London, June 18 (ANI): Early studies in mice have revealed that a diet high in cholesterol may help people with a fatal genetic disease, which damages the brain.
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Life Technologies Launches Expanded, Next Generation GeneArt® Kits for Mutagenesis, Cloning and Assembly
CARLSBAD, Calif., June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) today announced the launch of three next generation GeneArt genetic engineering kits that allow molecular and synthetic biologists unprecedented speed, flexibility, precision, and efficiency for the seamless cloning, assembly, and editing of genetic material.
The GeneArt Seamless PLUS Cloning and Assembly Kit allows investigators to complete complex assembly projects in days that would take weeks with typically available methods. The kits use a proprietary enzyme mix to recognize and precisely assemble DNA fragments without the need for restriction digestion, ligation, or introduction of extra DNA sequence (seamless). The kits are designed to work with any vector a researcher chooses plus 1 to 4 fragments (or more depending on fragment sizes and workflow) in an in vitro, typically <30 minute room temperature reaction to create constructs up to 40kb in size.
The newly introduced GeneArt Seamless Cloning and Assembly Enzyme Mix is the economical choice for creating constructs up to 13kb with the option for high-throughput assembly.
The GeneArt Site-Directed Mutagenesis PLUS System can be employed to introduce deletions, insertions and substitutions ranging from small to large fragment sizes and can facilitate single or multi-site mutagenesis. Up to three sites can be edited in a single plasmid at greater than 90% efficiency. Up to 25 nucleotides can be altered in a single site, and results are delivered typically in less than three hours for plasmids up to 14 kb in size.
"Typically, mutagenesis efficiency decreases as multiple sites are targeted," said Nathan Wood, general manager and vice president of synthetic biology at Life Technologies. "The GeneArt kits maintain high efficiency over multiple sites, an advantage for our customers."
"Our scientists assemble and manipulate genetic material on a daily basis," said Wood. "They are deeply connected to the need for speed and reliability in cloning, assembly and mutagenesis systems, and they also understand that our customers need systems designed to handle different levels of complexity."
The new kits extend Life's current market-leading product offerings in assembly and mutagenesis kits, the GeneArt Seamless Cloning and Assembly Kit (for up to four fragments and constructs up to13kb), the GeneArt High-Order Genetic Assembly Kit (a yeast-based system for up to 10 fragments and constructs up to 110kb), and the GeneArt Site-Directed Mutagenesis System. With the new all-in-one enzyme/buffer mix and increased room temperature stability, the new kits offer increased flexibility, speed, and the option for high-throughput workflows. The new Mutagenesis PLUS system offers all of the single-site functionality of the current mutagenesis kits but with multi-site mutagenesis, the all-in-one enzyme/buffer mix, and increased room-temperature stability.
All products include access to Life Technologies' free online GeneArt Primer and Construct Design Tool for Seamless or High-Order Assembly and Mutagenesis: http://bioinfo.invitrogen.com/oligoDesigner/.
This tool facilitates the in silico design, assembly, or mutagenesis of a DNA molecule using GeneArt technology. The GeneArt Design Tool:
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Anti-cocaine vaccine described in Human Gene Therapy Journal
Public release date: 18-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
New Rochelle, NY, June 18, 2012A single-dose vaccine capable of providing immunity against the effects of cocaine offers a novel and groundbreaking strategy for treating cocaine addiction is described in an article published Instant Online in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) The article is available free online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).
"This is a very novel approach for addressing the huge medical problem of cocaine addiction," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
In the article "AAVrh.10-Mediated Expression of an Anti-Cocaine Antibody Mediates Persistent Passive Immunization That Suppresses Cocaine-Induced Behavior," (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/hum.2011.178) a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College (New York, NY), The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA), and Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) used a virus-based delivery vehicle in mice to transfer a gene that produces a protein capable of binding to cocaine present in the blood, preventing the cocaine from crossing into the brain. The protein is a monoclonal antibody that sequesters cocaine, making the vaccinated mice resistant to the drug's effects. Whereas unvaccinated mice exhibited hyperactivity when exposed to intravenous cocaine, the immunized mice showed no effects, according to authors Jonathan Rosenberg, et al.
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About the Journal
Human Gene Therapy (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum), the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Tables of contents and a free sample issue may be viewed online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website (http://www.liebertpub.com).
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Anti-cocaine vaccine described in Human Gene Therapy Journal
uniQure Extends Collaboration with Protein Sciences Corporation on Use of its expresSF+® Cell Line for Gene Therapy
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
uniQure, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today the extension of its collaboration with Protein Sciences Corporation ("Protein Sciences") for the exclusive use of Protein Sciences' expresSF+ (SF+) insect cell line in uniQure's AAV gene therapy programs for three specific disease indications. uniQure has the option to extend this exclusivity further into additional indications in the future.
"This agreement strengthens uniQure's gene therapy platform and further demonstrates the quality of the cell line developed by Protein Sciences." said Joern Aldag, Chief Executive of uniQure. "Protein Sciences' cell line license agreement with Merck made earlier this year and the anticipated approval of its influenza vaccine FluBlok implies SF+ technology will hold a prominent place in the manufacture of biologics."
The SF+ cell line developed by Protein Sciences is an integral component of uniQure's validated, world leading manufacturing platform. uniQure believes that this platform is the only commercially-scalable platform available for manufacturing AAV gene therapy products.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
About uniQure
uniQure is a world leader in the development ofhuman gene based therapies.uniQure has a product pipeline of gene therapy products in development for hemophilia B, acute intermittent porphyria, Parkinson's disease and SanfilippoB. Using adeno-associated viral (AAV) derived vectors as the delivery vehicle of choice for therapeutic genes, the company has been able to design and validate probably the world's first stable and scalable AAV manufacturing platform.This proprietary platform can be applied to a large number of rare(orphan) diseases caused by one faulty gene and allows uniQure to pursue its strategy of focusing on this sector of the industry. Further information can be found at http://www.uniqure.com.
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Extreme-Climate Homes
Unrelenting winter nights and endless summer days. Temperatures that can plummet to 120 below or more. Snow, ice, and rock. There are few environments on earth more hostile than the frozen Antarctic wastelands. But even with winds of up to nearly 200 mph, it's not impossible for people to survive in the coldest place on ...
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Freedom School program enriches summer learning for students
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CHARLOTTE -- A national organization said they hope to stop the summer brain-drain by keeping kids in school.
The Freedom School Partners is a six-week educational enrichment program designed to help kids not only maintain what they learned the past school year, but help them learn more. Monday was the first day of this summer program at 25 sites around Mecklenburg County.
Parents said they might be more excited than their kids.
"This morning I woke up so early because I was so excited about having them here. I was like, oh you know! They thought I was going to work and I was like, 'Oh, I'm not going to work, you're going to school!'" said Alicia Brewton, whose two sons are attending the Providence Day Freedom School.
Chanting and cheering, the kids are engaged, empowered and educated through the program.
"I'm at home and I know it'd be much funner for them to be with somebody else, in a different learning style than I am, because I'm just drilling. I'm like, hey, read this book, do this, do that, so they will probably love it here, said Brewton.
Freedom Schools serve children who are most at risk of summer learning loss, but are least able to afford the opportunity of quality summer learning.
"Freedom School helps meet that challenge with literacy and self-esteem and fun and engagement for children who have the most to lose in the summer, said Mary Nell McPherson, Executive Director of Freedom School Partners.
Studies have shown the program is effective.
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Freedom School program enriches summer learning for students
Harper Government Moving Forward on Marketing Freedom
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -06/18/12)- The Harper Government is moving forward on its long-standing commitment to give Western Canadian wheat and barley farmers marketing freedom. Today, a panel of three judges ruled in the Harper Government's favour and overturned the declaration issued by Federal Court Justice Douglas Campbell on December 7th, 2011.
"We are very pleased that the declaration has been overturned as we always expected it would be," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "Today's decision reinforces our belief that we must focus on the future opportunities that marketing freedom affords Western farmers, instead of trying to turn back the clock."
The Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act will end the monopoly of the CWB as of August 1, 2012 and give Western Canadian farmers the ability to sell their wheat, durum and barley to the buyer of their choice, including a voluntary CWB.
"Marketing Freedom is good for Western grain farmers and good for all Canadians, " said Minister Ritz. "As we have always said marketing freedom will build a stronger economy by attracting investment, encouraging innovation and creating value-added jobs."
The Harper Government's top priority remains the economy. Modernizing grain policy in Canada will allow the Western Canadian grain industry to fully contribute to Canada's economic growth and long term prosperity.
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Find Raw Adventure in Borneo With Freedom Asia
HERTFORD, England, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Borneo is rapidly becoming a top Asian tourist destination so Freedom Asia reveals how to make the most of this magical island
As the thirst for adventure holidays becomes greater the tropical Malaysian island of Borneo garners greater attention. Lush, dense rainforests, colourful reefs, mighty mountains and unique wildlife including orang-utans and turtles, inspire visitors to Borneo with a real sense of adventure.
Borneo holidays are increasing; Sabah Tourism points out that 2,275 Brits ventured to Borneo in the month of April alone. This unique landscape, filled with diversity and a plethora of natural and cultural sites and experiences requires first-hand travel knowledge and tailor-made planning and that's exactly what Freedom Asia offers. Its travel experts offer a free planning service allowing customers to choose from hundreds of hotels, beach resorts, tours and activities to create their own dream holiday.
Holidays Borneo should aim to be as diverse as the islands flora and fauna, although in reality achieving this is impossible on one holiday - even in an entire lifetime it is impossible to experience everything in Borneo. Just in one national park, Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, there are more plant species than in all of North America and Europe combined. However, Freedom Asia has plenty of tours and accommodation on offer to help travellers see the best of both Borneo states, Sabah and Sarawak.
Tours range in price from 259 to 1015, so all budgets are catered for, and include national park visits, watching turtles hatching on the beach or orang-utans careering through the rainforest, cultural adventures where travellers can learn how to use a blow pipe and visit a traditional longhouse and cruising along inland waterways on a longboat.
Borneo is still wild and relatively untouched and intact making it a popular choice for travellers seeking adventure, originality and authenticity. Because Freedom Asia's tours are small in size, low-key and work with local companies, they contribute immensely to the local communities living in Borneo and this helps maintain the region for future generations to explore, even as tourists numbers increase.
Media contact details: David Wallis email: assist@freedomasia.co.uk Phone: +44(0)1992-574-915 http://www.freedomasia.co.uk
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GORD Launches Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) as New Benchmark for Sustainable Development
DOHA, Qatar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD), the authority for knowledge on sustainability in the MENA region, has today 7th of June 2012 launched the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) as the standard for excellence on sustainability in the MENA region. Respectively, GOR0D presents ECO VILLA, as a landmark project that will reinforce Qatars reputation as a leading advocate of sustainable development. The Green Villa has been designed to achieve a score of 4 stars based on the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), as it offers a genuinely sustainable, smart and healthy living environment for residents.
GORD has selected 3 consulting firms; LSI Architects, MYAA Architects & RHWL Architects to design a sustainable Qatari Modern villa. A committee has been formed consisting of representatives from the Museum Authority, Ministry of Cultural, Arts & Heritage, Qatar University and Private Office, in addition to region's experts to manage the bidding process and oversee the design of the ECO VILLA.
Dr Yousef Mohammed Al-Horr, Founding Chairman of GORD, said: The ECO VILLA exemplifies the vision of Qatar to be one of the global leaders in the pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic growth and development. Moreover, it is being developed according to stringent standards of the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS). The Green Villa will be one of the most coveted residential addresses in Qatar, while it will also serve as a model community for sustainable living.
The sustainable features of the ECO VILLA include on-site renewable energy generation system, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and irrigation system, energy reduction, indoor lighting design, and intelligent building control system. The ECO VILLA will also be constructed using sustainable and recycled eco-friendly building materials that have low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emission rates.
Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) formerly known as Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS) is the most comprehensive sustainability rating system in the world. The change in Name came to support the all-inclusive offering of the system in assessing all types of developments starting from macro level such as master plans for cities to micro level such as single buildings. Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is unique in catering for specific typologies such as sports & mosques.
GSAS looks into various types of typologies such as GSAS Core & Shell, GSAS Schools, GSAS Residential Single, GSAS Residential Group, GSAS Mosques, GSAS Hotels, GSAS Light Industries, GSAS Neighbourhoods, GSAS Construction, GSAS Operations, GSAS Health Care, GSAS Railways & others.
Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al-Horr, Founding Chairman of GORD, said: The launch of the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS/QSAS) is a huge step forward in our mission to promote sustainable applications and practices within the framework of a globalised society. We have conducted in-depth studies of 40 green building codes from around the world in order to develop a truly comprehensive and genuinely global-oriented assessment scheme. GSAS/QSAS embarks on creating a new standard for sustainable benchmarking in green building developments.
GSAS/QSAS has recently been incorporated in Qatar Construction Specification 2010 as chapter 7 Green Construction.
Ministry of Environment launched the fourth edition of Qatar Construction Specifications, QCS 2010, specifying a series of measures to pave way for green buildings and gardens in the country and to ensure safety of construction workers. Making the announcement at a formal ceremony held at Marriott Hotel, the Assistant Under-Secretary for Laboratories and Standardisation at the MoE, Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari said: The launch of the new specifications will have far reaching results as all new government buildings such as mosques, schools and hospitals, being approved from December 31 onwards will have to adhere strictly to the green building specifications. It is worth mentioning that Ashghal, in several occasions, has announced its commitment to apply GSAS along all future government projects. Such commitment is considered as a great achievement for GORD "GSAS" since Ashghal is considered to be the first governmental institution to adopt GSAS completely. He added that many mandatory requirements for private constructions are that they must employ energy and water saving measures, reduce solid waste and wastewater and improve indoor environment to safeguard public health.
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Gore’s eco-friendly firm lands $16M contract to manage city pension funds
Heres an inconvenient truth: New York is greening the wallet of Al Gore.
Embattled city Comptroller John Liu has delivered a $16.56 million contract to the former vice presidents environmentally friendly investment firm, Generation Investment Management, to help manage hundreds of millions of dollars in city pension funds, The Post has learned.
The Comptrollers Office had previously awarded Gores firm $12.8 million in pension-fund business under Lius predecessor, Bill Thompson.
Since 2009, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has approved $6 million in contracts to the firm, co-founded and chaired by Gore. Generation now manages nearly a half-billion dollars of state pension-fund investments, records show.
AP
GETTING GREEN: A financial firm chaired by Al Gore, here in his film, An Inconvenient Truth, has been tapped to manage city pension funds.
JOHN LIU Grants contract.
In total, thats more than $35 million in greenbacks to Gores firm.
Lius office proposes investment-management contracts to the board of trustees of the citys five major pension funds. Generation is an investment manager for two of them: the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) and the Police Pension Fund.
But the Gore connection has been a closely held secret.
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Gore’s eco-friendly firm lands $16M contract to manage city pension funds
Rip Currents Claim Lives in Fla.
An outbreak of rip currents at beaches in Florida has claimed several lives and endangered dozens more in recent days, prompting the National Weather Service to extend its public warnings to beachgoers.
Over this past weekend, two people drowned and more than 70 had to be rescued from rip currents in a single Florida county on the Atlantic coast, officials there told ABC News.
A 14-year-old boy went missing Sunday after getting caught in a rip current while swimming with friends at New Smyrna Beach, Fla. His body was found on shore Monday morning. Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris told ABC News that the teens were swimming at an unguarded beach, over 300 yards away from the nearest lifeguard.
The same day the boy went missing, a 66-year-old man died after getting caught in a rip current just off another beach in Volusia. He was pulled in by lifeguards but fell unconscious during the rescue process and did not recover, Marris said. Authorities have not released the identities of either victim.
The deaths follow another pair of fatal incidents that took place on Florida's opposite coast along the Gulf of Mexico the previous weekend.
There, 42-year-old Sonia Westmoreland died June 9 after she was caught in a rip current while trying to rescue her daughter and her daughter's two friends. The girls were saved by their father but Westmoreland was "blue around the mouth and non-responsive" when officers arrived, according to a police report obtained by ABC News. She died several days later.
Also on June 9, a 23-year-old Mississippi man drowned while swimming at an unguarded beach in Pensacola, Fla., according to the Pensacola News Journal.
Getty Images/Perspectives
Though the weekend is over, the threat from rip currents is not, according to the National Weather Service, which said there is a high rip current risk until 8 p.m. tonight in Volusia County. Other Atlantic beaches including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach also faced a high risk until Monday afternoon.
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NOAA surveys Alaska beaches for tsunami debris
JUNEAU, Alaska
Government scientists are in the midst of a 10-day trip, surveying southeast Alaska beaches for debris from last year's deadly tsunami in Japan.
While there have been several high-profile instances of debris from the tsunami reaching U.S. shores, groups that routinely clean ocean trash from Alaska beaches have reported a difference in the volume and type of debris they're seeing this year, leading them to believe more debris from the disaster has arrived.
A five-member team for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is due back in Juneau on Sunday. NOAA's Jeep Rice said the hope is for the cruise to average four to six sites a day, with the team split into two crews. However, he said weather will be a factor, with many of the sites opening directly to the ocean and surf expected to limit activity some days. He said some sites also will be very difficult to walk along.
Some of those sites will be less than a kilometer, he said.
NOAA, in a news release, said all human-related marine debris will be counted and cataloged. The team plans to confer with marine debris experts on the West Coast about its findings, NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle said.
Surveys of coastline farther north and west are planned for later this summer in Alaska. Rice said NOAA plans to pay particular attention to Kayak Island, located in the Gulf of Alaska, which he said was completely cleared of debris last summer, and any other sites that NOAA can confirm had been recently cleaned.
NOAA said tsunami debris surveys will be conducted periodically during the next couple years.
Rice characterized the current trip as a preliminary assessment to get a sense of what's arriving. Rice said the trip will help inform future cleanup efforts.
The team includes a NOAA contractor and University of Alaska student.
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Aurora, in the pink | Bad Astronomy
tis the season for solar storms, and Im hearing reports that Active Region 1504 (the same sunspot featured in a dramatic video I posted recently) has been getting feisty, blowing out some flares and causing auroral activity here on Earth.
Photographer Brad Goldpaint was in the right place at the right time Saturday night to see some of this: he went to Crater Lake, Oregon, and at 3:30 a.m. local time on June 17th he took this surpassingly beautiful picture of a somewhat rare event: pink aurorae!
[Click to recombinate.]
Gorgeous! And weird. The colors you see in aurorae depend mostly on whats in the air. Literally! A solar storm is an eruption of subatomic particles launched from the Sun at high speed. These interact with the Earths magnetic field, which, through a complicated process, sends those little beasties down into our air. They slam into the molecules and atoms in the upper atmosphere, blasting off electrons like bullets hitting concrete and sending out shrapnel.
When electrons recombine with the atoms and molecules, a little bit of energy is released in the form of light, and the color of that light depends on whats doing the emitting. Oxygen atoms, for example, tend to glow green and/or red. Oxygen molecules (two atoms combined, like the kind we breathe) glow blue. Nitrogen molecules can glow either red or blue. Heres a diagram from the excellent Atmospheric Optics website:
As you can see, several colors are emitted by the various atoms and molecules. One color you wont see there, though, is pink. Thats because pink isnt a spectral color; that is, part of the ROYGBIV red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet spectrum.
If you have a source of red and blue light, these can combine to make something look magenta or pink, like in the diagram here. I strongly suspect thats whats going on here; were seeing a combination of red and blue light emitted by nitrogen molecules high over the Earth, and our eyes see that balance as pink. Cameras are designed to see colors much the way our eyes do, so the aurora looks pink in pictures as well.
Pink aurorae arent unknown, but it is rare to see the color this strongly with no almost no other coloring at all. And of course, Brads photographic skills are excellent, so its not just the color but the scene itself in his photo that is so breathtaking. He has another shot he took that night, too. Crater Lake is one of my favorite places on Earth, and if youve never been, go! If you time it well, you may be mesmerized not just by the Earth below, but by the heavens above as well.
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The Milky Way and the Mashed Potatoes Mountain | Bad Astronomy
Photographer Randy Halverson whose pictures and time lapse videos have been featured here on the BA Blog many times; see Related Posts below just posted an epically cool picture he took just last night: The Milky Way looming over Devils Tower in Wyoming.
[Click to closeencountersofthethirdkindenate.]
He and his son (who also got a nice shot of it) were to the northwest of the gigantic butte-like structure; the night started out cloudy but it cleared after midnight. Im glad! I love pictures like this for many reasons. Obviously, the Milky Way itself is amazing; the central bulge of our spiral galaxy is obvious, studded with stars, gas clouds, and dark bands of dust.
But the icing on the mashed potatoes is that silhouetted against it is such a recognizable landmark and one that plays an essential part in one of my all-time favorite movies. Devils Tower has a fascinating geologic history, and I plan on visiting sometime. Its a long drive from Boulder, but I swear, it would make my fanboy (of both Hollywood and geology) heart sing to be able just to stand there and soak it in.
Image credit: Randy Halverson, used by permission.
Related Posts:
- Temporal Distortion - Reflecting on the ISS - Gorgeous aurorae - A meteors lingering tale
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The Milky Way and the Mashed Potatoes Mountain | Bad Astronomy
BAFact math: Give him an inch and he’ll take a light year | Bad Astronomy
[BAFacts are short, tweetable astronomy/space facts that I post every day. On some occasions, they wind up needing a bit of a mathematical explanation. The math is pretty easy, and it adds a lot of coolness, which I'm passing on to you! You're welcome.]
Todays BAFact: To scale, if the Earth/Sun distance were one inch, a light year would be exactly one mile.
Humans have a miserable sense of scale. Space is huge thats why we call it "space" but how huge? Heres a fun trick my friend Dan Durda pointed out to me many years ago when we were in college together (forgive my not using metric units, but what the heck, this only works in imperial):
The average distance of the Earth to the Sun (what we call an astronomical unit) is about 92.8 million miles. If you made a scale model of the solar system where that distance were equal to one inch, then one mile in the model would be almost exactly a light year in the real world!
The math is easy. One light year is the distance light travels in a year. The speed of light is 186,282 miles/second, and distance equals speed multiplied by time. So:
186,282 mi/sec x 86,400 sec/day x 365.25 days/year = 5.88 trillion miles
[Note: I'm rounding the answer to two decimal places for ease of comparison.]
OK, now what about our scale? There are 12 inches to a foot, and 5280 feet to a mile. That means there are
12 in/ft x 5280 ft/mile = 63,360 inches/mile
If we let 1 inch = 92.8 million miles, then 63,360 inches = 5.88 trillion miles.
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BAFact math: Give him an inch and he’ll take a light year | Bad Astronomy
Rocket Fuel Named One of Bay Area's Top Workplaces
REDWOOD SHORES, CA--(Marketwire -06/18/12)- Rocket Fuel, the leading provider of artificial intelligence advertising solutions for digital marketers, today announced it has been named one of the Bay Area's Top Workplaces.
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About Rocket Fuel:Rocket Fuel is the leading provider of artificial-intelligence advertising solutions that transform digital media campaigns into self-optimizing engines, which learn and adapt in real-time, and deliver outstanding results from awareness to sales. Recently awarded #22 in Forbes Most Promising Companies in America list, over 700 of the world's most successful marketers trust Rocket Fuel to power their advertising across display, video, mobile, and social media. Founded by online advertising veterans and rocket scientists from NASA, DoubleClick, IBM, and Salesforce.com, Rocket Fuel is based in Redwood Shores, California, and has offices in thirteen cities worldwide including New York, London, and Toronto.
2012 Rocket Fuel Inc. All rights reserved. Rocket Fuel Inc. is a registered trademark of Rocket Fuel Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Where Advertising Meets Big Data: Rocket Fuel to Present at Stifel Nicolaus 2012 Internet & Media Conference
REDWOOD SHORES, CA--(Marketwire -06/18/12)- Rocket Fuel, the leading provider of artificial-intelligence advertising solutions for digital marketers, today announced that company co-founder and CEO George John will join a panel at the Stifel Nicolaus 2012 Internet & Media Conference at the New York Palace Hotel.
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About Rocket Fuel:Rocket Fuel is the leading provider of artificial-intelligence advertising solutions that transform digital media campaigns into self-optimizing engines, which learn and adapt in real-time, and deliver outstanding results from awareness to sales. Recently awarded #22 in Forbes Most Promising Companies in America list, over 700 of the world's most successful marketers trust Rocket Fuel to power their advertising across display, video, mobile, and social media. Founded by online advertising veterans and rocket scientists from NASA, DoubleClick, IBM, and Salesforce.com, Rocket Fuel is based in Redwood Shores, California, and has offices in thirteen cities worldwide including New York, London, and Toronto.
2012 Rocket Fuel Inc. All rights reserved. Rocket Fuel Inc. is a registered trademark of Rocket Fuel Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Aeroports de Montreal, Bombardier Aerospace and Porter Airlines Kick-Off ICAO Flightpath to a Sustainable Future
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire -06/18/12)- Aeroports de Montreal (ADM), Bombardier Aerospace and Porter Airlines today joined forces to launch the inaugural flight of a series of biofuel flights which will deliver Raymond Benjamin, the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Prior to departing from Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, executives from each organization emphasized the importance of investing in sustainable aviation and their commitment to working with the industry to reduce the environmental impact of aviation.
"As signatories of the Aviation Industry Commitment to Action on Climate Change, we fully share these objectives," said Mr. James C. Cherry, President & CEO, Aeroports de Montreal. "I would like to take this opportunity to point out that Montreal-Trudeau airport was the first in North America to sell carbon credits and that we already have made several innovative achievements in the area of greenhouse gas reduction," added Mr. Cherry
This marks the second biofuel flight for Bombardier and Porter this year. In April, Porter successfully conducted the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada. In the conclusion to a test program that was launched in 2010, the airline flew one of its Q400 turboprops from its base at Toronto City Airport to Ottawa using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel in one of its engines. Today's flight is using the same fuel in one engine - certified to the new American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D7566/D1655 standard and derived from the oilseed crop, Camelina sativa(i) (49 per cent) and Brassica carinata(i) (one per cent). The aircraft's other engine is powered by Jet A1 fuel.
The biofuel research is only one of many initiatives Bombardier has embarked on in recent years in the area of sustainable aviation as a pillar of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility program. Bombardier is also involved in numerous projects to reduce the environmental footprint of its sites and its products by using a lifecycle approach including Design for Environment and the implementation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards at its manufacturing sites.
"Bombardier is proud to be involved in this symbolic journey for the industry," said Helene V. Gagnon, Vice-President, Public Affairs, Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Bombardier Aerospace. "As a leading aircraft manufacturer we must act as a role model for the industry where the environment is concerned, not only by designing and building innovative and responsible products, but by working in partnership with the entire industry to find solutions that can benefit us all in the long term."
Porter operates a single-type fleet of 26 Q400 aircraft throughout its regional network.
"One reason that Porter initially chose the Q400 aircraft is because of its efficiency characteristics, including substantially reduced fuel usage and emissions compared to comparable jet aircraft," said Robert Cordes, Executive Vice President and COO, Porter Airlines. "Biofuel used on a regular basis has the potential to make even greater improvements in the future. We're proud to contribute to this goal as part of overall industry efforts."
About Q400 aircraf
The Q400 turboprop airliner, which is built at Bombardier's Toronto, Ontario facility, is the advanced successor to Bombardier's Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft. Optimized for short-haul operations, the "comfortably greener," 70- to 80-seat Q400 aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides an ideal balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.
Setting new environmental standards, the Q400 aircraft uses 30 to 40 per cent less fuel and produces 30 to 40 per cent fewer emissions on routes where it has replaced similar-capacity, older jets. Overall, the Q400 aircraft is 15 decibels quieter than ICAO Chapter 4 noise standards; raising the bar for the entire industry.
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Bombardier buys land in Casablanca free zone for aerospace manufacturing plant
By Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press
MONTREAL - Bombardier Aerospace says it has bought land near the airport in Casablanca's free zone that offers five years of no taxes and other financial incentives for a manufacturing facility set to open next year.
The Montreal-based aircraft manufacturer said Monday it signed a deal with Moroccan property holding and management company Midparc Investment S.A. for the land in a free zone in Nouaceur.
Midparc is owned by a state financial agency and three private industrial companies specializing in aeronautics and electronics fields.
Bombardier Aerospace president Guy Hachey said the selection of the site for the manufacturing facility is "an important first step" in establishing the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer in the North African country.
"The site met our stringent requirements and high standards and we look forward to the start of the construction and production of the first Moroccan-built Bombardier aircraft components," he stated in a news release.
Hachey said it hopes the long-term relationship will serve as a catalyst for the aircraft industry in Morocco.
Bombardier (TSX:BBD-B.TO - News) joins other aerospace manufacturers in setting up shop in Morocco, which has established an aerospace training program and offers many tax and financial incentives to attract companies.
The company will pay no taxes for five years, 8.75 per cent for another 20 years and 17.5 per cent thereafter.
On its website, Midparc boasts about low wages being one of Morocco's advantages. It said the average monthly wage is US$327, lower than in Tunisia and Turkey, 10 times lower than Spain and a quarter of what's earned in South Africa.
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Bombardier buys land in Casablanca free zone for aerospace manufacturing plant
Names and Faces
Today's most viewed articles Donatello receives AMA fellowship
KITTERY, Maine Dr. Jeff Donatello recently received a fellowship in Integrative Cancer Therapies from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
The fellowship is sponsored by the American Medical Association through the South Florida School of Medicine. Donatello is now among a select group of 300 doctors and health care professionals who utilize proven therapies beyond chemotherapy and radiation to help people with cancer to regain and maintain their health.
Donatello's office is at 76 Route 1 Bypass in Kittery. For information, visit donatellobbt.com. For appointments, call (207) 438-9339.
PORTSMOUTH Piscataqua Savings Bank has announced the addition of three new members to its board of corporators.
The corporators represent individuals from the community asked to serve in an oversight capacity for the bank. The new members are: Philip L. Pettis, partner with the law firm of Boynton, Waldron, Doleac, Woodman and Scott in Portsmouth; Gregory C. Johnson, CFA, principal with Prime, Bucholtz and Associates, with offices in Portsmouth, Boston and Atlanta, Ga.; and Richard G. Kaiser, vice president/senior trust officer at Piscataqua Savings Bank.
The corporators annually elect the board of trustees and ensure the bank operates in the best interest of its customers and the community. At its recent annual meeting, corporators elected the following individuals to the board of trustees: Michael J. Asselin, Kenneth R. Clark, Jay S. Gibson, Charles A. Griffin, Ann H. Peters, Barbara Shea-Smucker, Vincent Taccetta III and Richard M. Wallis.
For information, visit http://www.piscataqua.com.
PORTSMOUTH Chambers and Partners, a London-based research organization, bestowed top rankings on Pierce Atwood LLP and its lawyers as part of law firm rankings that the research group released recently.
Pierce Atwood has a total of 40 lawyers recognized in the 2012 guide, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm's New Hampshire office in Portsmouth has two honorees named in the guide: Scott E. Pueschel, P.C., in the corporate/commercial area and Denis O. Robinson in the real estate area.
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Names and Faces