Sorry guys but it's been a long day and I've been crunching too many numbers and now my mind is just mush
I'm sending two metal working fluid samples out for testing, one is going to have an additive, the other is not.
* End result desired is a 170ppm mixture of a 2-part solution
* Fi
This optical illusion is so cool, you’ll swear you’ve just damaged your brain. From Michael Bach’s peerless collection.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Stephen Colbert is the twenty-first century Mister Wizard. He’s had guests on to talk about great experiments in physics and shock their fingers, addressed the thorny issue of species delimitation, reveled in microbes, and even screamed in horror at the sight of tongue-eating parasites. If you still doubt me, look at the list of videos at Colbert Nation tagged “science.”
What? You think science is a thing of the past on the show? Well, consider this: Sean Carroll of Cosmic Variance will be on March 3, and Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, will be on in the second week of March. Tune in.
There have been some reports of a possible meteorite in Mexico — here is one news report translated into English.
[UPDATE (16:00 Mountain Time): A new article is saying this may be a piece of space junk, specifically the remains of a Russian Cosmos 2421 satellite, re-entering. The reports of a crater may be wrong; I heard from someone who knows a reporter in the area (I know, this is uncredited and FOAF so take it with a grain of salt) that no crater has been found. Bear in mind the early report of a crater was totally without any citations at all; no picture, no witnesses, no names, nothing. So it's looking now that it was a bright fireball from space junk, but no actual impact -- but we don't have definitive answers yet. Again, I'll report more as I find it out.]
Reports are a bit sketchy right now, but apparently a bright flaming object was seen coming down about 100 miles northeast of Mexico City on Wednesday around 18:30 local time. There was a roar that was loud enough to shake buildings. Another news article is reporting a crater 30 meters in diameter was found.
At the moment this is all I know. It’s not clear if this was actually an impact event from a meteorite or some terrestrial event. In 2007 a small meteorite struck in Peru, causing a lot of confusion (with me at least!) over the source of the event; there was a lot of speculation before an actual meteorite impact was confirmed. Before that impact, it was not considered likely that a small meteorite could actually hit the ground fast enough to make a crater in the ten-meter size range (they slow down or break up high in the atmosphere), so the Peru event was a surprise. It’s still not completely understood how the meteoroid survived to hit the ground.
So it’s possible this Mexico event is a meteorite, but we don’t know yet. I’ll post more information as I find it.
Obama overhauls NASA's agenda in budget request, Washington Post
"Nearly half a century ago, President John F. Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon. Earlier this month, by killing NASA's Constellation program, President Obama essentially challenged the space agency to do something other than put a man back on the moon."
America's Long Journey Away From the Moon and Mars, Wall Street Journal
"As a longtime NASA booster, I couldn't help but feel a gut kick when the President's new budget meant the end of Constellation, a program commonly nicknamed "Return to Flight" and "Apollo on Steroids." To many of us, Constellation offered an end to the directionless Space Shuttle era and a return to the glory years of Apollo. As a historian, though, I knew at the program's announcement six years' ago that such an epic undertaking, back to the Moon and then onto Mars, would never happen."
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Huntsville's role "vital," but still not clear in new NASA budget, Huntsville Times
"Critics of the Obama space plan point out that setting up private companies, like Falcon rocket-maker SpaceX, duplicates what NASA can already do and sets space exploration plans back. "I think the problem here is that the private sector doesn't really know what 'private space' means," said Steve Cook, vice president for space systems at Huntsville-based Dynetics and former Marshall Ares program manager. "Is it telecommunications? Is it launch vehicles? Is it research and science? All of those are functions and business models from established companies."
Keith's note: Hey Steve - in case you haven't noticed, you are in the 'private' sector now -- so, by definition, you don't know what is going on either!
I would like to know the procedure for testing the solubility of the metals lead, cadmium, barium, chromium and mercury.
I have an XRF device, but want to compare the levels from the two different methods.
I need information on the proper acid, time of submersion, and analysis aft
For the first time, the genome of an ancient man has been analyzed, providing clues about what humans were up to 4,000 years ago. As reported in Nature, Danish researchers were able to study the preserved swatch of a Greenlander’s hair that had been first excavated in 1986–suspected to have been discarded after a trim.
From just this small sample sealed in hair keratin, scientists obtained clues about the way he looked and his susceptibility to certain diseases. For example, they expect he had thick hair, brown eyes, dry earwax, and was at risk for baldness. By employing advanced DNA sequencing technology, the hair provides us a more revealing glimpse into our past than ever before possible. But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this research is that we have new evidence for a migration of ancient humans about 5,500 years ago from Siberia to Greenland. Check out the editor’s summary here and listen to the Nature Podcast for details.
I have a hunch we’ll be hearing a lot more about the DNA of much older humans very soon…
my old gateway gz7339 laptop xp
had been giving me intermitentint blue screen o death warning [too fast to read at start up]
finally wouldn't restart anymore, so I finally gave in & tried to do a full on destructive restore
I can get to bios
I
we want to make automatic gear changing racing cycle then how to fit centrifugal governer in racing gear cycle please help me.
Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com
The 13th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival was my first birding festival. I attended the full week and my daily schedule was packed with classes, field trips, keynote presentations, and daily visits to the exhibit room to meet vendors and meet birders. The whole experience exceeded my expectations.
The [...]
Permissions in a UNIX environment cause a lot of customer issues. While everyone understands the value of secure systems and limited access, any time an “access denied” message pops up, the most common knee-jerk reaction is to enable full access to one’s files (chmod 777, as I’ll explain later). This is a BAD IDEA. Open permissions are a hacker’s dream come true. An open permission setting might have been a temporary measure, but more often than not, the permissions are left in place, and the files remain vulnerable.
To better understand how to use permissions, let’s take a step back and get a quick refresher on key components.
You’ll need to remember the three permission types:
r w x: r = read; w = write; x = execute
And the three types of access they can be applied to:
u g o: u = user; g = group; o = other
Permissions are usually displayed in one of two ways – either with letters (rwxrwxrwx) or numbers (777). When the permissions are declared with letters, you should look at it as three sets of three characters. The first set applies to the user, the second applies to the group, and the third applies to other (everyone else). If a file is readable only by the user and cannot be written to or executed by anyone, its permission level would be r--------. If it could be read by anyone but could only be writeable by the user and the group, its permission level would be rw-rw-r--.
The numeric form of chmod uses bits to represent permission levels. Read access is marked by 4 bits, write is 2, and execute is 1. When you want a file to have read and write access, you just add the permission bits: 4 + 2 = 6. When you want a file to have read, write and execute access, you’ll have 4 + 2 + 1, or 7. You’d then apply that numerical permission to a file in the same order as above: user, group, other. If we used the example from the last sentence in the previous paragraph, a file that could be read by anyone, but could only be writeable by the user and the group, would have a numeric permission level of 664 (user: 6, group: 6, other: 4).
Now the “chmod 777” I referenced above should make a little more sense: All users are given all permissions (4 + 2 + 1 = 7).
Understanding these components, applying permissions is pretty straightforward with the use of the chmod command. If you want a user (u) to write and execute a file (wx) but not read it (r), you’d use something like this:
In the above terminal image, I added the -v parameter to make it “verbose,” so it displays the related output or results of the command. The permissions set by the command are shown by the number 0300 and the series (-wx------). Nobody but the user can write or execute this file, and as of now, the user can’t even read the file. If you were curious about the leading 0 in “0300,” it simply means that you’re viewing an octal output, so for our purposes, it can be ignored entirely.
In that command, we’re removing the read permission from the user (hence the minus sign between u and r), and we’re giving the user write and execute permissions with the plus sign between u and wx. Want to alter the group or other permissions as well? It works exactly the same way: g+,g-,o+,o- … Getting the idea? chmod permissions can be set with the letter-based commands (u+r,u-w) or with their numeric equivalents (eg. 400 or 644), whichever floats your boat.
chmod Referencechmod 777 | Gives specified file read, write and execute permissions (rwx) to ALL userschmod 666 | Allows for read and write privileges (rw) to ALL userschmod 555 | Gives read and execute permissions (rx) to ALL userschmod 444 | Gives read permissions (r) to ALL userschmod 333 | Gives write and execute permissions (wx) to ALL userschmod 222 | Gives write privileges (w) to ALL userschmod 111 | Gives execute privileges (x) to ALL userschmod 000 | Last but not least, gives permissions to NO ONE (Careful!)
To see what your current file permissions are in a given directory, execute the ls –l command. This returns a list of the current directory including the permissions, the group it’s in, the size and the last date the file was modified. The output of ls –l looks like this:
On the left side of that image, you’ll see the permissions in the rwx format. When the permission begins with the “d” character, it means that object is a directory. When the permission starts with a dash (-), it is a file.
Let’s look at a few examples and work backward to apply what we’ve learned:
-rw-------drwxr-x----rwxr-xr-xIn Example 1, the file is not a directory, the user that owns this particular object has read and write permissions, and when the group and other fields are filled with dashes, we know that their permissions are set to 0, so they have no access. In this case, only the user who owns this object can do anything with it. We’ll cover “ownership” in a future blog, but if you’re antsy to learn right now, you can turn to the all-knowing Google.
In Example 2, the permissions are set on a directory. The user has read, write and execute permissions, the group has read and execute permissions, and anything/anyone besides user or group is restricted from access.
For Example 3, put yourself to the test. What access is represented by “-rwxr-xr-x”? The answer is included at the bottom of this post.
How was that for a crash course in Unix environment permissions? Of course there’s more to it, but this will at least make you think about what kind of access you’re granting to your files. Armed with this knowledge, you can create the most secure server environment.
Here are a few useful links you may want to peruse at your own convenience to learn more:
Linuxforums.org
Zzee.com
Comptechdoc.org
Permissions Calculator
Did I miss anything? Did I make a blatantly ridiculous mistake? Did I use “their” when I should have used “they’re”??!!… Let me know about it. Shoot me an email (rrobson @ theplanet.com) or leave a comment if you’ve got anything to add, suggest, subtract, quantize, theorize, ponderize, etc. Think your useful links are better than my useful links? Throw those at me too, and we’ll toss ‘em up here. I hope this helps make at least one or two confused sysadmin’s first foray into the Unix dimension just a little bit easier.
- Ryan
Every scientist who writes a popular-level book harbors a secret (or maybe not-so-secret) ambition: to be invited on the Colbert Report. Not only because Stephen Colbert is a funny guy, and it’s a good way to sell books — although there is that. The truth is that Colbert (and the Daily Show) love talking to scientists. The sad part of that truth is that more people are exposed to real scientists doing cutting-edge research by watching Comedy Central than by watching, shall we say, certain channels you might have thought more appropriate venues for such conversations. But the happy part is that Colbert and Jon Stewart help bring some fun to science, and expose it to an audience it might not otherwise reach.
So, mark your calendars: I’m going to be on Colbert on Wednesday, March 3. (Scheduled to be, anyway — updates as events warrant.) I have a book to sell, not that I would have turned down the opportunity otherwise.
The precedents are pretty formidable — below the fold I’ve put some of Colbert’s recent interviews with some famous physics/astronomy types. Two things seem immediately obvious: (1) for scientists, these folks are very good at doing entertaining interviews, and (2) Stephen Colbert is an amazingly good interviewer, managing to mix topical jokes and his usual schtick with some really good questions, and more than a bit of real background knowledge. I think this is going to take some preparation.
Anyone want to venture some guesses as to what questions he might ask? Every little bit of anticipation helps.
(Note on above link to the Onion: “Punkin Chunkin,” “Manhunter,” and “Heavy Metal Taskforce” are all real Science Channel shows. “Extreme Gravity” is, as far as I can tell, not.)
Brian Greene
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Janna Levin
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Mark Devlin
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Lisa Randall
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Brian Cox
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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George Johnson
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| George Johnson | ||||
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Neil deGrasse Tyson
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Neil deGrasse Tyson | ||||
| http://www.colbertnation.com | ||||
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The Iranian government announced yesterday that Google’s email service, Gmail, will be permanently shut down in the country, and will be replaced by a new state-run email service.
The announcement from the Iranian telecommunications agency came on the eve of the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic, when anti-government protesters were expected to take to the streets. Less than a year ago, thousands of protesters came out in huge rallies protesting the disputed June presidential election. The protests plunged Iran into its biggest internal crisis since the victory of Islamic revolution in 1979 which toppled the Shah [Reuters]. The opposition rallies were watched across the world on YouTube videos, and protesters not only blogged about the events but were also very vocal on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Tehran insists locking down Gmail is meant to boost local development of Internet technology and to build trust between people and the government [Wall Street Journal]. Meanwhile, Google confirmed a sharp drop in traffic in Iran and announced that many Iranians appeared to be having trouble accessing Gmail. The company added that Google strongly believes that people everywhere should be able to communicate freely online.
Internet experts have warned that Tehran’s latest move is yet another attempt to manipulate the flow of information within the country. The government already has control over Iranian TV, radio and newspapers. Richard Stiennon, founder of the Internet security firm IT-Harvest, said, “If the government can induce the population to use a state-controlled email service, it would have access to the content of all of those emails” [Wall Street Journal].
Tehran’s blocking of Gmail is yet another blow to the Internet giant’s global ambitions–Google recently announced that it will pull out of China after a cyber attack and concerns over censorship. The current suspension of services in Iran also pulls Google into a discussion about online freedom; Internet experts now wonder if Google will try to find new ways to make its services available in places where it is banned.
Iran’s move has also drawn concerns that Venezuela might take a cue from the authoritarian regime and be the next country to ban Gmail. President [Hugo] Chavez continues to crack down on the [opposition] protests, announcing that anyone using Twitter was guilty of an act of terrorism against the government [ZDNet].
Related Content:
80beats: The Tweets Heard Round the World: Twitter Spreads Word of Iranian Protests
80beats: Google to China: No More Internet Censorship, or We Leave
80beats: Is Google the Guardian Angel of Rainforests?
80beats: Googlefest Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: 3 New Ways Google Will Take Over Your Life
80beats: China’s Internet Users Force Government to Back Down on Censorship
Image: Flickr/ Manfrys
Have you seen this man? Probably not: He lived 4,000 years ago.
The image to the left is not a wanted poster, but rather an artist’s impression of Inuk, the name given to him by the scientists who sequenced his genome. It’s the first time the genetic code of an ancient human has been deciphered this completely, and the researchers published their results this week in Nature.
Inuk died on an island off Greenland called Qeqertasussuk. Researchers don’t know the cause of death, but they do know he left bits of hair and bone that the permafrost preserved. Scientists found the thick clumps of hair—which could be the remnants of a 4,000-year-old haircut—in the 1980s, and stored them in the National Museum of Denmark. Today’s DNA sequencing technology allowed them to look back in time at what he may have been like. Inuk’s genes reveal he was a fairly young man, robustly built to exist in a frigid climate, with A-positive blood, dark skin, brown eyes, and thick, black hair on a scalp genetically susceptible to baldness [San Francisco Chronicle].
And, as DISCOVER covered the last time ancient hair from Greenland was in the news, Inuk’s genome also injected a surprise into the contentious debate over which groups of early peoples migrated to the Americas, and when. Inuk’s people, the Saqqaq, are the first known humans to have lived in Greenland. The origins of the culture are hotly debated by scientists, though most believe the Saqqaq’s ancestors were migrants from neighbouring populations, such as the Na-Dene of North America or the Inuit of the New World Arctic [The Guardian]. Not so, say the Inuk researchers. They say he was more closely related to people of eastern Siberia. However, since the Bering land bridge was long gone by the time Inuk’s people split from the Siberians 5,500 years ago, the researchers suggest they may have moved via boat or winter ice first to Alaska, and then across the Arctic to Greenland.
Since Inuk seems to have had plenty of hair despite his genome containing the codes for baldness, the researchers propose that he died young. Ancient hair is hard to find, but when scientists do unearth samples, they’re extremely helpful. Unlike the DNA found in ancient skin or bone, genes housed in hair can be recovered relatively free of contamination from the genes of fungi or bacteria [National Geographic]. Thus, the Inuk team says it was able to accurately decode about 80 percent of his genome.
Related Content:
80beats: We May Soon Be Able To Clone Neanderthals. But Should We?
80beats: Was Europe Occupied By Cannibals 7,000 Years Ago?
80beats: Ancient Hair Reveals Origin of Early Greenlanders
80beats: A Woolly Mammoth Evolutionary Smackdown
Image: Nuka Godfredsen
Belleruth Naparstek on using imagery as a healing tool.
Beautiful Scotland
Surrounded by a landscape of soft blue water, golden sands and rocky coves, Mellon Udrigle is one of the most beautiful hidden beaches in Scotland. Normally, when people think of Scotland they think of green hillsides, historic castles, woolly sheep and snowcapped mountains. But something people tend to overlook is that Scotland is scattered with gorgeous beaches that are perfect for year-round vacations. With the unpredictable weather conditions in Scotland, it isn’t the ideal spot for constant sun-but these beaches are beautiful enough to look past the snow lining the sand in the winter.
Golden Beaches of Scotland
If you are someone who enjoys more than just laying on the beach, this is the perfect spot for extreme water sports, such as kayaking, wind surfing and sailing.
A Beautiful Day at the Beach
There are great lodging accommodations around the beach, but something to consider (which will be cheaper) is staying at the local campgrounds. Only accessible from a solitary road, Mellon Udrigle beach is the perfect spot to relax and truly enjoy the surrounding scenery of Scotland.
Lastly…
Whiskey-Scotland's Signature Drink
Are you looking to learn all about the Scots favorite drink? Make sure to take a tour at “The Scotch Whisky Experience” in Edinburgh to complete your stay in the UK!
Photos (in order of appearance):
Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com
The journey to Caladesi Island begins from Honeymoon Island. The shallow-draft pontoon boat transports passengers from the dock in Honeymoon Island State Park through the calm backwaters to the bay side of Caladesi, thick with mangroves, mullet, diving pelicans and graceful long-necked wading birds. The jovial bantering of the captain [...]
Out of the cold of NYC I flew down to the Continent of South America and warm Brazil. It is a huge country with a population of is 187 million people Portuguese is the main language whereas Spanish is spoken nearly all other countries in South America. Rio de Janeiro the former capital city was very hot and the beach was even hotter This is the land of the beautiful people and I fitted r
OK so Valparaiso failed to live up to our high expectations. Well we went to Santiago with fairly low expectations and were pleasantly surprised. First of all our hostel is gorgeous Los Amazonas on Vicuna McKenna. Around were lots of trees parks and restaurants. We did a Free Tour on our first day meeting in the Plaza de Armas in the historic centre. There were dozens of stunning bui
