WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Advancements in human genetic research could lead to improved patient care, but safeguards are needed to protect against the misuse of people's genetic data, the American Heart Association says.
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Brave New World of Genetics Requires Safeguards, Experts Say
$1,800 is a lot of money to spend on a single pair of shoes. But a company called Rayfish Footwear has come up with a unique manufacturing process that's even more over-the-top than what it's charging for its creations: It's genetically-engineering stingrays for their skins.
The company claims that no two sneakers it produces are alike, and each stingray is grown specifically for each pair. Clients can choose from 29 different styles of stingray leather, combining up to nine different patterns for a truly unique design. Once they've made their selections, the DNA from each patterns is then combined and used to create a new stingray that's grown to maturity before being harvested to make the sneakers.
The idea might seem a little cruel, but it's no different than cows that are specifically grown for beef and leather. The only real difference here is the ludicrous price tag once these sneakers go on sale later in the year. But if they end up being popular, there's no reason the company couldn't raise the stingrays on a larger scale which would in turn help make them slightly more affordable.
[Rayfish Footwear via FastCo Design]
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$1800 Gets You Sneakers Made From Stingrays Customized Through Genetic Engineering [Clothing]
An international scientific team on Wednesday said it had unravelled the genetic code of the tomato, opening up ways to improve the fruit's taste, nutrition and shelf-life.
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GREENSBORO, NC--(Marketwire -05/31/12)- The world-leading international futurist, Jim Carroll, will deliver the keynote address at Gilbarco Veeder-Root's Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit in Chicago, IL on June 26-27th, 2012. As a trends and innovation expert, Jim Carroll helps growth-oriented organizations transform into high-velocity innovation heroes. His clients range from Northrop Grumman to Johnson & Johnson, the Swiss Innovation Forum to the National Australia Bank; the Walt Disney Organization to NASA. Some of his recent speaking engagements include the 2012 Southwest Gas Association Conference, the 2011 Consumer Goods Technology Business & Technology Leadership Conference, and the 2011 Multi-Unit Franchise Conference Las Vegas.
Hosted by Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Outcast, this exclusive, invitation-only technology event will focus on the emergence of Digital Media and its implications on consumer marketing and behaviors. Industry expert led sessions will cover digital media outlook and trends, best practices from retailers, loyalty program integration and more.
"We are thrilled to announce Jim Carroll as keynote speaker for our Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit," said Mike Schulte, President of Gilbarco Veeder-Root North America. "With his unique storytelling approach Jim will challenge our retailers to think about their business and industry in an unconventional way and help them link future trends to innovation."
"I'm excited to participate in the Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit," said Jim Carroll. "It's a changing time for the convenience store industry and for retail more broadly. There is so much opportunity to innovate -- be it in operations, partnership structures, forecourt merchandising or taking advantage of the rapid evolution of mobile payment technologies. I'll challenge attendees to concentrate on the core activities that will help them focus on the opportunities of the future, rather than the challenges of the past."
Gilbarco encourages retailers interested in attending the Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit to contact their Gilbarco Sales representative for more information or email the conference organizers.
About Gilbarco Veeder-RootGilbarco Veeder-Root is the worldwide technology leader for retail and commercial fueling operations. We offer the broadest range of integrated solutions from the forecourt to the convenience store and head office. For almost 150 years, Gilbarco has earned the trust of its customers by providing long-term partnership, uncompromising support and proven reliability. In fact, we help manage the business and maximize the bottom lines for 19 of the top 20 convenience store operators in the U.S. Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Technology with a human touch.
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Gilbarco Announces Jim Carroll as Keynote at Upcoming Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit
Acclaimed futurist, energy forecaster and best-selling author Jack Uldrich has been selected to deliver a keynote presentation on the future of natural gas to the Southern California Gas Company. Uldrich will review major industry trends, including potential new sources and uses for natural gas; the role of new technologies in the distribution and transportation of natural gas; the effect of new ...
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Energy Futurist Jack Uldrich to Discuss the Future of Natural Gas
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29-05-2012 21:59 Monday, May 29: Alex reports from the road as the Infowars team moves toward Chantilly, Virginia, where the globalist power-brokers will meet for Bilderberg 2012. Alex covers the latest news, including the plan by central bankers to keep Greece mired in economic depression, Romney's promise to continue stacking up unpunished war crimes and engage in economic sabotage now presided over by Obama, and the US military threatening to unleash military force against Syria. [Check out Alex's New Social Network-'Planet Infowars'
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30-05-2012 13:23 Medal of Freedom recipient John Glenn is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States Senator. In 1962, he was the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Glenn was elected to the US Senate in Ohio in 1974. He was an architect and sponsor of the 1978 Nonproliferation Act and served as Chairman of the Senate Government Affairs committee from 1987 until 1995. In 1998, Glenn became the oldest person to visit space at the age of 77. He retired from the Senate in 1999. Glenn is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
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TORONTO, May 30, 2012 /CNW/ - PEN Canada today voiced further concerns that Bill 78, passed two weeks ago by the Quebec National Assembly, constitutes a serious threat to freedom of expression. Its vague and dangerously overbroad provisions can easily be interpreted in ways that constrain and discourage legitimate collective action and civil protest.
"The whole Bill looks thrown together," said Charlie Foran, president of PEN Canada. "Its penalties are draconian and disproportionate, designed more to stifle free expression than protect public order. The reported mass arrests in Quebec suggest that the authorities have been given too much latitude to interpret and enforce this new law. Legislatively, it's the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
PEN believes the Bill's prior notification requirements for demonstrations (section 16) are unreasonable and ill-suited to the realities of modern protest. Imposing penalties on organizers who fail to notify authorities "not less than eight hours before the beginning of the demonstration" would, if enforced, rule out all but the most premeditated forms of civic action. The uncertain phrasing of section 30, which may, on its face, make it illegal to attend demonstrations that violate the provisions of section 16, also exposes individuals who attend these gatherings to fines of up to $5000 per day, or more in certain circumstances. In general, the fines provided for breach of the Bill's provisions are grossly excessive. Taken together, these measures are easily abused by authorities and likely to result in a serious chill on freedom of expression.
Philip Slayton, Chair of PEN Canada's National Affairs Committee, described the bill as "poorly drafted and too easily open to interpretations that permitunreasonable limitations on freedom of expression. As it stands, the situations in which the Bill's penalties could be brought to bear on individual protesters are so vague and open-ended that they can be used to deter demonstrations that should be perfectly acceptable in a free and democratic society."
PEN Canada fights censorship and defends the right to freedom of expression.
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Why did Bob Dylan look so strained during the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House Tuesday? Perhaps because his musical insurgency was being memorialized.
President Obama awarded Bob Dylan the coveted Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday. Twelve other deserving Americans got the medals, too as we wrote yesterday, US presidents can give them to anyone they want. But were focusing on Dylan today because he seems to have attracted the most attention of the awardees and because theres something about his prize we believe has been overlooked.
No, its not the sunglasses he wore to the ceremony. Lots of folks have commented on those. Nor is it his overall demeanor. Well agree he seemed uncomfortable, like a boy forced to wear a suit and stand up in front of strangers, if that boy were over 70 years old and had written more immortal songs than anyone alive in the US today.
Its this: Bob Dylan is the first rock and roll star to win the Medal of Freedom. Ever. As far as we can tell.
We admit were creating some arbitrary definitions here so that we can make this statement. First, is Mr. Dylan a rocker, per se? He started as a folkie, went electric, and now has settled into a kind of bard-like phrase, where he reinterprets old blues tunes and Confederate poems and things like that. What he really is, is a musical magpie.
There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music, said Mr. Obama, when hanging the medal around Dylans neck.
Anyway, Rolling Stone magazine called Dylan a rock and roll pioneer in their story on the award. Thats good enough for us. Even if its a publication whose name came from a Dylan song.
Second, were labeling B.B. King a blues guitarist. Bill Clinton awarded Mr. King a Medal of Freedom in 2006.
Yes, King is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But his nickname is King of the Blues, so thats what were going with. Mr. Clinton also gave Aretha Franklin the award, in 2005, but we feel safe in saying shes not rocker either.
After them, the popular musicians who have won the Presidential Medal of Freedom are mostly from eras past. They are singers such as Frank Sinatra (1985) and bandleaders such as Count Basie (1985). Presidents have also bestowed the award on many classical musicians, such as Pablo Casals (1963) and Van Cliburn (2003).
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Bob Dylan awarded Medal of Freedom. What does that say about US? (+video)
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Part-nationalized Royal Bank of Scotland said it needed freedom to execute a five-year recovery plan without excessive interference and vowed to restore dividend payments to help pave the way for a sale of the government's stake. A row flared up earlier this year with some politicians attacking the bonus proposed for Chief Executive Stephen Hester, prompting criticism from ...
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The Judicial Committee of the General Assembly met Tuesday afternoon to discuss compensation for victims of North Carolinas Eugenics Board.
In 1933 the state legislature officially authorized the practice of sterilization via the Eugenics Board of North Carolina. The board actively sanctioned the forced sterilization of an estimated 7,600 people until 1977, when the program was shut down. According to Department of Administration records, many of these victims were African American and female.
In January, a task force of five members approved the recommendation to compensate affected families with a payment of $50,000. Gov. Bev Perdue allotted $10.3 million in her budget proposal to allow these payments. Tuesdays discussion of the Eugenics Compensation Program bill brought about mixed reactions to the payments, as well as more details on who qualifies to receive them.
Representative Larry Womble of Forsyth County, made a strong appeal when discussing the bill.
It is a bill that separates North Carolina from the rest of the world, Womble said. This is an auspicious time in North Carolina history.
In order to qualify for monetary compensation as stipulated by the bill, sterilizations must have been court-ordered. In addition, families of victims who were alive as of March 1, 2010 can receive compensation on the deceaseds behalf.
Charmaine Fuller Cooper, executive director of the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation and graduate of N.C. States masters program in public administration, isnt convinced that monetary compensation is enough for every victim.
Some may need mental health services. Everyone has been affected differently, for some the money would be helpful, but then it becomes a question of how much, Fuller Cooper said.
According to Elaine Riddick, an outspoken victim of the Boards actions, the $50,000 doesnt cut it.
This is a huge smack in my familys face, Riddick said.
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Parents have a pretty tough job. Parents who are also drivers have it even tougher. They have to keep an eye on the kids in the backseat who are just waiting for an opportunity to kill each other, while keeping two eyes on the road so that the whole family doesn't die in a fiery crash. That's three eyes that they need, but most only have two. Forget texting, a shouting toddler is the ultimate driver distraction.
Infiniti's 2013 JX35 steps up to the plate with an array of driver aid technologies that help to keep a digital eye on the road and the cars around to help parents in those vital seconds when they need to glance away to tend to their kid. The system can even intervene on the driver's behalf, acting like a sort of force field, keeping the vehicle away from what could end up being minor fender benders.
The JX can't drive itself (yet), so you'll still need to pay attention to the world on the other side of the windshield, but thankfully the seven-passenger vehicle is also available with an array of entertainment options (including a pair of rear monitors) to keep those kids distracted so that the poor parent behind the wheel can concentrate more on the road.
The gas pedal that pushes back I've never seen a seven-passenger SUV or crossover that boasts great driving chops. That's probably because the kind of people who need space for five kids probably don't care about cornering or stoplight drag races, which is understandable.
The 2013 Infiniti JX35 doesn't break this mold. Under the hood is Nissan/Infiniti's workhorse 3.5-liter V-6 engine. It's not a particularly high-tech engine, lacking any turbocharging or direct-injection technology, but it is reliable -- finding its way under the hood of everything from the Nissan Altima to the Infiniti EX35 to the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. This time around, the V-6 sends 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that isn't doing it any favors in terms of responsiveness. Our JX was a front-wheel-drive model, but an all-wheel-drive system is available at an additional cost.
In an Altima Coupe, 265 horsepower can be fun, but in the 4,280-pound JX, it's merely adequate. Furthermore, it's pretty much impossible to hustle in the JX. Apply half-throttle and you'll get decidedly "meh" forward thrust. Floor the pedal, and you'll pretty much get the same. She's only going to go as fast as she's going to go.
A manual shift mode lets the driver grab a lower gear for a bit more responsiveness when it's time to pass and a Sport Drive mode adds an almost imperceptible bit of edge, but usually the CVT's hesitancy about venturing into the upper reaches of the tachometer keeps the power under lock and key. I wasn't able to drive the AWD version, but I can only imagine that it's even slower. Unless you live in an area that gets snow or deluges of rain, I'd skip that option until a stouter engine is available. (JX50S, anyone?)
The drive mode selector gives drivers control over the vehicle's throttle response and activates the Eco Pedal system.
So, you're not going fast in the Standard or Sport modes. How about twisting the Drive Selector to the Eco mode to see if you can get some fuel efficiency out of the deal? Here's where things get interesting. The standard JX model's Eco mode behaves largely as expected: the throttle response is retarded to discourage heavy-footed antics. However, on models equipped with the Driver Assistance Package gain the ability to activate what Infiniti calls the Eco Pedal. This active pedal provides force feedback to encourage more efficient driving. For example, when pulling away from a traffic light, you may meet resistance in pushing the pedal beyond a certain point or you may feel the pedal push back slightly if you try to floor it.
Of course, the driver is always under complete control and its easy to simple press past the resistance in situations where you actually need the full grunt of the engine. The Eco Mode and Eco Pedal combo is a great set of tools for training yourself to maximize the fuel economy of the big JX -- much better and much less distracting than watching an Eco light in the dashboard. You may be surprised to learn how little pedal input you need to, for example, maintain a highway cruising speed. This small bit of feedback and the tiny behavioral changes it encourages can lead to small but significant gains in your real-world fuel economy.
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A new eco-friendly lighting system on the Tower Bridge of London illuminates the structure with colours ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Photo courtesy: AFP
A new eco-friendly lighting system on the Tower Bridge of London illuminates the structure with colours ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Photo courtesy: AFP
A new eco-friendly lighting system on the Tower Bridge of London illuminates the structure with colours ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Photo courtesy: AFP
A new eco-friendly lighting system on the Tower Bridge of London illuminates the structure with colours ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Photo courtesy: AFP
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Apopka, FL (PRWEB) May 31, 2012
Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. (AES) announced today that their next Aquaponics Technology and Design Workshop will be held October 2 6, 2012 near Orlando, FL. As with the previous workshop, held in March of 2012, the AES staff will be joined by Father of Aquaponics, Dr. James Rakocy, famed Australian aquaponics expert, Dr. Wilson Lennard and special guest Dr. Fred Petitt of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
The October 2012 workshop will feature daily lectures, hands-on instruction, tours of the AES Aquaponics System and Green Sky Growers which is owned and operated by AES and a behind the scenes tour of The Land at Epcot. The AES Aquaponic System, constructed behind Aquatic Eco-Systems 130,000 sq. ft. facility in Apopka, FL, is a variation of Dr. Rakocys world-renowned UVI Aquaponic System.
In a statement about the AES workshop, Dr. Rakocy said, "Teaching at the aquaponics course sponsored by Aquatic Eco-Systems (AES) was a real treat for me because AES employees have an incredible depth of experience and knowledge that they share with their students as they guide them through all phases of constructing and operating an aquaponic system to establish a successful hobby or business."
Dr. Lennard added, I do workshops with Aquatic Eco-Systems because I believe they have the right attitude toward teaching aquaponics. This industry needs to begin to adopt scientific and engineering based principles to be able to advance. Aquatic Eco-Systems have been in the business for a long time now and bring this attitude to everything they do, including aquaponics. Because I base my approach to aquaponics on these principles, Aquatic Eco-Systems are the only company I trust to work with and fully represent what I believe in."
It is with great excitement that AES will hold another aquaponics workshop aimed at preparing attendees to actually practice what they learn during the 4.5-day course. Attendees will gain practical knowledge and an understanding for how aquaponics will actually work in their lives and the lives of others from some of the most recognized and respected names in the industry. Included in the workshop materials is a comprehensive manual which features a full list of parts and materials needed to construct the AES Aquaponics System. Also provided to each workshop attendee is a CAD drawing of the AES system, which is scalable to fit the area in which they plan to construct their system.
Other workshop extras include face time and Q&A with the presenters and AES staff as well as a CD of the PowerPoint presentations.
A sentiment shared by many, one Spring 2012 workshop attendee offered this testimonial, "This workshop was great! It was very professional and well organized. Presenters were very informative, the meals were great and the AES staff was awesome in every way. This far exceeded my expectations."
Registration is now open for the Fall 2012 workshop. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the early registration rate.
About our expert presenters: About Dr. James Rakocy: Known as the "Father of Aquaponics," James Rakocy obtained his PhD in aquaculture from Auburn University in 1980. Dr. Rakocy was formerly the Director of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Agricultural Experiment Station and a Research Professor of Aquaculture. He has since retired, but his research at UVI concentrated on the development of production systems for tilapia that conserve and reuse water and recycle nutrients. During his time at UVI, Dr. Rakocy and his colleagues developed aquaponic and biofloc systems, which intensify production and utilize dissolved nutrients for hydroponic vegetable production and solid organic waste for the production of field crops. Dr. Rakocy now lives in Thailand and travels the world teaching the principles of Aquaponics.
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According to Heal the Bay, four of Californias most polluted beaches in 2011-12 are in Malibu. Two other local received perfect grades.
By Carly Erickson / Assistant Editor
Environmental group Heal the Bay released its 22nd Annual Beach Report Card last Thursday, and it was not kind to Malibu. Four Malibu beaches made the Beach Bummer list, a tally of the most polluted beaches in California. While the majority of Los Angeles county beaches saw improvement from last years report, some Malibu beach grades dropped.
In the 2010-2011 report, all Malibu beaches escaped the Beach Bummer List. This year, Puerco Beach at Marie Canyon, Surfrider Beach, Solstice Canyon Beach and Escondido Beach were all given F grades and placed on the Beach Bummer list. Topanga State Beach just south of Malibu also made the list this year and last year.
If you look at last years grades, those same beaches were still problematic, Heal the Bay water quality director Kirsten James told The Malibu Times.
James explained that in terms of the list of every beach in the state, some rise and drop out of the top 10 from year to year.
Theyre chronically impacted beaches, so this year they rose to the top in the state, James said. Were hopeful different measures moving forward can help quality at these beaches.
Not all Malibu beaches received failing grades. Two even made the reports Honor Roll. Encinal Canyon at El Matador State Beach and Las Flores State Beach received A+ grades.
Also on the positive side were Nicholas Beach, Walnut Creek, Puerco State Beach, Malibu Point, Big Rock, Pena Creek and Castlerock Beach, which all received As for their summer dry weather reading. Additionally, Leo Carrillo, Broad Beach, Paradise Cove and Carbon Beach received Bs.
Coming in the middle of the pack with C summer grades were Zuma Beach and the Latigo Canyon Creek Mouth. Little Dume received a D for its dry summer reading.
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See what beaches made the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium & the Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center's annual list of New Jersey's Top 10 Beaches. Photo Credit: Kayleen Kane
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Much-needed sand is piling up on Oceanside beaches this week as the Army Corps of Engineers wraps up its annual dredging of the city harbor.
Enough sand was pulled out of the harbor this year to spread on the beach as far south as a playground near the Oceanside Municipal Pier.
That's a big improvement over last year, when winter storms had so eroded the beach that all of the harbor sand had to go to build up the portion of the beach north of the pier.
In all, more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand will be taken from the harbor for beach renourishment, harbor and beaches director Frank Quan said.
As part of the dredging, the Army Corps removed a sandbar that had built up at the mouth of the harbor, creating a hazard to boaters who had to fight their way through rough surf that was churned up as waves crashed over the sandbar.
"It's pretty much gone," Quan said.
In October, the Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners to be wary of the sandbar. An Army Corps of Engineers survey showed that the sandbar extended up to a third of the way across the harbor entrance, with water as shallow as 10 feet in some spots.
When the dredging is finished, Quan said the depth of the water will be 22 feet at the harbor entrance at zero tide, so boaters should have clear sailing entering and leaving the harbor.
Beachgoers should also notice a wider beach, with more room to spread out.
Even so, lifelong city resident John Daley said beach erosion "just seems to get worse each year, year after year."
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The Wonder of It All
The universe has been around for roughly 13.7 billion years, but it still holds many mysteries that continue to perplex astronomers to this day. Ranging from dark energy to cosmic rays to the uniqueness of our own solar system, there is no shortage of cosmic oddities.
The journal Science summarized some of the most bewildering questions being asked by leading astronomers today. In no particular order, here are eight of the most enduring mysteries in astronomy:
FIRST STOP: Dark Energy
Dark energy is thought to be the enigmatic force that is pulling the cosmos apart at ever-increasing speeds, and is used by astronomers to explain the universe's accelerated expansion.
This elusive force has yet to be directly detected, but dark energy is thought to make up roughly 73 percent of the universe.
NEXT STOP: Dark Matter
Dark matter is an invisible mass that is thought to make up about 23 percent of the universe. Dark matter has mass but cannot be seen, so scientists infer its presence based on the gravitational pull it exerts on regular matter.
Researchers remain curious about the properties of dark matter, such as whether it is icy cold as many theories predict, or if it is warmer.
NEXT UP: Missing Baryons
Dark energy and dark matter combine to occupy approximately 95 percent of the universe, with regular matter making up the remaining 5 percent. But, researchers have been puzzled to find that more than half of this regular matter is missing.
This missing matter is called baryonic matter, and it is composed of particles such as protons and electrons that make up majority of the mass of the universe's visible matter.
Some astrophysicists suspect that missing baryonic matter may be found between galaxies, in material known as warm-hot intergalactic medium, but the universe's missing baryons remain a hotly debated topic.
NEXT UP: Supernova Explosions
When massive stars run out of fuel, they end their lives in gigantic explosions called supernovas. These spectacular blasts are so bright they can briefly outshine entire galaxies.
Extensive research and modern technologies have illuminated many details about supernovas, but how these massive explosions occur is still a mystery.
Scientists are keen to understand the mechanics of these stellar blasts, including what happens inside a star before it ignites as a supernova.
NEXT UP: Re-ionization of the Universe
The broadly accepted Big Bang model for the origin of the universe states that the cosmos began as a hot, dense point approximately 13.7 billion years ago.
The early universe is thought to have been a dynamic place, and about 13 billion years ago, it underwent a so-called age of re-ionization. During this period, the universe's fog of hydrogen gas was clearing and becoming translucent to ultraviolet light for the first time.
Scientists have long been puzzled over what caused this re-ionization to occur.
NEXT UP: Cosmic Rays
Cosmic rays are highly energetic particles that flow into our solar system from deep in outer space, but the actual origin of these charged subatomic particles has perplexed astronomers for about a century.
The most energetic cosmic rays are extraordinarily strong, with energies up to 100 million times greater than particles that have been produced in manmade colliders. Over the years, astronomers have attempted to explain where cosmic rays originate before flowing into the solar system, but their source has proven to be an enduring astronomical mystery.
NEXT UP: Our Solar System
As alien planets around other stars are discovered, astronomers have tried to tackle and understand how our own solar system came to be.
The differences in the planets within our solar system have no easy explanation, and scientists are studying how planets are formed in hopes of better grasping the unique characteristics of our solar system.
This research could, in fact, get a boost from the hung for alien worlds, some astronomers have said, particularly if patterns arise in their observations of extrasolar planetary systems.
NEXT UP: The Sun's Corona
The sun's corona is its ultra-hot outer atmosphere, where temperatures can reach up to a staggering 10.8 million degrees Fahrenheit (6 million degrees Celsius).
Solar physicists have been puzzled by how the sun reheats its corona, but research points to a link between energy beneath the visible surface, and processes in the sun's magnetic field. But, the detailed mechanics behind coronal heating are still unknown.
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SAN ANGELO, Texas Angelo State University's Global Immersion Center will present three full-dome public astronomy shows during its summer 2012 schedule beginning June 7 in the Vincent Nursing-Physical Science Building, 2333 Vanderventer Ave.
Each Thursday through Aug. 2, "The Cowboy Astronomer" will run at 7 p.m., "MarsQuest" will run at 8 p.m., and "Oasis in Space" will run at 9 p.m. All shows are open to the public with admission prices of $3 for adults and $2 for children, active military and senior citizens. ASU students, faculty and staff are admitted free.
"The Cowboy Astronomer" features star tales and Native American legends combined with constellation identification, star-hopping and astronomy tidbits, all told from the viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer.
"MarsQuest" traces a centuries-long cultural and scientific fascination with Mars, weaving a narrative of what the planet means to humanity.
"Oasis in Space" takes audiences on a voyage through the universe, galaxy and solar system in search of water, a key ingredient for life on Earth.
For more information, call 325-942-2136 or visit angelo.edu/dept/physics/planetarium.php. A recording of the show schedule is available by calling 325-942-2188.
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