6 Of The Boldest Concept Cars Ever Built

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Atlanta's High Museum of Art is opening an exhibition of some of the rarest and boldest concept cars ever built. At a time when cars are getting plainer and plainer, and teens and twenty-somethings can barely be bothered to get a driver's license, it's a reminder why generations of Americans handed over 52 weeks of salary for a dream on four wheels.

Take the Lancia (Bertone) Stratos HF Zero. This metallic wedge is pure 1980s futurism, but it was actually built in 1970--thats the year after this seasons Mad Men takes place, for those keeping count. The Zero was designed by Marcello Gandini. If you think the Zero looks a bit like a Lamborghini, thats not so crazy. He also designed the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, the latter of which shares the Zero's aggressive, spear-like posture. But Gandini was no one-trick pony. He also design the remarkably groomed original BMW 5 series, the cooler-in-retrospect Citron BX, and a tiny, cubby bear of a car, the Innocenti Mini. Additionally, he invented those absurd and eye-catching scissor doors we associate with supercars to this day.

Only one Zero was made. The same is true for another car in the exhibit, the General Motors Firebird I XP-21. This thing is literally a jet on wheels. Its turbine engine spewed jet exhaust at 1,250 F. It was so sketchy that the driver was never supposed to push the throttle beyond 100mph. And you know what GM did with the Firebird I XP-21's co-creator Harley J. Earl after it came out? They didnt fire him. As the first top-level executive designer in American history, they basically gave him carte blanche, allowing him to introduce the world to both tailfins and the Corvette, too; later, he retired. (Its worth noting, Earl is credited with creating the original concept car as a way to build hype around design, the Buick Y-Job.)

These are incredible cars. And theyre on display at the museum May 21 to September 7, 2014.

Learn more here.

[Hat tip: Core77]

[Images: Courtesy of Atlanta's High Museum of Art]

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6 Of The Boldest Concept Cars Ever Built

The History Of Graphic Design, In Icons

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We know two things for sure about the guys over at Brooklyn's Pop Chart Lab: they love drinking, and they love good graphic design.

Their latest poster is a tribute to the entire history of the latter: The gridded, black-and-white poster is a cheat sheet to the history of graphic design, beginning with the Victorian era.

Start at the top, left-hand corner, of A Stylistic Survey of Graphic Design, and read from left to right. Each era (say, Arts & Crafts or Art Nouveau) is represented by a rectangular box that includes several squares that graphically represent the style described. The Modern movement, one of the largest movements depicted here, includes Bauhaus, Vorticism, De Stijl, New Typography and Istotope, Constructivism, Suprematicsm, and Futurism. Pop Chart creates, within each stamp-sized box, a visual representation of that particular style, with the design elements that prevailed at the time. So the Constructivism box echoes the intense Soviet Party posters from the 1920s, the Futurism box has a bold, attention-grabbing arrow on it, and so on.

It's telling that certain eras--eras that were niche or short-lived, or which are still emerging--get just one box. (This includes Dada, Digital, and Street Art/Guerrilla.)

Scan down to the bottom for a sampling of todays reigning design philosophies. Are they right? Theres data visualization, theres the twee, chalkboard-loving school of handcrafted, and theres flat design. But where's skeuomorphism? Each box is efficiently packed, providing an at-a-glance answer to any designer who might ask: What, again, were the defining elements of the Late Modern Polish School era? For the rest of us, it's just nice to look at.

Pre-order A Stylistic Survey of Graphic Design for an early bird price of $23, here.

[Image: Courtesy of Pop Chart Labs]

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The History Of Graphic Design, In Icons

Bassem Sabry speaks on digital journalism and press freedom in the Middle East – Video

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Bassem Sabry speaks on digital journalism and press freedom in the Middle East
Bassem Sabry, an Egyptian journalist who was among those accepting the Free Media Pioneer Award at the recent IPI World Congress in South Africa, died on April 29, 2014, in an apparent accident...

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Bassem Sabry speaks on digital journalism and press freedom in the Middle East - Video

Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosaw Sikorski on Poland’s path to freedom – Video

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosaw Sikorski on Poland #39;s path to freedom
May 1st 2014 marks ten years since Poland entered the European Union, and on June 4th it will have been 25 years since the first partially free elections to the Sejm and completely free elections...

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosaw Sikorski on Poland's path to freedom - Video

Members of the European Parliament, journalists and civil society promote World Press freedom Day – Video

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Members of the European Parliament, journalists and civil society promote World Press freedom Day
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2014, the UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels gives the floor to Members of the European Parliament, journalists and civil society representatives about...

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Members of the European Parliament, journalists and civil society promote World Press freedom Day - Video

Raw Milk Freedom – Video

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Raw Milk Freedom
The Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund supports two bills introduced by Congressman Thomas Massie, HR4307 and HR4308. These bills would remove the ban on interstate transportation of raw...

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Raw Milk Freedom - Video

Global press freedom slips to decade low

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Washington (AFP) - World press freedom has hit its lowest level in a decade after a regression in Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine, and US efforts to curb national security reporting, a watchdog said Thursday.

A report by Freedom House, which has been conducting annual surveys since 1980, found that the share of the world's population with media rated "free" was 14 percent in 2013, or only one in seven people.

Meanwhile, 44 percent of the world population lived in areas where the media was "not free" and 42 percent in places where press was "partly free," the Freedom of the Press 2014 report said.

"The overall trends are definitely negative," said Karin Karlekar, project director of the report.

Karlekar said press freedom is under attack in many regions of the world.

"We saw a real focus on 'attacking the messenger,'" she told a news conference, including "deliberate targeting of foreign journalists" in many countries.

"In every region of the world last year, we found both governments and private actors attacking reporters, blocking their physical access to newsworthy events, censoring content, and ordering politically motivated firings of journalists," she said.

Of the 197 countries and territories evaluated in 2013, Freedom House found 63 rated "free," 68 "partly free" and 66 "not free."

The top-ranked were the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, and the lowest North Korea, which ranked just behind Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The report expressed concern on use of new technologies by authoritarian governments to filter online content and to monitor the activities of reporters.

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Global press freedom slips to decade low

New regulations see 15 Irish beaches at risk of closure orders

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01/05/2014 - 13:27:23Back to Ireland Home

Fifteen popular beaches and bathing spots are at risk of being shut for swimmers for an entire summer because of pollution fears.

Despite only four bathing areas failing to meet the minimum standards last year, the environmental watchdog has warned that figure could more than treble under European toughened regulations.

Out of 135 bathing spots checked in 2013, only Clifden in Galway, Lilliput on Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath, Dugort on Achill and Ballyloughane in Galway city failed to hit the mark.

But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named 15 swimming spots and beaches where notices might have to be posted warning of EU closure orders.

They include the Front Strand and Claycastle in Youghal, and Fountainstown in Co Cork; in Dublin, Sandymount Strand, Balbriggan Front Strand, Loughshinny, and the South Beach in Rush; in Galway, Ballyloughane and Grattan Road beaches and Clifden, Tra na bhForbacha, and Tra na mBan, An Spideal; Ardmore beach in Waterford; Lilliput in Westmeath; and Duncannon in Wexford.

But Peter Webster, EPA senior scientific officer, said beaches and popular bathing spots will not be policed to stop swimmers.

The waters will have signage telling the public that the water classification was poor and advising against bathing, he said.

But you cant stop people swimming, so people will be advised to check with the current status.

The tougher EU standards will use an average of water quality over the previous four years to determine if signs must be erected for the June-September season saying water may not be safe.

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New regulations see 15 Irish beaches at risk of closure orders

Canada's MOST astronomy mission comes to an end – Suitcase -sized space telescope wraps up observing after more than a …

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April 30, 2014 Longueuil, Quebec Canadian Space Agency

After more than ten years of studying the Universe, the Canadian Microvariability and Oscillation of STars (MOST) mission will come to an end on September 9, 2014, having exceeded its objectives. Since its launch in 2003, MOST has produced over one hundred science publications and provided astronomers with new insights into the behaviour of stars. Originally planned as a one-year project, MOST was extended annually due to the telescopes continued successes. The suitcase-sized telescope will leave a prolific legacy of data for astronomers to analyze.

In the fall of 2013, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) conducted a mission extension review in cooperation with members of Canadas astronomy community. The evaluation weighed the missions ongoing operational costs against its objectives and new alternatives to obtain similar data. The review led to the recommendation that the mission be terminated, considering that MOST had already surpassed its objectives.

MOST has helped a new generation of astronomers and space engineers advance their studies and research. Under the leadership of its Principal Investigator, Dr Jaymie Matthews of the University of British Columbia, the MOST science team currently includes members from: the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, Universit de Montral, St-Marys University, the University of Vienna, Harvard University and NASAs Ames Research Center.

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Thanks to the Canadian Microvariability and Oscillation of STars telescope, Canadian astronomers have produced a decades worth of astounding discoveries and Canadas space industry gained essential expertise. As MOST prepares for its retirement, I offer my congratulations to the talented team of astronomers and engineers on this Canadian science and technology success story.

- General (Retired) Walter Natynczyk, CSA President

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Two Southern Oregonians Fly High For NASA

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OPB | May 1, 2014 3:15 p.m. | Updated: May 1, 2014 4:23 p.m.

Two Southern Oregon residents are flying with NASA through western skies this week to gather data on the deep corners of theuniverse.

This modified Boeing 747SP jetliner uses a 3.5 meter infrared telescope to gather information about theuniverse.

NASA

Robert Black is the astronomy teacher and planetarium director at North Medford High School. He is joined by his friend, and amateur astronomer, DaveBloomsness.

The pair was chosen along with other educators and scientists to fly aboard the NASA craft called SOFIA the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.

On two flights at about 45,000 feet above sea level, infrared images will be captured at night to help shed light on black holes and the formation and destruction of stars. The first flight was Wednesday night with the second scheduled to depart from Palmdale, California, onThursday

Robert Black said hell never forget what he saw on the first flight. Looking through this really dense, cloudy, dusty region of space and watching a protostar which means the beginning life of a star appear out of this cloud ofdust.

Infrared images captured by NASA's SOFIAaircraft.

NASA

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Two Southern Oregonians Fly High For NASA

RTOG 9003 Study Indicates That Hyperfractionated Radiation Therapy Improves Local-Regional Control Without Increasing …

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Fairfax, Va., May 1, 2014Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HFX) experienced improved local-regional control and, with patients censored at five years, improved overall survival with no increase in late toxicity, according to a study published in the May 1, 2014 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

This study, Final Results of Local-Regional Control and Late Toxicity of RTOG 9003: A Randomized Trial of Altered Fractionation Radiation for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer, is a multi-institutional, randomized Phase III trial of fractionation in locally advanced head and neck cancer. The study, the largest fractionation study performed to date, evaluated patients who received standard fractionation (SFX) compared to those that received HFX, accelerated fractionation with a split (AFX-S) or accelerated fractionation-continuous (AFX-C). Patients enrolled in RTOG 9003 were age 18 or older and had previously untreated, locally advanced squamous cell cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx or supraglottic larynx in stage III or IV or stage II-IV carcinoma of the base of the tongue or hypopharynx. Patients with a prior (within five years) or synchronous malignancy other than nonmelanoma skin cancer were excluded. The trial accrued 1,076 eligible patients from September 30, 1991 to August 1, 1997.

Patients were randomized to four different treatment arms: SFX (2 Gy/fraction/day to 70 Gy in 35 fractions over seven weeks), HFX (1.2 Gy/fraction, twice daily, to 81.6 Gy over seven weeks), AFX-S (1.6 Gy/fraction, twice daily, to 67.2 Gy over six weeks, with a two-week break after 38.4 Gy) and AFX-C (total dose of 72 Gy delivered over six weeks in 1.8 Gy daily fractions and additional 1.5 Gy boost field in the afternoon during the last 12 days of treatment). All treatments were delivered five days a week, and twice-daily treatments had a minimum interfraction interval of six hours.

Local-regional failure was analyzed at two years, at five years and at last follow-up. As of October 1, 2012, the median follow-up was 14.1 years. Toxicity and disease recurrence assessment was conducted weekly while patients received radiation therapy; four months after treatment completion; every three months for one-and-a-half years; every four months between one-and-a-half and three years; every six months in years three to five; and then annually until death. Toxicities occurring 180 days from the start of radiation were considered acute, and those occurring >180 days after radiation therapy were considered late effects. At the time of this reports analysis in October 2012, 52.7 percent of patients (568) had experienced local-regional failure, with 97.4 percent (553) occurring within the first five years.

Secondary primary cancers were reported for 18.6 percent of patients (200), with 50 percent (100) reported within the first three years, and 75 percent (150) reported within the first 5.5 years. After 5.5 years post-treatment, the rates of secondary malignancies decreased to <1 percent per year. There were no significant differences in the rates of second malignancies among all four study arms.

At five years, the prevalence of grade 3, 4 or 5 toxicity, any feeding tube use after 180 days or feeding tube use at one year did not differ significantly when the SFX arm was compared to the three experimental arms. Grade 3, 4 or 5 toxicity tended to be decreased for patients treated over seven weeks compared to those treated over six weeks (9.0 percent vs. 16.7 percent, respectively), and 4.8 percent of disease-free patients treated with HFX had feeding tubes compared to 13.0 percent of patients treated with AFX-C.

At five-years post-treatment, patients in the HFX arm had the highest overall survival rates at 37.1 percent (HR 0.81, 95 percent CI), compared to 33.7 percent for the AFX-C arm, 29.3 percent for the SFX arm, 29.0 percent for the AFX-S arm.

This study, one of only a few large studies to have follow-up beyond five years, demonstrates that patients who have head and neck cancers and who are being treated with radiation therapy alone have improved local-regional control and no increase in late toxicity when radiation therapy is delivered twice a day in two smaller doses which we call hyperfractionation, said Jonathan J. Beitler, MD, MBA, FASTRO, lead author of the study and professor of radiation oncology, otolaryngology and hematology/medical oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. The decrease in the rate of new cancers was unexpected; however, the large database and the long follow-up provided us with a window into information that had not previously been available about the long-term patterns of head and neck tumors and is particularly heartening. The results suggest that twice-daily radiation may improve cure and limit late side effects for patients. Twice-daily radiation might be worth considering in place of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for those patients who are at low risk for distant metastases and those patients who cannot tolerate systemic therapy.

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RTOG 9003 Study Indicates That Hyperfractionated Radiation Therapy Improves Local-Regional Control Without Increasing ...