Richard Hook - Six spectacular spiral galaxies are seen in a clear new light in images from ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The pictures were taken in infrared light, using the impressive power of the HAWK-I camera, and will help astronomers understand how the remarkable spiral patterns in galaxies form and evolve.
HAWK-I is one of the newest and most powerful cameras on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). It is sensitive to infrared light, which means that much of the obscuring dust in the galaxies’ spiral arms becomes transparent to its detectors. Compared to the earlier, and still much-used, VLT infrared camera ISAAC, HAWK-I has sixteen times as many pixels to cover a much larger area of sky in one shot and, by using newer technology than ISAAC, it has a greater sensitivity to faint infrared radiation. Because HAWK-I can study galaxies stripped bare of the confusing effects of dust and glowing gas it is ideal for studying the vast numbers of stars that make up spiral arms.
The six galaxies are part of a study of spiral structure led by Preben Grosbøl at ESO. These data were acquired to help understand the complex and subtle ways in which the stars in these systems form into such perfect spiral patterns. ...
via ESO - eso1042 - Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare
Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare
HAWK-I is one of the newest and most powerful cameras on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). It is sensitive to infrared light, which means that much of the obscuring dust in the galaxies’ spiral arms becomes transparent to its detectors. Compared to the earlier, and still much-used, VLT infrared camera ISAAC, HAWK-I has sixteen times as many pixels to cover a much larger area of sky in one shot and, by using newer technology than ISAAC, it has a greater sensitivity to faint infrared radiation. Because HAWK-I can study galaxies stripped bare of the confusing effects of dust and glowing gas it is ideal for studying the vast numbers of stars that make up spiral arms.
The six galaxies are part of a study of spiral structure led by Preben Grosbøl at ESO. These data were acquired to help understand the complex and subtle ways in which the stars in these systems form into such perfect spiral patterns. ...
via ESO - eso1042 - Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare.
Glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells
Jean-François Huppé - High doses or prolonged use of glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells and could increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a team of researchers at Université Laval's Faculty of Pharmacy. Details of this discovery were recently published on the website of the Journal of Endocrinology.
In vitro tests conducted by Professor Frédéric Picard and his team revealed that glucosamine exposure causes a significant increase in mortality in insulin-producing pancreatic cells, a phenomenon tied to the development of diabetes. Cell death rate increases with glucosamine dose and exposure time. "In our experiments, we used doses five to ten times higher than that recommended by most manufacturers, or 1,500 mg/day," stressed Professor Picard. "Previous studies showed that a significant proportion of glucosamine users up the dose hoping to increase the effects," he explained.
Picard and his team have shown that glucosamine triggers a mechanism intended to lower very high blood sugar levels. However, this reaction negatively affects SIRT1, a protein critical to cell survival. A high concentration of glucosamine diminishes the level of SIRT1, leading to cell death in the tissues where this protein is abundant, such as the pancreas.
Individuals who use large amounts of glucosamine, those who consume it for long periods, and those with little SIRT1 in their cells are therefore believed to be at greater risk of developing diabetes. In a number of mammal species, SIRT1 level diminishes with age. This phenomenon has not been shown in humans but if it were the case, the elderly—who constitute the target market for glucosamine—would be even more vulnerable.
"The key point of our work is that glucosamine can have effects that are far from harmless and should be used with great caution," concluded Professor Picard.
The results obtained by Picard and his team coincide with recent studies that cast serious doubt on the effectiveness of glucosamine in treating joint problems.
via Glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells.
Glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells
In vitro tests conducted by Professor Frédéric Picard and his team revealed that glucosamine exposure causes a significant increase in mortality in insulin-producing pancreatic cells, a phenomenon tied to the development of diabetes. Cell death rate increases with glucosamine dose and exposure time. "In our experiments, we used doses five to ten times higher than that recommended by most manufacturers, or 1,500 mg/day," stressed Professor Picard. "Previous studies showed that a significant proportion of glucosamine users up the dose hoping to increase the effects," he explained.
Picard and his team have shown that glucosamine triggers a mechanism intended to lower very high blood sugar levels. However, this reaction negatively affects SIRT1, a protein critical to cell survival. A high concentration of glucosamine diminishes the level of SIRT1, leading to cell death in the tissues where this protein is abundant, such as the pancreas.
Individuals who use large amounts of glucosamine, those who consume it for long periods, and those with little SIRT1 in their cells are therefore believed to be at greater risk of developing diabetes. In a number of mammal species, SIRT1 level diminishes with age. This phenomenon has not been shown in humans but if it were the case, the elderly—who constitute the target market for glucosamine—would be even more vulnerable.
"The key point of our work is that glucosamine can have effects that are far from harmless and should be used with great caution," concluded Professor Picard.
The results obtained by Picard and his team coincide with recent studies that cast serious doubt on the effectiveness of glucosamine in treating joint problems.
via Glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells.
From touchpad to thought-pad?
Daniel Stimson - NIH-funded research shows that digital images can be manipulated with the mind
Move over, touchpad screens: New research funded in part by the National Institutes of Health shows that it is possible to manipulate complex visual images on a computer screen using only the mind.The study, published in Nature, found that when research subjects had their brains connected to a computer displaying two merged images, they could force the computer to display one of the images and discard the other. The signals transmitted from each subject's brain to the computer were derived from just a handful of brain cells.
"The subjects were able to use their thoughts to override the images they saw on the computer screen," said the study's lead author, Itzhak Fried, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both part of NIH.
The study reflects progress in the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), devices that allow people to control computers or other devices with their thoughts. BCIs hold promise for helping paralyzed individuals to communicate or control prosthetic limbs. But in this study, BCI technology was used mostly as a tool to understand how the brain processes information, and especially to understand how thoughts and decisions are shaped by the collective activity of single brain cells.
"This is a novel and elegant use of a brain-computer interface to explore how the brain directs attention and makes choices," said Debra Babcock, M.D., Ph.D., a program director at NINDS.
The study involved 12 people with epilepsy who had fine wires implanted in their brains to record seizure activity. Recordings like these are routinely used to locate areas of the brain that are responsible for seizures. In this study, the wires were inserted in the medial temporal lobe, a brain region important for memory and the ability to recognize complex images, including faces.
While the recordings from their brains were transmitted to a computer, the research subjects viewed two pictures superimposed on a computer screen, each picture showing a familiar object, place, animal or person. They were told to select one image as a target and to focus their thoughts on it until that image was fully visible and the other image faded away. The monitor was updated every one-tenth of one second based on the input from the brain recordings.
As a group, the subjects attempted this game nearly 900 times in total, and were able to force the monitor to display the target image in 70 percent of these attempts. Subjects tended to learn the task very quickly, and often were successful on the first try. ...
"The remarkable aspects of this study are that we can concentrate our attention to make a choice by modulating so few brain cells and that we can learn to control those cells very quickly," said Dr. Babcock....
Reference: Cerf M et al. "On-line, voluntary control of human temporal lobe neurons," Nature, October 28, 2010.
via From touchpad to thought-pad?.
From touchpad to thought-pad?
Daniel Stimson - NIH-funded research shows that digital images can be manipulated with the mind
Move over, touchpad screens: New research funded in part by the National Institutes of Health shows that it is possible to manipulate complex visual images on a computer screen using only the mind.
"The subjects were able to use their thoughts to override the images they saw on the computer screen," said the study's lead author, Itzhak Fried, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both part of NIH.
The study reflects progress in the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), devices that allow people to control computers or other devices with their thoughts. BCIs hold promise for helping paralyzed individuals to communicate or control prosthetic limbs. But in this study, BCI technology was used mostly as a tool to understand how the brain processes information, and especially to understand how thoughts and decisions are shaped by the collective activity of single brain cells.
"This is a novel and elegant use of a brain-computer interface to explore how the brain directs attention and makes choices," said Debra Babcock, M.D., Ph.D., a program director at NINDS.
The study involved 12 people with epilepsy who had fine wires implanted in their brains to record seizure activity. Recordings like these are routinely used to locate areas of the brain that are responsible for seizures. In this study, the wires were inserted in the medial temporal lobe, a brain region important for memory and the ability to recognize complex images, including faces.
While the recordings from their brains were transmitted to a computer, the research subjects viewed two pictures superimposed on a computer screen, each picture showing a familiar object, place, animal or person. They were told to select one image as a target and to focus their thoughts on it until that image was fully visible and the other image faded away. The monitor was updated every one-tenth of one second based on the input from the brain recordings.
As a group, the subjects attempted this game nearly 900 times in total, and were able to force the monitor to display the target image in 70 percent of these attempts. Subjects tended to learn the task very quickly, and often were successful on the first try. ...
"The remarkable aspects of this study are that we can concentrate our attention to make a choice by modulating so few brain cells and that we can learn to control those cells very quickly," said Dr. Babcock....
Reference: Cerf M et al. "On-line, voluntary control of human temporal lobe neurons," Nature, October 28, 2010.
via From touchpad to thought-pad?.
Is the universe a big hologram? This device could find out.
Ian O'Neill - Gravitational wave detectors are incredibly sensitive to the tiniest change in distance. For example, the GEO600 experiment can detect a fluctuation of an atomic radius over a distance from the Earth to the Sun. This is achieved by firing a laser down a 600 meter long tube where it is split, reflected and directed into an interferometer. The interferometer can detect the tiny phase shifts in the two beams of light predicted to occur should a gravitational wave pass through our local volume of space. This wave is theorized to slightly change the distance between physical objects. Should GEO600 detect a phase change, it could be indicative of a slight change in distance, thus the passage of a gravitational wave.
While looking out for a gravitational wave signal, scientists at GEO600 noticed something bizarre. There was inexplicable static in the results they were gathering. After canceling out all artificial sources of the noise, they called in the help of Fermilab’s Craig Hogan to see if his expertise of the quantum world help shed light on this anomalous noise. His response was as baffling as it was mind-blowing. “It looks like GEO600 is being buffeted by the microscopic quantum convulsions of space-time,” Hogan said. ...
According to Einstein’s view on the universe, space-time should be smooth and continuous. However, this view may need to be modified as space-time may be composed of quantum “points” if Hogan’s theory is correct. At its finest scale, we should be able to probe down the “Planck length” which measures 10-35 meters. But the GEO600 experiment detected noise at scales of less than 10-15 meters.
... Hogan thinks that noise at these scales are caused by a holographic projection from the horizon of our universe. A good analogy is to think about how an image becomes more and more blurry or pixelated the more you zoom in on it. The projection starts off at Planck scale lengths at the Universe’s event horizon, but its projection becomes blurry in our local space-time. This hypothesis comes out of black hole research where the information that falls into a black hole is “encoded” in the black hole’s event horizon. For the holographic universe to hold true, information must be encoded in the outermost reaches of the Universe and it is projected into our 3 dimensional world. ...
Currently under construction in Fermilab, the Holometer (meaning holographic interferometer) will delve deep into this quantum realm at smaller scales than the GEO600 experiment. If Hogan’s idea is correct, the Holometer should detect this quantum noise in the fabric of space-time, throwing our whole perception of the Universe into a spin.
via Is the universe a big hologram? This device could find out. - CSMonitor.com.
Is the universe a big hologram? This device could find out.
While looking out for a gravitational wave signal, scientists at GEO600 noticed something bizarre. There was inexplicable static in the results they were gathering. After canceling out all artificial sources of the noise, they called in the help of Fermilab’s Craig Hogan to see if his expertise of the quantum world help shed light on this anomalous noise. His response was as baffling as it was mind-blowing. “It looks like GEO600 is being buffeted by the microscopic quantum convulsions of space-time,” Hogan said. ...
According to Einstein’s view on the universe, space-time should be smooth and continuous. However, this view may need to be modified as space-time may be composed of quantum “points” if Hogan’s theory is correct. At its finest scale, we should be able to probe down the “Planck length” which measures 10-35 meters. But the GEO600 experiment detected noise at scales of less than 10-15 meters.
... Hogan thinks that noise at these scales are caused by a holographic projection from the horizon of our universe. A good analogy is to think about how an image becomes more and more blurry or pixelated the more you zoom in on it. The projection starts off at Planck scale lengths at the Universe’s event horizon, but its projection becomes blurry in our local space-time. This hypothesis comes out of black hole research where the information that falls into a black hole is “encoded” in the black hole’s event horizon. For the holographic universe to hold true, information must be encoded in the outermost reaches of the Universe and it is projected into our 3 dimensional world. ...
Currently under construction in Fermilab, the Holometer (meaning holographic interferometer) will delve deep into this quantum realm at smaller scales than the GEO600 experiment. If Hogan’s idea is correct, the Holometer should detect this quantum noise in the fabric of space-time, throwing our whole perception of the Universe into a spin.
via Is the universe a big hologram? This device could find out. - CSMonitor.com.
Nikola Tesla Predicted the Cell Phone in 1909
Spencer - In this article written in the New York Times in 1909 and published in Popular Mechanic, Nikola Tesla speaks of a device that “will only be necessary to carry an inexpensive instrument no bigger than a watch, which will enable its bearer to hear anywhere on sea or land for distances of thousands of miles.” And that “”"It will soon be possible, for instance, for a business man in New York to dictate instructions and have them appear in type in London or elsewhere. He will be able to call from his desk and talk with any telephone subscriber in the world.”
Sounds a bit familiar now, doesn’t it?
via Nikola Tesla Predicted the Cell Phone in 1909.
Nikola Tesla Predicted the Cell Phone in 1909
Sounds a bit familiar now, doesn’t it?
via Nikola Tesla Predicted the Cell Phone in 1909.
UK schools doing UFO crash drills
Lounge Daddy - There seems to be a growing trend among schools to stage a UFO crash, and then teach students how to react, as well as to “properly” investigate and report on the incident.
It sounds like a lot of fun, and a great way to fire up a student’s imagination as well as writing skills. ...
Are UFO drills becoming something of a routine part of the curriculum in the UK? It’s certainly becoming more and more of a common event. Each time, it’s a joint exercise put in place by the school and local law enforcement.
A similar drill took place in Feb of 2009 when Lanchester Endowed Parochial Primary, in County Durham, staged a surprise “crash” behind the school. In Sept 2008 “children from an Edgware school were made to believe aliens had landed in their playground by teachers and police.” Again, each time it was conducted by the school system and police — teaching children what to do in event of a UFO event. Afterward, the kids are asked to write about their experience. ...
via UK schools doing UFO crash drills - Dateline Zero.
UK schools doing UFO crash drills
It sounds like a lot of fun, and a great way to fire up a student’s imagination as well as writing skills. ...
Are UFO drills becoming something of a routine part of the curriculum in the UK? It’s certainly becoming more and more of a common event. Each time, it’s a joint exercise put in place by the school and local law enforcement.
A similar drill took place in Feb of 2009 when Lanchester Endowed Parochial Primary, in County Durham, staged a surprise “crash” behind the school. In Sept 2008 “children from an Edgware school were made to believe aliens had landed in their playground by teachers and police.” Again, each time it was conducted by the school system and police — teaching children what to do in event of a UFO event. Afterward, the kids are asked to write about their experience. ...
via UK schools doing UFO crash drills - Dateline Zero.
Jaw of Awe: Guinness Honors World's Most Elastic Mouth
Meet a real-life elastic man -- a man with a mouth so rubbery it's more than half a foot long.
In fact, Francisco Domingo Joaquim's 6.69-inch-long elasti-mouth has earned him a prestigious place in what his local newspaper called the "world's most desired book": Guinness World Records.
Joaquim, also known as Chiquinho, is like a real-life version of Jim Carrey's cartoony "Mask" character. His mouth is so wide he can fit an entire can of soda inside it -- sideways.And if that's not impressive enough, the 20-year-old Angolan Jaw of Awe was recently featured on an Italian TV show where he was able to pop that soda can in and out of his mouth 14 times in one minute.
That's also a record -- but don't try breaking that one at home. Some of us put our foot in out mouths figuratively ... but he's the only one who might be able to do it for real.
via Jaw of Awe: Guinness Honors World's Most Elastic Mouth.
Jaw of Awe: Guinness Honors World's Most Elastic Mouth
Meet a real-life elastic man -- a man with a mouth so rubbery it's more than half a foot long.
In fact, Francisco Domingo Joaquim's 6.69-inch-long elasti-mouth has earned him a prestigious place in what his local newspaper called the "world's most desired book": Guinness World Records.
Joaquim, also known as Chiquinho, is like a real-life version of Jim Carrey's cartoony "Mask" character. His mouth is so wide he can fit an entire can of soda inside it -- sideways.And if that's not impressive enough, the 20-year-old Angolan Jaw of Awe was recently featured on an Italian TV show where he was able to pop that soda can in and out of his mouth 14 times in one minute.
That's also a record -- but don't try breaking that one at home. Some of us put our foot in out mouths figuratively ... but he's the only one who might be able to do it for real.
via Jaw of Awe: Guinness Honors World's Most Elastic Mouth.
Nocturnal cow attacks car
A cow left to wander on a cold night attacked a car while walking along a country road near the town of Heimbach in North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday night.According to the police report, the cow had decided to cross the road, forcing two cars to stop. Suddenly confronted, the cow went on the attack, running past one car before jumping half on to the second.
Once it had successfully smashed the hood of the vehicle with its front hooves, the cow fled into a nearby forest.
Despite an immediate attempt to capture the animal, the cow evaded the police until Sunday morning, when it was returned to its owner.
The 36-year-old driver of the car escaped unharmed, though shaken.
via Nocturnal cow attacks car - The Local.
Nocturnal cow attacks car
Once it had successfully smashed the hood of the vehicle with its front hooves, the cow fled into a nearby forest.
Despite an immediate attempt to capture the animal, the cow evaded the police until Sunday morning, when it was returned to its owner.
The 36-year-old driver of the car escaped unharmed, though shaken.
via Nocturnal cow attacks car - The Local.
Could 'time traveller' caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived?
This week, the makers of Back To The Future kicked off celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the release of the original movie starring Michael J Fox.
In the same week, an Irish independent filmmaker has gone public with what he says is footage of a time traveller caught walking through a scene on a recent DVD release of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film, The Circus.
"I believe I'm the first person to find something quite unusual from a bit of film footage from 1928," Mr Clarke says.
The scene can be found in the extras menu in Documents, under The Hollywood Premiere.
It's not in the movie - it's real footage and it features real members of the public in 1928.
Or does it, asks Mr Clarke, who spotted a mysteriously dressed stranger walking past the camera talking into what he says can only be a mobile phone.
"The only conclusion I can come to - which sounds absolutely ridiculous I'm sure, to some people - is it's a time traveller," he says.
"When you're looking at a bit of 1928 footage with an old woman ... on a mobile phone, it's kind of strange. You can't explain it."
Now the YouTube footage has passed the half-a-million mark, plenty have tried.
via Could 'time traveller' caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived? | News.com.au.
Could this be Golda Meir? She was born 1898, so she would have been 30 years old at the time this was filmed. Was she in the USA? According to one site: "1932 - Golda travels to the United States to get medical treatment for daughter Sarah's kidney illness." Still, four years too late. Also, compare the two photos I found of her profile below. The shadows could be playing tricks, but it seems to me that Meir's nose is bigger, rounder and higher than the mystery person's.
Could 'time traveller' caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived?
In the same week, an Irish independent filmmaker has gone public with what he says is footage of a time traveller caught walking through a scene on a recent DVD release of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film, The Circus.
"I believe I'm the first person to find something quite unusual from a bit of film footage from 1928," Mr Clarke says.
The scene can be found in the extras menu in Documents, under The Hollywood Premiere.
It's not in the movie - it's real footage and it features real members of the public in 1928.
Or does it, asks Mr Clarke, who spotted a mysteriously dressed stranger walking past the camera talking into what he says can only be a mobile phone.
"The only conclusion I can come to - which sounds absolutely ridiculous I'm sure, to some people - is it's a time traveller," he says.
"When you're looking at a bit of 1928 footage with an old woman ... on a mobile phone, it's kind of strange. You can't explain it."
Now the YouTube footage has passed the half-a-million mark, plenty have tried.
via Could 'time traveller' caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived? | News.com.au.
Could this be Golda Meir? She was born 1898, so she would have been 30 years old at the time this was filmed. Was she in the USA? According to one site: "1932 - Golda travels to the United States to get medical treatment for daughter Sarah's kidney illness." Still, four years too late. Also, compare the two photos I found of her profile below. The shadows could be playing tricks, but it seems to me that Meir's nose is bigger, rounder and higher than the mystery person's.
Spanish prostitutes ordered to wear reflective vests for their own safety
Fiona Govan - Women touting for customers on a rural highway outside Els Alamus near Lleida in Catalonia have been told to don the yellow fluorescent bibs or pay fines of 40 euros (£36) under road traffic laws.
Police claim the sex workers on the LL-11 road are not being specifically targeted because of what they do but because they posed a danger to drivers.
The prostitutes are in breach of 2004 law which states pedestrians on major highways and hard shoulders must wear the high visibility garments.
A spokesman for the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra said: "In the past couple of months the prostitutes have been fined for two reasons: for not wearing the reflective jacket and for creating danger on the public highway."
The move follows recent legislation introduced by Els Alamus town hall to ban prostitutes from offering sex for sale in public urban areas. The mayor Josep Maria Bea has been accused of mounting a campaign to drive the sex workers out of the area.
An estimated 300,000 women work as prostitutes in Spain where prostitution is not illegal but profiting from the sale of sex by another is.
Women wearing very little clothing and standing on roadsides outside towns and cities are a common sight across Spain. A recent survey found one in four Spanish men admitted to having paid for sex. ...
via Spanish prostitutes ordered to wear reflective vests for their own safety - Telegraph.
Spanish prostitutes ordered to wear reflective vests for their own safety
Police claim the sex workers on the LL-11 road are not being specifically targeted because of what they do but because they posed a danger to drivers.
The prostitutes are in breach of 2004 law which states pedestrians on major highways and hard shoulders must wear the high visibility garments.
A spokesman for the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra said: "In the past couple of months the prostitutes have been fined for two reasons: for not wearing the reflective jacket and for creating danger on the public highway."
The move follows recent legislation introduced by Els Alamus town hall to ban prostitutes from offering sex for sale in public urban areas. The mayor Josep Maria Bea has been accused of mounting a campaign to drive the sex workers out of the area.
An estimated 300,000 women work as prostitutes in Spain where prostitution is not illegal but profiting from the sale of sex by another is.
Women wearing very little clothing and standing on roadsides outside towns and cities are a common sight across Spain. A recent survey found one in four Spanish men admitted to having paid for sex. ...
via Spanish prostitutes ordered to wear reflective vests for their own safety - Telegraph.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)