that:
The amount of money that you require (Vn) is equal to the amount invested today (Vo) multiplied by [1+ interest rate (r)] raised to the number of times the amount is compounded (n).

In this formula you as a client can control how much money you want at the end of the waiting period (Vn), how long the money can be invested (n), and how much money you can invest today Vo.

Instead of worrying about 'r', just start investing. That is the key.

Takeaways:
Start investing early.
Do not touch the amount for a long time.
Do not keep jumping from one investment instrument to another.
Let the power of compounding work for you. It would have worked for your grand-dad, dad and you. If they knew it, great. If they did not, you can start the line. At least your grandchild will praise you for it.
To see what it would have become over 500 years is fantasy. What it could have become over 150 is Ratan Tata.
When you read about 'the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,' it is not about socialism. It is about compounding.

The author is a chartered accountant and a financial domain trainer. He can be reached at pv.subramanyam@moneycontrol.com

For more on financial planning, log on to click here.

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

2005-12-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

Published: 12/04/2005 12:00 AM (UAE)

EU: India can join reactor project - Reuters

Brussels: The European Union has agreed to include India in a 10-billion-euro (Dh43 billion) project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor that in the long-run could provide virtually unlimited, cheap and clean energy.

The EU's willingness to work with India on a civil nuclear project comes months after the United States said it would support India's nuclear power development despite its refusal to sign a global treaty barring the spread of atomic weapons.

That move was seen as a dramatic policy shift as Washington had previously frowned on India's status as an unofficial nuclear power.

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a project run at the moment by five partners apart from the EU China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States and all have to agree to let India into the club. "By bringing in India, more than half of the world's population is represented at ITER," Antonia Mochan, the European Commission's spokeswoman on science and research, said.

"It's important to have such a scientific experiment which could have such huge ramifications for energy, and it's important to do that with people who could bring so much scientific know-how."

European cooperation with New Delhi on the project was a separate issue from India's avoidance of the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, she said.

"There is the non-proliferation issue and we are pursuing that with the Indians as part of our external relations policy ... This is nuclear fusion to be used as energy this doesn't have any military potential," Mochan said.

ITER expects the reactor will take 10 years to build, but detractors say the world could wait half a century before a commercially viable reactor is built, if at all.

JOINT EFFORTPlan to produce energy like sun
The aim of the reactor is to mimic the way the sun produces energy by heating hydrogen atoms to 100 million Celsius much hotter than the centre of the sun to achieve a fusion which would produce helium and yield huge amounts of energy.

Scientists say 1 kg of fusion fuel would produce the same amount of energy as 10 million kg of fossil fuels.

They know the theory works because the hydrogen bomb works, but they face the problem of trying to fuse the atoms in a controlled manner, not least to sustain temperatures of 100 million Celsius for long enough to generate power.

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/India/10002357.html

More information can be found on ITER Website - http://www.iter.org

Continental Drift

2005-11-27T04:19:00.000-08:00

I remember while I was in school studying 8th standard, I was observing world map and suddenly felt that the continents (land mass) which look apart now might have been once a complete piece of one single land mass and was looking for other parts in the map if they would match, but felt that there are few similarities on the border to match but not exact pen-cap fitting and came to a conclusion that it could be because of the continuous hitting of water for ages that the land mass got corrored on the border and hence the boundries dont match but it planted deeply in my mind that it was ineed a complete one piece of land mass, and the same I told to my teacher and friends. The reason is while observing South America and Africa it seemed it fitted well and island Madagascar fitted well to the border of Africa. I was just put down that time and after that although I finished lot of years, this thing remained strong in my mind for which I found an article now, which I posted below called "Continental Drift" which matches my thoughts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tectonic_plates

Tectonic plate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Tectonic plates)
Jump to: navigation, search

The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.
A Tectonic plate is a piece of the Earth's crust (or lithosphere). The surface of the Earth consists of seven major tectonic plates and many more minor ones.
The plates are around 100 km (60 miles) thick and consist of two principal types of material: oceanic crust (also called sima) and continental crust (sial). Under both lies a relatively plastic layer of the Earth's mantle called the asthenosphere, which is in constant motion. This is in turn underlaid by a solid layer of mantle.
The composition of the two types of crust differs markedly. Oceanic crust consists largely of basaltic rocks, while the continental crust consists principally of lower density granitic rocks rich in aluminium and silica. The two types of crust also differ in thickness, with continental crusts considerably thicker than oceanic.
The churning of the asthenosphere carries the plates along in a process known as continental drift, which is explained by the theory of plate tectonics. Interaction between the plates creates mountains and volcanoes, as well as giving rise to earthquakes and other geological phenomena.
The boundaries of the plates do not coincide with those of the continents. For instance, the North American Plate covers not only North America but also Greenland, far eastern Siberia and northern Japan.
As far as is known, the Earth is the only planet in the Solar System to possess tectonic plates, although there have been suggestions that Mars may also have possessed plates in the past before the planet's crust froze in place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_drift

Continental drift
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

Portrayal of shifting continents
The concept of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener. In 1912 he noticed that the shapes of continents on either side of the Atlantic Ocean seem to fit together (for example, Africa and South America). Francis Bacon, Antonio Snider-Pellegrini, Benjamin Franklin, and others had noted much the same thing earlier. The similarity of southern continent fossil faunas and some geological formations had led a relatively small number of Southern hemisphere geologists to conjecture as early as 1900 that all the continents had once been joined into a supercontinent known as Pangaea. The concept was initially ridiculed by most geologists, who felt that an explanation of how a continent drifted was a prerequisite and that the lack of one made the idea of drifting continents wholly unreasonable. The theory received support through the controversial years from South African geologist Alexander Du Toit as well as from Arthur Holmes. The idea of continental drift did not become widely accepted as theory until the 1950s in Europe. By the 1960s, geological research conducted by Robert Dietz, Bruce Heezen, and Harry Hess along with a rekindling of the theory including a mechanism by J. Tuzo Wilson led to acceptance among North American geologists.
The hypothesis of continental drift became part of the larger theory of plate tectonics. This article deals mainly with the historical development of the continental drift hypothesis before 1950. See: plate tectonics for information on current ideas underlying concepts of continental drift.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Pangea_animation_03.gif

Current Major Plates
African Plate
Antarctic Plate
Arabian Plate
Australian Plate
Cocos Plate
Eurasian Plate
India Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
Nazca Plate
North American Plate
Pacific Plate
Philippine Plate
Scotia Plate
South American Plate
[edit]

Current Minor Plates
Adriatic Plate
Amurian Plate
Anatolian Plate
Bismark Microplate
Burma Plate
Caribbean Plate
Caroline Plate
East American Plate
Easter Microplate
Explorer Plate
Fiji Microplates
Galapagos Microplate
Gorda Plate
Hellenic Plate
Iberian Plate
Iranian Plate
Juan de Fuca Plate
Juan Fernandez Microplate
Okhotsk Plate
Rivera Microplate
Somali Plate
South Sandwich Plate
Sunda Plate
Tonga Plate
[edit]

Ancient Plates
Farallon Plate
Kula Plate

Types of visas in UAE

2005-08-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Other entry permit fees unchanged

By Nissar Hoath, Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: The new fee structure approved by the Cabinet for visit visas will not affect other types of entry permits, Ministry of Interior sources said yesterday.
Sources said the fees and procedures for other types of visas, such as transit, tourist and entry service permits will remain unchanged.
The Cabinet recently approved the amended fee structure for visit visas, under which a visit visa will be issued for three months for a fee of Dh600.
It can be renewed for an additional fee of Dh1,200 for another three months, resulting in a total stay of six months.
Earlier, a visit visa cost Dh100 for two months and could be renewed for another month at a cost of Dh500. The visitor then had to leave the country after 90 days and return under a new visa.
Now those who want to stay for more than three months can remain for six months at a total visa cost of Dh1,800.
Under the new regulation, the Dh600 must be paid along with the application, and the visa will be issued for three months, regardless of whether the visitor stays for a month or more.
The sources said the new fee structure is likely to be implemented next month after being published in the official gazette.
The new changes come under Cabinet decision No 16 for 2005, which amends some provisions of decision No 6 of 1994 regarding the amendment and introduction of fees levied for transactions processed by the departments of Naturalisation and Residency and Traffic.
A ministry source said the new regulation will affect only visit visas issued by immigration departments before the passenger's arrival.
"This will not affect all other types of entry visas, including those issued to citizens of 33 countries who receive visit visas for 30 days upon their arrival against a fee of Dh100," the source added.
The countries are France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Under the current visa policy, citizens of the UK are granted a free of charge 30-day visit visa upon arrival in the UAE.
It entitles the holder to remain in the country for 60 days and may be renewed once for an additional 30 days for a fee of Dh500.
Types of visas
Visit visa: It must be sponsored by an individual, such as a relative, or by an establishment. The application is submitted by the sponsor with all required documents. Currently it is issued for Dh100 for two months and is renewable for another month for a fee of Dh500.
But under the new fee structure, the visa will be issued for three months for a fee of Dh600. It is renewable for another three months for a fee of Dh1,200.
Tourist Visa: It is available for tourists sponsored by tour operating companies and hotels. It is issued for 30 days for a fee of Dh100 and an additional Dh10 for delivery. This is non-renewable.
Entry Service Permit: This is issued for a non-renewable 14 days for a fee of Dh220 and a delivery charge of Dh10. Commonly known as a transit visa, it is collected by the visitor upon arrival. It is issued to businessmen and tourists sponsored by a company or commercial establishment or a hotel licensed to operate in the UAE.
Transit Visa: It is issued to travellers transiting through UAE airports. It issued for 96 hours and must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE. The visitor must have a valid ticket for onward flight. There is no charge for this permit.
Multiple Entry Visa: It is an option for businessmen who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company here. This multiple visa is valid for six months from the date of issue and costs Dh1,000. However, each visit must not exceed 30 days. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the multiple entry visa while he is here.
Residence Visa: A residence visa is required for those who intend to enter the UAE to live indefinitely with a person who is already a resident. It is issued to the immediate kin of a resident for three years for a fee of Dh300. The residence permit becomes invalid if the resident remains more than six months at a time out of the country.
Parents of residents are issued residence visas after special approval with a renewable validity of one year for a fee of Dh100 for each year. A refundable deposit of Dh5,000 has to be paid for each parent.
Investor Visa: It is issued to an expatriate investor in a limited liability company who holds a minimum stake of Dh70,000 in the share capital. It is issued for three years for a fee of Dh300.
Employment Visa: Employment Visa or Permit is issued by the Immigration Department to a foreign national who wishes to work for a company in the UAE upon the approval of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. It allows the holder to enter the UAE once for a period of 30 days and is valid for two months from the date of issue.
When the employee has entered the country on the basis of the employment visa, the sponsoring company will arrange to complete the formalities of stamping his residence.
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/NationNF.asp?ArticleID=176670

Yahoo touts its search engine index as the Internet's biggest

2005-08-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

Posted on Tue, Aug. 09, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Yahoo Inc. said its online search engine index now spans more than 20 billion Web documents and images, giving the Sunnyvale-based company the bragging rights to a widely watched measurement for assessing the power of an Internet search engine.
The figures cited by Yahoo nearly double the material scanned by rival Google Inc.
Yahoo's expansion doesn't necessarily mean it produces more useful results than Google, which has long been considered the Internet's most comprehensive database.
Yahoo said its index, boosted by a recent upgrade, now covers 20.8 billion online ``objects,'' comprised of about 19.2 billion documents and 1.6 billion images.
By comparison, Google said it tracks 11.3 billion objects. That figure consists of the nearly 8.2 billion Web pages that Google touts on its home page, 2.1 billion images, and material generated from its group discussions.
Until Monday, Yahoo hadn't publicly disclosed the size of its search index, but industry estimates had placed the figure somewhere between 6 billion and 8 billion.
``This is a great reason for more people to check us out,'' said Eckart Walther, Yahoo's vice president of products. ``We are more comprehensive than anyone else out there.''
In a statement late Monday, Google spokesman Nate Tyler questioned whether the size of Yahoo's search index had really surpassed its own. ``As of this afternoon we have not been able to verify a substantial increase to Yahoo's web index via their search results,'' Tyler said.
Verifying the index claims of the search engines is virtually impossible because there is no official auditing system, said Danny Sullivan, editor of industry newsletter Search Engine Watch.
Nevertheless, supplanting Mountain View-based Google as the biggest search engine should give Yahoo a potent marketing weapon in a tense duel for industry leadership, predicted Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li. ``The Google brand stands for search and (Yahoo's) strategy has been to undercut that brand,'' she said.
Yahoo has been chasing Google since early last year when it introduced its own search technology and index.
For the previous 3 1/2 years, Yahoo licensed its search results through Google -- an arrangement that helped turn its rival into one of the Internet's biggest success stories.
Since the split, Google has maintained a comfortable lead over Yahoo. Through June, Google held a 36.9 percent share of the U.S. search engine market with Yahoo at 30.4 percent, according to comScore Networks.
Generating searches is crucial for both companies because the requests spur revenue-producing ads alongside the results. The strategy has proven highly effective for both companies, with Google earning $712 million through the first half of while year and Yahoo earning $959 million during the same time.
While index size is an important factor in the search engine equation, the relevancy of the results and the freshness of the index are even more significant, analysts said.
``You could add a billion pages about Britney Spears and that doesn't mean the quality of results will be any better,'' Sullivan said.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/12339483.htm

China arms budget has tripled, says PentagonFrom Jane Macartney in Beijing

2005-07-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

CHINA is spending far more than it admits on its military as part of a modernisation process that signals long-term ambitions to extend its power not only over Taiwan but also deeper into the region, according to the Pentagon.

Li Zhaoxing, the Chinese Foreign Minister, yesterday swiftly dismissed a new report, presented to the US Congress on Tuesday. “China, remember, will continue to pursue a path of peaceful development,” he said, insisting that his country posed no threat to anyone.

The report could further fuel anti-Beijing sentiment among US politicians. Congress is already restless over China’s huge trade surplus, a currency policy seen as undervaluing the yuan to give Chinese goods an unfair advantage in the marketplace and a bid by a state-controlled energy firm for Unocal, the US energy producer.

“China does not now face a direct threat from another nation. Yet it continues to invest heavily in its military, particularly in programmes designed to improve power projection,” the report said.

The Pentagon estimates that China might be spending up to $90 billion (£52 billion) a year on its military, three times the officially acknowledged budget, a figure that would make it the world’s third-biggest defence spender after the United States and Russia. The Pentagon assessment details advances in China’s arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles, with between 650 and 730 deployed opposite the island of Taiwan, and notes that Beijing is adding to them at a rate of about 100 missiles a year. The issue of Taiwan lies at the heart of Sino-American relations since Beijing has said that it will retake the island, which it sees as a renegade province, by force if necessary while the United States is committed by treaty obligations to the island’s defence.

In addition, China possesses longer-range missiles capable of striking India, Australia and most American cities and has made considerable advances in sea and air power, including its indigenous Yuan-class submarine that was launched last year and a high-tech F-10 fighter expected to be rolled out this year. “Current trends in China’s military modernisation could provide China with a force capable of prosecuting a range of military operations in Asia, well beyond Taiwan, potentially posing a credible threat to modern militaries in the area,” the report said.

However, the report also cites weaknesses and concludes that China’s ability to project conventional military power remains limited. This, and the damage to China’s image and the impact on its economic growth, acts as a deterrent to military action against Taiwan.
The military build-up underscores why the US opposes any easing of a European Union arms embargo on China.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1702139,00.html

Why US is shifting nuclear stand with India

2005-07-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

A bargain on nuclear technology may signal view of India as counterbalance to China.

By Howard LaFranchi Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – US plans to broaden India's access to nuclear technology, announced this week during an enthusiastic visit to Washington by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, have their roots in designs from the earliest days of the Bush administration to build India's stature as a counterbalance to a rising and problematic China.

The proposed extension of nuclear access to what the White House likes to call "the world's largest democracy" raises questions about potential impact on other countries with nuclear ambitions and designs for international status. That is especially true as the announcement comes just days before the European Union is to return to negotiations with Iran to end its nuclear-weapons programs and six-party talks are to take up again in Beijing on North Korea's nuclear program.

But perhaps the greatest significance of the plan is what it says about 21st- century geopolitics and in particular about a Bush administration vision for dealing with China, some analysts say.
"The crux of this announcement is what it tells us about the US grand strategy, and that behind whatever else is going on here the US is preparing for a grand conflict with China and constructing an anti-China coalition," says Joseph Cirincione, head of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "In that scenario, India is even more valuable as a nuclear power, rather than as a nonnuclear country."
The White House plan, which would allow India broader access to international technology for its nuclear power industry in exchange for India granting some access to international inspections, still faces high hurdles: Opposition is expected to be strong both in the US Congress and among other nuclear powers who along with the US would have some say.
In the view of some specialists, the plan would certainly erode and perhaps mean the scrapping of decades of international nonproliferation effort in favor of an ad hoc, case-by-case approach that rewards certain countries while punishing others. "This is a plan that chooses good guys and bad guys, and says that what matters is power politics and not nonproliferation principles," Mr. Cirincione says.
But for others, the plan reflects a realistic appraisal both of exploding global energy needs and India's responsible track record in handling nuclear technology.
"Yes, this does look at India on an individual basis, but it also rewards a worthy country for its very good performance on nuclear proliferation, and in that sense it reflects a desirable change in US policy," says Selig Harrison, director of the Asia Program at the Center for International Policy in Washington. The US shift will raise protests from Pakistan, Mr. Harrison says, but in response to protests of special treatment for India, the US "has an answer, and that is: A. Q. Khan," he adds, referring to the "father" of Pakistan's nuclear program who developed a clandestine nuclear bazaar.
Certainly, the US increasingly sees India as a "good guy," both in terms of the South Asian region but also in international affairs. President Bush referred to "our shared values" during Mr. Singh's White House visit Monday, while State Department officials say the agreement points the way for US-India relations for the coming decades.
In a speech to Congress Tuesday, Prime Minister Singh emphasized India's record of guarding its nuclear technology from a dangerous spread, assuring members of Congress that India "never will be a source of proliferation of nuclear technologies." Harrison says the US agreement would also rectify an anomaly in the "outdated" international nonproliferation regime that allows the US to sell civilian nuclear technology to China but not to India.
The White House plan does not formally recognize India as a nuclear power, but some critics say it does grant de facto recognition.
Karl Inderfurth, a former assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs during the Clinton administration, recognizes the plan will be controversial among many nonproliferation experts and in Congress. But he adds: "It's the right call for us and for the world, really. This is a way to bring India into a global nonproliferation regime, rather than leaving it on the outside."
Yet while the nuclear agreement signals new thinking on US-India relations, it won't really mean a new chapter in the partnership unless the administration is willing to fight for the plan and convince Congress of its merits, Mr. Harrison says. "This is a litmus test, for Indians and for others as well, as to whether the US is really serious about seeing India as a key and rising player in global calculations," he says.
No doubt China will be watching how far the US plans to take the relationship. So will Europe - in particular a European Union that does not see the rising challenge of China in the same terms as the US, but which has put off arms sales to China in response to US concerns. China is clearly a factor in US calculations on India, experts say, but some also warn that the US has little to gain if it develops ties to India primarily as a counterweight to another rising power.

"I know a lot of people are busy devising the scenarios of India counterbalancing China and joining us in confronting a rising power, but we need to be careful not to get into a triangular trap," says Mr. Inderfurth, now at George Washington University. The problems the global powers face, from poverty to the spread of nuclear weapons, are nothing any one country can address, he says. "We need to develop relations with both countries and work in a cooperative, not a competitive way."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0720/p03s01-usfp.html

US, India Open Can of Nuclear Worms
http://www.antiwar.com/bidwai/?articleid=6708

Peg

2005-07-11T01:19:00.000-07:00

PEG:
One currency is said to be pegged to another when the exchange rate between the two is fixed and the market forces do not influence the exchange rate. For instance the chinese yuan is pegged at 8 yuan to a dollar which means that one dollar will buy 8 yuans no matter what the markket conditions are.
http://www.19.5degs.com/element/18039.php

Purchasing Price Parity:
Purchasing Price Parity means the value of one currency against another in terms of a common basket of goods that they can buy in their respective countries. For instance to value a dollar against a rupee it needs to be seen how many of a burger, petrol and shirt can a dollar buy and how much of the same can the rupee buy. Then the two shall be compared to arrive at a price. (the examples taken are hypothetical).
http://www.19.5degs.com/next.php?r=18037&c=652

Purchasing power parity:
In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate exchange rates between the currencies of different countries. PPP exchange rates are used in international comparisons of standard of living. They calculate the relative value of currencies based on what those currencies will buy in their nation of origin. Typically, the prices of many goods will be considered, and weighted according to their importance in the economy.
http://www.investordictionary.com/definition/purchasing+power+parity.aspx

Commodity Price Index (CPI):
Index or average, which may be weighted, of selected commodity prices, intended to be representative of the markets in general or a specific subset of commodities, e.g., grains or livestock.
http://www.investordictionary.com/definition/commodity+price+index.aspx

Eat, sleep and drink and become senile, not merry

2005-07-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

No social life, no brains

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Eat, sleep and drink and become senile, not merry

Professor Üner Tan, a lecturer of physiology at Çukurova University, said people who spend their lives under the “eat, sleep and drink" philosophy and refrain from pursuing hobbies or having a rich social life, use only a small portion of their brains and are prone to senility at an earlier age, reported the Doğan News Agency.

Professor Tan said men and women use only 10-15 percent of their brains when they live by the philosophy of "eat, drink and sleep" whereas people who are engaged in stimulating physical or mental activities such as sports, music, reading, writing, deep thinking and analytical speaking remain “young” with their brain cells constantly renewed.

Tan said personal philosophy has to be diversified; people need to be dedicated to life and constantly active. He said, on average, humans lose 100,000 brain cells a day but an active brain regenerates and produces fresh cells. “When we take a look at important figures in history we can see that successful inventors, politicians, authors and scientists all had hobbies outside their primary work. For example, Albert Einstein was interested in music and played the violin. No matter how old you are you must do something. Even if you are over 40, you should learn a new language or take classes. If you don't do challenging work, your brain cells aren't renewed and your brain will 'rust'; it will deteriorate by shrinking at a young age and make you susceptible to senility at a young age. One should be a student of life and engage in the study of not only science and math but also art, philosophy and sports.”
He then quoted a Turkish proverb meaning “use it or lose it“ and gave steel as an example. If steel is used and worked properly, it won't rust.

He said the education system in Turkey causes students' brains to develop on one track. Students focus on passing university entrance exams at the expense of sports, music, literature, etc., and shortchange development of their imaginations.

Tan said politics in Turkey emphasizes an economic route and the education system is geared towards industry and practical technology. He said that within this system social development is not stressed because students think in materialistic terms and have stereotypical brains.

Article taken from http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=17392 out of personal interest and not for distribution.

What is Cyclicality?

2005-06-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

Cyclicality
When talking about stocks cyclicality basically means that stocks follow the general macroeconomic conditions. A cyclical stock is one that typically performs well when the economy is good and badly when than when the economy is weak. This sounds pretty much like common sense but it's important to remember that not all companies fall into this group, as you'll see in a minute.

Non-cyclicality
Non-cyclical stocks are stocks that don't necessarily move in tandem with the overall market. These typically include healthcare companies because people still go to hospitals and buy cough medicine when the economy is bad. And when the economy improves, it doesn't mean they go to the hospital any more often. There are degrees to which a stock can be non-cyclical. Take grocery stores for example. If the economy is weak, it doesn't mean that you won't buy food for your family. However, you might start clipping coupons and buying more generic items, which lowers the average ticket at a grocery store. In this case, these companies would be "semi-cyclical."

Countercyclicality
Countercyclicality is really hard to assess. A countercyclical stock is one that typically does well when the economy takes a downturn. People often argue that alcohol companies are countercyclical because studies have shown that people drink more when unemployment is high.

Countercyclicality can even be slightly evident in retail companies. I know, I know…didn't I just say retail stocks are cyclical? How could some be countercyclical? Well, take TJX for example. TJX owns TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, which are clothing retailers. Clothing is seen as a discretionary purchase, meaning that you don't need to buy new clothes. So when the economy does poorly, people often look to cut their discretionary spending by shopping for cheaper clothes. That's where TJX steps in. They offer their customers name-brand apparel at prices much lower. So their customers can still by the same type of clothes as they normally would but at lower prices. We call this the "trading down effect."

Understanding cyclicality is important because it gives you a sense of how your investments will do when the economy shifts gears. Obviously if unemployment is rising and the economy is turning sour, you may not want to buy shares in Tweeter Home Entertainment, which sells high-end plasma televisions. It pretty much comes down to common sense…but it's important to understand nonetheless

Source: http://www.teenanalyst.com/askus/cyclicality.html

How Google works?

2005-03-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3487041

March 2, 2005 Peeking Into Google By Susan Kuchinskas

BURLINGAME, Calif. -- The key to the speed and reliability of Google (Quote, Chart) search is cutting up data into chunks, its top engineer said.

Urs Hoelzle, Google vice president of operations and vice president of engineering, offered a rare behind-the-scenes tour of Google's architecture on Wednesday. Hoelzle spoke here at EclipseCon 2005, a conference on the open source, extensible platform for software tools.
To deal with the more than 10 billion Web pages and tens of terabytes of information on Google's servers, the company combines cheap machines with plenty of redundancy, Hoelzle said. Its commodity servers cost around $1,000 apiece, and Google's architecture places them into interconnected nodes.

All machines run on a stripped-down Linux kernel. The distribution is Red Hat (Quote, Chart), but Hoelzle said Google doesn't use much of the distro. Moreover, Google has created its own patches for things that haven't been fixed in the original kernel.

"The downside to cheap machines is, you have to make them work together reliably," Hoelzle said. "These things are cheap and easy to put together. The problem is, these things break."
In fact, at Google, many will fail every day. So, Google has automated methods of dealing with machine failures, allowing it to build a fast, highly reliable service with cheap hardware.

Google replicates the Web pages it caches by splitting them up into pieces it calls "shards." The shards are small enough that several can fit on one machine. And they're replicated on several machines, so that if one breaks, another can serve up the information. The master index is also split up among several servers, and that set also is replicated several times. The engineers call these "chunk servers."

As a search query comes into the system, it hits a Web server, then is split into chunks of service. One set of index servers contains the index; one set of machines contains one full index. To actually answer a query, Google has to use one complete set of servers. Since that set is replicated as a fail-safe, it also increases throughput, because if one set is busy, a new query can be routed to the next set, which drives down search time per box.

In parallel, clusters of document servers contain copies of Web pages that Google has cached. Hoelzle said that the refresh rate is from one to seven days, with an average of two days. That's mostly dependent on the needs of the Web publishers.

"One surprising limitation is we can't crawl as fast as we would like, because [smaller] webmasters complain," he said.

Each set of document servers contains one copy of the Web. These machines are responsible for delivering the content snippets that show searchers relevant text from the page.

"When we have your top 10 results, they get sent to the document servers, which load the 10 result pages into memory," Hoelzle said. "Then you parse through them and find the best snippet that contains all the query words."

Google uses three software systems built in-house to route queries, balance server loads and make programming easier.

The Google File System was written specifically to deal with the cheap machines that will fail.
"We take our files and chunk them up, then you randomly distribute the chunks across different machines, making sure each chunk has at least two copies that are not physically adjacent -- not on same power strip or same switch," Hoelzle said. "We try to make sure that even if one copy goes away, another copy is still here." Chunks typically are 64 megabytes and are replicated three times.

All this replication makes it easier to make changes, Hoelzle said. Google simply takes one replica at a time offline, updates it, then plugs the machines back in.

Because these chunks are randomly distributed all over, Google needs a master containing metadata to keep track of where the chunks are. When a query comes into the system, the file system master tells it which chunk server has the data. "From there on, you just talk to the chunk servers," he said.

Client machines are responsible for dealing with fault tolerance. If a client requests a file from the specified chunk server and gets no response within the designated time period, it uses the meta information to locate another chunk server, while sending the file master a hint that the first chunk server might have died. If the master confirms the chunk went out, it will replicate the chunks that were on it to another server, making sure that the information is replicated at least the minimum number of times.

"You were vulnerable for only a very brief period," he said.

To enable Google programmers to write applications to run in parallel on 1,000 machines, engineers created the Map/Reduce Framework in 2004.

"The Map/Reduce Framework provides automatic and efficient parallelization and distribution," Hoelzle said. "It's fault tolerant and it does the I/O scheduling, being a little bit smart about where the data lives."

Programmers write two simple functions, map and reduce, to create a long list of key/value pairs. Then, the mapping function produces other key/value pairs. "You just map one pair to another pair," he said.

For example, if an application is needed to count URLs on one host, the programmer would take the URL and the contents and map them into the pair consisting of hostname and 1. "This produces an intermediate set of key/value pairs with different values."
Next, a reduction operation takes all the outputs that have the same key and combines them to produce a single output.

"Map/Reduce is simplified large-scale data processing," Hoelzle said, "a very simple abstraction that makes it possible to write programs that run over these terabytes of data with little effort."
The third homegrown application is Google's Global Work Queue, which is for scheduling.
Global Work Queue works like old-time batch processing. It schedules queries into batch jobs and places them on pools of machines. The setup is optimized for running random computations over tons of data.

"Mostly, you want to split the huge task into lots of small chunks, which provides even load balancing across machines," Hoelzle said. The idea is to have more tasks than machines so machines are never idle.

Hoelzle also demonstrated how Google uses its massive architecture to learn from data. It analyzes the most common misspellings of queries, and uses that information to power the function that suggests alternate spellings for queries.

The company also is applying machine learning to its system to give better results. Theoretically, he said, if someone searches for "Bay Area cooking class," the system should know that "Berkeley courses: vegetarian cuisine" is a good match even though it contains none of the query words.

To do this, the system tries to cluster concepts into "reasonably coherent" subclusters that seem related. These clusters, some tiny and some huge, are named automatically. Then, when a query comes in, the system produces a probability score for the various clusters. This kind of machine learning has had little success in academic trials, Hoelzle said, because they didn't have enough data. "If you have enough data, you get reasonably good answers out of it."

In addition to improving query results, Google uses this learning to better deliver contextual ads for its AdSense service to Web publishers, as well as to more accurately cluster news stories within Google News.

Google's redundancy theory works on a meta level, as well, according to Hoelzle. One literal meltdown -- a fire at a datacenter in an undisclosed location -- brought out six fire trucks but didn't crash the system.

"You don't have just one data center," he said, "you have multiples."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data taken from How Stuff Works:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/search-engine.htm

Google.com began as an academic search engine. In the paper that describes how the system was built, Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page give an example of how quickly their spiders can work. They built their initial system to use multiple spiders, usually three at one time. Each spider could keep about 300 connections to Web pages open at a time. At its peak performance, using four spiders, their system could crawl over 100 pages per second, generating around 600 kilobytes of data each second.

Keeping everything running quickly meant building a system to feed necessary information to the spiders. The early Google system had a server dedicated to providing URLs to the spiders. Rather than depending on an Internet service provider for the domain name server (DNS) that translates a server's name into an address, Google had its own DNS, in order to keep delays to a minimum.

When the Google spider looked at an HTML page, it took note of two things:
The words within the page
Where the words were found

Words occurring in the title, subtitles, meta tags and other positions of relative importance were noted for special consideration during a subsequent user search. The Google spider was built to index every significant word on a page, leaving out the articles "a," "an" and "the." Other spiders take different approaches.

These different approaches usually attempt to make the spider operate faster, allow users to search more efficiently, or both. For example, some spiders will keep track of the words in the title, sub-headings and links, along with the 100 most frequently used words on the page and each word in the first 20 lines of text. Lycos is said to use this approach to spidering the Web.
Other systems, such as AltaVista, go in the other direction, indexing every single word on a page, including "a," "an," "the" and other "insignificant" words. The push to completeness in this approach is matched by other systems in the attention given to the unseen portion of the Web page, the meta tags.

Meta Tags
Meta tags allow the owner of a page to specify key words and concepts under which the page will be indexed. This can be helpful, especially in cases in which the words on the page might have double or triple meanings -- the meta tags can guide the search engine in choosing which of the several possible meanings for these words is correct. There is, however, a danger in over-reliance on meta tags, because a careless or unscrupulous page owner might add meta tags that fit very popular topics but have nothing to do with the actual contents of the page. To protect against this, spiders will correlate meta tags with page content, rejecting the meta tags that don't match the words on the page.

All of this assumes that the owner of a page actually wants it to be included in the results of a search engine's activities. Many times, the page's owner doesn't want it showing up on a major search engine, or doesn't want the activity of a spider accessing the page. Consider, for example, a game that builds new, active pages each time sections of the page are displayed or new links are followed. If a Web spider accesses one of these pages, and begins following all of the links for new pages, the game could mistake the activity for a high-speed human player and spin out of control. To avoid situations like this, the robot exclusion protocol was developed. This protocol, implemented in the meta-tag section at the beginning of a Web page, tells a spider to leave the page alone -- to neither index the words on the page nor try to follow its links.

Building the Index
Once the spiders have completed the task of finding information on Web pages (and we should note that this is a task that is never actually completed -- the constantly changing nature of the Web means that the spiders are always crawling), the search engine must store the information in a way that makes it useful. There are two key components involved in making the gathered data accessible to users:

The information stored with the data
The method by which the information is indexed

In the simplest case, a search engine could just store the word and the URL where it was found. In reality, this would make for an engine of limited use, since there would be no way of telling whether the word was used in an important or a trivial way on the page, whether the word was used once or many times or whether the page contained links to other pages containing the word. In other words, there would be no way of building the ranking list that tries to present the most useful pages at the top of the list of search results.

To make for more useful results, most search engines store more than just the word and URL. An engine might store the number of times that the word appears on a page. The engine might assign a weight to each entry, with increasing values assigned to words as they appear near the top of the document, in sub-headings, in links, in the meta tags or in the title of the page. Each commercial search engine has a different formula for assigning weight to the words in its index. This is one of the reasons that a search for the same word on different search engines will produce different lists, with the pages presented in different orders.

Regardless of the precise combination of additional pieces of information stored by a search engine, the data will be encoded to save storage space. For example, the original Google paper describes using 2 bytes, of 8 bits each, to store information on weighting -- whether the word was capitalized, its font size, position, and other information to help in ranking the hit. Each factor might take up 2 or 3 bits within the 2-byte grouping (8 bits = 1 byte). As a result, a great deal of information can be stored in a very compact form. After the information is compacted, it's ready for indexing.

An index has a single purpose: It allows information to be found as quickly as possible. There are quite a few ways for an index to be built, but one of the most effective ways is to build a hash table. In hashing, a formula is applied to attach a numerical value to each word. The formula is designed to evenly distribute the entries across a predetermined number of divisions. This numerical distribution is different from the distribution of words across the alphabet, and that is the key to a hash table's effectiveness.

In English, there are some letters that begin many words, while others begin fewer. You'll find, for example, that the "M" section of the dictionary is much thicker than the "X" section. This inequity means that finding a word beginning with a very "popular" letter could take much longer than finding a word that begins with a less popular one. Hashing evens out the difference, and reduces the average time it takes to find an entry. It also separates the index from the actual entry. The hash table contains the hashed number along with a pointer to the actual data, which can be sorted in whichever way allows it to be stored most efficiently. The combination of efficient indexing and effective storage makes it possible to get results quickly, even when the user creates a complicated search.

Building a Search
Searching through an index involves a user building a query and submitting it through the search engine. The query can be quite simple, a single word at minimum. Building a more complex query requires the use of Boolean operators that allow you to refine and extend the terms of the search.

The Boolean operators most often seen are:

AND - All the terms joined by "AND" must appear in the pages or documents. Some search engines substitute the operator "+" for the word AND.
OR - At least one of the terms joined by "OR" must appear in the pages or documents.
NOT - The term or terms following "NOT" must not appear in the pages or documents. Some search engines substitute the operator "-" for the word NOT.
FOLLOWED BY - One of the terms must be directly followed by the other.
NEAR - One of the terms must be within a specified number of words of the other.
Quotation Marks - The words between the quotation marks are treated as a phrase, and that phrase must be found within the document or file.

Future Search
The searches defined by Boolean operators are literal searches -- the engine looks for the words or phrases exactly as they are entered. This can be a problem when the entered words have multiple meanings. "Bed," for example, can be a place to sleep, a place where flowers are planted, the storage space of a truck or a place where fish lay their eggs. If you're interested in only one of these meanings, you might not want to see pages featuring all of the others. You can build a literal search that tries to eliminate unwanted meanings, but it's nice if the search engine itself can help out.

One of the areas of search engine research is concept-based searching. Some of this research involves using statistical analysis on pages containing the words or phrases you search for, in order to find other pages you might be interested in. Obviously, the information stored about each page is greater for a concept-based search engine, and far more processing is required for each search. Still, many groups are working to improve both results and performance of this type of search engine. Others have moved on to another area of research, called natural-language queries.

The idea behind natural-language queries is that you can type a question in the same way you would ask it to a human sitting beside you -- no need to keep track of Boolean operators or complex query structures. The most popular natural language query site today is AskJeeves.com, which parses the query for keywords that it then applies to the index of sites it has built. It only works with simple queries; but competition is heavy to develop a natural-language query engine that can accept a query of great complexity.

For more information on search engines and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Interesting links

2005-03-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

http://exploremarsnow.org/

http://marshallbrain.com

Forward & Backward Integration

2005-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Forward Integration
The expansion of a business' products and/or services to related areas in order to more directly fulfill the customer's needs.

Backward Integration
Acquiring ownership of one's supply chain, usually in the hope of reducing supplier power and thus reducing input costs.

Source: InvestorWords
http://www.investorwords.com/383/backward_integration.html

Invisible cloak

2005-03-03T02:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_747591.html

A Japanese scientist has developed a coat which appears to make the wearer invisible.

The illusion was part of a demonstration of optical camouflage technology at Tokyo University.
It is the brainchild of Professor Susumu Tachi who is in the early stage of research he hopes will eventually make camouflaged objects virtually transparent.

The photograph was taken through a viewfinder that uses a combination of moving images taken behind the wearer to give a transparent effect.

It's hoped the technology will be useful for surgeons frustrated their own hands and surgical tools can block their view of operations and pilots who wish cockpit floors were transparent for landings.

For more Science and discovery, Space, Genetics, Amazing science, Inventions, Medical breakthroughs, Phenomena, Natural world, Archaeology visit http://www.ananova.com/

Human genetic variation map unveiled

2005-02-18T21:39:00.000-08:00

Source: IANS.
Image Source: DGL.Microsoft

Los Angeles, Feb 18: US scientists have unveiled the first map of common human genetic variations that could ultimately promise more effective and individualised treatments for disease-related DNA variations, Xinhua reports.

The map, which could also help speed up efforts to pinpoint disease-related DNA variations, was created by California-based Perlegen Sciences and published in Friday's issue of the journal "Science".

The research "will provide an invaluable resource for genetic research to improve human health", said Donald Kennedy, the journal's editor-in-chief.

The work is believed to have significant implications for the study of cardiovascular disease, mental illness, and many other conditions thought to result from a complex interplay of multiple genetic and environmental factors.

The mapping effort describes 1.58 million single-letter DNA variations across 71 individuals of European American, African American and Han Chinese American ancestry.
Though the human genome contains millions more single-letter variations, or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), they seem to occur within patterns that have been preserved for thousands of years.

Therefore, the new mapping effort appears to capture most common human genetic variation, researchers said.

Researchers made use of the fact that two genes located closer together are far less likely to be reshuffled over generations by the biological process known as recombination.

As a result, certain patterns of variation have been preserved across human history. The presence of these patterns, known as "linkage dis-equilibrium", allowed authors to create a first picture of the structure of human genetic variation based on short- and long-range clustering of single-letter variations.

Most common DNA variations are found across all populations and likely date back to the exodus of modern humans out of Africa.

But other genetic differences may be specific to certain populations, the researchers explained.
The study thus should "provide a tool for exploring many questions remaining regarding the causal role of common human DNA variation in complex human traits and for investigating the nature of genetic variation within and between human populations", the paper said.

http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/Technology/528582d8-2f1a-4272-b479-26b504c725cf.aspx

2005-02-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Narhai, Feb 17: The small village of Narhai in Uttar Pradesh is suddenly on NASA's map.

A 17-year-old boy from here, Saurabh Singh, has beaten all odds to top NASA's International Scientist Discovery (ISD) exam.

Saurabh, a class XII student, has even bettered Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, who finished seventh when he sat for the examinations in 1960.

"I had always dreamt of going on a mission on a spacecraft. I came to know about ISD when I was preparing for the Indian Institute of Technology, Joint Entrance Examination," says Saurabh.

The other famous Indian to have done well in the International Scientist Discovery exam was Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist of the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle and the first Indian woman in space. She had stood 21st in the 1988 exams.

But unlike her, Saurabh had never heard of NASA till he began preparing for his IIT entrance exams.

Proud achievementFor Saurabh's parents, his achievement is a dream come true.

"I was confident that my son would do well in his studies. He made it possible with his own efforts," says Nirmala Singh, Saurabh's mother.

Saurabh is now eagerly awaiting his call letter from NASA and hopes to meet his idol President Kalam before leaving for the US a few months from now.

When he goes, Saurabh will be carrying with him the pride of his family, his village, and the entire country.

http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/News/8c627d67-953c-4be8-862d-75f9361b045a.aspx

Purchasing-power parity theory

2005-01-27T01:34:00.000-08:00

Purchasing-power parity theory. A theory which states that the exchange rate between one currency and another is in equilibrium when their domestic purchasing powers at that rate of exchange are equivalent.

In short, what this means is that a bundle of goods should cost the same in Canada and the United States once you take the exchange rate into account. To see why, we’ll use an example.
First suppose that one U.S. Dollar (USD) is currently selling for ten Mexican Pesos (MXN) on the exchange rate market. In the United States wooden baseball bats sell for $40 while in Mexico they sell for 150 pesos. Since 1 USD = 10 MXN, then the bat costs $40 USD if we buy it in the U.S. but only 15 USD if we buy it in Mexico. Clearly there’s an advantage to buying the bat in Mexico, so consumers are much better off going to Mexico to buy their bats. If consumers decide to do this, we should expect to see three things happen:

American consumers desire Mexico Pesos in order to buy baseball bats in Mexico. So they go to an exchange rate office and sell their American Dollars and buy Mexican Pesos. As we saw in "A Beginner’s Guide to Exchange Rates" this will cause the Mexican Peso to become more valuable relative to the U.S. Dollar.

The demand for baseball bats sold in the United States decreases, so the price American retailers charge goes down.

The demand for baseball bats sold in Mexico increases, so the price Mexican retailers charge goes up.

Eventually these three factors should cause the exchange rates and the prices in the two countries to change such that we have purchasing power parity. If the U.S. Dollar declines in value to 1 USD = 8 MXN, the price of baseball bats in the United States goes down to $30 each and the price of baseball bats in Mexico goes up to 240 pesos each, we will have purchasing power parity. This is because a consumer can spend $30 in the United States for a baseball bat, or he can take his $30, exchange it for 240 pesos (since 1 USD = 8 MXN) and buy a baseball bat in Mexico and be no better off.

Purchasing-power parity theory tells us that price differentials between countries are not sustainable in the long run as market forces will equalize prices between countries and change exchange rates in doing so. You might think that my example of consumers crossing the border to buy baseball bats is unrealistic as the expense of the longer trip would wipe out any savings you get from buying the bat for a lower price. However it is not unrealistic to imagine an individual or company buying hundreds or thousands of the bats in Mexico then shipping them to the United States for sale. It is also not unrealistic to imagine a store like Walmart purchasing bats from the lower cost manufacturer in Mexico instead of the higher cost manufacturer in Mexico. In the long run having different prices in the United States and Mexico is not sustainable because an individual or company will be able to gain an arbitrage profit by buying the good cheaply in one market and selling it for a higher price in the other market (This is explained in greater detail in “What is Arbitrage? ”).

Since the price for any one good should be equal across markets, the price for any combination or basket of goods should be equalized. That’s the theory, but it doesn’t always work in practice.

Why Purchasing Power Parity Theory Isn’t Perfect?

Anything which limits the free trade of goods will limit the opportunities people have in taking advantage of these arbitrage opportunities. A few of the larger limits are:

1) Import and Export Restrictions: Restrictions such as quotas, tariffs and laws will make it difficult to buy goods in one market and sell them in another. If there is a 300% tax on imported baseball bats, then in our first example it is no longer profitable to buy the bat in Mexico instead of the United States. The U.S. could also just pass a law make it illegal to import baseball bats. The effect of quotas and tariffs were covered in more detail in "Why Are Tariffs Preferable to Quotas? ".

2) Travel Costs: If it is very expensive to transport goods from one market to another, we would expect to see a difference in prices in the two markets. This even happens in places that use the same currency; for instance the price of goods is cheaper in Canadian cities such as Toronto and Edmonton than it is in more remote parts of Canada such as Nunavut.

3) Perishable Goods: It may be simply physically impossible to transfer goods from one market to another. There may be a place which sells cheap sandwiches in New York City, but that doesn’t help me if I’m living in San Francisco. Of course, this effect is mitigated by the fact that many of the ingredients used in making the sandwiches are transportable, so we’d expect that sandwich makers in New York and San Francisco should have similar material costs. This is the basis behind the Economist’s famous Big Mac Index. Their article McCurrencies is a must read.

4) Location: You can’t buy a piece of property in Des Moines and move it to Boston. Because of that real-estate prices in markets can vary wildly. Since the price of land is not the same everywhere, we would expect this to have an impact on prices, as retailers in Boston have higher expenses than retailers in Des Moines.

So while purchasing power parity theory helps us understand exchange rate differentials, exchange rates do not always converge in the long run the way PPP theory predicts.

Basic Arabic phrases

2004-12-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the basic words and phrases in Arabic that will help you get started in UAE.

http://www.sharjah-welcome.com/html/sh_arabic_phrases.htm

Country Studies

2004-12-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

http://countrystudies.us/
This website contains the on-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress as part of the Country Studies/Area Handbook Series sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army between 1986 and 1998. Each study offers a comprehensive description and analysis of the country or region's historical setting, geography, society, economy, political system, and foreign policy

Flash memory

2004-11-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/f/l/Flash_memory.html

Flash memory is a form of EEPROM that allows multiple memory locations to be erased or written in one programming operation. Normal EEPROM only allows one location at a time to be erased or written, meaning that flash can operate at higher effective speeds when the systems using it read and write to different locations at the same time. All types of flash memory and EEPROM wear out after a certain number of erase operations.

Flash memory is made in two forms: NOR flash and NAND flash. The names refer to the type of logic gate used in each storage cell.

NOR flash was the first type to be developed, invented by Intel in 1988. It has long erase and write times, but has a full address/data (memory) interface that allows random access to any location. This makes it suitable for storage of program code that needs to be infrequently updated, as in digital cameras and PDAs. Its endurance is 10,000 to 100,000 erase cycles. NOR-based flash is the basis of early flash-based removable media; Compact Flash and SmartMedia are both based on it.

NAND flash from Toshiba followed in 1989. It has faster erase and write times, higher density, and lower cost per bit than NOR flash, and ten times the endurance. However its I/O interface allows only sequential access to data. This makes it suitable for mass-storage devices such as PC cards and various memory cards, and somewhat less useful for computer memory. NAND-based flash has led to several much smaller removable media formats, MMC, Secure Digital and Memory Stick.

SD Card

2004-11-30T05:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/s/e/Secure_Digital_Card.html

Secure Digital, or SD, is flash memory data storage device based on Toshiba's earlier Multi Media Cards (MMC). SD is slightly thicker, and includes features that allow the secure exchange of data, enabling usage restrictions to placate copyright holders. It has essentially replaced MMC outright. It had been said that Secure Digital cards would become ubiquitous, replacing diskettes, but since has failed to do so, largely because of the popularity of USB Keydrives. Its price is still prohibitively high, costing more and holding less data then its main competition, the larger Compact Flash.

PDA devices such as Pocket PCs and Palm-powered devices frequently feature SD slots. PalmOne, HP, Dell, Toshiba, and other PDA manufacturers have made SD a standard on all of their PDAs. Many of the Sharp Zaurus models also use the SD format. SD is fairly well supported in the digital camera industry as well, used in all Kodak cameras. It's also the memory of choice in some of Nokia's higher end cell phones, such as the N-Gage and the 36xx series. Olympus also produced some cameras with SD capability, but abandoned it in favor of its own xD-Picture cards.

The Special and General Theory of Relativity

2004-11-29T21:57:00.001-08:00

Einstein, Albert. 1920. Relativity: The Special and General Theory
www.bartleby.com/173/

Bartleby.com is a very good site covering most of the topics in physics, medicine

The Special and General Theory

2004-11-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

Einstein, Albert. 1920. Relativity: The Special and General Theory
www.bartleby.com/173/

Bartleby.com is a very good site covering most of the topics in physics, medicine

Macroeconomics & Microeconomics

2004-11-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

Macroeconomics:
The study of the behavior an economy at the aggregate level, as opposed to the level of a specific subgroups or individuals (which is called microeconomics). For example, a macroeconomist might consider the industrial sector, the services sector or the farm sector, but he/she will not consider specific parts of any of these sectors. Factors studies include inflation, unemployment, and industrial production, often with the aim of studying the effect of government policy on these factors.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics is the study of the entire economy in terms of the total amount of goods and services produced, total income earned, the level of employment of productive resources, and the general behavior of prices. Macroeconomics can be used to analyse how best to influence policy goals such as economic growth, price stability, full employment and the attainment of a sustainable balance of payments.

Until the 1930s most economic analysis concentrated on individual firms and industries. With the Great Depression of the 1930s, however, and the development of the concept of national income and product statistics, the field of macroeconomics began to expand. Particularly influential were the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, who used the concept of aggregate demand to explain fluctuations in output and unemployment. Keynesian economics is based on his ideas.

One of the challenges of economics has been a struggle to reconcile macroeconomic and microeconomic models. Starting in the 1950s, macroeconomists developed micro-based models of macroeconomic behavior (such as the consumption function). Dutch economist Jan Tinbergen developed the first comprehensive national macroeconomic model, which he first built for the Netherlands and later applied to the United States and the United Kingdom after World War II. The first global macroecomomic model, Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates LINK project, was initiated by Lawrence Klein and was mentioned in his citation for the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 1980.

Theorists such as Robert Lucas Jr suggested (in the 1970s) that at least some traditional Keynesian macroeconomic models were questionable as they were not derived from assumptions about individual behavior. However, New Keynesian macroeconomics has generally presented microeconomic models to shore up their macroeconomic theorizing, while the Lucas critique has fallen from favor.

In 2004, the Norwegian Finn E. Kydland and the American Edward C. Prescott, won the Nobel Prize in economy for their work in this area.

Today the main schools of macroeconomic thought are as follows:
1) Keynesian economics, which focuses on aggregate demand to explain levels of unemployment and the business cycle. That is, business cycle fluctuations should be reduced through fiscal policy (the government spends more or less depending on the situation) and monetary policy. Early Keynesian macroeconomics was "activist," calling for regular use of policy to stabilize the capitalist economy, while some Keynesians called for the use of incomes policies.
2) Monetarism, led by Milton Friedman, which holds that inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon. It rejects fiscal policy because it leads to "crowding out" of the private sector. Further, it does not wish to combat inflation or deflation by means of active demand management as in Keynesian economics, but by means of monetary policy rules, such as keeping the rate of growth of the money supply constant over time.
3) Post-Keynesian economics represents a dissent from mainstream Keynesian economics, emphasizing the role of uncertainty and the historical process in macroeconomics.
4) New classical economics, which emphasises the idea of rational expectations. Their original theoretical impetus was the charge that Keynesian economics lacks microeconomic foundations -- i.e. its assertions are not founded in basic economic theory. This school emerged during the 1970s. This school assumed that at any one time, there was only one "market clearing" equilibrium and that the economy automatically gravitated to that equilibrium. Fluctuations occurred due to changes in potential output, i.e., changes in aggregate supply.
5) New Keynesian economics, which developed partly in response to new classical economics. It strives to provide microeconomic foundations to Keynesian economics by showing how imperfect markets can justify demand management.
6) Supply-side economics, which deliniates quite clearly the roles of monetary policy and fiscal policy. The focus for monetary policy should be purely on the price of money as determined by the supply of money and the demand for money. It advocates a monetary policy that directly targets the value of money and does not target interest rates at all. Typically the value of money is measured by reference to gold or some other reference. The focus of fiscal policy is to raise revenue for worthy government investments with a clear recognition of the impact that taxation has on domestic trade.
7) Austrian macroeconomics presents another laissez-faire school of macroeconomics. It focuses on the business cycle that arises from government or central-bank interference that leads to deviations from the natural rate of interest.

Microeconomics
The study of the behavior of small economic units, such as that of individual consumers or households. opposite of macroeconomics.

Emerging India set for special EU partnership(Reuters)8 November 2004

2004-11-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

BRUSSELS - Once written off as the poor cousin of Asian powerhouse China, India is to open talks today to forge a strategic partnership with the European Union, a status so far restricted to just five big countries.
“India is very interested in this partnership, it will give it the status of a big player,” said an EU official ahead of the bloc’s one-day meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and two of his ministers in the Hague, the Netherlands.
“It will put them in a club of EU special partners alongside the United States, Canada, Japan, China and Russia.”
The EU, as a bloc, is both the leading foreign investor in India and its biggest trading partner.
But it ploughs 10 times as much investment into China, and its total trade with India is worth less than 20 percent of the vigorous flow of exports and imports between Europe and China.
Fostering healthier economic relations is a key part of the strategic partnership, an action plan the two sides expect to approve at their next annual meeting in 2005.
But they are also keen to improve cooperation in the battles against terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
Many Europeans also believe India -- which is pressing for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council -- could be a multilateralist ally in resisting what they see as the current US administration’s unilateralism.
“It is important that we start coordinating with India, not only to strengthen the U.N. but also to make preparations together for international meetings such as those on the protection of women and climate change,” the EU official said.
Shortly before leaving for Europe yesterday, Singh said the two sides were ”natural partners” and welcomed the new arrangement as “recognition of India’s growing stature and influence”.
The tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, which New Delhi has long maintained is not a subject for outside mediation, will be discussed at today’s meeting.
“At the summit the EU will encourage India to make progress in agreeing on substantive confidence-building measures ... but we cannot expect a rapid progress: a cautious, gradual approach is needed,” Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai said.
Nicolai, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said the bloc was encouraged by the “shifting parameters in India-Pakistan relations during the last months”.
Singh’s centre-left Congress party, which returned to power at the head of a communist-backed coalition earlier this year, has said it may set up economic zones with advantageous taxes, tariffs and labour laws to encourage foreign investment.
But the European Union will still press Singh — architect of a reform process that got under way in 1991 -- to cut red tape and scrap rules that restrict foreign investors to minority shareholdings in sectors such as civil aviation and financial services.
The EU will also seek a commitment from India to participate in its multibillion-dollar Galileo navigation satellite project, which is due to come on line in 2008 as an alternative to the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS).
China has put up 230 million euros to join. India has spoken of 300 million euros.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/November/business_November85.xml§ion=business&col=

Indian Americans much sought after group in US elections

2004-10-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2004/October/theworld_October671.xml&section=theworld

25 October 2004

WASHINGTON - Indian Americans, the wealthiest and most educated minority group in the United States, are much sought after by both Democratic and Republican parties ahead of upcoming closely contested presidential elections.

The affluent community wants to use its growing clout to highlight issues affecting them and influence national policy, with over a dozen Indian Americans running for Congressional and other political offices.

The 1.9 million Indian Americans are a small voting bloc, being the third largest Asian American group behind Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans, but their median income of 60,093 dollars is nearly double that of all American familes, according to latest government census figures.

A separate study by investment house Merrill Lynch says one in 10 Indian Americans is a millionaire.

This makes the Indian Americans, nearly half of whom are employed as managers and professionals, a reservoir for campaign funds by both parties.

A Florida-based Indian American cardiologist helped raise 20 million dollars as co-chairman of finance for President George W. Bush’s campaign in the battleground state.

Significantly more Indian Americans back Bush’s rival Senator John Kerry’s Democractic party, although there is a definite trend towards change.

Despite their financial might and prominent role in society, however, the voting record of Indian Americans is less than the national average.

And while they make significant contributions to election kitties of political parties, Indian Americans have not learned to use this clout effectively, said the Indian American Center for Political Awareness.

“In the immigrant curve, we are such a new community and if were to compare with the other communities, even in terms of being politically savvy, we have come a very fast and a very long way,” said Veena Merchant, the center’s board member.

“I think it is appropriate during this election, which is so neck-to-neck, that people begin to take their vote seriously because every vote counts,” she said.

The 11-year-old non-profit center said only 57.1 percent of Indian Americans registered as voters in the 2000 presidential elections. Of the figure, only 44.8 percent voted.

“One major reason why the Indian American community lacks political clout is because of the lack of voter turnout,” said Gopal Raju, founding chairman of the center, which recently launched a series of voter registration campaigns and political debates over Indian-American privately owned TV Asia.

“Campaign contributions can only do so much. We need to demonstrate that we have the votes to back our issues up,” Raju said.

The US India Political Action Committee, a bipartisan group helping Indian Americans raise issues with American legislators, feels the community’s political donations should be channelled collectively for greater impact.

“Collectively, we can carry a lot of weight because the more you are in numbers, the more weight your voice carries when you raise issues with legislators,” its spokeswoman Megha Chokshi said.

The two-year-old committee is among groups that act as a ”bridge” between the community and legislators.

Chokshi said the committee donated 270,000 dollars raised from the community to legislators during the 2003-2004 period.

Issues that concern the Indian American community are immigration problems, attempts to curb outsourcing of US jobs to India, greater civil rights and increasing hate crime following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Another concern, particularly among 40,000 Indian American medical doctors across the country, is rising medical malpractice insurances rates.

Community leaders say the Indian-American community’s agenda is gaining recognition on Capitol Hill.

A total of 194 of 435 members of the House of Representatives have joined an 11-year-old Congressional Caucus serving as a forum to help resolve issues affecting the Indian-American community and promote US-India ties.

Composed of congressmen who are sympathetic to Indian-Americans, the caucus is the largest country specific group on the Hill.

The Senate established a similar group in April this year.

The highest ranking elected Indian American at present is Democrat Kumar Barve, majority leader in the Maryland state legislature.

But political pundits give Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a former gubernatorial candidate, a fighting chance of winning a seat in the House of Representatives in upcoming polls.

If he wins, Jindal will be the first Indian American Congressman in almost 40 years.

The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates

2004-10-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

By Steve Hamm in New York and Jay Greene in Seattle

The saga of the computing industry is rich with outsize characters and surprising plot turns, but there's one story that has risen over time to mythic proportions. It's the tale of how software pioneer Gary Kildall missed out on the opportunity to supply IBM (NYSE:IBM - News) with the operating system for its first PC -- essentially handing the chance of a lifetime, and control of tech's future, to rival Bill Gates (news - web sites) and Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - News). In the process, he may have missed out on becoming the world's richest man.
The legend goes like this: One fateful day in the summer of 1980, three buttoned-down IBMers called on a band of hippie programmers at Digital Research Inc. located in Pacific Grove, Calif. They hoped to discuss licensing DRI's industry-leading operating system, CP/M. Instead, DRI founder Gary Kildall blew off IBM to gallivant around in his airplane, and the frustrated IBMers turned to Gates for their operating system. This anecdote has been told so often that techies need only be reminded of "the day Gary Kildall went flying" to recall the rest. While he's revered for his technical innovations, many believe Kildall made one of the biggest mistakes in the history of commerce.
But what if that's not what happened? What if IBM and Microsoft deprived Kildall not only of untold riches but also of the credit for a seminal role in the PC revolution? That's the thesis of a chapter about Kildall in They Made America, a serious coffee table history book by renowned author and former newspaper editor Harold Evans. The book, published by Little Brown on Oct. 12, profiles 70 American innovators and is the inspiration for an upcoming PBS series. And while other tech authors have debunked the gallivanting story before, Evans bases his Kildall chapter on a 226-page, never-published memoir written by Kildall just before his death in 1994. Early on, Kildall seemed to represent the best hopes of the nascent computer industry. But by the time he died at age 52, after falling in a tavern, he had become embittered and struggled with alcohol.
They Made America is certain to elicit cries of protest. That's because it attacks the reputations of some of the key players of the early PC era -- Gates, IBM, and Tim Paterson, the Seattle programmer who wrote an operating system, QDOS, based partly on CP/M that became Microsoft's DOS. Evans asserts that Paterson copied parts of CP/M and that IBM tricked Kildall. Because Gates rather than the more innovative Kildall prevailed, according to the book, the world's PC users endured "more than a decade of crashes with incalculable economic cost in lost data and lost opportunities." David G. Lefer, one of Evans' two collaborators, says: "We're trying to set the record straight. Gates didn't invent the PC operating system, and any history that says he did is wrong."
There's no doubt that Kildall was one of the pioneers of the industry. He invented the first operating system for microcomputers in the early 1970s, making it possible for hobbyists and companies to build the first personal computers. Legalities aside, Microsoft's original DOS was based in part on Kildall's CP/M. His insight was that by creating an operating system separate from the hardware, applications could run on computers that were made by different manufacturers. "What really drove Gary was inventing things," says friend and former DRI executive Tom Rolander in an interview with BusinessWeek.
Still, Evans' book falls short of clarifying exactly how Kildall lost out to Gates. He relies primarily on Kildall's memoir, his family, and his friends. Evans says he requested an interview with Gates, which he says Microsoft denied. He didn't make contact with IBM or Paterson, but tapped previously published accounts for that side of the story. IBM would not talk to BusinessWeek for this article, but former IBMers take issue with Kildall's version of events. Microsoft calls the book "one-sided and inaccurate," and says the company is proud of the "foundational role" it played in the industry. Paterson denies he stole Kildall's intellectual property. He says he's stunned that the authors failed to get in touch with him. "You'd think they might have asked. I'm not hard to find," he says.
Hazy MemoriesWhat's hard to find is the truth. A dozen interviews by BusinessWeek with people on all sides paint a blurry picture of those crucial days in the summer of 1980. While Kildall claims in his memoir that he met with IBM that first day and reached a handshake agreement, DRI's own lawyer at the time, Gerry Davis, says there was no deal. One of the IBMers who visited DRI that day insists he didn't talk to Kildall, but another, Jack Sams, now retired, says it's possible he was introduced to Kildall, although he doesn't remember it. Sams says faulty memories and self-serving accounts make it nearly impossible to tell exactly what happened during those chaotic weeks. "Back in those days, there was a lot of misinformation that was deliberate," he says, pointing out that IBM originally claimed it had made the PC all by itself. "We spun it, Kildall spun it, and Microsoft spun it."
The story begins unambiguously. A group of IBMers, working on a secret project to build a personal computer, flew to Seattle in August, 1980, to see if Gates could supply them with an operating system. He couldn't -- and referred them to Kildall. When they showed up at DRI's offices the next day, Kildall's then-wife, Dorothy McEwen, the company's business manager, refused to sign their nondisclosure agreement. She is now ill with brain cancer and can't remember the events, according to daughter Kristin Kildall. But Rolander, who flew with Kildall on a business trip that morning, tells BusinessWeek they returned in the afternoon and Kildall did meet with IBM.
If Kildall struck a handshake deal that day, it didn't stick. Sams says he did get together with Kildall in Pacific Grove a short time later, but they couldn't reach an agreement. At around the same time, he saw Gates again. He and Gates both knew of the operating system Paterson had built at Seattle Computer Co. As Sams recounts, "Gates said: 'Do you want to get (QDOS), or do you want me to?' I said: 'By all means, you get it."' Gates bought Paterson's program, called QDOS, for $50,000, renamed it DOS, improved it, and licensed it to IBM for a low per-copy royalty fee.
The ShoutingIt wasn't until nearly a year later that Kildall discovered that Gates, a longtime friend, had plucked the plum software deal out of his grasp. IBM sent test versions of its PC out shortly before it was announced in August, 1981, and a consultant working for DRI noticed the operating system was remarkably similar to CP/M. The consultant, Andy Johnson-Laird, remembers that Kildall looked at the screen and was stunned. "There were some shallow changes, but it was essentially the same program," says Johnson-Laird in an interview with BusinessWeek.
Kildall was furious. He and DRI's vice-president for marketing, John Katsaros, met with Gates in a Seattle restaurant to hash things out. "It was one of those meetings where everybody was nice to each other, then everyone shouted at each other, then everyone was nice to each other, then everyone shouted at each other," recalls Katsaros in a BusinessWeek interview. Nothing was resolved. Kildall also confronted IBM. But his problem was that software copyright had just become law three years earlier, and it wasn't clear what constituted infringement. Davis, the DRI lawyer, believes that based on the number of similarities DRI's forensic consultants found between the original DOS and CP/M, "in today's world, you could take it to court and get an infringement." But not in 1981. So rather than sue, Kildall agreed to license CP/M to Big Blue. He was floored when the PC was released and IBM charged $240 per copy for CP/M and just $40 for DOS. Kildall's conclusion, according to his memoir: "I believe the entire scenario was contrived by IBM to garner the existing standard at almost no cost."
Within a couple of years, the IBM PC was the undisputed champ, and Microsoft was the leading operating system provider and on its way toward PC industry domination. CP/M gradually faded into irrelevance. Kildall ultimately sold his company to Novell Inc. (NasdaqNM:NOVL - News) in 1991 for $120 million. He went on to create some pioneering multimedia technology, but never again was an industry player. Friends say that, for years, he cringed when people brought up the "flying when IBM visited" story.
The last straw was when the University of Washington in 1992 invited Kildall to attend the 25th anniversary of its computer science program. He was one of its earliest and most distinguished graduates, earning a PhD, yet they had picked as keynote speaker Gates, a Harvard dropout. Kildall says it was this dig that prompted him to write his memoir. "Well, it seems to me that he did have an education to get there. It happened to be mine, not his," Kildall wrote.
Kildall's resentment is understandable, but even his friends agree that he was partly to blame. For all his technical brilliance, he was a poor businessman. One big mistake was not moving ahead fast enough with a more advanced version of CP/M. He was slow to deliver a 16-bit operating system. It was that delay that created an opening for Paterson to design a 16-bit alternative, and because DRI didn't have its own version ready in the summer of 1980 IBM decided to deal with Gates, says Sams. Once IBM agreed to market his software, Kildall demanded a relatively high royalty -- contributing to its being priced so high, say former DRI execs.
Would history have taken a different path if Kildall triumphed in those early days? "I'm convinced," says John Wharton, a tech consultant and Kildall pal. He believes the industry would have been more collegial and innovative if Kildall rather than Gates sat at the crossroads of computing. But others say Kildall didn't have what it took to lead an industry. "Bill succeeded because he was a tenacious businessman," says lawyer Davis. "Gary was not tenacious."
As for Kildall's family, they're grateful his story is finally being told. "The truth is different for everybody," says daughter Kristin. "I think everybody believes they're presenting the truth. Obviously, they're different. I don't know why. I'm just glad my truth is out there." History may typically be written by the victors. But in this case, Gary Kildall has secured -- and deserves -- more than just a footnote.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=66&ncid=1208&e=1&u=/bw/20041022/bs_bw/b3905109mz063

Pioneer of India’s N-programme dies

2004-09-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 25, 2004

Raja Ramanna

MUMBAI: Raja Ramanna, the scientist who pioneered India’s drive to become a nuclear power, died yesterday here at age 79.
Ramanna supervised India’s first nuclear test in the Pokhran desert in the western state of Rajasthan in 1974. Handpicked by Homi Bhabha, the founder of India’s nuclear programme, Ramanna established an international name through his academic work on nuclear fission.

2004-09-22T01:44:00.000-07:00

Sun foresees global pool of computing power
By Stephen Shankland,
CNET News.com
Wednesday, September 22 2004 10:25 AM

Sun Microsystems on Tuesday took what it says are early steps toward a future in which computing power is sold as a commodity like electricity.
At a Sun media event in New York, Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Schwartz unveiled a service by which customers can run some computing jobs on Sun machines for a cost of US$1 per processor per hour.
So far, the technology is limited in scope, but Sun hopes that it eventually will blossom so that organizations such as stock exchanges with extra processing power can sell it back to a computing grid in the same manner that homes with solar panels can sell power back to the electrical power grid.
"If the exchanges are dormant at night, they can feed capacity back to the network," Schwartz said. He cautioned that such a vision requires security technology to protect computing tasks from tampering.
But such challenges will be solved, and Sun hopes to profit by running computers others can use.
"How big could the market be for this service? Add up the total number of hours used by all computer users on the planet," Schwartz said. "In the long run, all computing will be done this way."
Sun's not alone in having a vision of utility computing. Indeed, IBM has been working on grid protocols for years, Hewlett-Packard is building grid support into all its products, and both already operate complicated data centers for customers.
But Sun, punished by three years of market share losses and shrinking revenues, could claim some success if its plan just makes it relevant again in customer planning, some say.
"The notion is to make...customers and competitors stand back and say, 'What do you have to offer?'" said IDC analyst Vernon Turner. "Right now, this is a starting block for them. They're trying to get themselves back into the discussion."
Sun's initial service is geared for a limited set of high-performance computing jobs, such as detailing animated movie frames, analyzing investment portfolios or extracting oil field maps from seismic experiment data--all jobs that can run on an isolated set of computers. IBM and Hewlett-Packard already offer such services, though with different pricing plans.
Schwartz believes that general-purpose business computing tasks will come later, though the speed of light and other networking lags mean that geography hobbles many transaction-processing tasks that demand fast responses. "Over time, we'll look at the technology hurdles necessary to get to a true service grid," he said.
In this vision, Sun expects to run data centers packed with computers, but not generally to sell the computing power to customers. "We're looking at partners to deliver retail services to customers," he said.
Sun will rely on those partners for expertise. For example, Sun already has a partnership with SchlumbergerSema, which sells access to Sun equipment to customers in energy, finance, telecommunications and government customers.
In coming weeks, the company plans to offer more sophisticated--and probably more expensive--services that include partners with specific expertise. Partners will include CGI Group, Atos Origin and Electronic Data Systems, Sun said.

http://asia.cnet.com/my/0,39002192,39194626,00.htm

GOOGLE PICKS GATES' BRAINS

2004-09-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2004 -- Google, $1.67 billion richer from its August initial public offering, is spending its money poaching the brightest minds from arch-rival Microsoft and other tech giants.
Based on the half-dozen hires in recent weeks, Google appears to be planning to launch its own Web browser and other software products to challenge Microsoft.

Google has wooed Joshua Block, one of the main developers of the Internet programming language Java, from Sun Microsystems.

The company also hired four people who worked on Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer, and later founded their own company. One of them, Adam Bosworth, is credited with being a driving force not only behind IE, but Microsoft's database-management program, Access.

Most recently, Google grabbed Joe Beda, the lead developer on Avalon, Microsoft's code name for the user interface that will part of the next version of Windows, called Longhorn.

Beda even keeps an online diary of what it's like to be a "Noogler," as new Google employees are called. He won't reveal what he's working on but mentions that each Noogler is given a hat with a propeller on the top.

"Google is a magnetic pull for smart technology people," said Gary Stein, an analyst with Jupiter Research. "They're really trying to broaden their tech base. This is all about putting smart kids in a Google sandbox."

Neither Google nor the employees will comment on the hiring spree, but analysts note that the talent allows the company to challenge Microsoft on its own turf.

Stein said Google could — and probably is — working on almost everything. He believes the company will launch a product that searches for online music, because it already has a program that trolls the Web for images.

Other blogs and analysts believe Google is working on an instant-messaging program and a Web browser to challenge Internet Explorer.

The browser strategy is supported by other clues as well. Last month, Google hosted Mozilla Developer Day on its campus, a gathering of programmers that work together to build sequels to the re-named Netscape browser. Mozilla, which is "open source" and available to anyone, could be shaped to Google's specifications and be embedded with Google search, Gmail free e-mail and other Google applications.

"I'm willing to bet that somewhere in the Google computer system are the seeds of a browser," Stein said.

The broader concept Google is pursuing is similar to the "network computer" envisioned by Oracle chief Larry Ellison during a speech in 1995.

The idea is that companies or consumers could buy a machine that costs only about $200, or less, but that has very little hard drive space and almost no software. Instead, users would access a network through a browser and access all their programs and data there.

The concept floundered, but programmers note that Google could easily pick up the ball. Already, its Gmail free e-mail system gives users 100 megabytes of storage space on a remote network — providing consumers a virtual hard drive.

"I think a similar thing [to the got network computer] is developing in a more organic way now," said Jason Kottke, a New York-based Web developer who follows Google's moves. "People are ready for it. Instead of most of your interaction happening with Windows or Mac, you're spending a lot of time with Google-built interfaces."

On his blog, new Google employee Bosworth describes a "Web services" world where a project could be checked and updated from any terminal on the road — while other employees can make changes from other places.

Bosworth wouldn't reveal exactly what he's up to at Google, except to say the software he's developing is for "mere mortals. In fact, my Mom."

For as much as outsiders are speculating about Google's next product, so employees inside the company are doing the same thing, Stein said.

"Google's strategy is to throw a handful of seeds and to see what grows," he said.

List of unsolved mathematical problems

2004-09-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

This article describes currently unsolved problems This is a list of lists of unsolved problems in various subjects:

Unsolved problems in mathematics
Unsolved problems in physics
Unsolved problems in chemistry
Unsolved problems in biology
Unsolved problems in economics
Unsolved problems in governance
Unsolved problems in cognitive science
Unsolved problems in neuroscience
Unsolved problems in computer science
Unsolved problems in software engineering

Mathematics is commonly defined as the study of patterns of structure, change, and space; more informally, one might say it is the study of 'figures and numbers'. In the formalist view, it is the investigation of axiomatically defined abstract structures using logic and mathematical notation; other views are described in Philosophy of mathematics. Mathematics might be seen as a simple extension of spoken and written languages, with an extremely precisely defined vocabulary and grammar, for the purpose of describing and exploring physical and conceptual relationships.

The seven Millennium Prize Problems

The Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) is a private, non-profit foundation, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and dedicated to increasing and disseminating mathematical knowledge. It gives out various awards and sponsorships to promising mathematicians. The institute was founded in 1998 by businessman Landon T. Clay, who financed it, and Harvard mathematician Arthur Jaffe.

The Millennium Prize problems
Clay Mathematics Institute The Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) is a private, non-profit foundation, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and dedicated to increasing and disseminating mathematical knowledge. It gives out various awards and sponsorships to promising mathematicians. The institute was founded in 1998 by businessman Landon T. Clay, who financed it, and Harvard mathematician Arthur Jaffe.

The Millennium Prize problems

1) P versus NP
Computational complexity theory is part of the theory of computation dealing with the resources required during computation to solve a given problem. The most common resources are time (how many steps does it take to solve a problem) and space (how much memory does it take to solve a problem).
In this theory, the class P consists of all those decision problems that can be solved on a deterministic sequential machine in an amount of time that is polynomial in the size of the input; the class

2) The Hodge Conjecture
The Hodge conjecture is a major unsolved problem of algebraic geometry. It is a conjectural description of the link between the algebraic topology of a non-singular complex algebraic variety, and its geometry as captured by polynomial equations that define sub-varieties. It arose as a result of the work of W. V. D. Hodge, who between 1930 and 1940 enriched the description of De Rham cohomology to include extra structure which is present in the case of algebraic varieties (though not restricted to that case).

3) The Poincaré Conjecture
The Poincaré conjecture is widely considered the most important unsolved problem in topology. It was first formulated by Henri Poincaré in 1904. In 2000 the Clay Mathematics Institute selected the Poincaré conjecture as one of seven Millennium Prize Problems and offered a $1,000,000 prize for its solution. The conjecture states:
Every simply connected closed (i.e. compact and without boundary) 3-manifold is homeomorphic to a 3-sphere.

4) The Riemann Hypothesis
The Riemann hypothesis, first formulated by Bernhard Riemann in 1859, is a conjecture about the distribution of the zeros of Riemann's zeta function ζ(s). It is one of the most important open problems of contemporary mathematics; a $1,000,000 prize has been offered by the Clay Mathematics Institute for a proof. In June 2004, Louis De Branges de Bourcia claimed to have proved the Riemann hypothesis but this has not yet been confirmed (see below). Most mathematicians believe the Riemann hypothesis to be true. (J. E. Littlewood and Atle Selberg have been reported as skeptical.)

5) Yang-Mills Existence and Mass Gap

6) Navier-Stokes Existence and Smoothness In fluid dynamics, the Navier-Stokes equations, named after Claude-Louis Navier and George Gabriel Stokes are a set of nonlinear partial differential equations that describe the flow of fluids such as liquids and gases. For example: they model weather or the movement of air in the atmosphere, ocean currents, water flow in a pipe, as well as many other fluid flow phenomena.

Momentum Equation in 3 dimensions (assuming and are constant:

7) The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture
In mathematics, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture relates the rank of the abelian group of points over a number field of an elliptic curve E to the order of zero of the associated L-function L(E,s) at s = 1. It has been proved only in special cases (2004).

Background In 1922 Louis Mordell proved that the group of rational points on an elliptic curve has a finite basis. This means that for any elliptic curve there is a finite sub-set of the rational points on the curve from which all other rational points may be generated.
..... Click the link for more information.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/List%20of%20unsolved%20mathematical%20problems

http://www.claymath.org/millennium/
prize.problems@claymath.org

http://www.simonsingh.net/Mathematics_Links.html

Top 10 Ancient Civilizations With Advanced Technology

2004-09-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.ufoarea.com/aas_top_civilizations.html
by: David Hatcher Childress
Source: Atlantis Ring Issue Number 1

Why is the US spying on India?

2004-09-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/10spec2.htm
The Rediff Special/Amar V Batra
June 10, 2004

The media reported on June 5, the dismissal by the President of retired Major Rabinder Singh, a joint secretary at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency, under Article 311(2) (c) of the Constitution. This Article enables the President to dismiss any officer of an all-India service without holding a formal departmental enquiry against him if such an enquiry is considered not to be in the national interest. There is no provision for a judicial review of the decision.

According to media reports, Rabinder Singh, who held charge of the South-East Asia portfolio, has been absconding from his duties for nearly three weeks and is suspected to have fled abroad, most probably to the US, after he came under suspicion of working for US intelligence. It is said the suspicion arose following the recovery of photocopies of some classified documents from his briefcase during a check by RAW security staff as he was leaving office.

His dismissal under a special provision of the Constitution would seem to have been taken as he was no longer available for a formal enquiry into his alleged act of espionage for a foreign power. The dismissal order is meant more to deter similar acts of espionage by other officers of the intelligence agencies than to repair the damage caused by him to the organisation and the nation.

Whatever damage he might have caused cannot be set right. One can only prevent a recurrence of such incidents if one draws the right lessons from the case and tightens the loopholes in the internal security system at RAW, which enabled Rabinder Singh to betray the secrets of the organisation to a foreign agency.

Rabinder Singh is a clean-shaven Sikh, who came on deputation to RAW from the army in the 1980s. He held the rank of major at that time. He did not go back to the army on completion of his deputation. He gave up his lien in the army and chose to be permanently absorbed in RAW as a member of its Research and Analysis Service.

Throughout his career, he was considered by many of his peers as an average officer. He was poor as an intelligence analyst, but somewhat good as a field operative.

During his career, he worked as head of the RAW office in Amritsar and subsequently as a field operative in West Asia and West Europe. In Amritsar, his principal task was the collection of trans-border HUMINT (human intelligence) about the Pakistani military and about the training of Sikh terrorists by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence in Pakistani territory. In West Asia, his task was monitoring the activities of terrorist groups there. In West Europe he focused on the activities of Sikh terrorist elements operating there.

In counter-intelligence, which is the technique of preventing infiltration by moles of foreign intelligence agencies, it is often difiicult to get provable evidence. One has, therefore, to act on suspicion. Article 311 (2) of the Constitution is helpful in such cases. Foreign intelligence agencies have a provision in their service rules called the 'golden handshake.' Under this, they can ease out of the organisation incapable or unreliable or suspicious officers by persuading them to quit in return for handsome monetary compensation. They use this provision quite often to weed out undesirable elements without getting involved in protracted and controversial litigation.
When RAW was formed in September 1968, R N Kao, its founder, persuaded then prime minister Indira Gandhi to agree to the inclusion of a 'golden handshake' provision in its service rules. It is not clear as to why RAW did not act against Rabinder Singh under the 'golden handshake' provision or Article 311 (2) earlier than it did since his track record was reportedly not impressive.

It is said there was a question mark over his reliability since the early 1990s when an operation he began for the collection of intelligence about US government activities in South Asia through a sister of his, who was employed in a sensitive US agency with links to the CIA, was found to have been fishy.

Initially, some good documents came out of this operation, but subsequently, there were grounds for suspicion that the CIA might be using his sister to plant disinformation on the Government of India through him. One such piece of disinformation, which they allegedly tried to feed through this channel in the late 1980s, was that the US embassy in New Delhi had reported to the State Department that the then Chief of the Army Staff was planning a coup against Rajiv Gandhi.

This is the third detected instance of the penetration of the Indian intelligence by the CIA.
In the first instance detected in 1986-1987, a senior RAW officer of the rank of director (one rank below joint secretary) belonging to the IPS, posted in Chennai for handling sensitive Sri Lanka operations, was allegedly found to have been working for the CIA.

During a random surveillance of a suspected CIA officer posted in the US consulate in Chennai, the RAW officer was allegedly discovered to have clandestine contact with the CIA officer and going for morning jogs with him.

After collecting video-recordings of a series of such clandestine meetings, a joint counter-intelligence team of the Intelligence Bureau and RAW confronted him with the evidence. He reportedly broke down and made a clean breast of it. He was dismissed under Article 311 (2) of the Constitution and jailed in Tihar for a year to serve as a deterrent example to others.

The second instance detected in 1995-1996 related to a senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau belonging to the IPS, who held a rank equivalent to that of an additional secretary, one level below secretary. He might have risen to be the head of the organisation within a few months if his contacts with the CIA had not been detected. He had served for some years in the ministry of external affairs. He was responsible for internal security and counter-intelligence in the MEA and used to interact with a large number of foreign intelligence officers posted in their diplomatic missions in New Delhi. He also developed social relationship with them.

After reverting to the IB at the end of his MEA tenure, he reportedly became the head of its counter-intelligence division and was responsible for maintaining a surveillance of all foreign intelligence officers based in New Delhi in order to prevent any attempts by them to penetrate the IB and other government departments.

It was alleged that unauthorisedly and without the knowledge of the Director, Intelligence Bureau, he continued to maintain his personal and social relationships with the foreign intelligence officers, which he had built up in the MEA.

Accidentally, the IB's counter-intelligence division reportedly found that a woman CIA officer posted in the US embassy was in contact with government servants and others on a mobile telephone, allegedly registered in the name of their boss, the suspect IB officer. Without alerting him, they brought this to the notice of the director, IB.

A joint counter-intelligence team of the IB and RAW then kept him under surveillance, collected video-recordings of his clandestine meetings with the CIA officer and then confronted him with the evidence.He reportedly broke down and admitted his contacts with her.
It was stated that during the investigation it was found that apart from facilitating her operational work by hiring a mobile in his name and giving it to her, he had not betrayed any sensitive secrets. He was reportedly sent on premature retirement and no further action was taken.

There were two unsuccessful attempts by the CIA to penetrate Indian intelligence.
In the first instance which took place in the 1980s, a director-level non-IPS RAW officer posted in a West European country, came under pressure from the CIA to work for it. He immediately alerted RAW about it. He was withdrawn and the CIA's plans were thwarted.

In the second instance, in the early 1990s, a CIA officer posted at the US embassy in New Delhi tried to recruit an IB officer, who immediately reported it to his superiors. They laid a trap for the CIA officer, collected evidence of his misdeeds and ordered him to leave the country.
Since 1947, India has had a long history of intelligence co-operation relationship with the intelligence agencies of the US and other Western countries as well as with those of the erstwhile USSR, Russia and other East European countries. Underlying all such relationships is an unwritten gentlemen's agreement that the agencies would not take advantage of this relationship to penetrate each other.

Most intelligence agencies of the world try to observe this, but not the CIA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They are aggressive and do not care for any dos and don'ts in intelligence cooperation relationships. They do not hesitate to clandestinely penetrate their sister agencies with which they have an official relationship if they get an opportunity to do so.
The IB has the over-all responsibility for counter-intelligence. It is responsible for the pevention of penetration of its own set-up as well as of other government departments.

RAW has a counter intelligence and security division, whose responsibility is limited to maintaining internal security and preventing the penetration of the organisation. It performs the security role by keeping a tab on the use of photo-copying machines, scanners, computers with external connections etc, by random door checking of the contents of the briefcases of staff and other methods. It performs the counter intelligence task by monitoring the lifestyles and work habits of its staff and their contacts with outsiders. It has no capability for external surveillance for which it has to depend on the IB's counter intelligence division.

It is possible, but not certain that it was the IB's counter intelligence division which first rang the alarm bells about Rabinder Singh after noticing a clandestine meeting of his with a suspect CIA officer. If this was not so and if it was RAW, which detected his contacts, it is not known whether it immediately alerted the IB and sought its cooperation in the further investigation as all government departments are expected to do.

In all intelligence agencies of the world, the head of the counter intelligence division is a hated officer in the organisation because he is perceived as spying on his colleagues and friends. James Angleton, head of the CIA's counter intelligence division during the initial Cold War years, became a detested man because of his aggressive investigative methods and has been spending his sunset years with very few friends from amongst retired intelligence officers. Competent intelligence officers avoid heading the counter intelligence division since they find spying on their colleagues and friends distasteful.

In 1980, M D Dittia, a police officer of the Delhi cadre, who headed the counter intelligence division at RAW, was gheraoed by lower and middle-level staff who accused him of harassing and humiliating them under the pretext of counter intelligence. They went on strike demanding, inter alia, the abolition of the counter intelligence division. The late N F Suntook, then the chief of RAW, rejected their demands, had the ring-leaders of the strike dismissed under Article 311 (2), got those who instigated the gherao arrested and prosecuted and persuaded Indira Gandhi to have legislation enacted banning strikes in RAW.

No counter intelligence division can be effective without the cooperation of the colleagues and friends of a suspect mole, who have to alert the division if they notice anything suspicious. Many officers find this distasteful and avoid communicating their suspicions to the counter intelligence division due to an impression that 'gentlemen do not rat on their colleagues and friends.'
During the first Clinton administration, Aldrich Ames, a well-placed mole of Soviet and Russian intelligence, was detected by the CIA. He was responsible for the deaths of many CIA moles in Moscow, whose identities he had revealed to the Soviet and Russian intelligence services. During the investigation, it was discovered that he was an alcoholic, that he and his wife were given to expensive living, that he was always in heavy debt and that he was in the habit of visiting the Russian embassy in Washington DC, without the knowledge of his superiors.

A Congressional enquiry found that over a dozen colleagues of his were aware of all these, but refrained from alerting the CIA director or the head of its counter intelligence division about it. They thought that would amount to carrying tales about a colleague and friend, which, in their view, was just not done.

Such an attitude has to change if counter intelligence has to be effective and penetration by foreign agencies has to be prevented.

While collecting intelligence about foreign adversaries and terrorists is a highly exciting and glamorous job, which immediately attracts the attention and commendation of organisational and political superiors, collecting intelligence about one's own colleagues and friends can be a terribly boring and to many, distasteful and thankless job, which does not bring the officer to the good notice of his or her superiors. Foreign intelligence agencies take advantage of this mindset in their efforts at successful penetration.

'War is now just another arm of diplomacy'

2004-09-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/mar/24inter.htm
The Rediff Interview/Richard M Bennett
March 23, 2003

Widely recognized as an expert in global intelligence, security, terrorism and defence matters, Richard M Bennett is an intelligence and military analyst since 1966.

He founded AFI Research, one of the leading providers of expert information for the world media in 1971. A member of the world's oldest and most prestigious military research centre, the Royal United Services Institute for Strategic Studies situated in London, he edits the internationally acclaimed AFI Intelligence Briefing.

From a military and naval family, with his great grandfather having fought in the Crimean War, another grandfather in the Boer War and father in the 1st Royal Dragoons Cavalry Regiment in India, Bennett now lives near the South Bevan coast in the United Kingdom.

In an email interview to Senior Editor Sheela Bhatt, he said the fear the United States must have is that the Iraqi armed forces could turn Saddam Hussein's eventual overthrow into the final act of a martyred hero for a future Arab revolution.

What is the United States' strategic plan behind the war against Iraq? Is it the control of Iraq's oil wells or to change the regime and region?
I firmly believe this is the first obvious example of a new and far more interventionist policy by the United States and one that will bring fundamental changes not only to the Middle East but elsewhere.

The United States appears to believe that unless it projects its power and influence worldwide, its long term interests and security will eventually be seriously threatened. Gaining a geo-strategic position of military dominance in an oil rich region and one that is also seen as the home ground of virulently anti-American Islamic terrorism can only benefit Washington's long term ambitions.

Since the US claims this is a war against terrorism what tangible evidence does it have to link Saddam Hussein with 9/11 and other acts of terrorism against the West?
Nothing that would stand up to close scrutiny by international law officers or probably by intelligence analysts. Iraq has long been a Westernized and largely secular bulwark against the fundamentalist Islamic movement. Washington's support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980-1988 war against Iran confirms that position.

However, the charge of supporting terrorism by Palestinian groups against Israel has proved a useful tool to further blacken the Iraqi dictator's reputation. If the United States wishes to use the same tactic during the build-up to any confrontation with Libya, Syria or Iran then they would have a far greater basis in fact to work on.

Do you agree with the stereotypes of George Bush and Saddam Hussein: one an arrogant president and the other a despotic ruler?
No. For while there are indeed invariably some elements of truth in all stereotypes, both men are far more complex. Bush often appears of only limited intellect through his previous and very obvious lack of knowledge of current affairs and his rather stiff and inarticulate speech. However, George W Bush won the presidency of the world's only superpower one way or another and has built around him a fearsome team of highly motivated and extremely tough advisers with robust political and military views on the international situation.
Saddam, despite the propaganda, cannot have survived for a quarter of a century on fear alone. He does encourage great loyalty among many in Iraq just as he creates enormous fear and loathing amongst others. He has proved himself a brave, astute and endlessly adaptable survivor. Besides his obvious cruelty, his one major weakness has been an inability to judge the reactions and actions of the international community correctly. That ultimately is the main cause for his downfall and the invasion of Iraq.

Isn't it true that Iraq is a moderate Islamic regime in the Gulf? Wouldn't destabilising it fan the flames of terrorism across a larger swathe in the region?
I have always seen Iraq as playing an important role in the Middle East and as potentially one of the West's most important friends in the region. The fall of Iraq may not in itself directly lead to an upsurge in terrorism, but the military power displayed by the United States and the invasion and to many, the humiliating occupation of a historically important sovereign Arab/Muslim nation most definitely will.

What is the immediate threat to the West from this war against Iraq? Which are the vulnerable nations? What is the fallout they can anticipate?
The immediate threats are the potential for political destabilisation of pro-Western regimes; the fear amongst many Arab countries of what many see as a Christian-Zionist 'crusade' against them and indeed the disquiet over Turkey's intentions. Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf States must be seen as the first under threat if there is a serious Islamic backlash.

There is a view that the first shots in World War III were fired on 9/11 and the latest action is a continuation of the war. Where will it end? And how?
To a very large extent the high hopes that followed the collapse of Communism and the end of the Cold War have been cruelly dashed by the conflicts in Somalia, Colombia, the Balkans, in the Israeli-occupied territories, Afghanistan and now Iraq.

Whether we can see 9/11 as the opening shots of a Third World War is doubtful, it may, however, be seen as a defining moment in a process that began towards the end of the Cold War with the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan.

In truth there is a new war that involves much, if not all of the world in conflict. However unlike 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 there are no clear lines or obvious battlefields. Nor are we likely to see it won or lost quickly. Indeed (US Secretary of Defence) Donald Rumsfeld is reported as saying that the war on terrorism may last fifty years.

Sadly, the 21st century is likely to be a re-run of the last 100 years, the proving ground for a whole new and extremely dangerous way of fighting.

Will the war be short and intense or will it be a long and protracted affair?
A war with Iraq is unlikely to last more than a few weeks at most if the United States is prepared to use all the weapons it has available in its armoury. There has probably never been a more unequal conflict, at least on paper, in history.

However, the fear the United States must have is that the Iraqi armed forces put up a better than expected resistance and turn Saddam Hussein's eventual overthrow into the final act of that of a martyred hero for a future Arab revolution.

Which are the new trends expected to be added in the well-developed science of war?
High technology has finally achieved near total dominance on the modern battlefield. From space-based surveillance and intelligence systems; stealth bombers; advanced electronic warfare; communications monitoring and interception; highly effective modern weapon systems; ground-penetration bombs to destroy bunkers; highly accurate GPS and laser-guided bombs; cruise missiles and much more give the United States an overwhelming military advantage.

Just as important has been the giant strides taken in profiling the 'enemy' to discover his weak points; psy-war; disinformation and the clever use of the news media to spread propaganda to the opposition. Improved or original tactics have revolutionised military thinking; war is now all about speed, power and doing the unexpected.

Can the Iraqis do a Vietnam in Baghdad?
The simple answer is no and particularly if the United States and Britain are prepared to accept a growing number of Iraqi civilian casualties.

How do you rate the coverage of war by the US and British media? Do they really know the facts and ground realities in a war zone? Are they independent?
The United States and Britain have very effectively learnt the lessons of Vietnam, the Falklands and even the first Gulf War. With few very notable exemptions the world's news media are now just the 'creature of the military.' Most reporters have no military experience, cannot make an expert judgment of their own and rely on press handouts or unattributable briefings. No doubt many journalists are deeply unhappy and disturbed by the virtual elimination of genuine war reporting, but if they want to keep their press accreditation and perhaps even their well paid jobs, there is little they can do about it.

How do you analyse the Islamic nations that have registered feeble and meek protests against the US action?
Because of the deep fracture lines of the region's history, the hostility of the different religious groupings and the political enmity between Arab nations, it has proved relatively easy for first Britain and now the USA to divide and if not conquer, then certainly control the Middle East.
Matters of aid, of economic and military stability and the fear of extremist anti-Weston religious movements has proved a stumbling block to the creation of any form of genuine pan-Arab power block. Washington would never admit it publicly, but privately they dismiss the significance of the Arab and much of the wider Muslim world as a military or political threat and see them as only being capable of committing acts of terrorism.

Will the majority of Iraqis rejoice like the Afghans after the fall of the Taliban?
In the short term who argues with a conquering army? Of course, most Iraqis will be pleased to see the end of both Saddam Hussein and the US bombing raids. But the Iraqis are a proud people who will undoubtedly begin to resent the occupation of their country by the United States or even the United Nations if it is prolonged for more than six months or so.
Half its population are Shias and Iran will undoubtedly be tempted to stir up trouble amongst its co-religionists to hasten America's withdrawal. While in the north, Turkey's movement of forces into Northern Iraq to pre-empt any possible establishment of a Kurdish Republic bodes ill for the future.

What's America's calculation in risking its image by going to war?
Arrogance; belief in the superiority of the American way of life; intolerance of opposition and the intention to establish a worldwide Pax Americana have all been put forward as explanations. However, this is really all about the ability of a modern high-tech armed forces to actually carry out the wishes of a government. War is now just another arm of diplomacy. The United States will only care about Muslim opinion, when that opinion represents a viable military and political community.

Can you give us an idea of the damage, destruction and deaths this war will inflict on Iraq and its people? Do you expect it to spread?
The destruction wrought on Iraq's military, intelligence and political infrastructure is devastating. Despite the appearance of total warfare, the advance in weaponry has succeeding in providing the military command with an ability to target very accurately and this, with few unfortunate exceptions, should ensure that the number of civilian casualties is kept thankfully to a minimum. This must be taken in the context that there will be no use of chemical or biological warfare agents by Iraq.

What will the new emerging world order be after the war?
The military dominance of the United States will be near total for the foreseeable future. However, the most defining effect will be to encourage proliferation of missile, nuclear, chemical and biological technology.

The simple lesson to be learnt by Syria, Iran, North Korea and others from the US assault on Iraq is that had Saddam Hussein had an advanced strategic capability, Washington would in all probability not have initiated war.

I think it is fair to say the world may live to bitterly regret a war that has been conducted without the unanimous support of the United Nations and as a unilateral pre-emptive strike.

What's wrong with RAW?

2004-09-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/19swadas.htm
Swapan Dasgupta
July 19, 2004

It has been a terrible summer for espionage. In the US, a Senate Intelligence Committee report flayed the CIA for the 'mischaracterization of intelligence,' for promoting 'groupthink' and for 'poor management.'

These problems, said the Senators unhelpfully, 'will not be solved by additional funding and personnel.' In the UK, an inquiry headed by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Butler held the MI6 guilty of assessing Saddam Hussein's arsenal with the 'outer limits of intelligence available.' The intelligence supplied to the British government, suggested Butler, was 'insufficiently robust' to suggest that Iraq had violated UN resolutions. More to the point, Butler berated MI6 for getting directly involved in the presentation of the controversial Iraq dossier which the British government used to justify its participation in the Iraq war.

What is significant about these reports is not merely their political implications but the fact that, for the first time in living memory, the intelligence agencies have been subjected to a semblance of public scrutiny. A grey area of national security and foreign policy which was deemed strictly out of bounds has been brought into the arena of public debate, without compromising operational details. For those concerned with the quality of democracy, it is a great leap forward.
It is tragic that the winds of accountability have not yet been felt in India. Since the Kargil conflict of 1999, the performance of the intelligence agencies have been a cause of some concern. The dismay felt at the underlying intelligence failure to anticipate the audacious incursions in Kargil have been compounded by a recent scandal over the defection of RAW operative Rabinder Singh. Singh is said to have fled the country via Nepal using an American passport.
Why is the US spying on India?

If Kargil highlighted the professional shortcomings of intelligence inputs, Singh's defection has brought into focus the porous underbelly of RAW and the slackness of its activities. A recent sweep of the RAW headquarters in Delhi, for example, revealed the existence of bugging devices in two operational rooms and the office of the RAW chief.

It is not that the establishment doesn't recognise the inadequacies. Following the revelations of intelligence failure in the K Subrahmanyam Committee report on the Kargil conflict, the NDA government appointed a task force headed by former RAW chief Girish Chandra Saxena to recommend reforms. Saxena's report was further examined by a Group of Ministers headed by then deputy prime minister L K Advani which made concrete recommendations in 2001. Although the task force report and the GoM recommendations were, predictably, not made public, it is understood that the reform of Indian intelligence centred on personnel, internal restructuring and coordination.

It speaks volumes for the warped priorities of the political class that hardly anything of the proposed changes were put into effect. The political grapevine of Delhi suggests that at least one senior functionary in the NDA government used RAW as his personal fiefdom. In true bureaucratic style, the furore over Singh's defection has led to yet another committee headed by the Cabinet secretary. Now that the UPA government has a full-time national security adviser and another adviser specialising in internal security, there is greater optimism that the intelligence agencies will be overhauled with an eye to better results.

At the heart of the problem is the quality of personnel, an issue that was dealt with in detail by Saxena's task force. To put it bluntly, RAW lacks the requisite calibre of people to collect, collate and assess intelligence. The understanding of foreign societies and governments require a degree of professional competence, including language skills, that don't seem to be available.
The CIA and MI6 have talent-spotters at the best universities; RAW either diverts people from the police or induct relatives of serving officials. During the Kargil conflict, Indian intelligence didn't have the people to decipher intercepts in Pushto. They had to finally round up some Afghan refugees to help out. Recently, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called for the establishment of a separate intelligence service. Unfortunately, his suggestion has not been treated with the seriousness it warrants.

The government expends a great deal of resources in posting RAW officers, either openly or undercover, in important overseas postings. In addition, RAW has access to slush funds for servicing agents on the ground. It is not desirable that the details of these operations should be made public. Yet, there is a need for some semblance of internal accountability and assessment of performance. There is no evidence to suggest that this exercise is being routinely carried out.
It is necessary, for example, to review the quality of human intelligence from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar and China. Has the quality of 'humint' (human intelligence) taken a nosedive because it is often more convenient to depend on satellite imagery and other intercepts? Yet, as is well recognised, no intelligence assessment is complete without a large humint input.

Second, Indian intelligence inputs suffer from groupthink. It is often assumed, not incorrectly, that ministers should be fed what is expedient and not what is necessarily accurate. If tell-tale evidence of Pakistani designs in Kargil was glossed over, it is because intelligence chiefs imagined it was their job to make the Lahore agreement work. In the aftermath of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace initiative in October 2003, there was considerable confusion in the intelligence services over the wisdom of bringing discordant trends to the Cabinet's notice.

The underlying politicisation of the intelligence agencies is a curse. Only too often, RAW and IB have been used for explicitly political projects, particularly in Kashmir and the north-east. There is an important distinction between using intelligence inputs for decision-making and using intelligence agencies for political engagement. Unfortunately, our politicians haven't kept the two separate. There is no earthly reason why RAW and IB officers should be used to conduct dialogue with insurgent groups and rebels. That is a political task which should be assigned to either politicians or civil servants.

Likewise, there is a need to amend the rules of business to prevent the enlargement of intelligence to include surveillance of political rivals. The task of the intelligence agencies is to detect and anticipate threats to national security and provide information that assists in promoting the strategic objectives of foreign policy. It is not the job of the IB, for example, to predict the outcome of elections. Apart from getting it wrong most of the time, the energies of the agency is squandered in bazaar gossip and meaningless political tittle-tattle. There should be stringent guidelines defining what is permissible and what is illegal.

What is needed is a paradigm shift in the politicians' approach to intelligence. The intelligence agencies can begin doing their job only when their priorities have been bluntly identified and the right people chosen for the tasks. If ministers want an army of private informers they will get them, but the damage to national security will be incalculable. If India wants to be a great power, it will help if those at the helm spend time reading the Senate Committee and Butler reports.

For the US: India's untrustworthy

2004-09-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/07guest.htm
Richard M Bennett
September 07, 2004

The true ramifications of Rabinder Singh's exposure as a probable major CIA spy within the Indian intelligence service RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) are not yet fully known. The nagging worry for New Delhi must be that Singh was part of a much larger 'spy ring' reminiscent of those such as the Cambridge ring in the UK or the Walker ring in the USA that did so much to undermine the self-confidence and efficiency of those countries' intelligence communities during the Cold War.

The suggestion has already been made by a number of well-placed observers that Rabinder Singh had acted as a conduit or cutout for a number of highly placed US 'assets' operating deep within the Indian intelligence community, the military and scientific centres working on nuclear and missile development, and others inside the political establishment.

It is known that Singh's sister was also suspected of being a CIA 'agent' and that Singh managed to cover his tracks for some time by supposedly keeping tabs on her activities for the counter-intelligence section of the Research and Analysis Wing. Again the suspicion must be present that in some way they may have actually been working together to steal top secret information from under the very nose of the authorities.

Wherever this conjecture may lead, it is inescapable that one major question be asked.
Why is the United States pursuing such a vigorous espionage operation against a long-time ally of the West and a fearsome opponent of Muslim terrorism?

If India, as the world's largest democracy, should be so targeted by the CIA, are similar operations being conducted against the rest of Washington's supposed allies?
The answer to this is a very definite yes!

The US intelligence community may accept that there are 'friendly' nations, but it does not accept the notion of 'friendly' intelligence services. Even Israel's Mossad keeps the CIA at arm's length for much of the time and the famous attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 highlighted Israel's determination to draw a line on just how much Washington was allowed to spy on their activities.

Britain, the Americans' oldest intelligence partner, is, however, under no illusion as to the true nature of the 'special relationship'. As much as 90 percent of the intelligence material handled by either GCHQ, the electronic intelligence-gathering organisation based in Cheltenham, or MI6, the secret intelligence service, emanates from their US partners in the NSA and CIA. Britain, despite its long record of espionage operations, is very much the junior partner and is well aware that even they are deeply penetrated by US 'assets'.

It has long been rumoured that the CIA has a special analysis section devoted to trying to identify the 'sources' for information obtained by MI6 in order to make an aggressive 'takeover bid'. Indeed it has been suggested that the British spent as much effort keeping the identity of one of their greatest spy successes, Oleg Gordievsky, secret from their American 'allies' as from their Soviet 'enemies' in order to protect his exposure by over-aggressive CIA recruitment tactics.

India, therefore, falls neatly into the US intelligence lexicon along with most, if not all, of Washington's allies, as friendly but untrustworthy.
What makes this spy case so important and deeply disturbing for New Delhi is that much of the classified material Rabinder Singh passed to the Americans may well have landed quickly on the desks of intelligence chiefs in Islamabad.

The suspicion must be present that one of the reasons for Pakistan's surprising willingness to publicly, if not privately, abandon its long-term support for the Taliban in Afghanistan was the flow of vital information on India's intentions and capabilities reaching the Inter-Services Intelligence organisation. The analysis provided by the ISI may well have proved of critical importance to Pakistan's diplomatic position throughout recent confrontations with India over Kashmir, Islamic terrorism, and nuclear weapons.

Confirmation once again that the United States trusts no one or for that matter any country completely in its war on terrorism and in its aggressive policy of comprehensive, intrusive worldwide intelligence-gathering operations must have sent shock waves through the security services of its putative allies.

There appears to be very little indeed that any country can do to protect its secrets from the might of US intelligence. Worse is the realisation that they need America far more than America needs them, a humbling and far from pleasant reality.

Whatever the final truth may turn out to be, and it has to be accepted that this is being buried very deep, particularly by the CIA and the highly embarrassed officials of India's counter-intelligence section, many of America's longest and most loyal allies may still be wise as with the Devil 'to sup with a long spoon' when dealing with the least friendly of 'friendly' intelligence services, those of the USA itself.

Richard M Bennett is a well-known intelligence and military analyst based in the United Kingdom.

Gross Domestic Product

2004-09-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

GDP

The total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports. The GDP report is released at 8:30 am EST on the last day of each quarter and reflects the previous quarter. Growth in GDP is what matters, and the U.S. GDP growth has historically averaged about 2.5-3% per year but with substantial deviations. Each initial GDP report will be revised twice before the final figure is settled upon: the "advance" report is followed by the "preliminary" report about a month later and a final report a month after that. Significant revisions to the advance number can cause additional ripples through the markets. The GDP numbers are reported in two forms: current dollar and constant dollar. Current dollar GDP is calculated using today's dollars and makes comparisons between time periods difficult because of the effects of inflation. Constant dollar GDP solves this problem by converting the current information into some standard era dollar, such as 1997 dollars. This process factors out the effects of inflation and allows easy comparisons between periods. It is important to differentiate Gross Domestic Product from Gross National Product (GNP). GDP includes only goods and services produced within the geographic boundaries of the U.S., regardless of the producer's nationality. GNP doesn't include goods and services produced by foreign producers, but does include goods and services produced by U.S. firms operating in foreign countries.

http://economics.about.com/cs/economicsglossary/g/nash_product.htm
“Definition of Nash Product”
from Econterms

Definition: The Nash product is the maximand of the Nash Bargaining Solution:
(s1-d1)(s2-d2)
where d1 and d2 are the threat points, and s1 and s2 are the shares of the good to be divided.

http://www.investorwords.com/2153/GDP.html

Other Data:
http://economics.about.com/cs/economicsglossary/g/gdp.htm
www.economicswebinstitute.org/glossary/gdp.htm
http://www.quickmba.com/econ/macro/gdp/

Inflation and its causes

2004-09-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

Inflation

Inflation is a rise in the general price level and is reported in rates of change. Essentially what this means is that the value of your money is going down and it takes more money to buy things. Therefore a 4% inflation rate means that the price level for that given year has risen 4% from a certain measuring year (currently 1982 is used). The inflation rate is determined by finding the difference between price levels for the current year and previous given year. The answer is then divided by the given year and then multiplied by 100. To measure the price level, economists select a variety of goods and construct a price index such as the consumer price index (CPI). By using the CPI, which measures the price changes, the inflation rate can be calculated. This is done by dividing the CPI by the beginning price level and then multiplying the result by 100.

Causes of Inflation

There are several reasons as to why an economy can experience inflation. One explanation is the demand-pull theory, which states that all sectors in the economy try to buy more than the economy can produce. Shortages are then created and merchants lose business. To compensate, some merchants raise their prices. Others don't offer discounts or sales. In the end, the price level rises.

A second explanation involves the deficit of the federal government. If the Federal Reserve System expands the money supply to keep the interest rate down, the federal deficit can contribute to inflation. If the debt is not monetized, some borrowers will be crowded out if interest rates rise. This results in the federal deficit having more of an impact on output and employment than on the price level.

A third reason involves the cost-push theory which states that labor groups cause inflation. If a strong union wins a large wage contract, it forces producers to raise their prices in order to compensate for the increase in salaries they have to pay. The fourth explanation is the wage-price spiral which states that no single group is to blame for inflation. Higher prices force workers to ask for higher wages. If they get their way, then producers try to recover with higher prices. Basically, if either side tries to increase its position with a larger price hike, the rate of inflation continues to rise.

Finally, another reason for inflation is excessive monetary growth. When any extra money is created, it will increase some group's buying power. When this money is spent, it will cause a demand-pull effect that drives up prices. For inflation to continue, the money supply must grow faster than the real GDP.

Effects of Inflation

The most immediate effects of inflation are the decreased purchasing power of the dollar and its depreciation. Depreciation is especially hard on retired people with fixed incomes because their money buys a little less each month. Those not on fixed incomes are more able to cope because they can simply increase their fees. A second destablizling effect is that inflation can cause consumers and investors to changer their speeding habits. When inflation occurs, people tend to spend less meaning that factories have to lay off workers because of a decline in orders. A third destabilizing effect of inflation is that some people choose to speculate heavily in an attempt to take advantage of the higher price level. Because some of the purchases are high-risk investments, spending is diverted from the normal channels and some structural unemployment may take place. Finally, inflation alters the distribution of income. Lenders are generally hurt more than borrowers during long inflationary periods which means that loans made earlier are repaid later in inflated dollars.
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Inflation.htm&e=7629

Other Data on Inflation:
http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Articles/Definitions.asp

Indians are indians......, Smart brains

2004-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Once an indian, always an Indian!

It is because of the business sense demonstrated below.

An Indian walks into a New York City bank and asks to see the loan officer.

He says he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000.

The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan, so the man hands over the keys of a new Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank.

Everything is checked out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the man returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest,which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely,but we are little puzzled.

While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow $5,000?"

The Indian replied,"Where else in New York can I park my car for two weeks for 15 bucks?"

Cheers !

Indians are indians......, Smart brains.

Raj has sent u a page to read at Khaleej Times

2004-08-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Raj

Raj has sent you a page to read at Khaleej Times with his message attached.

UAE demand of marble and granite highest in region

Click here to read the article

Raj has sent u a page to read at Khaleej Times

2004-08-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Blog

Raj has sent you a page to read at Khaleej Times with his message attached.

Hi, I came across this page which I thought might be of your interest.

Click here to read the article

Arabic translation 'remains chaotic' in Arab countries

2004-08-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

ABU DHABI - While developed and developing countries alike are moving fast to acquire the ever-increasing quantity of knowledge in their original language, the field of translation remains chaotic in most Arab countries, remarks a 2003 human development report.
Published by the United Nations Development Programme, the Arab Human Development Report says that the aggregate of translated books from the Al Ma'moon era to the present day numbers 10,000 books - equivalent to what Spain translates in a single year.
In terms of quantity, and notwithstanding the increase in the number of translated books from 175 per year during 1970-1975 to 330, the number of books translated in the Arab world is one-fifth of the number translated in Greece.

"The disparity was revealed in the first half of the 1980's when the average number of books translated per 1 million people in the Arab world during the five-year period was 4.4 (less than one book for every million Arabs), while in Hungary it was 519, and in Spain 920."
"Translation is a means of seeking knowledge, and it represents an interaction among civilisations through the transfer from one language to another, by humans or machines, (through) written or oral (words), with the goal of achieving scientific and cultural objectives. While more knowledge-hungry countries are paying attention to translation from sources other than English and efforts in this regard are not restricted to recent or contemporary knowledge, a marked shortage of translations of basic books on philosophy, literature, sociology and the natural sciences is quite evident in the Arab world," points out the report.

For example, Japan has concluded agreements with major international publishing houses to publish a Japanese edition of each scientific publication immediately after its publication in its original language. It is estimated that 1,700 titles are translated annually, and Japan translates 30 million pages a year.

According to the report, though there are no accurate statistical data regarding the academic level of translations in Arab countries, a crucial policy for the future should be to organise the selection of books for translation in order to fulfil Arab academic research needs. "Such a policy is required to make translation an effective force in advancing research and knowledge in the region," underlines the human development report.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2004/August/theuae_August426.xml&section=theuae

Stephen Hawking reveals a solution to a problem with his black hole theory

2004-08-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

SCIENCE is forever a work in progress. Moulded by the hands of many, the body of scientific knowledge is like a sculpture that is never quite finished. Sometimes, as in the case of cold fusion, the newly added clay just doesn't stick. Other times, ideas are contributed, but the overall aesthetic leaves scientists uneasy. Such is the case of the “information paradox” brought to us by the people's physicist, Stephen Hawking.
Dr Hawking has become well known by writing popular, and best selling, science books about physics. He seems to have a knack for supplying non-scientists with the mental imagery to handle ideas about the early days of the universe and space-time. But, more than this, Dr Hawking is responsible for much of what is known about black holes. He is also responsible for the field's biggest inconsistency—which he resolved this week.
In the mid-1970s, Dr Hawking said information swallowed by a black hole could never be retrieved. A black hole is formed when a star collapses, and produces such a strong gravitational field that matter or light are sucked in—and appear never to escape. But this contradicts the so-called reversibility requirement of quantum theory: that the end of any process must be traceable back to the conditions that created it. In other words, what goes in must eventually come out in some form.
So Dr Hawking's model was not the complete story, and most physicists, including Dr Hawking, knew it. One of the alternatives he suggested was that the information within the black hole might instead be channelled into a parallel (or “baby”) universe after the black hole had died. But, in the end, as nobody really understood the properties of quantum mechanics in the extreme gravitational fields of black holes, this failed to persuade, and the paradox survived.

However, some scientists, including John Preskill of the California Institute of Technology were convinced that Dr Hawking was wrong. Dr Preskill made a bet that, some day, a mechanism would be found that would allow this missing information to be released by a black hole as it evaporated. And this is exactly what Dr Hawking has now done.
He presented his ideas to physicists attending a conference on general relativity and gravitation in Dublin on July 21st. Using high-level mathematics, the language of theoretical physics, he revealed findings that contradict his earlier work. He says black holes never form an absolute event horizon—ie, a boundary from which nothing can escape. Rather, they form an apparent horizon.
Blurring this boundary means that information can eventually get back into our universe. So, when the black hole dies, it opens up its secrets not to a parallel universe but to our own. As the information returns, albeit in a mangled form, this reconciles the information paradox.
Black-hole physics has provided fodder for science-fiction stories for years. When announcing his findings, Dr Hawking was apologetic about his news, “I'm sorry to disappoint science-fiction fans, but if information is preserved, there is no possibility of using black holes to travel to other universes.”
Physicists have been trying to chisel away at the paradox for many years with little success. It is Dr Hawking's remoulding of his own work that has been responsible for resolving the wager made in 1997. Dr Preskill has now won, as Dr Hawking said the information paradox would hold. The published terms of the bet were that the loser would award the winner with a set of encyclopedias from which “information can be recovered at will”. Dr Preskill is the proud new owner of an encyclopedia of baseball.

http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2941288

AZoNano - The A to Z of Nanotechnology

2004-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

RSS Site Feed
http://www.azonano.com/nanotechnology_rss_news_feed.asp

Interesting Article

2004-08-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

I came across this page which I thought might be of interest.

Click here to read the article

Analyze Problems

2004-07-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops-a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well.

At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.

Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek? Well, he was. Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it.

The next day the same thing happened-Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the one after that, and so forth. This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him.

Finally he could stand it no longer. H e signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself.

So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!," the driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a bus pass."

Moral of the story:Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.

Best Joke

2004-07-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

This particular joke won an award for the best joke in a competition organized in Britain and this joke was sent by an Indian......

A MBA and an Engineer go on a camping trip, set up their tent,and fell asleep.
Some hours later, the Engineer wakes his MBA friend. "Look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
The MBA replies, "I see millions of stars."The Engineer asks "What does that tell you?"

The MBA ponders for a minute :

"Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three.Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you?"
The Engineer friend is silent for a moment, then speaks.

"Practically...Someone has stolen our tent".

Below is a quiz written by Einstein last century. He said that 98% of the people in the world cannot solve the quiz. Are you among the other 2%?

2004-07-28T01:55:00.000-07:00

Below is a quiz written by Einstein last century. He said that 98% of the people in the world cannot solve the quiz. Are you among the other 2%?Here you go...

Facts:
1:There are 5 houses in 5 different colors
2: In each house lives a person with a different nationality.
3: These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar and keep a certain pet.
4: No owner has the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.

HINTS:
1: The British lives in a red house.
2: The Swede keeps dogs as pets
3: The Dane drinks tea
4: The green house is on the left of the white house (it also means they are next door to each other)
5: The green house owner drinks coffee
6: The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds
7: The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill
8: The man living in the house right in the center drinks milk
9: The Norwegian lives in the first house
10: The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats
11: The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill
12: The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer
13: The German smokes Prince
14: The Norwegian lives next to the blue house
15: The man who smokes Blend has a neighbor who drinks water.

The question is: WHO KEEPS FISH?

Things of Wonder

2004-07-22T03:45:00.000-07:00

I came across one interesting website about illusions. It was really a beautiful work on how your vision deceives you, and when you concetrate how your brain perceives the images. The explanation on the website for each illusion is very interesting.

http://psylux.psych.tu-dresden.de/i1/kaw/diverses%20Material/www.illusionworks.com/html/hall_of_illusions.html

All About:

2004-07-21T03:56:00.000-07:00

My Priorities:
I give utmost importance to my family, next good friends. I feel that these two entities in life are most vital and sensitive and any individual should always keep this in mind all the time.As far as my career is concerned, I am working as Web Developer in Dubai and wish to continue in the same field and reach the max I can.

My Hobbies:
I like to read and watch tech and knowledge based articles and shows. I wish to utilize my time in the most productive way, as a result I end up doing things which give me knowledge, understanding people which helps in maintaining good relations, reading, spending time with loved ones, it can be family or friends...I try to find enjoyment and joy in whatever I do.

My Philosophy:
Don't get disappointed in whatever you do, but do it with commitment. By any chance, if you fail in what you do, try to analyze, find the good part and keep the bad as experience. That good part keeps you away from disappointment resulting in confidence and positive attitude and looking into new horizons for future growth.

My Beliefs:
I am unable to answer myself whether I believe in the existence of GOD, but frankly speaking, if one believes that there is someone who is more supreme and powerful than you and is controlling everything, and things happen to go smoothly with his thoughts, one happens to lead a good life with his fear or by ones own nature, I don’t think there is nothing wrong in believing "there is something that is not reached by your knowledge and wisdom, and reminds you that you are nothing more than a normal human being and not in control of your destiny."

My Culture:
I feel Hinduism is a culture rather than a religion and I follow Hindu culture. I have utmost respect for life, family values, relations, but what I don’t like is emotional blackmail using relations. I respect ladies from the core of my heart because I feel that they are the "chosen ones" to run the human race and where as we are just contributors in the job.

Behavioural Science:

2004-07-20T03:56:00.002-07:00

Is the study that examines individual characteristics and intelligence and how these factors influence individuals behaviour, while also exploring the impact of group, organisational and cultural factors. The aim is to create an integrative theory, drawing on the results of medical science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, biology and even political science. It examines the laws and possibilities for the development of human behaviour in a system and interdisciplinary approach, focusing on the process of the human-environment interaction. This field of science came into being as the synthesis of a number of disciplines and thus, while it emphasizes the common features, each area has its own methodology and traditions. It is not identical with ethology which deals principally with animal behaviour, or with behaviourism which is a trend in psychology.