5 Foods That Eats Your Brain And Make You Dumb

Not Just Sugar: More Foods that Make You "Dumb"  !!! 

 

News flash: It's not just sugar that makes you dumb, as new research proves. We found the science to back up more foods that drain your brain.

#1 Sugar

In case you missed it: It's no secret excess sugar isn't exactly sweet where your health is concerned, but now new research indicates it may take a toll on your brain as well as your waistline. In a recent animal study, UCLA researchers found that rats fed a solution of fructose had a harder time navigating a maze, a sign of slowed learning and memory loss, compared to a second group of rats who were given the fructose solution as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to have a brain-boosting effect. The researchers suspect that the fructose-only diet decreased brain activity because it affected insulin's ability to help brain cells use sugar to process thoughts and emotions. Certain omega-3 fatty acids may buffer the brain from the harmful effects of fructose. 

Use the news: 

While this research is preliminary, it's just general good health advice to minimize your intake of added sugar (see some shockingly sneaky sources here) and up your consumption of foods rich in omega-3s, including walnuts, salmon, flax seeds and soybeans to your meals. You've probably heard of smart foods that boost your IQ, but did you know that some less-healthy options can actually drain your brain?

#2 Red Meat and Butter 

 
A diet high in "bad" saturated fat may hurt brain function, according to new Harvard research published in the Annals of Neurology. When researchers studied the eating habits and tested the brain function of 6,000 women for an average of four years, they found the women who ate the most saturated fat scored lower on tests of brain function and memory. On the other hand, women who ate the most monounsaturated fats (found in foods like olive oil and avocado) had higher scores. 

Use the news:

You don't need to shun saturated fat sources entirely, but choose low or non-fat versions of animal products, such as cheese, yogurt, and milk. Avoid processed meat, like bacon, and stick to lean cuts. Get more protein from vegetable sources, like soy and legumes.

#3 Chips, pizza, and other junk food 

 
Will junk food rot kids' brains? A 2011 British study of nearly 4,000 children found that those who ate primarily junk food (lots of processed and fast food) at age three had a small drop in IQ five years later compared with children who ate healthier diets. (And the link remained after researchers accounted for confounding variables, such as socioeconomic status and parents' education.) Early diet choices especially seemed to affect kids' verbal abilities, according to Time.com. The study suggests that smart diet choices may be particularly crucial during early years of rapid brain development. 

Use the news:

 It can be tricky to get young picky eaters to eat healthy foods, but remember that kids need repeated exposure (sometimes a dozen or more times) to "like" a new food. So don't give up so easily! And many classic kid favorites, like string cheese and yogurt, make for healthy snacks instead of processed cookies and chips.

#4 Low-Carb Diets 

 
Ditching carbs can sap brainpower (along with energy and mood). A small Tufts University study of 19 women between the ages of 22 and 55 found that when dieters eliminated carbohydrates, they showed a gradual dip in cognitive skills (particularly on memory-related tests) compared to a group who stayed on a low-calorie diet that included carbs. 

Use the news: 

Carbs aren't evil-your body needs them for many important functions, including fueling your brain. So avoid diets that eliminate or severely restrict them, and choose healthy options, like whole grain pastas and breads, brown rice, and quinoa.

#5 Gum 

 
Does blowing that bubble boost or bust your brainpower? Here, the research is mixed. A recent British study published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology found that chewing gum during a memorization exercise impaired participants' short-term memories. The researchers believe the act of chewing may get in the way of concentrating on memory tasks (In this case, participants were asked to learn the order of items in a list) The finding contradicts previous research, which found a positive association between chewing gum and mental tasks. 

Use the news: 

Because of mixed study results, you might not want to spit just yet. But be sure to include other brain-boosting habits in your daily routine, such as drinking water (dehydration can affect focus and acuity), getting plenty of sleep, and playing brain games.

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The Man Who Wears His Heart On His Back !!

A Modern-Day Miracle: The Man Who Wears his Heart on his Back (packed safely in a rucksack) !


When Matthew Green leaves hospital, the one thing he really mustn’t forget is his rucksack.
The father of one will be carrying part of his new heart in it. Mr Green, 40, will be the first Briton to be discharged from hospital with a completely artificial heart.

The device in his chest is slightly larger than the organ it replaces and weighs less than six ounces. It delivers blood to the body with the help of a pump that is carried in the rucksack, along with a battery.

Around 900 of the ‘bridge-to-transplant’ devices have been fitted around the world, although Mr Green is the first to receive one in the UK. He had been in a critical condition after developing a chronic heart condition and no suitable donors could be found. With his health deteriorating fast, doctors at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire decided to fit him with the device in a £100,000 operation.

Some parts of the Total Artificial Heart have a 50-year working life, although patients are generally expected to use it for around three years – during which it will ‘beat’ more than 200million times. It is hoped the device will last until a real donor heart is found for Mr Green. The patient said he felt ‘fantastic’ yesterday as he spoke about the new lease of life he has been given.



Revolutionary: The Syncardia total artificial heart has been implanted in more than 900 patients around the world
HEART OF THE MATTER
A total artificial replacement for the human heart has been one of the holy grails of modern medicine. Dr Denton Cooley implanted the first experimental device in Haskell Carp at St Luke's Hospital in Houston in 1969. The patient died three days later.

Following animal testing in the 1970s, the next operation took place in 1982 when the Jarvik 7artificial heart was transplanted into a dentist called Barney Clark. 198 operations followed.
By 2001 the first completely self-contained total artificial heart was implanted in Robert Tools at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville.

And in 2008, Charles Okeke was implanted with the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart, becoming the the first patient to leave hospital with an artificial heart in May 2010.
Since then the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart has been used in more than 900 implants in 65 hospitals. Papworth is the 66th hospital in the world and the first in the UK to be allowed to use the SynCardia artificial heart.


‘I felt so ill before, so now to be feeling so well and full of life is great. I feel very lucky,’ he said. ‘I’m still recovering from my operation so not all of the bones in my chest have healed yet. I struggle to carry it (the rucksack containing the pump and batteries) but I can walk around fine. I needed a trolley to start with.’ He added: ‘It feels very different – before the operation my heart beat was very weak and I could hardly feel my pulse. Now it’s a very strong heart beat.

‘Two years ago I was cycling nine miles to work and nine miles back every day but by the time I was admitted to hospital I was struggling to walk even a few yards. I am really excited about going home and just being able to do the everyday things that I haven’t been able to do for such a long time - such as playing in the garden with my son and cooking a meal for my family.’ Mr Green, a pharmaceutical consultant who lives with wife Gill and their five-year-old son Dylan in London, was diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that can cause arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden death.

The exact cause of the condition – the second most common reason for sudden death in the young – is unknown, although it appears to be passed on genetically. With time running out as both chambers of his heart failed, a transplant team led by cardiothoracic surgeon Steven Tsui went to Paris for training.

They were assisted during the six-hour operation on June 9 by Dr Latif Arusoglu, an expert Total Artificial Heart surgeon from Germany, and seven weeks on Mr Green is ready to return home.Another patient received a totally artificial heart at the same hospital back in 1986 but the Jarvik-7 device was removed after two days when a donor was found. It is unlikely the patient could have been discharged anyway because of the bulkiness of the equipment needed at the time. Mr Tsui said: ‘The beauty of this device is the simplicity of the components which make it so durable.



 

Heading home: Mr Green will be able to leave hospital with his family as the heart is powered by a device that is carried in a bag

‘If there’s a problem we can easily switch to a back-up console. Primarily heart transplant is still the best, if available, and if there is sufficient time to find a suitable donor heart. ‘Matthew’s condition was deteriorating rapidly and we discussed with him the possibility of receiving this device, because without it he may not have survived the wait for a suitable donor heart.

‘The operation went extremely well and Matthew has made an excellent recovery. I expect him to go home very soon, being able to do a lot more than before the operation, until we can find a suitable donor heart.’ The device, which costs £20,000 a year to maintain, was developed by U.S. firm SynCardia Systems, which is based in Arizona.

The moment of alarm Matthew Green was extolling the virtues of his artificial heart when an alarm went off.
The whine cut through the hubbub of the press conference at Papworth Hospital, after only 90 seconds.



 

Scary moment: Matthew Green was shocked when his heart machine started to emit a high-pitched squeal during a press conference
Panic flashed on Mr Green’s face before he said: ‘That’s just me getting a bit nervous. If I get a little stressed it doesn’t like it.’

Medics stepped in (above) and prescribed a few minutes of calm until Mr Green’s blood pressure returned to normal. The device monitors tiny changes in pressure but can also be triggered by activities such as sneezing or laughing.

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Turning DNA into a hard drive

Turning DNA into a hard drive 

Stanford's Drew Endy and his lab figured out a way to turn DNA into a rewriteable data storage device that can operate within a cell.




Stanford engineers have designed rewritable memory modules made out of DNA. Here, E. coli bacteria glow different colors depending on what information is stored in their memory modules. (Norbert von der Groeben, Stanford School of Engineering / May 10, 2012)


Silicon-based computers are fine for typing term papers and surfing the Web, but scientists want to make devices that can work on a far smaller scale, recording data within individual cells. One way to do that is to create a microscopic hard drive out of DNA, the molecule that already stores the genetic blueprints of all living things.

Stanford University bioengineer Drew Endy is a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology, which aims to turn the basic building blocks of nature into tools for designing living machines. This week, members of his lab reported in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences that they had figured out a way to turn DNA into a rewriteable data storage device that can operate within a cell. He spoke with The Times about the research.

What is synthetic biology?

Synthetic biology is basically a celebration of an engineer's inclination to want to make things using biology. Humans often learn by taking things apart. But an equally powerful way to learn is putting things back together. In synthetic biology, we can begin to put natural biological systems back together at the molecular level to test the understanding of genetics and biology we've accrued over the last 70 years.

So you want to build things using biology — including, in this case, a way to use DNA to store data?

Yes. We wanted to scope out an area where there are grand challenges in bioengineering, and genetically encoded data storage — meaning storing information inside living organisms — fit the bill.

Why would this be useful?

Say I wanted to put a genetically encoded counter to record cell divisions within every cell of my liver. A USB memory stick simply isn't going to fit in there. And even if I could miniaturize such a device with a future silicon-based manufacturing platform, it would be incredibly difficult to connect up to the biochemistry I'm going to want to record information about.

How does your data storage system work?

We engineered a little sequence of DNA and inserted it onto a chromosome in anE. colibacterium. Then we targeted this DNA with enzymes. Under one set of conditions, one of the enzymes cuts the DNA out from the genome, turns it and reinserts it back into the DNA. It would be as if you took a word in a sentence of text, flipped it upside down and backwards, and pasted it back into the sentence. It would look kind of funny.

Under a different set of conditions, a different set of enzymes finds that backwards DNA, cuts it out, flips it back to the normal orientation and glues the chromosome back together.

We encode a binary digit, or bit, within the DNA by mapping a "0" onto the normal orientation of the DNA and a "1" onto the flipped orientation of the DNA. DNA can only exist in one of two orientations, so it gives us a very nice way to store binary digits.

The key development here was that you were able to flip your DNA switch back and forth, right?

Yes, that hadn't been done before. We thought it would be pretty easy, but it took us three years.

The enzyme that flips from state 0 to state 1 is called the integrase. The enzymes that flip it back are integrase and a controlling protein that modifies its behavior called excisionase. Balancing just the right amounts of the two enzymes in the cells took us 750 attempts.

How might people use a technology like this?

I don't know. What we're working on are ideas to turn into tools that would make it possible to design, build and test things faster, more times or more smartly.

By analogy, the way we got from a room filled by one computer in 1952 to the "cloud" as it exists today was because of investments in tools. We got a lot better at silicon wafer manufacturing. We automated computer design so that human beings didn't have to do it manually. Somebody invested in some programming languages along the way. C++ didn't get discovered under a rock and Java wasn't grown on a tree. You have to work on tools.

But certainly there are ideas for end uses out there.

Sure. My dreams for synthetic biology would include using tools we build to reinvent manufacturing, so that everything now sourced from fossil fuels could be manufactured on a sustainable basis. We could have a much richer partnership with nature. That's quite a big task.

People could use DNA data storage to control processes in sewage treatment plants. If there's a storm and a whole bunch of weird, oil-based runoff from the streets comes into the sewage treatment plant, the system could adapt automatically to better process those oils. You could use biobits in medicine, too. For example, if you wanted to target a tumor inside the body, you might need an engineered immune cell to replicate within the patient — but you wouldn't want it to replicate too many times, otherwise you'd trigger an autoimmune response.

I'm certain I don't know all the applications.

What's next for your data storage module?

We're trying to scale this up. We want to get from one bit to a byte, which is eight bits. These systems don't need to be very big. If I had eight bits I could count up to 256, and I could start to study the development of an organism from a fertilized egg to a differentiated adult.

Another new dimension in the research is demonstrating that it will be possible to make this work in many organisms. We will support others who are working on that.

What we're likely to end up with will not look like classical electronics. Biology is beginning to teach us how to be a little bit more sophisticated in our engineering designs, which is a lot of fun.

 

 

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Unseen Titanic

"Unseen Titanic"

 At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the “unsinkable” R.M.S. Titanic disappeared beneath the waves, taking with her 1,500 souls. One hundred years later, new technologies have revealed the most complete—and most intimate—images of the famous wreck.

More than two miles down, the ghostly bow of the Titanic emerges from the darkness on a dive by explorer and filmmaker James Cameron in 2001. The ship might have survived a head-on collision with an iceberg, but a sideswipe across her starboard side pierced too many of her watertight compartments.

The propellers of the Olympic—the nearly identical sister ship of the Titanic—dwarf workers at the Belfast shipyard where both ocean liners were built. Few photographs exist of the Titanic, but the Olympic gives a sense of its grand design.

With her rudder cleaving the sand and two propeller blades peeking from the murk, Titanic’s mangled stern rests on the abyssal plain, 1,970 feet south of the more photographed bow. This optical mosaic combines 300 high-resolution images taken on a 2010 expedition.

Ethereal views of Titanic’s bow offer a comprehensiveness of detail never seen before. The optical mosaics each consist of 1,500 high-resolution images rectified using sonar data.

As the starboard profile shows, the Titanic buckled as it plowed nose-first into the seabed, leaving the forward hull buried deep in mud—obscuring, possibly forever, the mortal wounds inflicted by the iceberg.

Titanic’s battered stern, captured here in profile, bears witness to the extreme trauma inflicted upon it as it corkscre

 

 Two of Titanic’s engines lie exposed in a gaping cross section of the stern. Draped in “rusticles”—orange stalactites created by iron-eating bacteria—these massive structures, four stories tall, once powered the largest moving man-made object on Earth.

wed to the bottom.

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How to Spot Asteroid Juno in the Night Sky

How to Spot Asteroid Juno in the Night Sky





 

On Sunday May 20, the same evening as the annular eclipse of the sun, the asteroid Juno reaches opposition, directly opposite the sun in the sky, between the constellations Ophiuchus and Serpens Caput.
CREDIT: Starry Night


A small, faint asteroid will be coming into view this week, and lucky skywatchers with the right tools could catch a glimpse of the space rock.

In the first few years of the 19th century, astronomers discovered four new bodies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Three of these asteroids, Ceres, Pallas and Vesta, were fairly large objects, measuring between 592 and 319 miles (952 and 513 kilometers) across.

The fourth asteroid, Juno, was much smaller and fainter. It was discovered by the German astronomer Karl Harding in 1804.

Irregular in shape, Juno measures 199 by 166 by 124 miles (320 by 267 by 200 km), with an average diameter of 145 miles (233 km). This makes Juno about the size of the state of Maine.

At its brightest, Juno is only magnitude 7.4, which is much too faint to be visible with the unaided eye. Astronomers use magnitude to determine how bright objects appear in the night sky. Essentially, the lower the magnitude, the bright something will appear. [Skywatching Maps, Charts and Books]

This week, Juno will arrive at a point opposite the sun, in what astronomers call "opposition." But since the asteroid will be only magnitude 9.8, conditions are not favorable.

This is because Juno has one of the most eccentric orbits of any of the large asteroids. At its closest (perihelion), Juno is only twice as far from the sun as the Earth. At its farthest (aphelion) it is 3.4 times farther from the sun than Earth. This week's opposition finds it close to aphelion, which was on May 8.

At magnitude 9.8, Juno will be a challenging object to see using binoculars, but should be easily visible in most telescopes, provided viewing conditions are good. However because of its tiny size, it will look like a star-like point of light in even the largest telescopes.

 
 

A more detailed view of the asteroid Juno, half way between Yed Prior in Ophiuchus and Mu Serpentis.
CREDIT: Starry Night


If Juno looks just like a star, how will you know if you've seen it? Make a sketch of the field and check again the next night or even the next hour. Juno will have moved detectably. This is exactly the way that astronomers detect new asteroids and comets: by their movement.

On Sunday night (May 20), Juno will be nicely framed by two fairly bright stars, Yed Prior in Ophiuchus and Mu Serpentis in the western part of the only two-part constellation, Serpens.

Ophiuchus was in the news recently when some astrologers decided to add it to the 12 zodiac constellations. Astronomers found this amusing because they had recognized Ophiuchus as a large and important constellation for thousands of years. In fact, the sun, moon, and planets spend far more time in Ophiuchus than they do in Scorpius next door.

Ophiuchus is known as "the serpent bearer" also called Asclepius in roman mythology, the father of medicine. Early physicians used snake venom in some of their treatments, so Asclepius is depicted holding a severed snake: head in one hand, tail in the other.

These two halves of Serpens are known as Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda. Juno is located between Mu, the southernmost star in Serpens Caput, and Yed Prior (Delta Ophiuchi), the westernmost star in Ophiuchus.

Be sure to also take a look at Venus, which should appear low in the northwest just after sunset. Venus is dropping rapidly towards the sun, heading for its transit on June 5 and 6. Even in modest binoculars you can clearly see Venus as a tiny crescent, backlit by the sun.

 

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A History of Asteroid Collision Near Misses

A History of Asteroid Collision Near Misses


If an asteroid hits earth it could very well be the end of days. We will not have Bruce Willis ready to give his life to save humanity and the human race may not recover. Doom and gloom? If an asteroid attack is keeping you up at night, you should know that the earth has been in the trajectory of asteroids, meteors and other space debris for thousands of years.
Actually Factually



Asteroids were formed when the space between Jupiter and Mars did not allow the formation of any planetary bodies. The objects in the space broke and fragmented giving rise to asteroids which can have a diameter of over 500 miles or as small as 20 feet. Asteroids travel around the sun in an elliptical orbit and due to their irregular shape can bounce off course, tumble and change orbit. Changing orbit sometimes means that an asteroid can encounter other planets. One of those is our home planet.

Historically we have little to go on when it comes to asteroid near misses in history. The Comet of 1491 came dangerously close, possibly less than four times the distance to the moon. In 1972, a comet bounced off the surface of the atmosphere streaking through the sky as a fireball over Utah. Only 14 meters in diameter, this near miss could have delivered an impact about half the strength of the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima. Comet Hyakutake passed very close in 1996 and was discovered only two months before it started its earth approach.
Close Encounters Of the Earth Ending Kind

NASA recorded the closest near miss of an asteroid in February of 2011. A small asteroid barely 1 metre in diameter passing as close as 5480 km from earth. That’s close, real close. Close enough to get people worried. Asteroid 2011CQ1 may have been small, but it was very definitely in our back yard and climbing up the front stairs. The scary part is that the asteroid, which had left its normal trajectory and had been pulled so close to the earth by the gravitational force, was only discovered 14 hours before it passed. Close, is of course a relative term when you’re talking about distances in space.



Asteroid 2011MD, credit: Jaicoa

2011MD passed within 11 000 miles of our home and gave off a light so bright it could be seen with a small telescope. 32 times closer than the moon is considered a little close for comfort. The threat of an asteroid collision may not be imminent but astronomers and scientists are not able to predict what happens when an asteroid is pulled into our orbit and how it may behave due to its irregular shape.

2005YU5 came into the moons orbit on November 8 2011, giving scientists a rare chance to capture footage of its orbit. 2005YU55 is no stranger to us, and has been orbiting for thousands of years. This close though and who knows what happens.

Large asteroids have the ability to wipe out all life on earth if there is impact. We’re talking about asteroids the size of apartment buildings, houses and city blocks here.
Asteroids That Keep Coming Back

Apophis is a 25 million ton asteroid that keeps threatening our skies. Having several near misses, this large celestial body seems to be getting closer and closer. Discovered in 2004, you can track the travels of Apophis (2004MN4) on several websites around the world. The closest pass of Apophis is estimated for 2029. Just around the corner really.



Trajectory of Apophis in 2029, source: Wikipedia

The threat of an asteroid impact is measured on the Torino Scale. Apophis has always been at Level 1, which is a negligible threat, but scientists upped that to a level 4 for a short while when discussing the gravitational effect of both earth and the asteroid.
Threats On The Horizon

Currently NASA has 959 asteroids that could possibly change course and threaten earth. 5 of those will pass between earth and the moon in the next 100 years; knocking on our door.

2012DA14 had to fly past the moon 7 times before astronomers discovered it. Set to come into close contact with our atmosphere next year, this asteroid is considered a threat because of its irregular shape and size. Just 50 metres in diameter, this hunk of rock would have the power to wipe out a small city on impact. On 15 February 2013, the asteroid will pass less than 24 000 kms from earth, closer than some satellites. So close you’ll be able to observe it with a pair of binoculars.

Some would say this is too close for comfort…

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Texting Kills 5,000 People Every Year In The US

Texting kills 5,000 people every year in the US

**Please Avoid Cell Phones While Driving**

Washington: Texting and talking on cell phones behind the wheel kills more than 5,000 people every year on US highways. Teen drivers seem to be especially susceptible to distraction, a study says.

A 2009 study focusing on drivers of larger vehicles and trucks has concluded that texting raised the risk of a crash by 23 times compared with non-distracted driving, says an environmental report.

Environmental researcher Uvid Hosansky, who authored the report for the journal CQ Researcher, wrote, "Texting drivers took their eyes off the road for each text an average of 4.6 seconds, which at 55 mph means they were driving the length of a football field without looking."

Talking on a cell phone is also dangerous. "Experts say that talking on a cell phone while driving is far more distracting than talking with an adult passenger because it consumes additional cognitive resources, including creating a mental picture of the person on the other end of the conversation," added Hosansky, who was twice nominated for Pulitzer Prize.

The National Highway Traffic Safety ­Administration, US, estimated that 16 per cent of all drivers younger than 20 years involved in fatal crashes were believed to be distracted, "the highest proportion of any age group," by texting and mobile phone use, reports the journal CQ Researcher.

"Although some people may think they can safely talk and drive, researchers who observe people in driving simulators as well as in actual cars on the road find that a cell phone conversation will invariably intrude on a driver's attentiveness," said Hosansky.

"The distractions don't stop with cell phones. Car makers are adding new technologies to the dashboard, such as Web browsers and GPS units.

Car makers say that such technologies are designed very carefully for safety, but safety advocates worry that they are creating even more 

 

 Drive Safe. Be Safe !!!

hazardous driving conditions," Hosansky concluded.

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Watch rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse on 21/5/2012

Watch rare 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse on Monday !!


 

 

Washington: A partial solar eclipse, which will see the moon completely block out the sun except for a ‘ring of fire’ around the moon’s edge, is set to offer a spectacular site for observers on May 21.

The eclipse will occur in the late afternoon or early evening of May 20 throughout the continent of North America while in Asia the date gets switched to May 21.

However, the other parts of the United States and Canada will be able to see only a partial solar eclipse, without being treated to the ring of fire effect.

The East Coast will miss the event since the sun will have set before the eclipse begins.

The event known as an annular solar eclipse originating from the Latin "annulus," meaning "little ring” should be visible in its full glory from much of Asia, the Pacific region and some of western North America, provided the weather stays clear. 

 

At its peak, the eclipse will block out about 94 percent of the sun's light.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on our planet. When the moon lines up perfectly with the sun and blots out all of its light it results into a total eclipse.

Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses in that the moon lines up with the sun.

Like other types of solar eclipses, annular eclipses are spectacular but a potentially hazardous sky watching events.




Care must be taken while observing them otherwise it can cause serious and permanent eye damage including blindness.

To safely observe the May 21 annular eclipse, special solar filters can be bought to fit over the equipment or No. 14 welder's glass to wear over the eyes.

However the safest and simplest technique is perhaps to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method.

This technique uses projects a magnified image of the sun's disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.

The image on the cardboard will be thus is safe to view and photograph.

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Mark Zuckerberg marries long time girlfriend !!

Mark Zuckerberg marries long time girlfriend Priscilla Chan


Facebook's billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg updated his relationship status on his social networking site to 'married' - he has tied the knot with his long time girlfriend 27 year old Priscilla Chan in a private ceremony at his California home.

 

 

The surprising move came just a day after Facebook went public through one of the largest initial public offerings and its shares began trading on the Nasdaq.
Zuckerberg wrote about the big event in his life on his Facebook timeline, with a status update that read, "Married Priscilla Chan" on May 19.

The ceremony took place in Zuckerberg's backyard at his Palo Alto home in California before fewer than 100 guests yesterday. An accompanying picture shows a smiling Zuckerberg dressed in a simple dark blue suit, white shirt and wearing a tie. Chan is in an elegant sleeveless laced white wedding gown with a veil falling over her shoulders. A string of bulbs are hung in the background which is Zuckerberg's backyard.

The picture got over 131,000 likes within the first 30 minutes of Zuckerberg posting the status update.

The couple met at Harvard and have been together for more than nine years. Chan's Facebook page also had the updated relationship status with the message "married to Mark Zuckerberg."

The marriage capped an extremely eventful week for the couple. Zuckerberg celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday, May 14. Days later Facebook, which was founded by Zuckerberg in 2004 in his Harvard dorm, became went public through an IPO that pegged the value of the world's most popular social network site at 104 billion dollars.

The same week Chan graduated from the University of California, San Francisco. Chan studied medicine and is now a doctor of pediatrician. On her graduation day, Zuckerberg had written on his Facebook page, "I am so proud of you Dr Chan."

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Asteroid can narrowly miss Earth in February 2013

Asteroid can narrowly miss Earth in February 2013, but may destroy satellites




Madrid, May 20: Astronomers at the LaSagra Observatory in Spain have disclosed that a newly discovered 150-foot-wide asteroid may come so close to the Earth in February that it might hit satellites, Daily Mail reported.
The asteroid named 2012 DA14 can come close enough to Earth to potentially disrupt geosynchronous satellites on February 15, 2013.

However, NASA says the chance of the asteroid hitting Earth is 0.031 percent.

But if it did, it would hit with the force of a 2.4 megaton explosion, similar to the mysterious Tunguska event of 1908 which leveled hundreds of square miles of Siberian forest.

The path of 2012 DA14 as projected through February 15, 2013 shows the asteroid falling inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites

It is not expected that the path of 2012 DA14 will come anywhere near to hitting Earth in 2013, but scientists have added it to the list of near-Earth objects to examine for its flypast in 2020



At the moment, the exact orbital path of the asteroid is being determined by NASA and astronomers are erring on the side of caution in case it does come in contact with a satellite.

'That's very unlikely, but we can't rule it out,' said Paul Chodas, a planetary astronomer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena California.

While the the asteroid is currently a 'fuzzy little blob', as seen through telescopes, 2012 DA14 may eventually come to pass 21,000 miles away from the Earth putting synchronous satellites in the firing line.

'The orbit for 2012 DA14 is currently very Earth-like, which means it will be very close to Earth on a regular basis,' said Chodas.

2012 DA14 will pass so close that astronomers will be able to observe it with a telescope, but even though satellites might be in danger, the International Space Station is not.

In the preceding months to February, NASA will try to form a fuller picture of where and how close the satellite will get.



'We don't know exactly where it is, and that uncertainty maps through to an uncertainty in the orbit and predictions,' said Steven Chesley, who also works at JPL.

But for now, no one at NASA is worried that the asteroid will hit but say that 2012 DA14 might be visible from Earth as it flies past.

'It might be visible to people with good binoculars or a small telescope,' said Chodas.

Even if 2012 DA14 did hit Earth it would not cause any long term damage to civilization but would cause massive loss of life if it hit a populated centre

'For such a small object, that's really unusual.'

While astronomers examine their initial estimate of a 0.031 percent chance of 2012 DA14 hitting earth, they cannot rule out the possibility of it hitting in 2020 on its next fly-pass.

That is because they will have to see how close 2012 DA14 gets to Earth in February and how much our gravitational pull affects its course for its next fly by in 2020.

If it does hit, scientist believe that its south-bound approach mean that it will hit Antarctica or the Southern Ocean.

In 1908 an unkown object from space caused hundreds of square miles of forest to flatten in Tunguska in Siberia and it is thought that similar damage would be wreaked by 2012 DA14 if it did hit in 2020

The detonation of the 140,000 ton rock would not end civilization but would potentially cause massive loss of life if it hit a populated centre.

In 1908 it is believed that a comet of an asteroid exploded in the skies above Tunguska in Siberia, causing trees for hundreds of square miles to flatten horizontally.

Regardless of any future dangers, NASA agree that it is good to locate these potential dangers, so that we can add 2012 DA14 to the list of near-Earth asteroids.

'We're now on top of it,' said Chelsey.

 

 

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World's Richest Government

World's Richest Government. . .

  

Interesting attachment for those who are financially inclined to get a better perspective on the world's economies We know the world's richest man is Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico,
followed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet of USA.
How about governments?

Which countries’ government is the richest (having most money that is, in US$)

If you are expecting North American and European nations, you might be disappointed.
While the countries look rich, wealthy European nations can't withstand a prolonged major financial crisis, just like Greece.
The USA might have the biggest economy, but the American government is not at all rich; in fact, it can't even take out $150bn if asked to now without resorting to borrowing.
To date the US government has borrowed $14 trillion!

The UK, likewise, while the country/people are rich, the government isn't.
The UK government’s debt stands at $9 trillion now.

World’s Richest Government

Richest governments after 2008-2009 financial crisis:


1. Peoples Republic of China
National reserves: $2,454,300,000,000



2. Japan
National reserves: $1,019,000,000,000



3. Russia
National reserves: $458,020,000,000


4. Saudi Arabia
National reserves: $395,467,000,000



5. Taiwan
National reserves: $362,380,000,000


6. India
National reserves: $279,422,000,000



7. South Korea
National reserves: $274,220,000,000



8. Switzerland
National reserves: $262,000,000,000



9. Hong Kong, China
National reserves: $256,000,000,000



10. Brazil
National reserves: $255,000,000,000

Here are the rest, in million US$:

11 Singapore / 203,436
12 Germany / 189,100
13 Thailand / 150,000
14 Algeria / 149,000
15 France / 140,848
16 Italy / 133,104
17 United States / 124,176
18 Mexico / 100,096
19 Iran / 96,560
20 Malaysia / 96,100
21 Poland / 85,232
22 Libya / 79,000
23 Denmark / 76,315
24 Turkey / 71,859
25 Indonesia / 69,730
26 United Kingdom / 69,091
27 Israel / 62,490
28 Canada / 57,392
29 Norway / 49,223
30 Iraq / 48,779
31 Argentina / 48,778
32 Philippines / 47,650
33 Sweden / 46,631
34 United Arab Emirates / 45,000
35 Hungary / 44,591
36 Romania / 44,056
37 Nigeria / 40,480
38 Czech Republic / 40,151
39 Australia / 39,454
40 Lebanon / 38,600
41 Netherlands / 38,372
42 South Africa / 38,283
43 Peru / 37,108
44 Egypt / 35,223
45 Venezuela / 31,925
46 Ukraine / 28,837
47 Spain / 28,195
48 Colombia / 25,141
49 Chile / 24,921
50 Belgium / 24,130
51 Brunei / 22,000
52 Morocco / 21,873
53 Vietnam / 17,500
54 Macau / 18,730
55 Kazakhstan / 27,549
56 Kuwait / 19,420
57 Angola / 19,400
58 Austria / 18,079
59 Serbia / 17,357
60 Pakistan / 16,770
61 New Zealand / 16,570
62 Bulgaria / 16,497
63 Ireland / 16,229
63 Portugal / 16,254
64 Croatia / 13,720
65 Jordan / 12,180
66 Finland / 11,085
67 Bangladesh / 10,550
68 Botswana / 10,000
69 Tunisia / 9,709
70 Azerbaijan / 9,316
71 Bolivia / 8,585
72 Trinidad and Tobago / 8,100
73 Yemen / 7,400
74 Uruguay / 8,104
75 Oman / 7,004
76 Latvia / 6,820
77 Lithuania / 6,438
78 Qatar / 6,368
79 Cyprus / 6,176
80 Belarus / 6,074
81 Syria / 6,039
82 Uzbekistan / 5,600
83 Luxembourg / 5,337
84 Guatemala / 5,496
85 Greece / 5,207
86 Bosnia and Herzegovina / 5,151
87 Cuba / 4,247
88 Costa Rica / 4,113
89 Equatorial Guinea / 3,928
90 Ecuador / 3,913
91 Iceland / 3,823
92 Paraguay / 3,731
93 Turkmenistan / 3,644
94 Estonia / 3,583
95 Malta / 3,522
96 Myanmar / 3,500
97 Bahrain / 3,474
98 Kenya / 3,260
99 Ghana / 2,837
100 El Salvador / 2,845
101 Sri Lanka / 2,600
102 Cambodia / 2,522
103 Côte d'Ivoire / 2,500
104 Tanzania / 2,441
105 Cameroon / 2,341
106 Macedonia / 2,243
107 Dominican Republic / 2,223
108 Papua New Guinea / 2,193
109 Honduras / 2,083
110 Armenia / 1,848
111 Slovakia / 1,809
112 Mauritius / 1,772
113 Albania / 1,615
114 Kyrgyzstan / 1,559
115 Jamaica / 1,490
116 Mozambique / 1,470
117 Gabon / 1,459
118 Senegal / 1,350
119 Georgia / 1,300
120 Panama / 1,260
121 Sudan / 1,245
122 Zimbabwe / 1,222
123 Slovenia / 1,105
124 Moldova / 1,102
125 Zambia / 1,100
126 Nicaragua / 1,496
127 Mongolia / 1,000
128 Chad / 997
129 Burkina Faso / 897
130 Lesotho / 889
131 Ethiopia / 840
132 Benin / 825
133 Namibia / 750
134 Madagascar / 745
135 Barbados / 620
136 Laos / 514
137 Rwanda / 511
138 Swaziland / 395
139 Togo / 363
140 Cape Verde / 344
141 Tajikistan / 301
142 Guyana / 292
143 Haiti / 221
144 Belize / 150
145 Vanuatu / 149
146 Malawi / 140
147 Gambia / 120
148 Guinea / 119
149 Burundi / 118
150 Seychelles / 118
151 Samoa / 70
152 Tonga / 55
153 Liberia / 49
154 Congo / 36
155 São Tomé and Príncipe / 36
156 Eritrea / 22
Big national reserves doesn't guarantee prosperity however, for instance, the yearly expenses for China's government is $1.11 trillion, their government must always think of economic growth and making more money.

China’s gov't overspent $110bn last year, much on it towards modernizing their military, if it goes on like this their reserves can only last for 22 yrs.

The Malaysian gov't overspent $13bn last year, if it goes on like this their reserves can only last for 7 yrs.

The Singaporean government overspent $3bn last year, much of it rescuing their banks from financial crisis, if it goes on like this their reserves can last 68 yrs.

The Swiss gov't overspent $1bn last year, if it goes on like this their reserves can last 262 yrs.

A country normally can borrow up to 100% its GDP, a very strong industrial country or very financial stable nation can borrow up to perhaps 200% its GDP, debts over 250% GDP the country is bankrupted.

Greece's Debts Is 113.40% GDP, In Danger As It Is Not Considered A Strong Industrial Or Financial Country.

Iceland Is 107.60%, Also In Crisis As It Is Not So Strong Industrial Or Financially.

Singapore Debts Is 113.10%, Not In Hot Water Due To Its Global Financial Hub Status, And Also Its Financial Strength. It's Only Dangerous For Singapore When It Reaches 200%

Japan Debts Is 189.30%, Still Under Radar As A Powerful Industrial Nation. It Needs To Panic Only At Around 200%

US Has The World Largest Debts, But It Is Only 62% Its GDP, It Is Not In Any Immediate Danger Of Bankruptcy.

Zimbabwe Debts Is 282.60% GDP, It Is A Bankrupted Nation.

Malaysia Debts Is Currently At 53.70% GDP.

Hong Kong And Taiwan Is Doing Pretty Good With Debts At 32-37% GDP

South Korea Is Even Better With Debts At 23.5% GDP

China Is Very Stable With Debts At 16.90% GDP

Russia Is Like A Big Mountain With Debts Only At 6.30% GDP

There Are Only 5 Countries With No Debt (I.E. 0%) –

Brunei, Liechtenstein, Palau, Nieu, And Macau Of China.

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