3-D MODELS OF MONUMENTS USING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

3-D MODELS OF MONUMENTS USING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

A new imaging system produces 3-D models of monuments using unmanned aircraft

* To develop this system, University of Granada researchers used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard.

* This system produces a realistic reproduction of architectural models at a low cost.

University of Granada researchers have developed a 3D imaging system that scans 3D models of historical buildings using data obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)–an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. This is the first 3D imaging system to combine the use of UAVs, image-based 3D modeling technologies, and virtual representation of models to produce a realistic modeling of 3D objects from images.

read more:

http://canal.ugr.es/information-and-communication-technologies/item/57387

FRED FRIEDRICH

FRED FRIEDRICH

http://www.fred-friedrich-art.de

MARIANA MONTEAGUDO

MARIANA  MONTEAGUDO

http://www.marianamonteagudo.net/work.php

see also:

http://melissakojima.blogspot.com/2012/04/humanoid-art-dolls-of-international.html

LOURDES SILVA

LOURDES  SILVA

(Venezuela)

http://www.lourdessilva.com/gallery.html

SARAH LUCAS DESIGN

SARAH LUCAS DESIGN

http://sarahlucasdesigns.com/

TINY 2,700 YEAR-OLD SEAL UNEARTHED

TINY 2,700 YEAR-OLD SEAL UNEARTHED

Tiny 2,700-year-old seal unearthed that  bears the name Bethlehem and could prove the birthplace of Jesus was the bustling market town described in the Old Testament

read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2148896/Tiny-2-700-year-old-seal-unearthed-bears-Bethlehem-prove-birthplace-Jesus-bustling-market-town-described-Old-Testament.html

Li GANG

Li LANG

http://www.ligangart.com/

WILFREDO LAM

WILFREDO LAM (1902 – 1982)

IDOLO

Hammer Price with Buyer’s Premium:

4,562,500 USD

(signed and dated 1944 lower left oil and charcoal canvas / 157,3 by 127,6 cm)

http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2012/latin-american-art-n08862#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.N08862.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.N08862.html/8/

image from:

http://www.larepublica.pe/23-05-2012/eeuu-pintura-de-cubano-wilfredo-lam-se-vendio-en-4-millones-de-dolares

BOBAN

BOBAN

http://www.boban.com/

ANDREW ROGERS

ANDREW  ROGERS

(image: Molten 7,

2012,

sls duraform and enamel,

h 28 x w 64 x d 58 cm.)

http://www.andrewrogers.org/

KEN MACKLIN

KEN MACKLIN

http://www.kenmacklin.com/

JAN VASILKO

JAN  VASILKO

http://www.janvasilko.com/

BERNHARD BUHMANN

BERNHARD BUHMANN

http://www.bernhardbuhmann.com/

HILARY JACK

HILARY JACK

http://www.hilaryjack.com/

MOTOHIKO ODANI

MOTOHIKO ODANI

image:

http://yamamotogendai.org/english/artist/odani.html

ODANI Motohiko Web:

http://www.phantom-limb.com/en_index.html

HOPKINS ARCHITECTS

HOPKINS ARCHITECTS

http://www.hopkins.co.uk/s/

HEATHERWICK STUDIO

HEATHERWICK STUDIO

http://www.heatherwick.com/

RESEARCHERS IMPROVE FAST-MOVING MOBILE NETWORKS

Researchers Improve Fast-Moving Mobile Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) allow people in multiple, rapidly-moving vehicles to communicate with each other – such as in military or emergency-response situations. Researchers from North Carolina State University have devised a method to improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in these networks.

“Our goal was to get the highest data rate possible, without compromising the fidelity of the signal,” says Dr. Alexandra Duel-Hallen, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the work.

Transmitting data within MANETs is challenging because every node that transmits and receives data is in motion – and the faster they are moving, the harder it is for the network to identify effective relay “paths” for transmitting data. This is because the power of the data-transmission channels fluctuates much more rapidly at high speed.

In other words, a transmitter may try to send a message through Relay A, because Relay A has a strong signal. However, because the transmitter and Relay A are both moving quickly, Relay A’s signal might be weak by the time the message actually gets there. And a weak signal could result in the message being garbled.

read more:

http://news.ncsu.edu/releases/wms-duel-hallen-adhoc/

image:

http://www.ics.uci.edu/~keldefra/manet.htm

INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF QUANTUM DOTS

A pilot study in non-human primates shows no adverse response to intravenous injection of quantum dots

Nature Nanotechnology

Published online 20 May 2012

Abstract

Quantum dots have been used in biomedical research for imaging^{1, 2}, diagnostics^{3, 4} and sensing purposes^{5, 6}. However, concerns over the cytotoxicity of their heavy metal constituents^{7, 8} and conflicting results from in vitro^{7, 9} and small animal^{10, 11, 12, 13, 14} toxicity studies have limited their translation towards clinical applications. Here, we show in a pilot study that rhesus macaques injected with phospholipid micelle-encapsulated CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots do not exhibit evidence of toxicity. Blood and biochemical markers remained within normal ranges following treatment, and histology of major organs after 90 days showed no abnormalities. Our results show that acute toxicity of these quantum dots in vivo can be minimal. However, chemical analysis revealed that most of the initial dose of cadmium remained in the liver, spleen and kidneys after 90 days. This means that the breakdown and clearance of quantum dots is quite slow, suggesting that longer-term studies will be required to determine the ultimate fate of these heavy metals and the impact of their persistence in primates.

read more:

http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2012.74.html#/f3

BALLOT BOX

18th century, mahogany with brass handles and ivory labels, 36 x 24 x 32 cm.

http://britishart.yale.edu/exhibitions/making-history-antiquaries-britain/selected-works

GILES RAYNER

http://www.gilesrayner.com/

JAY GUNN

http://www.jaygunn.com/

FIONA RAE

http://www.fiona-rae.com/

REMEE, The REM enhancing Lucid Dreaming Mask

Remee

The REM enhancing Lucid Dreaming Mask

Yes, really! For nearly as long as recorded human history, the idea of consciously recognizing and controlling our dreams has been around. From the Hindu Upanishads to Aristotle's On Dreams, people have been puzzling out the mysteries of lucid dreaming for centuries. These days, there's more information on Lucid Dreaming, the science behind it, and modes and methods of experiencing it than there ever has been. Yet the idea still remains relatively unknown to the average person.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1047510073/remee-the-rem-enhancing-lucid-dreaming-mask

TOM SACHS

http://tomsachs.org/

WILL RYMAN

http://willryman.com/

TOM OTTERNESS

http://www.tomostudio.com/

ANISH KAPOOR

Vertical ⁄ Horizontal Pavilion / 2003

http://www.anishkapoor.com/

ANTONY GORMLEY

http://www.antonygormley.com/

SUSPICION RESIDES IN TWO REGIONS OF THE BRAIN

Our baseline level of distrust is distinct and separable from our inborn lie detector.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on my parahippocampal gyrus.

(May 18, 2015)  Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found that suspicion resides in two distinct regions of the brain: the amygdala, which plays a central role in processing fear and emotional memories, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with declarative memory and the recognition of scenes.

“We wondered how individuals assess the credibility of other people in simple social interactions,” said Read Montague, director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and the Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, who led the study. “We found a strong correlation between the amygdala and a baseline level of distrust, which may be based on a person’s beliefs about the trustworthiness of other people in general, his or her emotional state, and the situation at hand. What surprised us, though, is that when other people’s behavior aroused suspicion, the parahippocampal gyrus lit up, acting like an inborn lie detector.”

read entire press release >> 

FEARING BACKLASH, POWERFUL WOMEN CURTAIL HOW MUCH THEY TALK AT WORK

Fearing Backlash, Powerful Women Curtail How Much They Talk at Work

Posted on: May 3, 2012

New Haven, Conn., May 3, 2012—Concerned about the negative consequences of appearing to be too outspoken, powerful women talk less than others in their organizations, while powerful men talk more, according to research by Victoria Brescoll, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management.

Brescoll studied the amount of time men and women in powerful roles talk. She found that men with more power talk more than men with less power, but no significant difference in how much high- and low-power women talk.

read more:

http://mba.yale.edu/news_events/CMS/Articles/7586.shtml

image:

http://www.womanatics.com/2012/01/honesty-is-not-best-policy-why-you.html

GENES MAKE FOR A LIFE OF SUCCESS

Genes make for a life of success

Genes play a greater role in forming character traits than was previously thought, new research suggests.

A study of more than 800 sets of twins found that genetics were more influential in shaping key traits than a person’s home environment and surroundings.

University psychologists, who carried out the study, say that genetically influenced characteristics could well be the key to how successful a person is in life.

read more:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/all-news/genes-150512

image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ashley_Mary_Kate_Olsen_2011_Shankbone_3.JPG

MANMADE POLLUTANTS MAY BE DRIVING EARTH’S TROPICAL BELT EXPANSION

Manmade Pollutants May Be Driving Earth’s Tropical Belt Expansion

UC Riverside-led team identifies black carbon and tropospheric ozone as most likely drivers of large-scale atmospheric circulation change in the Northern Hemisphere tropics.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Black carbon aerosols and tropospheric ozone, both manmade pollutants emitted predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere’s low- to mid-latitudes, are most likely pushing the boundary of the tropics further poleward in that hemisphere, new research by a team of scientists shows.

While stratospheric ozone depletion has already been shown to be the primary driver of the expansion of the tropics in the Southern Hemisphere, the researchers are the first to report that black carbon and tropospheric ozone are the most likely primary drivers of the tropical expansion observed in the Northern Hemisphere.

Led by climatologist Robert J. Allen, an assistant professor of Earth sciences at the University of California, Riverside, the research team notes that an unabated tropical belt expansion would impact large-scale atmospheric circulation, especially in the subtropics and mid-latitudes.

read more:

http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/6189

EGS TAKES GEOTHERMAL GLOBAL

EGS Takes Geothermal Global

As ancient as the earth itself, unharnessed geothermal energy most often bubbles to the surface in geological hot spots long known for geysers and naturally-boiling mud pots.

Although such conventional shallow geothermal power has heretofore been harnessed with varying degrees of success, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is capable of engineering a circulating energy-producing reservoir of hot water and steam as much as 10,000 feet beneath the surface.  In fact, EGS could eventually be used on a global scale to tap into an almost endless energy supply from which to generate electricity.

By some projections, the world's total reliance upon geothermal energy could, within a decade, climb from its present production low of 1 percent to 25 percent.  But like all energy technologies, geothermal will need to be price competitive to become commercially viable. 

read more:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/05/egs-takes-geothermal-global

HYDROGEN IS TOMORROW’S BIOFUEL

'Hydrogen is tomorrow's biofuel' say scientists

(May 17, 2012)  Researchers from the University of Birmingham are creating clean hydrogen from food waste paving the way for a bioenergy alternative for the future.

Currently, Brazil is the world’s most intensive user of bioethanol as an alternative to gasoline for powering transport. There are questions about whether the mass production of bioethanol using sugarcane is sustainable in the long-term. Bioethanol generates carbon dioxide and agricultural waste. However, creating clean hydrogen from waste not only uses that waste but provides a fuel that is emission free and can also be generated sustainably.

read entire press release >> 

image >>

PLANT GROWTH WITHOUT LIGHT CONTROL

The seedling on the right was fed with a synthetic photoreceptor and opens it cotyledons.

In the dark control (left seedling), they remain closed. (Figure: T. Lamparter, KIT)

Plant Growth Without Light Control

(May 17, 2012)  Synthetic Photoreceptor Stimulates Germination and Development Irrespective of Exposure to Light / Results of Researchers from Japan and Karlsruhe Are Published in The Plant Cell Journal.

Plants are dependent on the sun. Sunlight does not only supply them with energy, but also controls their development steps. So-called photoreceptors activate the processes of germination, leaf development, bud formation, and blossoming in the cells. The light-absorbing component of a photoreceptor may be replaced by a chemically similar synthetic substance. For the first time, the effects on complete plants are now described in the The Plant Cell journal (DOI: 10.1105/tpc.111.094656).

“The plants developed in the dark as if they were in light,” says the Director of the studies Tilman Lamparter, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The seeds and seedlings of thale cress were fed with a synthetic substance named “15Ea-phycocyanobilin". In the plant cell, this substance replaces the natural, photoactive component of the photoreceptor, the “phytochromobilin". Incorporation of 15Ea-PCB activates the photoreceptor and the plant is made believe it is exposed to light. In spite of the darkness, model plants germinate and grow similar to a control group exposed to light. “It was shown for the first time that synthetic substances can cause light effects in entire plants.”

read entire press release >>

MIND-CONTROLLED ROBOT ARMS SHOW PROMISE

People with tetraplegia use their thoughts to control robotic aids.

(May 16, 2012)  Two people who are unable to move their limbs have been able to guide a robot arm to reach and grasp objects using only their brain activity, a paper in Nature reports today1.

The study participants — known as Cathy and Bob — had had strokes that damaged their brain stems and left them with tetraplegia and unable to speak. Neurosurgeons implanted tiny recording devices containing almost 100 hair-thin electrodes in the motor cortex of their brains, to record the neuronal signals associated with intention to move.

In a trial filmed in April last year and presented with the paper, Cathy, who had her stroke 15 years ago and received the implants in 2005, used her thoughts to steer a robot arm to grasp a bottle of coffee and lift it to her lips. She drank and smiled. 

read entire press release >>

read entire news >>

read also >>

see also >>

BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOLAR POWER IN SPACE

Bright future for solar power in space

(May 17, 2012)  Solar power gathered in space could be set to provide the renewable energy of the future thanks to innovative research being carried out by engineers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Researchers at the University have already tested equipment in space that would provide a platform for solar panels to collect the energy and allow it to be transferred back to earth through microwaves or lasers.

This unique development would provide a reliable source of power and could allow valuable energy to be sent to remote areas in the world, providing power to disaster areas or outlying areas that are difficult to reach by traditional means.

read entire press release >>

image >>

Surgeons restore some hand function to quadriplegic patient

Technique could help those with C6, C7 spinal cord injuries

(May 15, 2012)  Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have restored some hand function in a quadriplegic patient with a spinal cord injury at the C7 vertebra, the lowest bone in the neck. Instead of operating on the spine itself, the surgeons rerouted working nerves in the upper arms. These nerves still “talk” to the brain because they attach to the spine above the injury.

Following the surgery, performed at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and one year of intensive physical therapy, the patient regained some hand function, specifically the ability to bend the thumb and index finger. He can now feed himself bite-size pieces of food and write with assistance.

The case study, published online May 15 in the Journal of Neurosurgery, is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first reported case of using nerve transfer to restore the ability to flex the thumb and index finger after a spinal cord injury

“This procedure is unusual for treating quadriplegia because we do not attempt to go back into the spinal cord where the injury is,” says surgeon Ida K. Fox, MD, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University, who treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “Instead, we go out to where we know things work — in this case the elbow — so that we can borrow nerves there and reroute them to give hand function.”

read entire press release >> 

WiFi BLOCKING WALLPAPER

Anti Wi-Fi Wallpaper To Go On Sale In 2013, Costs A Tad More Than Normal Ones

Not a panacea to network security though

(May 16, 2012)  A new type of wallpaper, which has been developed by scientists from the "institut polytechnique Grenoble INP" and the "Centre Technique du Papier", will go on sale in 2013 after a Finnish firm, Ahlstrom acquired the license.

What looks like a bog standard wallpaper roll actually contains silver particles that allows it to filter out up to three different frequencies simultaneously. It is not the first time that such a technology has surfaced. Back in 2004, BAE Systems was tasked by Ofcom to come up with a similar solution based on what was then called a stealth wallpaper.

read more >>

see also >>

see also >>

NEW ‘METAMATERIAL’ PRACTICAL FOR OPTICAL ADVANCES

New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances

(May 16, 2012)  Researchers have taken a step toward overcoming a key obstacle in commercializing "hyperbolic metamaterials," structures that could bring optical advances including ultrapowerful microscopes, computers and solar cells.

The researchers have shown how to create the metamaterials without the traditional silver or gold previously required, said Alexandra Boltasseva, a Purdue University assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Using the metals is impractical for industry because of high cost and incompatibility with semiconductor manufacturing processes. The metals also do not transmit light efficiently, causing much of it to be lost. The Purdue researchers replaced the metals with an "aluminum-doped zinc oxide," or AZO.

read entire press release >>

image >>

HIGH-FRUCTOSE DIET SABOTAGES LEARNING, MEMORY

This is your brain on sugar: UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory

Date: 05/15/2012

Attention, college students cramming between midterms and finals: Binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may make you stupid.

A new UCLA study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning — and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology publishes the findings in its May 15 edition.

"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. "Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."

While earlier research has revealed how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver, this study is the first to uncover how the sweetener influences the brain.

read more:

http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=561&action=detail&ref=1897

image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fructose-1.6-bisphosphatase-pdb-3FBP.png#filehistory

MOST EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN THE WORLD

New world record for the most expensive camera: 2,790,000 USD for Leica 0-Serie

(May 12, 2012)  

At the May 12th WestLicht Photographica auction in Vienna, a new record was set for the most expensive camera in the world - this Leica 0-Serie camera with serial number 116 sold for 2,160,000 EUR (around 2,790,000 USD). The previous world record  was also for a Leica 0-Serie Nr.107 that sold for 1.3 million EUR (1.9 million USD) last year.

read more >>

see also >>

UV DISINFECTION USING LED TECHNOLOGY

Research Opens Doors To UV Disinfection Using LED Technology

(May 14, 2012)  Research from North Carolina State University will allow the development of energy-efficient LED devices that use ultraviolet (UV) light to kill pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. The technology has a wide array of applications ranging from drinking-water treatment to sterilizing surgical tools.

“UV treatment utilizing LEDs would be more cost-effective, energy efficient and longer lasting,” says Dr. Ramón Collazo, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research. “Our work would also allow for the development of robust and portable water-treatment technologies for use in developing countries.”

LEDs utilize aluminum nitride (AlN) as a semiconductor, because the material can handle a lot of power and create light in a wide spectrum of colors, particularly in the UV range. However, technologies that use AlN LEDs to create UV light have been severely limited because the substrates that served as the foundation for these semiconductors absorbed wavelengths of UV light that are crucial to applications in sterilization and water treatment technologies.

read entire press release >>  

image >>

SCIENTISTS GENERATE ELECTRICITY FROM VIRUSES

New approach is a promising first step toward the development of tiny devices that harvest electrical energy from everyday tasks

(May 13, 2012)  Imagine charging your phone as you walk, thanks to a paper-thin generator embedded in the sole of your shoe. This futuristic scenario is now a little closer to reality. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to generate power using harmless viruses that convert mechanical energy into electricity.

The scientists tested their approach by creating a generator that produces enough current to operate a small liquid-crystal display. It works by tapping a finger on a postage stamp-sized electrode coated with specially engineered viruses. The viruses convert the force of the tap into an electric charge.

Their generator is the first to produce electricity by harnessing the piezoelectric properties of a biological material. Piezoelectricity is the accumulation of a charge in a solid in response to mechanical stress.

The milestone could lead to tiny devices that harvest electrical energy from the vibrations of everyday tasks such as shutting a door or climbing stairs.

read entire press release >>

NANOSHEET CATALYST DISCOVERED TO SUSTAINABLY SPLIT HYDROGEN FROM WATER

Nanosheet Catalyst Discovered to Sustainably Split Hydrogen from Water

Low-cost non-noble electrocatalyst efficiently generates hydrogen gas for fuel

May 9, 2012

UPTON, NY – Hydrogen gas offers one of the most promising sustainable energy alternatives to limited fossil fuels. But traditional methods of producing pure hydrogen face significant challenges in unlocking its full potential, either by releasing harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or requiring rare and expensive chemical elements such as platinum.

Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new electrocatalyst that addresses one of these problems by generating hydrogen gas from water cleanly and with much more affordable materials. The novel form of catalytic nickel-molybdenum-nitride – described in a paper published online May 8, 2012 in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition – surprised scientists with its high-performing nanosheet structure, introducing a new model for effective hydrogen catalysis.

read more:

http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=1414&template=Today

NEW NANOSTRUCTURE FOR BATTERIES KEEPS GOING AND GOING...

New Nanostructure for Batteries Keeps Going and Going ...

(May 10, 2012)  For more than a decade, scientists have tried to improve lithium-based batteries by replacing the graphite in one terminal with silicon, which can store 10 times more charge. But after just a few charge/discharge cycles, the silicon structure would crack and crumble, rendering the battery useless.

Now a team led by materials scientist Yi Cui of Stanford and SLAC has found a solution: a cleverly designed double-walled nanostructure that lasts more than 6,000 cycles, far more than needed by electric vehicles or mobile electronics.

“This is a very exciting development toward our goal of creating smaller, lighter and longer-lasting batteries than are available today,” Cui said. The results were published March 25 in Nature Nanotechnology.

read entire press release >> 

journal reference >>

EXPLODING THE MYTHS OF MANUFACTURING

Exploding the myths of manufacturing

MIT conference explores the complex state of an industry showing signs of revival.

May 10, 2012

As the United States seeks to reinvigorate its job market and move past economic recession, MIT News examines manufacturing’s role in the country’s economic future through this series on work at the Institute around manufacturing.

The manufacturing sector, its advocates note, is burdened by negative stereotypes. Outsiders often mistakenly think that manufacturing consists of jobs that are “dumb, dirty and dull,” as MIT President Susan Hockfield said at a conference on the subject this week.

Many people also view manufacturing as being in a state of continual decline, a perspective Hockfield has encountered frequently. During discussions about manufacturing around the country over the last 12 to 18 months, “the majority of people I met would assure me without any apparent concern that nothing is made in America,” Hockfield said. “And they would further assert that we should be resigned to the sector’s demise, that it somehow wouldn’t matter.”

The facts present a different story, however. The United States added about 50,000 manufacturing jobs this January alone, the largest monthly gain since 1998. Companies such as Ford Motor Co. have moved overseas plants back to the United States. And high energy costs (which make global shipping more expensive), along with rising foreign wages in some industries, have provided reasons for companies to consider relocating their factories in America. 

read more:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/manufacturing-lgo-conference-0510.html

PAINTED MAYA WALLS REVEAL CALENDER WRITING

Painted Maya Walls Reveal Calendar Writing

Published: May 10, 2012

Hacking through jungle growth and clearing away rubble, archaeologists made their way to excavate a house buried at the edge of ruins of a large Maya city in the remote Petén lowlands of northeastern Guatemala. It turned out to have been the studio for royal scribes with a taste for art and a devotion to the heavens as the source of calculations for the ancient culture’s elaborate calendars.

read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/science/archaeologists-unearth-ancient-maya-calendar-writing.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

see also:

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?pageID=pressReleases_detail&siteID=1&cid=1336477046973

see also:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/pictures/120510-maya-apocalypse-2012-calendar-science-art-murals-saturno/

watch the video:

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/history-archaeology-news/maya-art-calendar-vin/

see also:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/ancient-maya-cave-exploration-photos/#/petroglyph-chamber-990_50990_600x450.jpg

SMART PHONES ARE CHANGING REAL WORLD PRIVACY SETTINGS

Smart Phones Are Changing Real World Privacy Settings

Thursday, May 10, 2012

TAU research finds that smart phone users develop new concepts of privacy in public spaces

With endless applications, high-speed wireless Internet access, and free messaging services, smart phones have revolutionized the way we communicate. But at what cost? According to researchers at Tel Aviv University, the smart phone is challenging traditional conceptions of privacy, especially in the public sphere.

Dr. Tali Hatuka of TAU's Department of Geography and Dr. Eran Toch of TAU's Department of Industrial Engineering have teamed to measure the impact of the smart phone phenomenon on privacy, behavioral codes, and the use of public space. Their early results indicate that although spaces such as city squares, parks, or transportation were once seen as public meeting points, smart phone users are more and more caught up in their technology-based communications devices than their immediate surroundings.

read more:

http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16519