Two of my favorite bloggers, John Hawks and Christina Agapakis, talk about the big genome news of recent weeks on Bloggingheads. Gets technical, but in a good way!
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Black Zinc Plating Processes
What is the purpose of aluminum oxide blasting prior to black zinc plating on 11L17?
BREAKING: Third time’s a charm, Congress passes science act | Bad Astronomy
After Republicans twice stalled it, the America COMPETES Act was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 262-150.
Hurray!
I have the history of this bill outlined in an earlier post. It failed the first time it went to vote because a Republican Congressman used some shameful politics to derail it, and the second time because to bring the Act to the House Floor for a vote, the Democratic majority had to put it in to pass with a 2/3 majority. Too many Republicans still voted against it, claiming it was too much spending.
That, to be blunt, is garbage. This Act makes sure we have enough money funding science and technology to grow our economy. Not passing it would be like eating your seed corn. As Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) says,
"It shouldn’t take three votes to pass legislation to support the research vital to long term economic growth. If half of economic growth in the last half century is attributable to technological developments and innovations, then we can’t afford to presume that U.S. leadership in innovation is a given. If we intend to lead the global economy, we must tend to our innovation infrastructure, as this bill does."
This bill will continue the funding of the first Act, which was passed with broad bipartisan support under the Bush Administration (when Congress still had a Republican majority as well) in 2007. This time, to get it passed, the Democrats did something clever (I know):
When consideration resumed, Chairman Gordon moved a division of the question on the amendment included in the Republican Motion to Recommit passed by the House on May 13. This effort allowed the House to consider and vote separately on several parts of the Motion to Recommit.
Ha! This "division of the question" forced Congressmen to vote separately on the amendments added last time to scuttle the bill, so they are on record. This is clever because the first time the Republicans sank the bill, they did so by adding an amendment forbidding salaries to be paid to government employees who downloaded porn. The only way to vote on the bill would have been to kill that amendment, so then the noise machine (cough cough Fox cough) could say the Democrats voted to pay people who surf porn on government machines*.
By forcing this amendment-by-amendment vote, the Democrats could vote for the porn amendment, shutting down the right-wing machine before it can even get started. Even so, I’ll note that only 17 out of 167 Republicans voting voted to pass the bill. Every Democrat voted to pass it, and every single one of the 150 no votes came from the right.
Fascinating.
The bottom line is, I am very happy this finally passed. It will fund a lot of science research as well as educational efforts for the next few years. As Rep. Holt points out, science always pays off far more than you invest, always. America will be better off and stronger because of this.
* See? I told you it was shameful.
Image credit: kevindooley’s Flickr photostream, used under the Creative Commons license.
Bigelow on commercial crew and NASA’s interest in inflatables
Mike Gold talks about Bigelow Aerospace's plans at the ISDC in Chicago on Friday.
Mike Gold, director of Washington operations for Bigelow Aerospace, spent much of his 45-minute speech at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Chicago talking about the history of Bigelow’s development of inflatable (or, as the company prefers, “expandable”) modules, including the successful launch of Genesis I and II in 2006 and 2007, respectively; familiar ground for most who have followed the company. He also discussed the company’s future plans, including how NASA’s proposed new direction in human spaceflight may directly and indirectly affect the company.
Bigelow’s plans to launch a series of larger habitable modules, starting with the 180-cubic-meter Sundancer, are dependent on the introduction of commercial crew transportation services, a key element of that plan. “The long pole in the tent for our operations is that while we could have Sundancer ready very quickly, we don’t have a way to get people back and forth,” he said. Without it, the company’s investment “will be for naught”. He believes that commercial crew services will be as safe, if not safer, than government systems, as companies have a lot more riding on the line than a government agency: while NASA could (and has) survived fatal accidents in the past, a company could lose hundreds of millions of dollars or go our of business entirely in such an event. “We’re more incentivized to be safe than a government agency because we have a lot more riding on it.”
However, Bigelow is a bit particular about who they work with on commercial crew. “We love SpaceX,” he said, “but the rocket we’re most excited about, at least in the near-term, is the Atlas 5.” He cited the rocket’s 100-percent record of success since its introduction in 2002 as the reason they prefer it over the as-yet-untried Falcon 9. “If your goal is safety and reliability, this is the system you would go to.”
Another area where NASA’s new plans intersect more directly with Bigelow’s plans is the agency’s focus on “flagship technologies”, including inflatable modules. “The good news is that NASA is paying attention to the technology,” Gold said. “The bad news is that NASA is paying attention to the technology.” He said the company would be responding to a new request for information (RFI) from NASA on the proposed technology demonstration program, and that Bigelow has been “actively” talking with NASA about building something called a “Bigelow Aerospace Module”, or BAM, that could be installed on the ISS.
One criticism the company has of NASA’s interest in inflatables is that the RFI talks about adding a “full scale” module to the station. He said even adding a small module to the station involves a lot of issues such as structural fatigue and outgassing. “I’m not sure whether you could safely put a full-scale inflatable on the ISS,” Gold said. A free-flyer would be much safer and cost effective, he said. Asked after his presentation whether there was the feasibility and/or interest in putting a Sundancer module on the ISS, he again raised the technical concerns about adding a relatively large module to the station. The BAM concept would be closer in size to the Genesis demonstration modules, he said, more like “a closet” than a full-fledged module.
Point of Inquiry Hosts to Convene With Listeners and Students in Amherst, New York | The Intersection
I've just confirmed that I'll be joining my fellow POI hosts, Karen Stollznow and Robert Price, at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York in late June. The occasion is the Center for Inquiry's summer annual leadership conference, which brings in freethinking student leaders from across the country for workshops, lectures, and to finally get to know each other. This is a blast from the past for me, in many ways, as I worked at the Center for Inquiry to organize student freethinkers back in 1999. (Matt Nisbet worked there too, at the time.) So going back to Amherst ten years later--as a speaker this time--is really something that stirs a bit. Plus, it will be great to finally meet Stollznow and Price. I've been admiring their shows from a distance, and I hope now that we've all gotten our feet wet, we can try to collaborate and cross-pollinate a bit more. More details can be found here....if you're a student freethinker, or are just generally interested, I hope you'll attend. And now the very difficult question becomes...what shall I speak about?
compressors
Hi
Advantages of a two stage reciprocating compressor with inter-cooling over a single stage compressor and p-V diagram
Gas turbines
Describe re-heat in gas turbines ?
Book Excerpt: Kabbalah
Tamar Frankiel on the meaning of divinization in Jewish mysticism.
Are Your Customers Moving Offshore?
The current U.S. government administration and the Department of Commerce are actively studying how to get more small- to medium-sized businesses to export over seas, including the consideration of several new trade agreements. Are you a small or medium business, or a larger company with more than $
How can you Get any Smaller?
Having described advances in semiconductor technology for nearly 50 years, can Moore's Law continue to accurately predict the doubling of circuit complexity every 18 months? Is there a practical limit? Industry prognosticators have been predicting the law's demise for a long time, but technological
diesel engine
The ONE MVA generator consuming fifteen litres lube oil for one hour at 600 KW LOAD WHAT MAYBE THE REASONs
distortion
dear sir ;
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two motors
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Propeller Shaft Machining Advice?
I would like to repair a damaged stainless steel hollow propeller shaft. It is damaged where the cutlass bearing runs.
Can I turn the shaft down to take a sleeve and heat fit the oversize sleeve to the shaft. Then turn the "new shaft area" with oversize sleeve down to its correct size? What all
Can we manufacture the tie rod of 75T/25T EOT Crane by EN19 material
Dear friend
i would like to know from which material is better for manufacturing the tie rod of 75T/25T Double girder EOT Crane?
reply me pls.
power cables 33 &13.8kv termination
i know the procedure of doing termination of cables
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thax>
Simple Stator coiling question
Hello all, I am currently working on a project that requires a stator ring like the ones found in electric motors where there are 2-3phases of electromagnetic coils placed in a circular fashion with a pole pointing towards the center (look at picture below). The coils would be powered by
neutral and ground
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Cut Back on Sodas for a Healthier Heart
Cutting back on soda directly improves a person's blood pressure. Over time, the benefits of this practice will also continue to increase.
Today, the average American consumes 28 fl. oz. of sodas and other sugary drinks everyday – an alarming fact considering that new research has discovered the vital link between these sugary drinks and blood pressure.
According to research done by Dr. Liwei Chen from the Louisiana State University, cutting back on your consumption of sugary beverages has a direct impact on your blood pressure.
The 3-point difference
In the randomized study involving 810 adult Americans (aged twenty five to seventy nine), Dr. Chen observed that halving the usual consumption of sodas produced a 3-point reduction in blood pressure. What does this mean? Well, a 3-point reduction in blood pressure also reduced the incidence of a heart attack by a hefty eight percent.
Mortality associated with cardiovascular incidents was also reduced by five percent. During the study, the 810 respondents were given beverages that had been sweetened with corn syrup – the most common sweetener used in the beverage and food industries today.
According to Dr. Chen, if a person were to gradually reduce his or her soda consumption over a long period of time, then the benefits to a person’s heart is also for the long term. And that’s not all, a person who reduces his consumption of soda also protects himself more efficiently from stroke – one the greatest silent killers in medical history.
Soda & blood pressure?
But many people are still wondering: what does soda consumption really have to do with blood pressure? There are two theories supporting the move to reduce the intake of sodas and sugary drinks: the sodium theory and the uric acid theory.
You see, many commercial beverages are loaded with sodium, the same stuff that we use to season food. Sodium has the capacity to directly raise a person’s blood pressure.
Also, the sweetener used for these beverages also contributes to the increase of a person’s uric acid, which is also directly associated with high blood pressure. In addition to high blood pressure, increased uric acid can also contribute to a higher probability of developing gouty arthritis – a very painful form of arthritis.
Tips for lowering your blood pressure
1. Avoid eating too much fast food and processed food – foodstuffs developed by most food sectors are loaded with at least 40% more sodium than what is considered safe by the US FDA.
2.If you can, use spice substitutes when cooking. Avoid using too much salt when cooking. Your blood pressure can progressively increase through time.
3. You don’t have to spend a cent to exercise – start getting fit today. Five minutes of brisk walking, done everyday, can do wonders for your blood pressure.
4. Cut down on smoking – cigarettes and cigars have been shown to raise blood pressure. If you stop smoking for just 1 to 2 hours, your blood pressure begins to go down.
Love Pistachios? Your Heart Does, Too!
Pistachios are a great way to start the day – because it protects the heart and lowers bad cholesterol.
Pistachios are well-loved nuts, not just in the United States but around the globe. We have even more reasons to love this health nut: researchers from Pennsylvania State University concluded that pistachios are ideal for controlling cholesterol levels because it’s natural packed with nutrients and good fats which helps the cardiovascular system work more efficiently.
The study involved 28 respondents (adult males and females) who were given pistachios during the research period. The nuts had a marked effect on the LDL or bad cholesterol level of the test respondents.
Other benefits of pistachios
Pistachios are packed with lutein and other organic compounds that serve as anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants reduce cell damage and further protects cells from the ravages of free radicals.
Coupled with the right diet and exercise, a heart-healthy meal plan consisting of pistachios, vegetables and lean meat can significantly contribute to decreasing cardiovascular problems and even cancer. It’s all about synergy – the components of a fitness plan must be synergistic with each other to work well.
In addition to being loaded with anti-oxidants, pistachio nuts are also great sources of vitamins and minerals. Minerals like iron, which are present in pistachios, are heart protectors. In the long term, eating foods similar to pistachios will enhance the protective effect of a heart-healthy diet.
Tips for lowering LDL cholesterol
1. As much as possible, stick to lean, white meats and avoid red meats. Red meats are packed with bad cholesterol (LDL) and only make things worse.
2. Moderate consumption of red wine (and other wines with resveratrol) may reduce LDL and protect your heart, too. Note that a small quantity of wine, drank regularly every week is sufficient. Do not overdo alcohol consumption.
3. Eat foods high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes
4.Cold water fishes packed with omega-3 fatty acids are also ideal in combating high cholesterol levels.
5. 42.5 grams of healthy nuts like pistachios and even walnuts can help lower your cholesterol over the long term.
Summary: Pistachios are a great way to start the day – because it protects the heart and lowers bad cholesterol.