Bitcoin Is Now Worth Nearly 3 Times More Than an Ounce of Gold … – CoinDesk

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More than five months after bitcoin and gold prices hit parity, bitcoin is now worth nearly three times as much as the more traditional store of value.

The price of bitcoin reached a new high above $3,400 during today's session, a figure that was more than $2,000 above the price of gold.At press time, the precious metalwas trading for $1,257 according to a spot exchange rate provided by Bloomberg.

Overall,it's the latest sign that the cryptocurrency asset class may be maturing in the eyes of an increasingly professional set of investors earlier today, the total value of all publicly traded cryptocurrencies set a new all-time high,rising above $117 billionfor the first time.

But while largely symbolic, the finding is notable given that bitcoin enthusiasts have long compared the digital asset to gold, arguing that it is a more effective store of value due to its digital and provably finite nature.

Still, it remains difficult to determine whether the two assets have any relationship in the market, with past attempts to draw a correlation largely coming up empty.

A CoinDesk report from July of last year found that, despite the fact they are both considered safe havens, there is hardly any similarity inmarket movements.

Gold bars image via Shutterstock

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. Have breaking news or a story tip to send to our journalists? Contact us at [emailprotected].

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Bitcoin Is Now Worth Nearly 3 Times More Than an Ounce of Gold ... - CoinDesk

Comets unable to mount another comeback in defeat to Scunthorpe Scorpions – Times & Star

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The Scorpions showed how dangerous they could be at Derwent Park when they snatched a point earlier this season, but Comets failed to heed that warning and found themselves 10 points down at home after seven heats for the second week in a row.

Even 13 points from returning skipper Craig Cook, back at Derwent Park for the first time since his British Grand Prix appearance, was not enough to give Comets a chance. The hosts were given a helping hand as Michael Palm Toft was excluded for missing the two minutes and replaced by Tero Aarnio in the opening heat.

Aarnio gated superbly to lead out of the first bend but Cook ducked inside him on the fourth turn, while Mason Campton got into trouble and slipped to the back in a shared first race.

The visiting No.6 got out in front again in the second heat, winning comfortably ahead of James Sarjeant as Josh Bailey capitalised when home guest Tom Woolley drifted wide for a Scunthorpe 4-2.

Ryan Douglas and Lewis Kerr blasted away from the tapes in heat three but Ty Proctor lined both up and picked them off by the end of the second lap, with Matt Williamson a distant last for another draw.

The visitors stretched their lead to four points as Josh Auty kept Thomas Jorgensen at arms length in heat four and Woolley struggled to keep pace with Bailey.

The away duo left Proctor and Williamson behind in heat five for a 5-1 which put Scunthorpe eight points up and piled the pressure on Cook and Campton to turn the meeting around in heat six.

The race was marred by disruption as Campton was disqualified for not being under power, with Sarjeant drafted in, then it was pulled back for an unsatisfactory start. Cook did the business with an easy win but it was Aarnio and Auty who followed him in second and third to keep the heat on the hosts.

It got worse in heat seven as Kerr battled to the front and Jorgensen couldnt close the gap, with Douglas fourth as Comets trailed by 10.

In a carbon copy of the Glasgow meeting, Campton took a tactical ride as one last throw of the dice for Workington, and he had his work cut out when Sarjeant was excluded for moving at the start and elected not to ride from 15 metres to keep Campton away from gate two.

The Australian got the start of his life and never looked back to wipe three points off the deficit, before Proctor raced to a win ahead of Aarnio and Auty for a draw which didnt really help Comets.

Cook was last to enter the first bend of heat 10 but led after the fourth to win, while Campton capitalised on Douglas falling as Comets pulled back another two points.

Jorgensen produced a performance out of the top drawer to foil Palm Toft at every turn in heat 11, although Sarjeant was last to keep Workington five points down.

A 4-2 thanks to Proctor and Sarjeant gave hope that another remarkable comeback could be on the cards, then heat 13 served up a classic as Cook and Palm Toft were virtually glued together for all four laps but the Comets captain eventually pipped his opposite number, with Jorgensen flying in third to put just one point between the two sides.

Douglas and Aaarnio combined for a 4-2 in heat 14, with Sarjeant splitting the pair, to leave Comets in need of a 5-1 in the final heat but it was the away side who gated on one.

Cook got by Kerr on the second lap but the Scorpion quickly took the place back and that was that as Comets suffered their second home loss in three meetings.

HEAT BY HEAT

Workington Comets 43

1. Craig Cook 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 = 13

2. Mason Campton 0, 6^, 1 = 7

3. Ty Proctor 3, 1, 3, 3, 0 = 10

4. Matt Williamson 0, 0, 0, 0 = 0

5. Thomas Jorgensen 2, 2, 3, 1 = 8

6. James Sarjeant 2, 0, X, 0, 1, 2 = 5

7. Tom Woolley 0, 0, 0 = 0

Scunthorpe Scorpions 50

1. Michael Palm Toft EF, 3, 2, 2, 3 = 10

2. Jake Allen 1*, 2*, 1*, 1* = 5+4

3. Lewis Kerr 1*, 3, 2, 2, 2* = 10+2

4. Ryan Douglas 2, 1, F, 3 = 6

5. Josh Auty 3, 1*, 1*, 0 = 5+2

6. Tero Aarnio 2, 3, 2, 2, 0, 1 = 10

7. Josh Bailey 1, 1, 2 = 4

HEAT BY HEAT

HEAT 1 Cook, Aarnio, Allen, Campton 63.2, 3-3

HEAT 2 Aarnio, Sarjeant, Bailey, Woolley 64.1, 2-4, 5-7

HEAT 3 Proctor, Douglas, Kerr, Williamson 64.1, 3-3, 8-10

HEAT 4 Auty, Jorgensen, Bailey, Woolley 63.6, 2-4, 10-14

HEAT 5 Palm Toft, Allen, Proctor, Williamson 64.5, 1-5, 11-19

HEAT 6 (RERUN X2) Cook, Aarnio, Auty, Sarjeant 63.3, 3-3, 14-22

HEAT 7 Kerr, Jorgensen, Douglas, Woolley 64.4, 2-4, 16-26

HEAT 8 (RERUN) Campton (tactical ride), Bailey, Allen, Sarjeant (excluded) 64.8, 6-3, 22-29

HEAT 9 Proctor, Aarnio, Auty, Williamson 64, 3-3, 25-32

HEAT 10 Cook, Kerr, Campton, Douglas (fell) 64, 4-2, 29-34

HEAT 11 Jorgensen, Palm Toft, Allen, Sarjeant 64.6, 3-3, 32-37

HEAT 12 (RERUN) Proctor, Kerr, Sarjeant, Aarnio 64.8, 4-2, 36-39

HEAT 13 Cook, Palm Toft, Jorgensen, Auty 64.6, 4-2, 40-41

HEAT 14 Douglas, Sarjeant, Aarnio, Williamson 65.8, 2-4, 42-45

HEAT 15 (RERUN) Palm Toft, Kerr, Cook, Proctor 64.5, 1-5, 43-50

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Comets unable to mount another comeback in defeat to Scunthorpe Scorpions - Times & Star

Comets take next step today in football prep – YourGV.com

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The Halifax County High School varsity and junior varsity football teams have completed the first step and will begin the second step in pre-season preparations today.

After having spent three days practicing in helmets, Comets players will add shoulder pads today, taking another step in the process of getting ready for the start of the new season.

Later this week, likely on Thursday, Comets players will don full pads and move into full-contact drills.

That will mean a little more added weight, a little more heat, and getting adjusted and acclimated to the weather, said Comets Head Coach Grayson Throckmorton.

We will be adding conditioning in small steps with that.

Throckmorton Friday night said his players finished the three days of practice clad in helmets on a good note.

The first three days Ive been pleased with the intensity the players have shown, and Im happy to be coaching these fellows, he remarked.

I see a lot of good things. I see some athletes that are going to win some ballgames.

In terms of the number of players on the practice field, Throckmorton said the number is holding right around 65 players.

Right now, its not bad for the first year, Throckmorton pointed out.

Its about what I had at the other established programs I have been at, with the exception of a couple of the bigger schools. Its not bad for the first year. If we can keep 60 or 65 this year, and next year add about 10 players, and the next year add 10 more, then we will have the numbers at the level we want for two teams. If we could get to 80 players, I think that would be optimum.

Throckmorton reiterated, as he had throughout last week, that his players are in the process of learning and executing very basic fundamental things on the practice field.

As far as how our listening and learning the Xs and Os, we are still progressing forward as planned, Throckmorton explained.

Were very happy with that. Were still very basic in taking care of the basic fundamentals. The core-group of kids that we have are really working hard together and are buying in, and Im pleased with that. Next week there will be more as far as branching out and adding on to that base tree trunk that we have.

Throckmorton noted that one area that he is pleased with is the defense.

Youve got to remember were only three days in, very fledgling, he pointed out.

Were taking care of the base things right now, our (pass) coverages, the areas that were supposed to cover. Weve got a solid background that we can now start building on.

The Comets coach said players are responding well to the new terminology being used on offense and defense. The process of teaching players the offensive system that will be used this season is also going well.

On offense, when I teach a certain type of block, I dont necessarily teach the play to the point where I break it down with each kid, Throckmorton explained.

I will teach the kid the types of blocks first, and when we put the play in, I merely look at the player and say okay, here you need to use this type of block. When I say that kind of block, say a reach block or a down block, it triggers exactly what theyre supposed to do. I tie it together that way, and a lot of other coaches do it that way.

That method is not a new method, but it is a different one.

Im not re-inventing the wheel, Throckmorton said, but it is kind of a different way of looking at things. The bottom line is this is an old-school way. Sometimes old school is outdated and things are done in another, different way. So, now, when you go back to the old school stuff, which I am, its new.

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Comets take next step today in football prep - YourGV.com

Fall 2017 Preview: Marionville Volleyball – Ozarks Sports Zone

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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Marionville Volleyball will have a new look with first-year head coach Taylor Aurentz taking over in 2017.

Aurentz, an Oklahoma native, is a Missouri State graduate and looking forward to implementing her own philosophy and standards on the Lady Comets program.

The biggest thing that can be expected from me is a set of high expectations and the kind of program girls can really begin to buy into starting at a young age, said Aurentz. I am here to build a lasting program that players and fans can look forward to every year.

And, the cupboard isnt bare for the Lady Comets.

Marionville went 25-7-1 last year and return three starters from that team. However, Aurentzs first challenge will be replacing departed seniors Kymra Kirby and Tori Brown; both players were All-Mid-Lakes selections in 2016.

Kirby will continue her career collegiately at Jefferson County CC.

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The class of 2017 had an incredible offense with three big hitters graduating, however this year they are being followed by a great class of defense, said Aurentz. Two senior defensive specialists will be picking up everything thrown our way and the sophomore and junior class is stepping up offensively to fill Kymbra and Toris shoes.

One of those looking to fill the leadership void is senior setter Tori LaSalle.

LaSalle is Marionvilles returning leader in assists and was an all-conference pick last year.

Tori LaSalle has hard work and leadership in her blood, and it shows on the court, said Aurentz. Working with a young, building team takes the right kind of leader and Toris consistency and level head is just that.

Junior Madylon Davis is the teams returning leader in kills and will likely shoulder a large amount of the offensive load for the Lady Comets.

Madylon will be alongside Tori as a team leader as a well-rounded player with consistent hits outside and team-leading serve receive, said Aurentz.

Morgan Barrickman will also return to start this season.

LaSalle and Davis will be counted on to help lead an inexperienced, but talented group of newcomers. Marionville could see several sophomores, in addition to juniors and seniors, playing major roles this year.

A trio of newcomers, Kaylee Neveln, Madysen Barber and Katie Stafford, will be the new front row representing the Comets, said Aurentz. The young powerhouses will be incredibly important in rebuilding the loss of the 2017 class. Alexus Buckert and Kelsie Grimm will also be important in consistent serve receive for this young team.

The Mid-Lakes wont do Marionville any favors.

For the Lady Comets to earn a conference championship theyll likely have to knock off Strafford and/or Fair Grove, who return two of the best players in all of Class 2 in Chloe Rear and Alana Findley, respectively.

With the powerhouse hitters in the Mid-Lakes conference, the team is going to have to continue to excel defensively, but more importantly have lower classman step up to assist with big swings, said Aurentz.

Marionville will open the 2017 season on Aug. 22 at home vs. Clever. The Lady Jays topped the Lady Comets in last years Class 2 District 10 championship.

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Fall 2017 Preview: Marionville Volleyball - Ozarks Sports Zone

NICE backs new treatment option for psoriasis – PharmaTimes

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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued draft guidelines backing NHS use of Almiralls Skilarence to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

The Institute is recommending the drugs use only in adults who have severe disease and have not responded to, or cannot take, other systemic non-biological treatments.

According to NICE, clinical trial results showed that Skilarence (dimethyl fumarate) improves severe psoriasis more than placebo but, when compared indirectly, is less effective than systemic biological therapies and apremilast (Celgenes Otezla).

The incremental cost effectiveness ratio for the drug followed by best supportive care compared with best supportive care alone was 23,115 per QALY gained, thus falling within the threshold for what is considered a cost-effective use of NHS resources in this setting.

Another condition of the recommendation is that treatment with Skilarence (dimethyl fumarate) is stopped at 16 weeks if the psoriasis if the response has not been adequate, defined a 75 percent reduction in the PASI score from when treatment started or a 50 precent reduction in the PASI score and a 5-point reduction in the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

It is estimated that 951,000 people in England have psoriasis, of whom about 90 percent have plaque psoriasis.

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NICE backs new treatment option for psoriasis - PharmaTimes

Saira Khan strips down to summer bikini to celebrate ‘stretchmarks, psoriasis and wobbly bits’ in empowering … – Mirror.co.uk

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Loose Women star Saira Khan was ready to show the world her perfect body while holidaying in Italy.

The 47-year-old TV star is enjoying a family break with her advertising agency executive husband Steve Hyde and their children Zacgariah and Amara.

The happy group have been soaking up the sun at Lake Garda - while Saira proudly decided to show off her jaw dropping bikini body.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the dark haired beauty posed against a white wall and said the recent Loose Women Body Positive initiative had given her the confidence to show off her figure.

"The @loosewomen#bodypositive #campaign has given me the confidence to appreciate my body and all it's flaws, she wrote.

"I have #stretchmarks#psoriasis #wobblybits, she continued.

"I don't compare myself to other women with long legs, flat tummies and perfect skin anymore and it does make for a happier holiday #loveyourself, the star added.

Fans flooded her comments section with words of encouragement - with one writing: "The thing about body flaws is only YOU see them. You look stunning!"

Meanwhile, fellow Loose Women star Stacey Solomon also took to social media to give a rousing confidence rally call of her own.

"You're all perfectly imperfect and unique and beautiful, the X Factor star said while posing in a white bikini.

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Saira Khan strips down to summer bikini to celebrate 'stretchmarks, psoriasis and wobbly bits' in empowering ... - Mirror.co.uk

Best in the world? Travel site sees a Savannah icon as must-see location – Savannah Morning News

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The world is taking notice of one Savannah icon.

MSN listed the most beautiful cemeteries to visit in the world with Savannahs own Bonaventure Cemetery making the list. There are only three cemeteries from the United States on the list (including Bonaventure) with Brooklyns Green-Wood and the Arlington National Cemetery also being listed alongside the Savannah staple.

According to the site, the cemetery is the typical southern United States cemetery, with its moss-covered angels and large trees. It also mentioned that the location became famous after being featured on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Other international cemeteries on the list include the St. Andrews Cathedral Cemetery in Scotland, the Pere-Lachaise in Paris, the Waverley Cemetery in Australia, and the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

To see the other cemeteries, visit MSN.

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Best in the world? Travel site sees a Savannah icon as must-see location - Savannah Morning News

Alibaba, Marriott Team Up to Serve Chinese Tourists Abroad – Fox Business

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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it would team up with U.S. hotel giant Marriott International Inc. to expand its online-travel footprint as more Chinese venture abroad.

Chinese consumers will be able to use Alibaba's travel-service website and app to book rooms in the more than 6,200 hotel properties world-wide that Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott operates under such names as Marriott, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Alibaba said Monday. They will also be able to use the same Alipay smartphone payment platform they use at home when they stay in Marriott properties abroad.

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba, based in Hangzhou, is expanding beyond traditional retail categories such as clothing into entertainment and travel bookings as the Chinese appetite for world travel rises in tandem with income.

Alibaba's latest tie-up throws a challenge to China's largest travel website, Ctrip.com International Ltd, which in November acquired U.K. travel search engine Skyscanner Ltd. In the past year Ctrip has also invested in three U.S. travel operators and an Indian tourist search website, seeking to position itself as the first choice online for Chinese traveling abroad.

China's online travel-sales market this year will be worth 584 billion yuan ($86.9 billion), up more than 20% from 2016, forecasts industry researcher Euromonitor International.

Write to Liza Lin at Liza.Lin@wsj.com

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August 07, 2017 07:14 ET (11:14 GMT)

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Alibaba, Marriott Team Up to Serve Chinese Tourists Abroad - Fox Business

Best Raspberry Pi cases: Protect your tiny supercomputer – Pocket-lint.com

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The Raspberry Pi is a marvel of modern computing. The English made device packs some seriously impressive specs onto a board and even gives you change from 40. But where costs have been saved is in protection.

If you don't have a case on your Raspberry Pi, then all the components are left in the open and susceptible to damage. Fortunately, there are loads of choices out there when it comes to adding a protective layer to your beloved super-ish computer.

We've scoured the web to find what we believe to be some of the best, for the Model B and Zero, taking into account price, looks and how well it actually looks after your Pi.

We'll continually update this feature whenever we come across anything new, so make sure to keep checking back.

See current price on Amazon UK / Amazon US

It's always best to start with the official case, not just for the Raspberry Pi, but for other electronics including mobile phones. You know they'll fit your device perfectly and they're usually of a high quality.

That's certainly the case for this official case, designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi Model 3 B. It gives you access to all the ports on your Pi Model 3 B and looks rather fetching in its red and white colour finish, complete with Raspberry Pi logo.

If you'd rather have something a little more sleek and that can camouflage itself amongst your sea of home entertainment kit, Raspberry Pi also make an all-black case, again only available for the Model 3 B.

See current price onAmazon UK/Amazon US

If you want to show off your Raspberry Pi, all while keeping it protected, this clear acrylic case is worth your consideration. Its makers say it's easy to put the 9 layers of acrylic sheeting together, using four bolts.

It's available in a range of colours, offers access to all the ports, and a supplied Micro USB cable has an on/off switch on it, so you can turn your Pi on and off with ease.

See current price on Amazon UK /Amazon US

If it's a clear case you're after, but you want to fit it to your Pi in a matter of seconds, SB Components' case could be your best bet. It's made up of two pieces of injection-moulded ABS that clip together quickly and easily. It's available in a range of colours, provides access to all ports and can be used with any version of the Model B.

See current price on Amazon UK

OneNineDesign's case is a little different to your 'regular' case. It's available either as a standalone case, or as a bundle with a touchscreen included. The touchscreen version will set you back 90, but you get a 7-inch, high-quality screen as part of the package.

There a number of operating systems available for the Pi which enable it to be run as a mini-computer, all of which can be controlled via the touchscreen.

See current price onAmazon UK

If it's serious protection you want for your Pi, GorillaPi wants to draw your attention to its tough black case. Compatible with all versions of the Model B, the GorllaPi case comprises two pieces of strengthened plastic, held together by four screws. Rest assured your Pi won't be able to move inside, while the rounded edges help to distribute any impact if you happen to drop it.

See current price on Amazon UK/Amazon US

Lego fans rejoice, for there is a case for your Pi designed to look like a large Lego brick. It's officially endorsed by Lego, so you know any bricks you have will attach to it. There are holes on the bottom so you can build a platform for your Pi, and studs on top for building on top. As we all know with Lego, the possibilities for the Pi-Blox case are only limited by your imagination.

See current price on Amazon UK/Amazon US

Let's not forget the Raspberry Pi Zero W. The Zero W has lower specs than the Model 3, but then it also costs a fraction of the price, in fact, it costs less than the official case! Raspberry Pi has adopted the same red and white colour finish as the Model 3 official case, and comes with three different lids. These either completely cover the Pi Zero, offer access to the GPIO, or the Pi Camera (sold separately).

See current price on Amazon UK/Amazon US

Pimoroni has produced its own case that's compatible with both the Pi Zero and Zero W. It features a clear acrylic top, leaving the main board visible to admire. There are cut outs for all the ports and best of all, it's made in the UK.

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ORNL Begins Construction of Summit Supercomputer – TOP500 News

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory has begun to install Summit, the IBM-NVIDIA-powered system that is likely to become the most powerful supercomputer in the world when completed.

The news comes courtesy of Oak Ridge Today, which reported that the first cabinets for Summit arrived last Monday (July 31). According to ORNL spokesperson Morgan McCorkle, once the crates are unpacked, they will begin installing the internal computational and networking components and hook them into the power and cooling infrastructure at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF).

Installation is expected to take six months of more, with the system expected to become generally available to scientific users by January 2019. However, select application developers at the Department of Energy and a handful of universities will get a crack at it well before that. McCorkle told TOP500 News that the pre-production Summit will be available via the Center for Accelerated Application Readiness, an early-access program designed to allow developers to port and optimize grand challenge codes for Summits new CPU-GPU architecture.

All of that suggests that the system may not be up and running until well into 2018, and will not turn up in the TOP500 list until next June. At that point, absent another surprise from China, it still has an excellent chance of unseating the current supercomputing champ, TaihuLight. That system has a peak performance of 125.4 petaflops and a Linpack result of 93 petaflops. Later this year, China is expected to deploy Tianhe-2a, a supercomputer expected to deliver around 100 petaflops, although, as we reported back in January, that number could rise in concert with Chinas ambition to own the number one spot.

Officially, Summit is expected to be 5 to 10 times as powerful as Titan, ORNLs current top system. Titan is currently ranked as number four on the TOP500, with a Linpack mark of 17.6 petaflops (from 27.1 peak petaflops). Given that Summit will be comprised of approximately 4,600 nodes, each containing six 7.5-teraflop NVIDIA V100 GPUs, and two IBM Power9 CPUs, its aggregate peak performance should be well north of 200 petaflops. The GPUs alone provide this level of performance.

Another possibility is that ORNL will run Linpack on a partially completed Summit in October or November, which at that point may be large enough to recapture the top supercomputing spot for the US. A possible glitch is that IBM has not officially launched its Power9 processor, and is not expected to do so until early 2018. But some number of chips will certainly be available before that, and, in fact, its unlikely that IBM would be shipping crates of Power9 servers to Oak Ridge without their CPUs.

Regardless of who is at the top of the supercomputing heap, Summit will be a unique resource for the DOE and its research community. Besides providing unprecedented amounts of computational capacity for traditional HPC applications, it will offer the largest platform in the world for deep learning workloads. Assuming the system is configured as advertised, it will deliver something like 3.3 exaflops of deep learning performance (mixed 16/32-bit precision math). Thats thanks to the Tensor Cores in the V100 GPUs, which were specifically bred to accelerate the type of matrix operations involved in this kind ofsoftware. As a result, Summit will be an exceptional resource for testing the limits of the neural networks models used for deep learning.

Summit is also the last stop on the way to exascale, at least for the gang at Oak Ridge. Given the cadence of supercomputer upgrades at the DOE, the next big deployment at ORNL will almost certainly be an exascale machine perhaps the first in the US. Whether that turns out to be a future implementation of Summits CPU-GPU architecture, or something else entirely, remains to be seen.

Image source:Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), distributed under Creative Commons license

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ORNL Begins Construction of Summit Supercomputer - TOP500 News

Scientists may have found a functional cure for type-1 diabetes – Engadget

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The treatment is specifically aimed at patients with high-risk type-1 diabetes. ViaCyte estimates that around 140,000 people in the US and Canada suffer from the condition, which can cause life-threatening events. The use of stem cells to replace pancreatic insulin cells has been tried before, but without much success. ViaCyte's approach shows promise because the stem cells can mature within the body itself through an implant the company calls PEC-Direct.

There has already been a round of clinical trials to test whether the stem cells could fully grow into the type of cells necessary to produce insulin -- called islet cells. That was a success. But the number of cells within the implants wasn't enough to actually treat the patients; it was solely to test whether the cells could, in fact, be grown. Now, in coordination with JDRF, an organization that funds type-1 diabetes research, ViaCyte has implanted PEC-Directs into two patients as a trial.

It's important to note that this isn't a full cure. It's what ViaCyte President and CEO Paul Laikind calls "a functional cure." It doesn't address and treat the specific causes of the condition. Additionally, patients using this treatment would be required to take immunosuppressive drugs to protect the created cells from the body's immune system, according to New Scientist. Regardless, it's great news for anyone with the condition, especially considering so many stem cell therapies have turned into predatory and useless treatments.

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Scientists may have found a functional cure for type-1 diabetes - Engadget

Does Spirituality Make You Happy? | Time.com – TIME

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The following story is excerpted from TIME's special edition, The Science of Happiness , which is available at Amazon .

Its right there, the first of the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha: Existence is suffering. If thats not your bag, you can turn to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, the preacher who said, I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells his disciples the parable of the rich man who built a prosperous life, only to hear from God, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Across the spectrum of organized religions, the message is clear: the observant should be prepared for their allotment of unhappiness in this mortal vale of tears and put their faith in a happier life to come.

Which should perhaps make it surprising that scientists have found, again and again, that those with a spiritual practice or who follow religious beliefs tend to be happier than those who dont. Study after study has found that religious people tend to be less depressed and less anxious than nonbelievers, better able to handle the vicissitudes of life than nonbelievers. A 2015 survey by researchers at the London School of Economics and the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that participating in a religious organization was the only social activity associated with sustained happinesseven more than volunteering for a charity, taking educational courses or participating in a political or community organization. Its as if a sense of spirituality and an active, social religious practice were an effective vaccine against the virus of unhappiness.

Ive experienced that phenomenon for myself. A few years ago, suffering a mix of anxiety and depressionor maybe just the toll of living too long in New York CityI made an appointment with a psychiatrist. I thought I might end up taking antidepressants, as more than 13% of Americans do. But before going down the drug route, my doctor prescribed something differenta morning meditation routine, to calm the kind of racing thoughts that can lead to a downward spiral.

Im not sure if it was the calming effects of steady, deep breathing. Or the mental training that comes with meditationfocusing on the present moment rather than getting caught up in regrets about the past or fears about the future. Or the fact that even though I was doing it alone, the app I used to time myself told me how many other people were meditating at the same time I was, making me feel a part of a community of people who also struggled to find that inner calm. Whatever it was, it worked.

It turns out my story is not unusual; a review published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that even small amounts of meditation training can help with anxiety, depression and pain. But that doesnt mean scientists know exactly why it works.

The same goes for the protective qualities of religious belief and spirituality. Some experts think that believing in a religion gives you a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life than a secular viewpoint alone does, and that can help carry you through the low periods and elevate the higher ones. It could be that belief in an afterlifesomething nearly all mainstream religions have in commoncan make you happier in this one, knowing that youre headed for something better. (This would be the opiate that Karl Marx believed religion offers to the oppressed masses.) Jesus told his faithful their reward is great in heaven, but that promise seems to pay off in the here and now as well.

Indeed, there appears to be something to the idea that faith makes us happier. And it appears that one of the main reasons is that theres strength in numbers.

Many religions proscribe vices that over time can damage health and, with it, happiness. For instance, Mormonswho arent allowed to smoke or to drink alcohol or caffeinetend to have much lower mortality rates than nonobservers, and much the same is true for abstaining Seventh-day Adventists, who follow vegetarian diets and dont drink. Thou shalt not may seem like a bummer, but scientists have come to understand that the abundance of possible decisions in a free, consumer-driven society can actually weigh us down. (It even has a term, popularized by Swarthmore College psychology professor Barry Schwartz: the paradox of choice.) Its possible that the strictures of religion can help relieve that burdenespecially if those strictures, and the religious community that enforces them, discourage unhealthy behaviors.

When it comes to religion and spirituality, it may not be what you believe or how you believe it that protects you from unhappiness so much as the fact that you believe at alland that you practice those beliefs with other people. Scientists have long known that having strong social ties is one of the greatest guarantors of happiness. Religion isnt the only social tie that bindsyou can join a volunteer group or a bowling league or the parent-teacher association, and youll likely be better off than you would be alone.

As anyone who grew up religious knows, though, theres something about ties of faith that make them particularly sticky. We can grow out of school ties or a hobby or an allegiance to a sports teamless so our faith. Religion derives from the Latin term religio , which means to bind together. Atomistic individuals are linked to familyfamily now and their ancestorsalong with friends and community and congregation. Its not for nothing that Jesus told some of the earliest Christians that where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.

Without that sense of community, religion may not be as strong a protector against unhappiness. In a survey of U.S. adults conducted in 2006 and 2007, researchers led by sociologist Chaeyoon Lim of the University of WisconsinMadison found that 33% of those who attended religious services every week and reported having close friends at church said they were extremely satisfied with their lives, while only 19% of those who went to church but had no close connections to the congregation reported the same satisfaction.

To me, the evidence substantiates that it is not really going to church and listening to sermons that makes people happier, Lim told TIME, but making church-based friends and building intimate social networks there.

In fact, its those who are suffering the most in this life who seem to benefit the most from the protective quality of religious community. In a 2011 paper that analyzed self-reports from hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, researchers found that the connection between religious faith and happiness was strongest among people living in difficult conditionsfear, poverty, hunger.

Think of it as scientific proof of the old saying that there are no atheists in the foxhole. When life is hard, the communal support of a religious communityand, presumably, the hope for something better to come in an entirely different worldis especially valuable, maybe even impossible to give up. That may be one reason religious community was so important to slave populations throughout history, from the ancient Israelites under the pharaohs boot in Egypt to African Americans trapped in the antebellum South. It may also be why even now in the U.S., states with lower life expectancies and higher poverty rates have the largest proportion of religious people. A rich man may find it harder to get into heaven than a camel does passing through the eye of a needle, but he may not think he needs to count on heaven in the first place.

In well-off but secular countries such as France and the Netherlands, both the religious and the nonreligious report about the same level of happiness and social support. In fact, Gallup data shows that some of the happiest nations in the worldNordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden, which perennially score high on well-beingare comparatively abundant in atheists. Being completely unreligiousand presumably not worrying much about any kind of afterlifedidnt seem to stop them from enjoying this life.

You dont need to be a Marxist to believe that materialism matters to happiness and that people who live in a safe and wealthy country are on the whole going to be happier than those who do not. (If religion provides a kind of existential security in poor countries, the welfare state may do the same in rich ones.) The comparatively low levels of inequality in those unreligious Nordic nations likely play a role too.

Studies also point to the fact that the protective social qualities of religion work best in societies where religion is widely practiced. In other words, its important to get right not just with God but with your fellow man. In a fairly religious country like the U.S., it makes sense that being religious would make you happieryoure with the majority, and studies have repeatedly shown that being in the minority is potentially stressful.

The opposite is true in a country such as the Netherlands, where atheism is widespread. There, a practicing religious person would be in the minority, and instead of that warm communality with your fellow believer, youd find yourself out of step. Those religious social ties are weakerand with them, the protective qualities of spirituality.

Another report, from the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that people living in an area with a higher density of co-religionists are more likely to participate in religious activities. Theres also a strong correlation between that religion density and positive economic outcomes, including higher incomes, lower rates of divorce and a higher likelihood of having a college degree. The value of religion depends in part on the cultural values behind it.

Of course, arent these concerns all a bit worldly for something that should be a matter of the spirit, not economic statistics?

The idea that happiness should be the goal of religion is a fairly recent one, and it would have been unrecognizable to the stern Protestants who landed on Plymouth Rock, who believed that the point of existence was the glorification of Godnot human happiness. Thats the past, though; today, many of the descendants of those flinty Protestants now preach the prosperity gospel, which explicitly links material success in this life to Gods grace. In this telling, religion doesnt just deliver communityit can deliver cold, hard cash.

And while the prosperity gospel may be an extreme version, other spiritual practices today explicitly teach happiness as a goal. One of the best-selling books written by the Dalai Lama is called The Art of Happiness. In it, the Buddhist leader describes why happiness is so important. Isnt a life based on seeking personal happiness by nature self-centered, even self-indulgent? he writes. Not necessarily. In fact, survey after survey has shown that it is unhappy people who tend to be most self-focused and are often socially withdrawn, brooding and even antagonistic.

Happiness in this worldview isnt just a possible by-product of religionits practically a duty. But maybe this isnt about religion so much as it is about those underlying cultural values. Howard Cutler, a psychiatrist who co-authored the book with the Dalai Lama, has said he suggested that it not open with the rather unhappy first Noble Truth that existence is suffering.

I began with the more positive states and made my way into how we all want to be happy but have to deal with suffering, Cutler told TIME. It was very American.

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Here I Stand- Part 7- Have Fun – Patheos (blog)

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This is the seventh installmentof a series of blog posts outliningprinciples of inner-reformation taken from the life of St. Francis and Martin Luther. This series was prepared as a series of talks for the Order of Lutheran Franciscans 2017 Retreat.

Inner Reformation Principle 6:Have Fun

The sixth and final principle of inner spiritual reformation is to always make room for fun.

If any two figures in Christian history knew the importance of lightheartedness and fun, it was Francis and Luther. Prior to his enlightenment, Francis was known for throwing lavish parties and having a good time with friends out on the town. Even after dedicating his life to the simple way of Jesus, he continued to embrace a lighthearted, carefree attitude as he engaged in life, eating, drinking, and enjoying the company of friends. Luther also came to this realization, and often was seen enjoying a pint or three at the local pub in his hometown of Wittenberg.

Both men realized that the greatest threat to spiritual growth and flourishing was to take oneself too seriously. After all, were talking about two men who dedicated to following in the path of the renegade rabbi from Nazareth who himself had a reputation for partying and having a good time. In this way, childish lightheartedness is important. It helps us to keep in perspective the reality that we are finite and that while we have much power and are cared for eternally by our Creator, we are none the less incapable of directing our own paths. We are invited to follow in the way of the untamable and wild Spirit, and hold everything loosely, allowing the mighty currents of Spirit to take us wherever they may lead.

This lack of control and humility naturally gives birth to humor and fun. When we are dead set on appeasing God, earning salvation, or saving ourselves, we end up in a path of anxiety, stress, and begrudery. Life is meant to be enjoyed and explored, and in the midst of the fun, our souls themselves will soar and stretch and grow.

The Indian Spiritual Teacher Osho writes:

God is always joking! Look at your own life it is a joke. Look at other peoples lives and you will find jokes and jokes and jokes. Seriousness is illness. Seriousness has nothing spiritual about it. Spirituality is laughter. Spirituality is joy. Spirituality is fun.

Isnt it interesting that the idea of living a spiritually disciplined life is often conceived of as an austeir, serious reality, when those who are most enlightened, most awakened, are often the most light hearted? Have you ever watched a video of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu together? They are constantly laughing, joking, and tickling each other. Jesus too told jokes and was known as a trickster. Luther drank and laughed regularly. And Francis never did cease to be the life of the party.

To be deeply spiritual, united to God, is to be one who can lean back fully into the flow of life and let the river take you wherever it desires, with your only task being to enjoy the ride. This is the beauty of true spirituality- it happens to us, for us, and through us. We dont have to do anything to make it happen. Only enjoy it.

This is the beauty and power of grace.

So make time this week for fun. Laugh a little. Tell stories. Let lose. Balance your silence with laughter, your seriousness with smiles. For when we live happier lives, we live healthier and more spiritually balanced lives.

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Here I Stand- Part 7- Have Fun - Patheos (blog)

Author Shares Lessons Learned in Four Minutes of Lifelessness – Benzinga

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Marshall Grayson reveals the spiritual journey he took in his moments of death

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) August 07, 2017

At 13-years old Marshall Grayson underwent open heart surgery, a common procedure that was met with a very uncommon result. While laid out on the table, Grayson's heart stopped beating for four minutes. He was legally declared dead, but what the doctor didn't know is that Grayson had never been more alive.

In those four minutes, Grayson experienced a spiritual awakening that imparted him with wisdom and understanding on the workings of the universe. Now, he brings to life a functional account of his spiritual journey in "It Is This I Am: The Inner Mentor."

In "It Is This I Am," Grayson shares the secrets to essence, a spiritual guide. It was essence that brought him to the knowledge that every individual is part of a collective whole moving towards God. Ignorance, hate and violence have spread because we negate to realize that each presence on Earth is part of a united spiritual body. Grayson supports his spiritual enlightenment with teachings from some of the world's most popular religions and uses the various theological texts in to solidify his philosophy.

"In those four minutes of lifelessness, it seemed as if I was more aware then I had ever been while conscious," Grayson said. "In that time, it seemed the everything, from the enormity of the universe to the nature of my very soul, was revealed to me. It Is This I Am takes you inside that time and shows what was exposed to me. That we are all part of a greater whole moving towards a greater good."

"It Is This I Am: The Inner Mentor" By Marshall Grayson ISBN: 9781512759624 (softcover) 9781512759631 (ebook) Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Balboa Press

About the author Marshall Grayson currently worked for the Los Angeles County Office of Education as a supervising credential technician. Look forward to upcoming retirement, he is focused on sharing the spiritual insights that were imparted to him at the age of 13, during an open-heart procedure that left him without a heartbeat for four minutes. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California. ###

Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Jacquelyn Brazzale 480 998 2600 x 569 jbrazzale(at)lavidge(dot)com

General Inquiries: LAVIDGE Phoenix Satara Williams 480-998-2600 x 586 swilliams(at)lavidge(dot)com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/08/prweb14568003.htm

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Author Shares Lessons Learned in Four Minutes of Lifelessness - Benzinga

Out of this world: Working on the International Space Station project – The Hub at Johns Hopkins

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By Sophia Porter

I stepped into the D.C. Metro station with a handful of people from the International Space Station Conference. Our conversation paused as we approached a mother struggling to balance a two-seat stroller on the escalator, her toddler son trailing behind. A man from my group offered his hand to the toddler and they rode down the escalator together. As I watched the mother ferry her children into the train car, it struck me that the boy would never know he'd been helped down an escalator by a man who had piloted a spacecraft.

Image caption: Sophia Porter meets astronaut Chris Cassidy in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building

Image credit: Sophia Porter

Interning in the International Space Station Division at NASA HQ, I frequently find myself wondering how such accomplished people can remain so humble. I shook hands with a man named Robert who turned out to be the billionaire founder of Bigelow Aerospace, and I sat in the back seat of the NASA director of astrophysics' car as we drove to a lab at the University of Maryland. Once, scanning the crowd at a conference, I noticed Buzz Aldrin had quietly taken a seat at the table next to mine.

As an intern, I have spent my time piecing together a report to Congress on the future of the Space Station. Part of my job is to summarize NASA Inspector General audits of the Space Station programa task, my coworkers joked, that was bound to send me running from the field of space exploration.

Certainly, the hundreds of pages of reports were notHarry Potter, but they tossed me neck-deep into the fascinating minutiae of the Station program. And, more than budgets, contracts, and operations, I began to see the grander story that it takes a villagetruly, thousands upon thousands of the sorts of people who sit at Mission Control in silence at 3:26 a.m. while the crew sleep 400 miles overheadto build the parts, design the experiments, and write the reports that keep Station thriving.

There is an unspoken acknowledgment here that space is a powerful motivator.

It's one of only a handful of bipartisan endeavors and one of the best-faring agencies amid heavy proposed federal budget cuts for 2018, and the air is thick with genuine camaraderie. No individual soaks up the limelight because space is not an individual pursuit.

Regardless of what's happening on the ground, on Station, 15 nations including the U.S., Russia, and Japan will forget their differences for the sake of joint exploration. Because of its modest air, the industry has a feeling of inclusivity. Its achievements are worldwide triumphs. Every contribution matters.

What a place to be an intern.

Sophia Porter is a member of the Johns Hopkins University Class of 2019. She is a physics and applied mathematics and statistics double major who is interning this summer for the International Space Station Division of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Have a story to share as part of the Hub's Summer Gigs series? Email Taylor Jade Powell to contribute.

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Out of this world: Working on the International Space Station project - The Hub at Johns Hopkins

International Space Station for August – Santa Barbara Edhat

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Source:Chuck McPartlin, ISS

The International Space Station is back for some early August Santa Barbara appearances. To get the latest predictions, visit Heavens Above.

On Monday, August 7, the ISS will rise in the NNW at9:54 PM, and pass low over our mountain horizon to disappear in the NNE at9:56 PM, entering Earths shadow just as it reaches the bent W of Cassiopeia.

The first passon Tuesdaywill rise in the N at9:02 PM, and cruise low across the mountains to set in the ENE at9:05 PM. It will pop up briefly again at10:37 PMin the NW, vanishing at10:38 PMafter a short climb.

On Wednesdaywe will get a bright pass that begins at9:45 PMin the NW, passes the bowl of the Big Dipper and crosses the handle of the Little Dipper to fade away just above the North Star, Polaris, at9:47 PM. Notice that Polaris isnt all that bright, but it shows you true North, and its altitude gives you your latitude.

Thursdaywill have a bright pass rising at8:53 PMin the NNW, and vanishing in the ENE at8:57 PM, just as it reaches the chest of Pegasus. It will pop up again at10:29 PMin the WNW, and disappear at10:30 PMin the W, just below the bright orange star Arcturus.

OnFriday, August 11, the ISS will rise at9:37 PMin the WNW, sail brightly past Arcturus, and fade away in the WSW as it reaches Serpens Caput at9:40 PM.

The best and brightest pass of this series will coincide with the monthly Star Party at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, rising at8:44 PMin the NW, going by the bowl of the Big Dipper, along the length of Draco, across the Summer Triangle, and disappearing in the ESE at8:49 PM, just above the dim triangle of Capricornus, the Big Bikini Bottom of autumn.

Sundays pass will rise at9:29 PMin the W, pass low above Jupiter, and fade away in the head of Scorpius in the SW at9:32 PM.

The station will rise in the WNW at8:36 PMon Monday, and pass higher, between Scorpius and Saturn, to disappear in the SSE in Sagittarius at8:42 PM.

No pass will be visibleon Tuesday, and the final pass of this series will happen onWednesday, August 16, appearing at8:28 PMin the W, cruising low through Leo, below Jupiter and Spica, and setting beneath the stinger of Scorpius in the S at8:32 PM.

Hasta nebula!

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International Space Station for August - Santa Barbara Edhat

Vostochny Cosmodrome undergoes maintenance work – NASASpaceflight.com

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August 7, 2017 by Chris Bergin and William Graham

The Vostochny Cosmodrome a key part of Russias future space launch ambitions has undergone a maintenance period ahead of what will be its second launch. The new launch site is currently dedicated to Soyuz rockets, but will eventually be the future site for the Angara and super heavy launch vehicles. Vostochny Work:

Vostochny, whose name means Eastern, is built on the site of the former Svobodny missile base. Svobodny, which was the farthest East of Russias cold war missile bases, was occupied by UR-100K missiles until its closure under the START-II treaty during the 1990s.

After its closure as a missile base, Svobodny was used between 1997 and 2006 for a series of five orbital launches via the Start-1 rocket,a derivative of the Topol missile. Svobodny was closed in 2007 by order of Vladimir Putin, as the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, considered the little-used site redundant and expensive to maintain.

As the most southerly of Russias launch sites, Russias primary launch site, Baikonur, has been the most suited for launches to lower-inclination orbits. With the other Russian site, Plesetsk, too far North to provide a practical alternative, all of Russias geostationary missions go through Baikonur, as well as launches tothe International Space Stationand beyond Earth orbit.

While Vostochnys latitude of 51.8 degrees North is still higher than Baikonurs 45.9 degrees, meaning that low-inclination launches will need to expend more fuel adjusting their inclination during flight, it is still usable for geosynchronous missions.

Most importantly, Vostochny will allow Russia to reduce its dependence upon Baikonur a site which, since the breakup of the Soviet Union, it has been forced to lease from Kazakhstan.

Such will be the reliance on the new site, Roscosmos plans to move 45 percent of Russias space launches to Vostochny by 2020, with Baikonurs share dropping from 65 percent to just 11 percent. This swing will continue to grow until a projected 90 percent of Russian launches start taking place outside of Baikonur.

Its build up towards that key role is being staggered, withonly Soyuz rockets launched from Vostochny for the opening years.

That maiden flight, attended byVladimir Putin, was conducted in 2016, with a Soyuz 2-1A and Volga upper stage lofting the Mokhailo Lomonosov research satellite and two small secondary payloads.

The gap to the next launch will be a lengthy oneo, with the current schedule showing a Soyuz 2-1B/Fregat is set to launch in November with a host of payloads.

The following month apair of Kanopus-V satellites will also be launched from the new site, atop a Soyuz-2-1A/Fregat.

Launches, again only involving Soyuz rockets, will ramp up in 2018.

The first Angara launch from Vostochny is not currently expected until 2021. TsSKB Progress proposed Rus-M vehicle was to have had two pads at the site, however its development was canceled in 2011.

The Soyuz pad at Vostochny, Site 1S, is the eighth Soyuz pad to be built across four different launch sites, following the two complexes at Baikonur, four at Plesetsk and one at Kourou.

Designated 371SK14, the launch equipment resembles that at Kourou, with a mobile service tower instead of retractable arms with gantries that enclose the rocket as used at Plesetsk and Baikonurs older pads.

Roscosmos recently noted that systems at the new base had undergone a maintenance period noted as an annual maintenance of technological equipment at the launch and technical complexes and on the equipment of the launching and technical complexes.

As part of the maintenance, specialists replaced the oil in the hydraulic system of the Mobile Service Tower, the compressed gas receivers were filled up to the operational volumes, joint inspections of all the systems of the launch complex were carried out.

Engineers also worked on the propellant loading facilities, including for the Fregat upper stage that will be in action with the next few launches.

All routine maintenance work at the launch and technical complexes and the filling and neutralizing station were completed in full, and the equipment is ready for the next launch.

Annual maintenance is the most critical stage in the life cycle of rocket and space technology. This is a traditional work for all cosmodromes, added the Russian Space Agency. The previous annual technical maintenance of the technological equipment of the space center Vostochny was carried out in the third quarter of 2016.

(Images via Roscosmos).

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Vostochny Cosmodrome undergoes maintenance work - NASASpaceflight.com

Redhead Emojis to Roll Out in June 2018 – TeenVogue.com

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It's no secret that redheads have been very patiently waiting for scarlet-haired emojis for what feels like forever now. Many have expressed major frustration over the lack of inclusion (there was even a petition in Scotland that garnered more than 20,000 signatures), and we can definitely understand why considering how many redheads by birth, as well as redheads by choice are left out when speaking in symbols.

So, it comes as very welcome news that red-haired emojis will most likely be coming to iPhones in June 2018! It's no joke: @HowToBeARedhead tweeted the this morning, keeping it short and simple, saying "NEWS: Redhead emojis are coming in June 2018!" We are definitely closer to getting our fiery friends, but the final outcome is still up in the air. A press release released by Unicode explains that while redhead emojis are on the final candidate list, they will still need to be officially approved at Unicodes 2017 Quarter 4 meeting. Jeremy Burge, the Chief Emoji Office at Emojipedia, also Tweeted on August 3, saying "necessary disclaimer: this 2018 emoji list is a draft, and subject to change ."

Now that we know redheads are officially on the draft, we have to wonder if they'll include multiple hair types or just roll out one with straight strands. Perhaps it goes without saying but we sincerely hope Unicode will consider making the emoji with textured or curly red hair, as we most definitely need more visibility in that category, too.

We're sure redheads around the world will be jumping for joy at this promising news considering they've been asking for years now. And while they will still have to wait until next summer to start actually using them should everything pan out, that is! this definitely calls for a hair flip.

Related: Lottie Tomlinson Now Has an Emoji In Her Hair

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Redhead Emojis to Roll Out in June 2018 - TeenVogue.com

It Took NASA 1 Day to Brilliantly Respond to a 9-Year-Old’s Job Application – Inc.com

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NASA made headlines recently when it posted a very interesting job vacancy:

Planetary Protection Officer (PPO).

It seems like a pretty sweet gig, with the PPO responsible to "[lead] planning and coordination of activities related to NASA mission planetary protection needs." This includes making sure that when we humans explore outer space, we don't contaminate other planets or moons--or bring back anything that could contaminate earth. (Starting salary ranges from $124,406 to $187,000 per year, but preferred applicants should hold an advanced science degree and be recognized as a subject matter expert.)

Of course, this type of job is the thing that a kid's dreams are made of. So it was no surprise that NASA soon received the following application from 9-year-old Jack Davis:

CREDIT: Courtesy NASA

Courtesy, NASA

"Dear NASA,

My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job. One of the reasons is my sister says I am an alien. Also, I have seen almost all the space movies and alien movies I can see. I have also seen the show Marvel Agents of Shield and hope to see the movie Men in Black. I am great at vidieo [sic] games. I am young, so I can learn to think like an alien.

Sincerely, Jack Davis Guardian of the Galaxy Fourth Grade"

NASA could have easily ignored this letter, or simply filed it away and forgotten about it.

They could have, but they didn't.

Not one to let a great opportunity slip away, the space agency took this chance to encourage the young applicant, by means of an official letter:

CREDIT: Courtesy NASA

"Dear Jack,

I hear you are a 'Guardian of the Galaxy' and that you're interested in being a NASA Planetary Protection Officer. That's great!

Our Planetary Protection Officer position is really cool and is very important work. It's about protecting Earth from tiny microbes when we bring back samples from the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It's also about protecting other planets and moons from our germs as we responsibly explore the Solar System.

We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school. We hope to see you here at NASA one of these days!

Sincerely, Dr. James L. Green Director, Planetary Science Division"

In addition, a press release from the space administration says the young fourth-grader "also received a phone call from NASA's Planetary Research Director, Jonathan Rall at NASA Headquarters in Washington, to congratulate him on his interest in the position."

"At NASA, we love to teach kids about space and inspire them to be the next generation of explorers," Green said. "Think of it as a gravity assist--a boost that may positively and forever change a person's course in life, and our footprint in the universe."

Before you dismiss this as a simple PR stunt, put yourself in the shoes of that young boy.

How would it affect you to get a response on official NASA letterhead, encouraging you to study hard and do well in school? Imagine then receiving an encouraging phone call from one of the organization's leaders, reinforcing those ideas--along with the hope that you could actually make it to NASA one day.

Scientific research shows that one of the best ways to create positive self-fulfilling prophecies is to identify and nurture potential.

In other words: If you show kids that they're talented, they'll deliver on that promise. If you help them believe they have something to contribute, they will.

Remember: The children are the future. That's not a clich; it's an undeniable truth.

Our job is to inspire the next generation. To care about them, motivate them, and make them believe in themselves.

In order to do that, you have to believe in them, first.

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It Took NASA 1 Day to Brilliantly Respond to a 9-Year-Old's Job Application - Inc.com

NASA invites you to become a citizen scientist during total solar eclipse – WWAY NewsChannel 3

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NASA invites eclipse viewers around the country to participate in a nationwide science experiment by collecting cloud and air temperature data and reporting it via their phones.

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, Program is a NASA-supported research and education program that encourages students and citizen scientists to collect and analyze environmental observations. GLOBE Observer is a free, easy-to-use app that guides citizen scientists through data collection.

On Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States. Crossing the country from Oregon to South Carolina over the course of an hour and a half, 14 states will experience night-like darkness for approximately two minutes in the middle of the day. The eclipse enters the U.S. at 10:15 a.m. PDT off the coast of Oregon and leaves U.S. shores at approximately 2:50 p.m. EDT in South Carolina.

All of North America will experience at least a partial eclipse.

No matter where you are in North America, whether its cloudy, clear or rainy, NASA wants as many people as possible to help with this citizen science project, said Kristen Weaver, deputy coordinator for the project. We want to inspire a million eclipse viewers to become eclipse scientists.

In order to participate, first download the GLOBE Observer app and register to become a citizen scientist. The app will instruct you on how to make the observations. Second, you will need to obtain a thermometer to measure air temperature.

Observations will be recorded on an interactive map.

To join in the fun, download the GLOBE Observer app.After you log in, the app explains how to make eclipse observations.

To learn more about how NASA researchers will be studying the Earth during the eclipse click here.

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NASA invites you to become a citizen scientist during total solar eclipse - WWAY NewsChannel 3