Howstuffworks.com
If you go look in your refrigerator or pantry right now, you will find that just about every package you see has a UPC bar code printed on it. In fact, nearly every item that you purchase from a grocery store, department store and mass merchandiser has a UPC bar code on it somewhere.
30 jun 2004
Quote...
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '99.....
Wear Sunscreen.
If I could offer you only tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience...I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; Oh nevermind; you will not understand the power of beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at the photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked...
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing that everyday that scares you.
Sing
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind...the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life...the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary...whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either- your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time it's 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen...
Wear Sunscreen.
If I could offer you only tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience...I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; Oh nevermind; you will not understand the power of beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at the photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked...
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing that everyday that scares you.
Sing
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind...the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life...the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary...whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either- your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time it's 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen...
26 jun 2004
Fantastic Victoriana
geocities.com
In which Your Humble Correspondent endeavours, with what he hopes is at least Partial Success, to list some of the Notable and Obscure Characters and Places of popular Victorian Fiction, that these might or might not be Suitable for Inclusion at some point in the Fanciful Chronicles of that noted Scrivener and author of Penny Dreadfuls Alan Moore (capably aided by the Thomas Nash of the Twentieth Century, Kevin O'Neill) in his Creations Peculiar And Edifying: to wit, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Dear Reader, a Guide to the latter is located a Short Distance away; simply Click Here, and you shall see a few Notes Of Worth regarding that most Interesting of Illustrated Novels. If you prefer the more Elegant alternative of A Book, you may Purchase my effort, Heroes and Monsters: The Unofficial Guide to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from the Good People of MonkeyBrain Books. A second book, A Blazing World, explaining the second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, is forthcoming in September 2004. Whether this site is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as League is For You To Decide. Your Humble Correspondent simply desires to enumerate a number of fantastic and mysterious characters and places. You will also, should you wish, discover Certain Links of Edification And Wonderment, discovered and refined by Your Humble Correspondent (and a small Team of Select and Capable Worthies) for your pleasure.
In which Your Humble Correspondent endeavours, with what he hopes is at least Partial Success, to list some of the Notable and Obscure Characters and Places of popular Victorian Fiction, that these might or might not be Suitable for Inclusion at some point in the Fanciful Chronicles of that noted Scrivener and author of Penny Dreadfuls Alan Moore (capably aided by the Thomas Nash of the Twentieth Century, Kevin O'Neill) in his Creations Peculiar And Edifying: to wit, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Dear Reader, a Guide to the latter is located a Short Distance away; simply Click Here, and you shall see a few Notes Of Worth regarding that most Interesting of Illustrated Novels. If you prefer the more Elegant alternative of A Book, you may Purchase my effort, Heroes and Monsters: The Unofficial Guide to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from the Good People of MonkeyBrain Books. A second book, A Blazing World, explaining the second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, is forthcoming in September 2004. Whether this site is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as League is For You To Decide. Your Humble Correspondent simply desires to enumerate a number of fantastic and mysterious characters and places. You will also, should you wish, discover Certain Links of Edification And Wonderment, discovered and refined by Your Humble Correspondent (and a small Team of Select and Capable Worthies) for your pleasure.
EEUU: Lista de las 100 mejores canciones del cine
Yahoo! Noticias
La lista de las 100 mejores canciones de películas estadounidenses, según el American Film Institute, con título del filme y año de estreno
La lista de las 100 mejores canciones de películas estadounidenses, según el American Film Institute, con título del filme y año de estreno
Twilit Grotto -- Esoteric Archives
esotericarchives.com
In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks, ending the Byzantine empire. This date also marks the beginning of the Renaissance, since the waves of Greek refugees spread knowledge of Greek throughout Europe. Included with the newly available Greek manuscripts were the Corpus Hermetica, Plotinus, and the works of the Neoplatonists.
Shortly thereafter in 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand expelled the Jews from Spain. This sent waves of Jewish refugees throughout Europe, spreading knowledge of Hebrew and of the Kabbalah.
Renaissance philosophers sought to integrate these traditions with the view of unifying the rapidly disintegrating religious factions and also ending the constant political strife. Thus they are the forerunners or prophets of the Rosicrucian and Illuminati movements
In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks, ending the Byzantine empire. This date also marks the beginning of the Renaissance, since the waves of Greek refugees spread knowledge of Greek throughout Europe. Included with the newly available Greek manuscripts were the Corpus Hermetica, Plotinus, and the works of the Neoplatonists.
Shortly thereafter in 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand expelled the Jews from Spain. This sent waves of Jewish refugees throughout Europe, spreading knowledge of Hebrew and of the Kabbalah.
Renaissance philosophers sought to integrate these traditions with the view of unifying the rapidly disintegrating religious factions and also ending the constant political strife. Thus they are the forerunners or prophets of the Rosicrucian and Illuminati movements
Internet Sacred Text Archive Home
Sacred-Texts.com
This site is a freely available archive of electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics. Texts are presented in English translation and, in some cases, in the original language.
This site is a freely available archive of electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics. Texts are presented in English translation and, in some cases, in the original language.
Stages of Decomposition
Deathonline.net
Decomposition of a corpse is a continual process that can take from weeks to years, depending on the environment. In this website we have divided the process into stages, which are characterised by particular physical conditions of the corpse and the presence of particular animals. To illustrate the process of decomposition, we use the piglet as the model corpse.
Decomposition of a corpse is a continual process that can take from weeks to years, depending on the environment. In this website we have divided the process into stages, which are characterised by particular physical conditions of the corpse and the presence of particular animals. To illustrate the process of decomposition, we use the piglet as the model corpse.
Old West Slang
Saying the right thing
The English Language changes as quickly as we use it. Terms we use now would be questioned by the gunslingers and sheriffs of 100 plus years ago. So what terms did they use? What was their expression for great things or for criminals?
The English Language changes as quickly as we use it. Terms we use now would be questioned by the gunslingers and sheriffs of 100 plus years ago. So what terms did they use? What was their expression for great things or for criminals?
How to Speak 19th Century
celticfringe.net
Those of us who work at living history museums have always worked to purge modern words and expressions from our vocabularies. However, the people we portray had a richer language than just modern English without "okay" and "have a nice day". By finding some of their words and phrases, we can add an extra dimension to our interpretation of their time that simply can't be found in facts, costumes, or artifacts.
Those of us who work at living history museums have always worked to purge modern words and expressions from our vocabularies. However, the people we portray had a richer language than just modern English without "okay" and "have a nice day". By finding some of their words and phrases, we can add an extra dimension to our interpretation of their time that simply can't be found in facts, costumes, or artifacts.
25 jun 2004
Adding a chromosome may treat disease
New Scientist
Genetic diseases might one day be treated by adding an entirely new chromosome to people's cells. A Canadian company has shown the approach could be a feasible method of gene therapy.
Genetic diseases might one day be treated by adding an entirely new chromosome to people's cells. A Canadian company has shown the approach could be a feasible method of gene therapy.
Doctors discover a toddler muscle man
The Daily Camera
Somewhere in Germany is a baby Superman, born in Berlin with bulging arm and leg muscles. Not yet 5, he can hold seven-pound weights with arms extended, something many adults cannot do. He has muscles twice the size of other kids his age and half their body fat.
DNA testing showed why: The boy has a genetic mutation that boosts muscle growth.
Somewhere in Germany is a baby Superman, born in Berlin with bulging arm and leg muscles. Not yet 5, he can hold seven-pound weights with arms extended, something many adults cannot do. He has muscles twice the size of other kids his age and half their body fat.
DNA testing showed why: The boy has a genetic mutation that boosts muscle growth.
19 jun 2004
17 jun 2004
Científicos lograron teletransportar átomos
IBLNEWS
Un grupo de científicos austríacos y estadounidenses ha conseguido por primera vez teletransportar átomos, aunque aún se está muy lejos de conseguir el rayo de la nave de la serie de televisión "Enterprise", según publica en su edición del jueves la revista "Nature".
Hasta ahora sólo se había logrado teletransportar partículas sin masa, es decir fotones. La "teletransferencia cuántica" utilizada ahora por los expertos copia el "estado cuántico" exacto de un átomo sobre otro, pero no transmite el átomo en sí mismo.
Los investigadores consideran este hallazgo como un hito para el desarrollo de las computadoras cuánticas de enorme velocidad, según explican en "Nature" (Número 429, págs. 734-737).
Los equipos de Rainer Blatt, de la Universidad de Innsbruck, y de David Wineland, del National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) en Boulder, Colorado, experimentaron con átomos individuales de calcio y berilio a muy baja temperatura.
Mediante un ingenioso "truco" basado en la mecánica cuántica pudieron copiar los parámetros de un átomo a otro de modo de que surgiera una copia exacta del estado cuántico del primero. Esta copia ya no se puede diferenciar del original, que sin embargo pierde su estado cuántico, por lo que éste se teletransfirió al segundo.
En el laboratorio de Innsbruck la teletransferencia se logró a una distancia de sólo diez micrómetros (un micrómetro es la millonésima parte de un metro), pero en principio la técnica debería servir para distancias de incluso varios años luz (varios billones de kilómetros).
Los científicos esperan entre otras cosas poder transportar de esta forma en el futuro la información en las computadoras cuánticas, que dejarán muy atrás a las supercomputadoras actuales.
Un grupo de científicos austríacos y estadounidenses ha conseguido por primera vez teletransportar átomos, aunque aún se está muy lejos de conseguir el rayo de la nave de la serie de televisión "Enterprise", según publica en su edición del jueves la revista "Nature".
Hasta ahora sólo se había logrado teletransportar partículas sin masa, es decir fotones. La "teletransferencia cuántica" utilizada ahora por los expertos copia el "estado cuántico" exacto de un átomo sobre otro, pero no transmite el átomo en sí mismo.
Los investigadores consideran este hallazgo como un hito para el desarrollo de las computadoras cuánticas de enorme velocidad, según explican en "Nature" (Número 429, págs. 734-737).
Los equipos de Rainer Blatt, de la Universidad de Innsbruck, y de David Wineland, del National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) en Boulder, Colorado, experimentaron con átomos individuales de calcio y berilio a muy baja temperatura.
Mediante un ingenioso "truco" basado en la mecánica cuántica pudieron copiar los parámetros de un átomo a otro de modo de que surgiera una copia exacta del estado cuántico del primero. Esta copia ya no se puede diferenciar del original, que sin embargo pierde su estado cuántico, por lo que éste se teletransfirió al segundo.
En el laboratorio de Innsbruck la teletransferencia se logró a una distancia de sólo diez micrómetros (un micrómetro es la millonésima parte de un metro), pero en principio la técnica debería servir para distancias de incluso varios años luz (varios billones de kilómetros).
Los científicos esperan entre otras cosas poder transportar de esta forma en el futuro la información en las computadoras cuánticas, que dejarán muy atrás a las supercomputadoras actuales.
16 jun 2004
Científicos confirman que las enanas marrones son el eslabón entre las estrellas y los planetas gigantes
elmundo.es
La medición por primera vez de la masa de las enanas marrones ha servido para confirmar que estos objetos astronómicos son el eslabón natural entre estrellas y planetas gigantes, informó el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
La medición por primera vez de la masa de las enanas marrones ha servido para confirmar que estos objetos astronómicos son el eslabón natural entre estrellas y planetas gigantes, informó el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
15 jun 2004
Ojos que no ven... es culpa de la capa
BBC Mundo
Y antes de continuar hablando de los proyectos de Susumu Tachi, cabe aclarar que el manto mencionado no es una entelequia sacada de un libro de Harry Potter, sino un objeto real, producto del ingenio de su creador.
La capa -exhibida en San Francisco a comienzos de junio- funciona proyectando una imagen sobre sí misma de lo que se encuentra detrás de la persona que la viste.
Una computadora genera la imagen y la proyecta sobre el manto, dando la impresión de que uno está viendo "a través" de ella.
Y antes de continuar hablando de los proyectos de Susumu Tachi, cabe aclarar que el manto mencionado no es una entelequia sacada de un libro de Harry Potter, sino un objeto real, producto del ingenio de su creador.
La capa -exhibida en San Francisco a comienzos de junio- funciona proyectando una imagen sobre sí misma de lo que se encuentra detrás de la persona que la viste.
Una computadora genera la imagen y la proyecta sobre el manto, dando la impresión de que uno está viendo "a través" de ella.
Crean un videojuego que se controla con el pensamiento
elmundo.es
Ingenieros estadounidenses han creado un sistema para controlar los movimientos de un videojuego mediante órdenes del cerebro transmitidas a través de electrodos, según ha revelado la revista Journal of Neural Engineering.
Con sólo pensar en la palabra "juegue", cuatro voluntarios epilépticos pudieron manejar un videojuego relativamente simple.
Ingenieros estadounidenses han creado un sistema para controlar los movimientos de un videojuego mediante órdenes del cerebro transmitidas a través de electrodos, según ha revelado la revista Journal of Neural Engineering.
Con sólo pensar en la palabra "juegue", cuatro voluntarios epilépticos pudieron manejar un videojuego relativamente simple.
La NASA publica 'espectaculares' imágenes de la luna negra de Saturno
elmundo.es
La sonda Cassini-Huygens ha seguido su viaje hacia Saturno tras enviar espectaculares imágenes de Febe, la más misteriosa de las 31 lunas de Saturno, según ha informado el Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL) de la NASA en California.
La sonda Cassini-Huygens ha seguido su viaje hacia Saturno tras enviar espectaculares imágenes de Febe, la más misteriosa de las 31 lunas de Saturno, según ha informado el Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL) de la NASA en California.
14 jun 2004
Psychology Today: Here To Help
Psychology Today
Self Tests
Get to know yourself better with PT's professionally developed surveys. Send them to your friends and compare results — you may be surprised what you learn!
Self Tests
Get to know yourself better with PT's professionally developed surveys. Send them to your friends and compare results — you may be surprised what you learn!
11 jun 2004
Detectado un agujero negro resultado de una explosión hace 400 años
elmundo.es
Astrónomos de la York University en Toronto, Ontario (Canadá) y del National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) en Socorro, Nuevo México (Estados Unidos), han informado sobre el hallazgo de un agujero negro o la estrella de neutrones más joven que se conoce en el universo, al proponerse el estudio de una explosión estelar de alrededor de 30 millones de años luz desde la Tierra.
Astrónomos de la York University en Toronto, Ontario (Canadá) y del National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) en Socorro, Nuevo México (Estados Unidos), han informado sobre el hallazgo de un agujero negro o la estrella de neutrones más joven que se conoce en el universo, al proponerse el estudio de una explosión estelar de alrededor de 30 millones de años luz desde la Tierra.
La sonda Cassini se acerca a Phoebe para descubrir sus secretos
elmundo.es
Oscura y escabrosa, Phoebe ha sido por mucho tiempo objeto de fascinación de los astrónomos. La sonda espacial Cassini de la NASA se acercará hoy a esta luna de Saturno para echar una mirada más cercana.
Oscura y escabrosa, Phoebe ha sido por mucho tiempo objeto de fascinación de los astrónomos. La sonda espacial Cassini de la NASA se acercará hoy a esta luna de Saturno para echar una mirada más cercana.
9 jun 2004
Coca Cola retira un anuncio en Estados Unidos porque a sus directivos les parecía "vulgar"
elmundo.es
Coca-Cola ha retirado de las cadenas de televisión estadounidenses su anuncio "Buddies" después de que algunos directivos de la compañía lo tacharan de vulgar y de no respetar la tradicional imagen de la marca.
El anuncio -obra de Berlin Cameron/Red Cell- muestra a dos amigos que hacen un descanso en mitad de un partido de baloncesto para tomar una Coca-Cola. Uno de ellos llega antes a la nevera y, mientras se bebe el contenido de la lata, se desliza la otra por el cuello, el estómago y la axila antes de dársela a su compañero.
Coca-Cola ha retirado de las cadenas de televisión estadounidenses su anuncio "Buddies" después de que algunos directivos de la compañía lo tacharan de vulgar y de no respetar la tradicional imagen de la marca.
El anuncio -obra de Berlin Cameron/Red Cell- muestra a dos amigos que hacen un descanso en mitad de un partido de baloncesto para tomar una Coca-Cola. Uno de ellos llega antes a la nevera y, mientras se bebe el contenido de la lata, se desliza la otra por el cuello, el estómago y la axila antes de dársela a su compañero.
8 jun 2004
7 jun 2004
Lost City Expedition - April 21st to May 22nd 2003
Lost City Expedition
Please join us on our cruise of discovery to the Lost City Hydrothermal Field at the summit of the Atlantis Massif, 30°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. During this 32 day expedition, 24 scientists onboard the research vessel the Atlantis will dive deep into the ocean to explore active limestone chimneys that rise 200 feet above the seafloor.
We will also sample and grow microorganisms that may provide information key to understanding the development of early life on Earth, and use a free swimming robot to create a high resolution map of this field--which is unlike any hot spring system yet discovered on our planet.
Please join us on our cruise of discovery to the Lost City Hydrothermal Field at the summit of the Atlantis Massif, 30°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. During this 32 day expedition, 24 scientists onboard the research vessel the Atlantis will dive deep into the ocean to explore active limestone chimneys that rise 200 feet above the seafloor.
We will also sample and grow microorganisms that may provide information key to understanding the development of early life on Earth, and use a free swimming robot to create a high resolution map of this field--which is unlike any hot spring system yet discovered on our planet.
Satellite images 'show Atlantis'
BBC NEWS
A scientist says he may have found remains of the lost city of Atlantis.
Satellite photos of southern Spain reveal features on the ground appearing to match descriptions made by Greek scholar Plato of the fabled utopia.
Dr Rainer Kuehne thinks the "island" of Atlantis simply referred to a region of the southern Spanish coast destroyed by a flood between 800 BC and 500 BC.
A scientist says he may have found remains of the lost city of Atlantis.
Satellite photos of southern Spain reveal features on the ground appearing to match descriptions made by Greek scholar Plato of the fabled utopia.
Dr Rainer Kuehne thinks the "island" of Atlantis simply referred to a region of the southern Spanish coast destroyed by a flood between 800 BC and 500 BC.
6 jun 2004
Ronald Reagan 1911-2004
CNN.com Specials
Lifeguard, athlete, movie star, governor, president -- there wasn't much that Ronald Reagan did not do in his lifetime
Lifeguard, athlete, movie star, governor, president -- there wasn't much that Ronald Reagan did not do in his lifetime
Google soups up intranet search tools
CNN.com:
Google Inc. is sharpening the search tools that it sells to companies, schools and government agencies, hoping to mine new revenue sources as it strives to become less dependent on online advertising.
The Mountain View, California-based company on Wednesday took another small step beyond its renowned online search engine releasing its most significant upgrade of a 2-year-old kit that's sometimes called "Google in a box."
The hardware-and-software package is supposed to provide prospective customers with everything they need to do a better job indexing and searching the information on intranets -- a cluster of Web sites maintained behind security shields known as firewalls.
Google Inc. is sharpening the search tools that it sells to companies, schools and government agencies, hoping to mine new revenue sources as it strives to become less dependent on online advertising.
The Mountain View, California-based company on Wednesday took another small step beyond its renowned online search engine releasing its most significant upgrade of a 2-year-old kit that's sometimes called "Google in a box."
The hardware-and-software package is supposed to provide prospective customers with everything they need to do a better job indexing and searching the information on intranets -- a cluster of Web sites maintained behind security shields known as firewalls.
Cassini maneuvers for Saturn rendezvous
CNN.com
Saturn and its rings are growing large in the view of the international Cassini spacecraft, which is nearing a rendezvous with the giant planet after years of travel across the solar system.
Saturn and its rings are growing large in the view of the international Cassini spacecraft, which is nearing a rendezvous with the giant planet after years of travel across the solar system.
Extrasolar planet hunters eye Venus transit
New Scientist
Extrasolar planet hunters will set their sights close to home on Tuesday when Venus passes in front of the Sun for the first time since 1882.
About 120 planets have been discovered orbiting other stars. Three of these were revealed because they dimmed their stars' light during transits, which also gave information about the planets' masses. And future space missions such as NASA's Kepler, due to launch in 2007, aim to find many more transits by monitoring 100,000 Sun-like stars.
Extrasolar planet hunters will set their sights close to home on Tuesday when Venus passes in front of the Sun for the first time since 1882.
About 120 planets have been discovered orbiting other stars. Three of these were revealed because they dimmed their stars' light during transits, which also gave information about the planets' masses. And future space missions such as NASA's Kepler, due to launch in 2007, aim to find many more transits by monitoring 100,000 Sun-like stars.
First quantum cryptography network unveiled
New Scientist
The first computer network in which communication is secured with quantum cryptography is up and running in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Chip Elliott, leader of the quantum engineering team at BBN Technologies in Cambridge, sent the first packets of data across the Quantum Net (Qnet) on Thursday. The project is funded by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Currently the network only consists of six servers, but they can be integrated with regular servers and clients on the internet. Qnet's creators say the implementation of more nodes in banks and credit card companies could make exchanging sensitive data over the internet more secure than it is with current cryptography systems.
The first computer network in which communication is secured with quantum cryptography is up and running in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Chip Elliott, leader of the quantum engineering team at BBN Technologies in Cambridge, sent the first packets of data across the Quantum Net (Qnet) on Thursday. The project is funded by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Currently the network only consists of six servers, but they can be integrated with regular servers and clients on the internet. Qnet's creators say the implementation of more nodes in banks and credit card companies could make exchanging sensitive data over the internet more secure than it is with current cryptography systems.
Invisible beam tops list of nonlethal weapons
sacbee.com:
WASHINGTON - Test subjects can't see the invisible beam from the Pentagon's new, Star Trek-like weapon, but no one has withstood the pain it produces for more than three seconds.
People who volunteered to stand in front of the directed energy beam say they felt as if they were on fire. When they stepped aside, the pain disappeared instantly.
The long-range column of millimeter-wave energy is known as the "Active Denial System" for its ability to prevent an aggressor from advancing. Senior military officials, who plan to deliver the device for troop evaluation this fall, say years of testing has produced no sign it will lead to health effects beyond perhaps causing skin to temporarily redden.
It is among the most potent of a new generation of futuristic, "less-than-lethal" weapons being developed by the Defense Department - tools that could dramatically alter the way police control riots and soldiers fight wars.
Other nonlethal devices undergoing tests include "superlubricants" that could make a road or runway too slippery for car or airplane tires to gain traction; directed sound waves to drive people away from an area; and nets able to stop cars.
Marine Col. David Karcher, who heads the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, says the energy beam is aimed at helping troops and police in confusing situations by offering options "between bullets and a bullhorn."
Marine Capt. Dan McSweeney, a spokesman for the Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, pointed to "instances in Iraq where crowd situations have unfortunately ended in violence" and death.
Karcher and other military officials are trying to alleviate fears that the device might be misused to harm civilians or converted into a torture machine that leaves no marks.
In an attempt to anticipate how the world would greet the new weapon, the Air Force this month asked social science graduate students at the University of Minnesota and other colleges for help.
Researchers were offered $12,000 to spend the summer reviewing literature and assessing how Americans and other cultures might react to its use.
In the solicitation, Maj. Jonathan Drummond of the Air Force's Directed Energy Bioeffects Division noted that the Active Denial System could provide U.S. forces "with a nonlethal capability in military operations other than war." Among possible uses, he listed peacekeeping, humanitarian operations and crowd control.
Introduction of such a device in either noncombat or wartime situations could raise thorny questions: Would it be acceptable to inflict so much pain on unruly protesters? How would such a weapon be viewed if used on crowds in Third World countries? Would it violate international humanitarian principles if used in battle? Might it be used secretly during interrogations to torture suspected terrorists into cooperating?
Karcher said the Active Denial System "is absolutely not designed or intended or built" to be a torture device.
"To use this as any sort of torture device would be in direct violation of" the Pentagon's definition of nonlethal weapons, he said. "Nor, as professionals, would any of us sign up for it."
But in an era of secret interrogations of al-Qaida suspects and revelations of U.S. abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, Executive Director Doug Johnson of the Minneapolis-based Center for Torture Victims is skeptical.
"It seems fundamentally a weapon that's designed to create a great deal of pain and fear," Johnson said. "The concern I would have is ... once this kind of technology is available and there's a perception that it's safe and nonlethal, it seems like a natural device to be used in interrogations.
"Is it torture if it only creates a sensation of pain, but leaves no marks and no long-term damage? I would say yes. Torture is primarily a psychological device, and finding different ways to use the body against the mind has been the struggle of torture technologies for thousands of years."
He said "human history would demonstrate" that once a potential torture technology is available, it usually is put into action.
Karcher and other military officials stressed that the device has received interim approvals from international treaty conventions, has twice passed Pentagon legal reviews and will be subject to clear rules of engagement.
Eleven years in the making at a cost of more than $50 million, the Active Denial System is still years from deployment. It weighs about 4 tons and consists largely of a big dish and antenna that are mounted on a Humvee multipurpose vehicle.
But researchers are hoping to miniaturize it, Karcher said. Air Force officials want to work with the prime contractor, the Raytheon Corp., to design a version that could be mounted on a military transport plane so its beam could cut a broader swath on a battlefield.
Once an operator has aimed the antenna using a scope, the press of a button sends out a column of millimeter-wave, electromagnetic energy at the speed of light. Pentagon officials say that the weapon's exact reach and its column size are classified, but that it can extend beyond the 550-meter effective range of bullets. Its intensity is the same at any distance.
Susan Levine, the Pentagon's project manager for the energy beam, said years of tests on humans and animals enabled researchers to establish a margin of safety. After several seconds, the device automatically shuts off to avoid burning its target, she said.
When the beam hits an individual, it penetrates 1/64th of an inch beneath the skin and heats water molecules to 130 degrees in less than a second.
"It tricks the pain sensors into thinking they're on fire," said Rich Garcia, a spokesman for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
Garcia knows firsthand. He was among hundreds of test volunteers, standing in a doorway with his back facing the device.
"They did a full body back shot," he said. "It hit in the small of my back first. For the first millisecond, it just felt like the skin was warming up. Then it got warmer and warmer and you felt like it was on fire."
He said he lunged out of the doorway.
"As soon as you're away from that beam your skin returns to normal and there is no pain," Garcia said. "I thought to myself, 'Why you wimp. You know it's not causing any damage. You'll be able to override it.' Each of the next three times, I was on there a little bit longer.
"The fourth one was the longest. It was about two seconds. It felt like my hair was on fire."
The beam easily penetrates clothing, he said, because clothes are porous, though a thin suit of armor would block it.
WASHINGTON - Test subjects can't see the invisible beam from the Pentagon's new, Star Trek-like weapon, but no one has withstood the pain it produces for more than three seconds.
People who volunteered to stand in front of the directed energy beam say they felt as if they were on fire. When they stepped aside, the pain disappeared instantly.
The long-range column of millimeter-wave energy is known as the "Active Denial System" for its ability to prevent an aggressor from advancing. Senior military officials, who plan to deliver the device for troop evaluation this fall, say years of testing has produced no sign it will lead to health effects beyond perhaps causing skin to temporarily redden.
It is among the most potent of a new generation of futuristic, "less-than-lethal" weapons being developed by the Defense Department - tools that could dramatically alter the way police control riots and soldiers fight wars.
Other nonlethal devices undergoing tests include "superlubricants" that could make a road or runway too slippery for car or airplane tires to gain traction; directed sound waves to drive people away from an area; and nets able to stop cars.
Marine Col. David Karcher, who heads the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, says the energy beam is aimed at helping troops and police in confusing situations by offering options "between bullets and a bullhorn."
Marine Capt. Dan McSweeney, a spokesman for the Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, pointed to "instances in Iraq where crowd situations have unfortunately ended in violence" and death.
Karcher and other military officials are trying to alleviate fears that the device might be misused to harm civilians or converted into a torture machine that leaves no marks.
In an attempt to anticipate how the world would greet the new weapon, the Air Force this month asked social science graduate students at the University of Minnesota and other colleges for help.
Researchers were offered $12,000 to spend the summer reviewing literature and assessing how Americans and other cultures might react to its use.
In the solicitation, Maj. Jonathan Drummond of the Air Force's Directed Energy Bioeffects Division noted that the Active Denial System could provide U.S. forces "with a nonlethal capability in military operations other than war." Among possible uses, he listed peacekeeping, humanitarian operations and crowd control.
Introduction of such a device in either noncombat or wartime situations could raise thorny questions: Would it be acceptable to inflict so much pain on unruly protesters? How would such a weapon be viewed if used on crowds in Third World countries? Would it violate international humanitarian principles if used in battle? Might it be used secretly during interrogations to torture suspected terrorists into cooperating?
Karcher said the Active Denial System "is absolutely not designed or intended or built" to be a torture device.
"To use this as any sort of torture device would be in direct violation of" the Pentagon's definition of nonlethal weapons, he said. "Nor, as professionals, would any of us sign up for it."
But in an era of secret interrogations of al-Qaida suspects and revelations of U.S. abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, Executive Director Doug Johnson of the Minneapolis-based Center for Torture Victims is skeptical.
"It seems fundamentally a weapon that's designed to create a great deal of pain and fear," Johnson said. "The concern I would have is ... once this kind of technology is available and there's a perception that it's safe and nonlethal, it seems like a natural device to be used in interrogations.
"Is it torture if it only creates a sensation of pain, but leaves no marks and no long-term damage? I would say yes. Torture is primarily a psychological device, and finding different ways to use the body against the mind has been the struggle of torture technologies for thousands of years."
He said "human history would demonstrate" that once a potential torture technology is available, it usually is put into action.
Karcher and other military officials stressed that the device has received interim approvals from international treaty conventions, has twice passed Pentagon legal reviews and will be subject to clear rules of engagement.
Eleven years in the making at a cost of more than $50 million, the Active Denial System is still years from deployment. It weighs about 4 tons and consists largely of a big dish and antenna that are mounted on a Humvee multipurpose vehicle.
But researchers are hoping to miniaturize it, Karcher said. Air Force officials want to work with the prime contractor, the Raytheon Corp., to design a version that could be mounted on a military transport plane so its beam could cut a broader swath on a battlefield.
Once an operator has aimed the antenna using a scope, the press of a button sends out a column of millimeter-wave, electromagnetic energy at the speed of light. Pentagon officials say that the weapon's exact reach and its column size are classified, but that it can extend beyond the 550-meter effective range of bullets. Its intensity is the same at any distance.
Susan Levine, the Pentagon's project manager for the energy beam, said years of tests on humans and animals enabled researchers to establish a margin of safety. After several seconds, the device automatically shuts off to avoid burning its target, she said.
When the beam hits an individual, it penetrates 1/64th of an inch beneath the skin and heats water molecules to 130 degrees in less than a second.
"It tricks the pain sensors into thinking they're on fire," said Rich Garcia, a spokesman for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
Garcia knows firsthand. He was among hundreds of test volunteers, standing in a doorway with his back facing the device.
"They did a full body back shot," he said. "It hit in the small of my back first. For the first millisecond, it just felt like the skin was warming up. Then it got warmer and warmer and you felt like it was on fire."
He said he lunged out of the doorway.
"As soon as you're away from that beam your skin returns to normal and there is no pain," Garcia said. "I thought to myself, 'Why you wimp. You know it's not causing any damage. You'll be able to override it.' Each of the next three times, I was on there a little bit longer.
"The fourth one was the longest. It was about two seconds. It felt like my hair was on fire."
The beam easily penetrates clothing, he said, because clothes are porous, though a thin suit of armor would block it.
4 jun 2004
the transit of Venus
BBC
Venus passes across the face of the Sun on Tuesday 8 June 2004
The last transit of Venus was in 1882 - so no one alive has seen this rare event
Watch the transit on Stardate live on BBC One - check the times
Venus passes across the face of the Sun on Tuesday 8 June 2004
The last transit of Venus was in 1882 - so no one alive has seen this rare event
Watch the transit on Stardate live on BBC One - check the times
3 jun 2004
Private spacecraft to launch June 21
CNN.com
The world's first privately built spacecraft is scheduled to leave Earth on June 21 and -- if successful -- usher in a new era of spaceflight for private enterprise.
The world's first privately built spacecraft is scheduled to leave Earth on June 21 and -- if successful -- usher in a new era of spaceflight for private enterprise.
Sound of early universe: primal scream
CNN.com
An astronomer has turned observations of the early universe into a sound clip that represents a primal scream from the first million years after the Big Bang.
An astronomer has turned observations of the early universe into a sound clip that represents a primal scream from the first million years after the Big Bang.
Las fronteras espaciales se abren al capital privado
elmundo.es:
SAN FRANCISCO.- La compañía de capital privado Scaled Composites ha anunciado que lanzará el próximo 21 de junio en California la primera misión espacial tripulada de carácter no gubernamental. La nave 'SpaceShipOne' se elevará unos 100 kilómetros -lo que se considera la frontera del espacio exterior- sobre un aeropuerto comercial en el desierto de Mojave.
SAN FRANCISCO.- La compañía de capital privado Scaled Composites ha anunciado que lanzará el próximo 21 de junio en California la primera misión espacial tripulada de carácter no gubernamental. La nave 'SpaceShipOne' se elevará unos 100 kilómetros -lo que se considera la frontera del espacio exterior- sobre un aeropuerto comercial en el desierto de Mojave.
2 jun 2004
One Day of War
BBC NEWS
Every minute, two people are killed in conflicts around the world.
Often very little is known about the people who are fighting and dying.
The BBC programme One Day of War follows individual fighters in 16 of these wars, over the same 24 hour period.
Every minute, two people are killed in conflicts around the world.
Often very little is known about the people who are fighting and dying.
The BBC programme One Day of War follows individual fighters in 16 of these wars, over the same 24 hour period.
Tools and Resources for Screenwriting, Story Development, and Outlining
Screenplay.com
Welcome to Write Brothers, Inc., birthplace and home of the most innovative and easy-to-use tools for film, television, and all creative writing.
Welcome to Write Brothers, Inc., birthplace and home of the most innovative and easy-to-use tools for film, television, and all creative writing.
La AI y Comfia recuerdan que vigilar el correo electrónico 'podría ser un delito'
navegante.com:
MADRID.- La Asociación de Internautas y Comfia-CCOO han contestado a las declaraciones de Miguel Ángel Davara, quien aseguró en el Foro e-Gallaecia que "es totalmente legal y legítimo que las empresas controlen el correo electrónico de sus empleados". En una nota, ambas organizaciones "desmienten con rotundidad que el Estatuto de los Trabajadores ampare el control del 'e-mail' de los trabajadores", un hecho que "podría ser constitutivo de un delito".
MADRID.- La Asociación de Internautas y Comfia-CCOO han contestado a las declaraciones de Miguel Ángel Davara, quien aseguró en el Foro e-Gallaecia que "es totalmente legal y legítimo que las empresas controlen el correo electrónico de sus empleados". En una nota, ambas organizaciones "desmienten con rotundidad que el Estatuto de los Trabajadores ampare el control del 'e-mail' de los trabajadores", un hecho que "podría ser constitutivo de un delito".
Algunos pacientes se enteran de lo que ocurre en el quirófano a pesar de la anestesia general
elmundosalud - medicina
Ser consciente de que a uno le están operando puede ser una experiencia tremendamente desagradable que ocurre pocas veces pero que puede dejar marcado para siempre a algunas personas. Según demuestra un estudio, aunque es posible monitorizar al paciente para evitar que esto ocurra, el método es demasiado caro para aplicarlo en todas las intervenciones.
Ser consciente de que a uno le están operando puede ser una experiencia tremendamente desagradable que ocurre pocas veces pero que puede dejar marcado para siempre a algunas personas. Según demuestra un estudio, aunque es posible monitorizar al paciente para evitar que esto ocurra, el método es demasiado caro para aplicarlo en todas las intervenciones.
Nuevo DVD suicida
vnunet.es:
Una compañía francesa ha desarrollado un DVD desechable, o DVD-D, que se autodestruye después de unas horas de uso.
Una compañía francesa ha desarrollado un DVD desechable, o DVD-D, que se autodestruye después de unas horas de uso.
Previsiones para vivir sin petróleo
BBC Mundo - Ciencia:
Delegados de 120 países buscan promover el uso de energía renovable, para contrarrestar el agotamiento de las reservas de petróleo y el efecto invernadero.
Delegados de 120 países buscan promover el uso de energía renovable, para contrarrestar el agotamiento de las reservas de petróleo y el efecto invernadero.
South Pole Live Camera
Live Camera
This photo is of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station taken every 15 minutes (if a relay satellite is available for transmission) from the roof of the Atmospheric Research Observatory which houses NOAA/CMDL's Clean Air Facility. In order to preserve the life of the camera, it is tilted down onto the snow when the sun is in the field of view, which occurs for several weeks around sunset (March) and sunrise (September) when the sun marches in a circle above the horizon. From mid-April until mid-August the moon and the aurora australis provide the only natural lighting.
The new station, presently under construction, can be seen to the right in the photo; the old (circa 1973) domed station is to the left. The new station is elevated above the snow to prevent it being buried by the drifting snow (the present fate of the old domed station). When the new station is finished in about 2006, the old dome and buildings inside will be removed. At present (March 2003) the portion of the new station which you see is far enough along so that some of the 2003 winter-over personnel (including Loreen Lock and Brian Vasel of CMDL) will be living in it. The new galley (with windows!) is now being used for meals. The cylindrical object at the end of the station, fondly called the "beer can," is the entrance to the station.
This photo is of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station taken every 15 minutes (if a relay satellite is available for transmission) from the roof of the Atmospheric Research Observatory which houses NOAA/CMDL's Clean Air Facility. In order to preserve the life of the camera, it is tilted down onto the snow when the sun is in the field of view, which occurs for several weeks around sunset (March) and sunrise (September) when the sun marches in a circle above the horizon. From mid-April until mid-August the moon and the aurora australis provide the only natural lighting.
The new station, presently under construction, can be seen to the right in the photo; the old (circa 1973) domed station is to the left. The new station is elevated above the snow to prevent it being buried by the drifting snow (the present fate of the old domed station). When the new station is finished in about 2006, the old dome and buildings inside will be removed. At present (March 2003) the portion of the new station which you see is far enough along so that some of the 2003 winter-over personnel (including Loreen Lock and Brian Vasel of CMDL) will be living in it. The new galley (with windows!) is now being used for meals. The cylindrical object at the end of the station, fondly called the "beer can," is the entrance to the station.
El Estatuto de los Trabajadores avala el control del 'e-mail' de los empleados
elmundo.es:
“Es totalmente legal y legítimo que las empresas controlen el correo electrónico de sus empleados”. Así de explícito se mostró esta mañana Miguel Ángel Davara, catedrático de la Universidad Pontificia de Comillas y presidente de Davara&Davara, en la IV Semana Internacional de las TIC organizada por el Foro e-Gallaecia y que comenzó en Santiago.
Durante su exposición, de la que informa el foro en una nota de prensa, Davara manifestó que el Estatuto de los Trabajadores avala el que las propias firmas puedan realizar un control de los medios de los que han dotado al empleado para desempeñar su trabajo, siempre que tenga una justificación clara.
Estas inspecciones, tanto de los mensajes de correo electrónico como del uso de Internet, siempre serán lícitas si el trabajador conoce de antemano que se están llevando a cabo. Es en este punto donde es posible encontrar un conflicto entre los intereses del empresario y del trabajador.
“Es totalmente legal y legítimo que las empresas controlen el correo electrónico de sus empleados”. Así de explícito se mostró esta mañana Miguel Ángel Davara, catedrático de la Universidad Pontificia de Comillas y presidente de Davara&Davara, en la IV Semana Internacional de las TIC organizada por el Foro e-Gallaecia y que comenzó en Santiago.
Durante su exposición, de la que informa el foro en una nota de prensa, Davara manifestó que el Estatuto de los Trabajadores avala el que las propias firmas puedan realizar un control de los medios de los que han dotado al empleado para desempeñar su trabajo, siempre que tenga una justificación clara.
Estas inspecciones, tanto de los mensajes de correo electrónico como del uso de Internet, siempre serán lícitas si el trabajador conoce de antemano que se están llevando a cabo. Es en este punto donde es posible encontrar un conflicto entre los intereses del empresario y del trabajador.
1 jun 2004
El cráneo de un dinosaurio prueba la teoría de separación tardía de Africa
CNNenEspañol.com:
CHICAGO (AP) -- El cráneo fósil de un dinosaurio peculiar, de cara arrugada, descubierto hace cuatro años en una excavación en el desierto del Sahara ofrece nuevas pruebas de que Africa se separó de los otros continentes del hemisferio sur más recientemente de lo que se creía, según científicos.
"Fue una especie de pieza de rompecabezas faltante que sirve para descartar la noción de que Africa se aisló mucho antes", dijo Paul Sereno, un paleontólogo de la Universidad de Chicago que encabezó la expedición a una región desértica de Níger en el año 2000.
"Realmente completa la historia muy convincentemente", afirmó.
El cráneo, encontrado en medio de un tesoro de huesos de dinosaurios del bajo período cretáceo, proviene de un dinosaurio que Sereno llamó Rugops primus, o "primer cara arrugada". El animal carnívoro, cuyo largo está estimado en 10 metros y su antigüedad en 95 millones de años, pertenecía a un grupo de dinosaurios del hemisferio sur llamados abelisáuridos.
Antes de los descubrimientos, los abelisáuridos de ese período habían sido encontrados en Sudamérica, Madagascar e India, pero no se había confirmado la existencia de ninguno en Africa, lo que confirmaba la teoría de que ese continente se separó primero del supercontinente sureño de Gondwana hace 120 millones de años o más. El nuevo fósil, empero, y su estrecho parentesco con un abelisáurido sudamericano, indican que Africa estaba aún conectada con las otras masas continentales sureñas, al menos por un puente terrestre, hace 100 millones de años, dijeron Sereno y los demás autores que cooperaron en su investigación.
Sereno y su equipo estaban acercándose al final de una expedición de dos meses y medio cuando se concentraron en una zona de la remota región del Sahara de Níger. En un período de diez días, desenterraron más dinosaurios del bajo período cretáceo que el total de lo que había sido hallado previamente en Africa.
"Fue como el valle de los reyes, con la diferencia de que los reyes eran dinosaurios", dijo Sereno. Dijo que su equipo también encontró especies de cocodrilos previamente desconocidas y un dinosaurio que aún no ha sido bautizado de unos 20 metros de largo.
"A veces uno se encuentra con la mina de oro", afirmó. "Esa expedición, creo, fue la mejor expedición a la que llevé a estudiantes por cada kilo de descubrimientos".
Sereno, su colega Jack Conrad de la Universidad de Chicago y Jeffrey Wilson de la Universidad de Michigan publicaron la noticia del descubrimiento junto con el hallazgo de una nueva especie de dinosaurio, en la publicación que sale el miércoles de la Real Sociedad de Londres.
Sereno dijo que Rugops probablemente era un animal carroñero que usaba su largo hocico para recoger carroña. Un rasgo extraño del dinosaurio eran dos hileras de siete orificios a lo largo de su hocico, agregó.
"Es la cosa más peculiar", sostuvo. "No sabemos qué salía de allí".
Dijo que probablemente era algo ornamental, tal vez una cresta carnosa.
CHICAGO (AP) -- El cráneo fósil de un dinosaurio peculiar, de cara arrugada, descubierto hace cuatro años en una excavación en el desierto del Sahara ofrece nuevas pruebas de que Africa se separó de los otros continentes del hemisferio sur más recientemente de lo que se creía, según científicos.
"Fue una especie de pieza de rompecabezas faltante que sirve para descartar la noción de que Africa se aisló mucho antes", dijo Paul Sereno, un paleontólogo de la Universidad de Chicago que encabezó la expedición a una región desértica de Níger en el año 2000.
"Realmente completa la historia muy convincentemente", afirmó.
El cráneo, encontrado en medio de un tesoro de huesos de dinosaurios del bajo período cretáceo, proviene de un dinosaurio que Sereno llamó Rugops primus, o "primer cara arrugada". El animal carnívoro, cuyo largo está estimado en 10 metros y su antigüedad en 95 millones de años, pertenecía a un grupo de dinosaurios del hemisferio sur llamados abelisáuridos.
Antes de los descubrimientos, los abelisáuridos de ese período habían sido encontrados en Sudamérica, Madagascar e India, pero no se había confirmado la existencia de ninguno en Africa, lo que confirmaba la teoría de que ese continente se separó primero del supercontinente sureño de Gondwana hace 120 millones de años o más. El nuevo fósil, empero, y su estrecho parentesco con un abelisáurido sudamericano, indican que Africa estaba aún conectada con las otras masas continentales sureñas, al menos por un puente terrestre, hace 100 millones de años, dijeron Sereno y los demás autores que cooperaron en su investigación.
Sereno y su equipo estaban acercándose al final de una expedición de dos meses y medio cuando se concentraron en una zona de la remota región del Sahara de Níger. En un período de diez días, desenterraron más dinosaurios del bajo período cretáceo que el total de lo que había sido hallado previamente en Africa.
"Fue como el valle de los reyes, con la diferencia de que los reyes eran dinosaurios", dijo Sereno. Dijo que su equipo también encontró especies de cocodrilos previamente desconocidas y un dinosaurio que aún no ha sido bautizado de unos 20 metros de largo.
"A veces uno se encuentra con la mina de oro", afirmó. "Esa expedición, creo, fue la mejor expedición a la que llevé a estudiantes por cada kilo de descubrimientos".
Sereno, su colega Jack Conrad de la Universidad de Chicago y Jeffrey Wilson de la Universidad de Michigan publicaron la noticia del descubrimiento junto con el hallazgo de una nueva especie de dinosaurio, en la publicación que sale el miércoles de la Real Sociedad de Londres.
Sereno dijo que Rugops probablemente era un animal carroñero que usaba su largo hocico para recoger carroña. Un rasgo extraño del dinosaurio eran dos hileras de siete orificios a lo largo de su hocico, agregó.
"Es la cosa más peculiar", sostuvo. "No sabemos qué salía de allí".
Dijo que probablemente era algo ornamental, tal vez una cresta carnosa.
Venus pasa entre el Sol y la Tierra despues de 122 años
CNNenEspañol.com:
NUEVA YORK (AP) -- Por primera vez en 122 años, Venus pasará entre el Sol y la Tierra, y muchos habitantes de nuestro planeta se aprestan ávidamente a observar el espectáculo.
El 8 de junio, la silueta de Venus pasará delante del Sol en un fenómeno llamado "tránsito de Venus", que será visible en gran parte de nuestro planeta. Miles de escuelas y cientos de museos han organizado programas especiales. Los que no desean abandonar sus hogares podrán observar el tránsito de Venus a través de internet, en una transmisión en directo desde Grecia.
En realidad, lo que se verá es un ínfimo punto negro cruzando lentamente la parte inferior del sol. Demorará seis horas.
"Es bastante lerdo y aburrido", dice el astrofísico Neil deGrasse Tyson, director del Planetario Hayden del Museo de Historia Natural de Nueva York.
Sin embargo, el tránsito de Venus tiene una importancia histórica "incalculable", indicó.
En los siglos XVIII y XIX, esos eventos permitieron a los científicos determinar la distancia entre la Tierra y el sol, lo cual, a su vez, fue usado para calcular las distancias entre los planetas.
Aunque el problema fue eventualmente resuelto con precisión por otros medios, el tránsito de Venus produjo el primer cálculo sólido, e inspiró esfuerzos de científicos internacionales, así como rivalidades.
"Fue durante el siglo XIX el equivalente de la carrera espacial", dijo Steven Steven Dick, historiador de la NASA.
Por lo tanto, dijo Tyson, observar en la actualidad el tránsito de Venus es una manera de vincularse a la historia.
Otros simplemente desean ver algo que ningún ser vivo ha podido observar hasta ahora, dijo Roger W. Sinnott, jefe de redacción de la revista especializada Sky & Telescope. Su revista ha organizado tres viajes a Italia, indicó, y el primer pasaje completo se vendió en apenas 24 horas cuando fue ofrecido en agosto del 2003.
Existe una buena razón para que muchos estadounidenses decidan visitar Europa en la primera semana de junio.
El tránsito de Venus no podrá verse en la zona occidental de Estados Unidos. Y el resto del país sólo podrá verlo durante menos de dos horas.
El evento entero, de seis horas de duración, será visible en Europa, en Medio Oriente, y en la mayor parte de Asia y de Africa.
Los espectadores no necesitarán telescopios o binoculares, pero los científicos advirtieron que no debe mirarse al Sol sin una adecuada protección, tal como ocurre con los eclipses de sol.
NUEVA YORK (AP) -- Por primera vez en 122 años, Venus pasará entre el Sol y la Tierra, y muchos habitantes de nuestro planeta se aprestan ávidamente a observar el espectáculo.
El 8 de junio, la silueta de Venus pasará delante del Sol en un fenómeno llamado "tránsito de Venus", que será visible en gran parte de nuestro planeta. Miles de escuelas y cientos de museos han organizado programas especiales. Los que no desean abandonar sus hogares podrán observar el tránsito de Venus a través de internet, en una transmisión en directo desde Grecia.
En realidad, lo que se verá es un ínfimo punto negro cruzando lentamente la parte inferior del sol. Demorará seis horas.
"Es bastante lerdo y aburrido", dice el astrofísico Neil deGrasse Tyson, director del Planetario Hayden del Museo de Historia Natural de Nueva York.
Sin embargo, el tránsito de Venus tiene una importancia histórica "incalculable", indicó.
En los siglos XVIII y XIX, esos eventos permitieron a los científicos determinar la distancia entre la Tierra y el sol, lo cual, a su vez, fue usado para calcular las distancias entre los planetas.
Aunque el problema fue eventualmente resuelto con precisión por otros medios, el tránsito de Venus produjo el primer cálculo sólido, e inspiró esfuerzos de científicos internacionales, así como rivalidades.
"Fue durante el siglo XIX el equivalente de la carrera espacial", dijo Steven Steven Dick, historiador de la NASA.
Por lo tanto, dijo Tyson, observar en la actualidad el tránsito de Venus es una manera de vincularse a la historia.
Otros simplemente desean ver algo que ningún ser vivo ha podido observar hasta ahora, dijo Roger W. Sinnott, jefe de redacción de la revista especializada Sky & Telescope. Su revista ha organizado tres viajes a Italia, indicó, y el primer pasaje completo se vendió en apenas 24 horas cuando fue ofrecido en agosto del 2003.
Existe una buena razón para que muchos estadounidenses decidan visitar Europa en la primera semana de junio.
El tránsito de Venus no podrá verse en la zona occidental de Estados Unidos. Y el resto del país sólo podrá verlo durante menos de dos horas.
El evento entero, de seis horas de duración, será visible en Europa, en Medio Oriente, y en la mayor parte de Asia y de Africa.
Los espectadores no necesitarán telescopios o binoculares, pero los científicos advirtieron que no debe mirarse al Sol sin una adecuada protección, tal como ocurre con los eclipses de sol.
Yetisports
pro7.de:
Yetisports - die neuen Kultgames mit Orca, Pingu und natürlich dem Yeti! Zeige deine sportlichen Fähigkeiten hier auf ProSieben.de! Die ersten vier Teile des Zehnkampfes kannst du jetzt spielen, weitere Teile folgen ...
Yetisports - die neuen Kultgames mit Orca, Pingu und natürlich dem Yeti! Zeige deine sportlichen Fähigkeiten hier auf ProSieben.de! Die ersten vier Teile des Zehnkampfes kannst du jetzt spielen, weitere Teile folgen ...
Road to poker glory through the Internet
CNN.com:
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Call it the Moneymaker Effect.
For the second straight year, an Internet unknown won the famed World Series of Poker on Friday, ravaging a field of professional players on his way to glory and riches.
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, a patent lawyer from Stonington, Conn., earned a spot in the 35th annual No-Limit Texas Hold'Em event after winning a $150 satellite tournament on PokerStars.com.
The victory would have been astonishing had it not been for Chris Moneymaker's first-place finish in 2003. The 28-year-old accountant's improbable win rocked the poker world, ushering in an era in which a nobody could topple the feared pros.
Moneymaker landed a seat in last year's finals after coming out on top in a $40 Internet tournament. His tiny investment earned him $2.5 million, while Raymer pocketed a record $5 million this year.
"I played the best poker of my life and I got as lucky as I've ever gotten in my life for such a sustained period of time," Raymer said after winning the final table Friday night. "I was able to advance past a lot of great, great players."
Whatever advantage the pros once held over the amateurs seems to have dissipated, experts say. The Internet has leveled a playing field once ruled by the game's old guard.
"Players can get a huge amount of experience in a short time playing online and can translate that into success in major tournaments," said Dan Goldman, vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com.
Raymer, 39, wasn't the only Internet player to land at Friday's nine-person table, which was the dramatic finale to a grueling seven-day tournament at Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino. PokerStars.com also sent David Anthony Williams, 23, Matt Dean, 25, and Mike McClain, a 39-year-old pro. They finished second, seventh and ninth, respectively.
In No-Limit Texas Hold'Em, players are dealt two cards each and can use five communal cards to make the best poker hand. The betting is nonstop and players can risk everything on a single turn of a card.
In all, about 40 percent of the 2,576 people who made it to the final tournament came from the Internet, Goldman said. Competitors who didn't win an Internet or casino satellite tournament put up a $10,000 buy-in fee.
The success of Internet poker players is no mystery: They take plenty of chances and play very aggressively.
Dan Harrington, the 1995 World Series of Poker champion, found that out on his last hand Friday. Williams had just a pair of deuces with two cards left to show, but kept pressing and knocked Harrington out when the fifth and final community card gave Williams a full house.
This rapid, no-fear play shatters the saying that poker is hours of boredom punctuated by seconds of terror, said Andrew Glazer, an editor for Card Player Magazine, who also writes a gambling column for the Detroit Free Press.
"Internet players move their chips all in more frequently than players who frequent card rooms or casinos," Glazer said. "They understand you can take a lot of skill out of the game by turning it into big-bet poker."
The World Series of Poker lends itself to high-stakes betting because the chips don't represent real money. Although some players paid a lot for their seat at the table, they can't dig further into their life savings, nor can they just take their winnings and go home.
Luck, of course, also is a big part of Internet players' success. Moneymaker's ran out in this tournament, where he was booted out the first day.
But John Vorhaus, who writes for UltimateBet.com and is the author of "Killer Poker," a book on game strategies, said this year's victory proves the Internet winner is no fluke.
"I think 2004 will be a watershed year in the way the Internet player is viewed," Vorhaus said. "The evidence is overwhelming. These guys got game."
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Call it the Moneymaker Effect.
For the second straight year, an Internet unknown won the famed World Series of Poker on Friday, ravaging a field of professional players on his way to glory and riches.
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, a patent lawyer from Stonington, Conn., earned a spot in the 35th annual No-Limit Texas Hold'Em event after winning a $150 satellite tournament on PokerStars.com.
The victory would have been astonishing had it not been for Chris Moneymaker's first-place finish in 2003. The 28-year-old accountant's improbable win rocked the poker world, ushering in an era in which a nobody could topple the feared pros.
Moneymaker landed a seat in last year's finals after coming out on top in a $40 Internet tournament. His tiny investment earned him $2.5 million, while Raymer pocketed a record $5 million this year.
"I played the best poker of my life and I got as lucky as I've ever gotten in my life for such a sustained period of time," Raymer said after winning the final table Friday night. "I was able to advance past a lot of great, great players."
Whatever advantage the pros once held over the amateurs seems to have dissipated, experts say. The Internet has leveled a playing field once ruled by the game's old guard.
"Players can get a huge amount of experience in a short time playing online and can translate that into success in major tournaments," said Dan Goldman, vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com.
Raymer, 39, wasn't the only Internet player to land at Friday's nine-person table, which was the dramatic finale to a grueling seven-day tournament at Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino. PokerStars.com also sent David Anthony Williams, 23, Matt Dean, 25, and Mike McClain, a 39-year-old pro. They finished second, seventh and ninth, respectively.
In No-Limit Texas Hold'Em, players are dealt two cards each and can use five communal cards to make the best poker hand. The betting is nonstop and players can risk everything on a single turn of a card.
In all, about 40 percent of the 2,576 people who made it to the final tournament came from the Internet, Goldman said. Competitors who didn't win an Internet or casino satellite tournament put up a $10,000 buy-in fee.
The success of Internet poker players is no mystery: They take plenty of chances and play very aggressively.
Dan Harrington, the 1995 World Series of Poker champion, found that out on his last hand Friday. Williams had just a pair of deuces with two cards left to show, but kept pressing and knocked Harrington out when the fifth and final community card gave Williams a full house.
This rapid, no-fear play shatters the saying that poker is hours of boredom punctuated by seconds of terror, said Andrew Glazer, an editor for Card Player Magazine, who also writes a gambling column for the Detroit Free Press.
"Internet players move their chips all in more frequently than players who frequent card rooms or casinos," Glazer said. "They understand you can take a lot of skill out of the game by turning it into big-bet poker."
The World Series of Poker lends itself to high-stakes betting because the chips don't represent real money. Although some players paid a lot for their seat at the table, they can't dig further into their life savings, nor can they just take their winnings and go home.
Luck, of course, also is a big part of Internet players' success. Moneymaker's ran out in this tournament, where he was booted out the first day.
But John Vorhaus, who writes for UltimateBet.com and is the author of "Killer Poker," a book on game strategies, said this year's victory proves the Internet winner is no fluke.
"I think 2004 will be a watershed year in the way the Internet player is viewed," Vorhaus said. "The evidence is overwhelming. These guys got game."
The SurLaLune Fairy Tales
SurLaLune Site
A portal to the realm of fairy tale and folklore studies featuring 27 annotated fairy tales, including their histories, similar tales across cultures, and over 1,000 illustrations.
A portal to the realm of fairy tale and folklore studies featuring 27 annotated fairy tales, including their histories, similar tales across cultures, and over 1,000 illustrations.
¿Y esto que es?
Pues... básicamente, un sitio donde colgaré un montón de enlaces y artículos que me parezcan interesantes... una forma de poder acceder a ellos desde cualquier lado (para que os hagais una idea, vendría a ser una versión cutre del Die Puny Humans de Warren Ellis).
Ale, empieza el espectáculo...
Ale, empieza el espectáculo...
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