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Warmbier death: Will people still travel to North Korea? – BBC News

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Warmbier death: Will people still travel to North Korea?
BBC News
But the death of US student Otto Warmbier might make travellers think twice whether the novelty factor of travelling to the world's most secretive country is really worth it. The 22-year-old held in North Korea for stealing a propaganda sign has died a ...
McCain: Americans 'stupid' to travel to North KoreaDaily Astorian
After Otto Warmbier's death, tourism to North Korea comes under scrutinyWashington Post
Group Behind Otto Warmbier's North Korea Trip Won't Bring More AmericansNBCNews.com
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Warmbier death: Will people still travel to North Korea? - BBC News

12 iconic mountains (under 29035 feet) – CNN

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

( CNN ) Mountains. How on Earth do we get our heads around them? And not just literally, although they do block a lot of space.

The planet's highest, grandest structures have always inspired us to do odd things to overcompensate for our natural wordless wonderment. From waxing poetic or rewatching old Bob Ross episodes, to buying crampons and -- get this -- singling out the world's dozen most iconic mountains.

How does one even begin to do that?

First, by acknowledging that every mountain on Earth is a miracle of nature, time and tectonics -- even if the Greek gods didn't live there or the stone tablets came down some other crumbly slope.

Then by disqualifying 29,035-foot Everest. (Yeah, we know, unforgivable. But can we all agree that this mountain has received more than its fair share of press at this point?)

Then by sincerely apologizing to Annapurna, Mont Blanc, Whitney, Waddington, Kirkjufell, Kanchenjunga, Aoraki, Half Dome, the Dolomites, all 282 Scottish Munros, the Rock of Gibraltar and every other singular summit out there.

And then presenting the following 12 mountains that totally rock our world.

Towering above several 8,000-meter neighbors in the Karakoram Range, the world's second highest peak was famously dubbed the "Mountain of Mountains" by climbing legend Reinhold Messner after a 1979 ascent.

Famous for its sheer beauty, utter remoteness, nasty weather and unsettling climbing stats, K2 is solid proof that reaching the second highest summit on any given continent or planet may be an even taller order than bagging the first.

Just over 300 elite alpinists have made it to the elusive crest of K2, compared with more than 4,000 high-fivers on marginally higher but less technically demanding Everest.

According to SummitPost, K2 claims about one life for every four summiters.

K2 also begs the obvious question: How did such a formidable rock get saddled with a name befitting a back Walmart aisle?

That honorific comes from the British-led Survey of India in 1856, during which the area's prominent peaks were all expeditiously labeled with a K (for Karakoram) and a number, before eventually getting better names.

K2 being the ultimate exception.

Briefly named Mount Godwin Austen in honor of an English surveyor, K2 would pitch that name off its backside and stick with K2. Because that's how this mountain rolls.

Sometimes electric-yellow rape blossoms take the place of cherry blossoms in Mount Fuji snapshots.

Is there a more classic symbol of Japan than this perfect pyramid hulking behind a foreground of blazing red pagoda tiers and/or flowering cherry blossom boughs?

Just over 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the country's highest peak is one of the world's most scaled mountains, drawing more than 200,000 annual climbers up its steep, exposed, oft underestimated volcanic slopes that last saw an eruption on December 16, 1707, and have since inspired a local proverb:

"He who climbs Mount Fuji once is a wise man. He who climbs it twice is a fool."

Most do the bucket list ascent during July and August -- aided by milder weather, over a dozen overnight mountain huts open along the popular Yoshida Trail, and the crowded camaraderie of summer throngs all pushing for that sunrise summit selfie.

For more solitude (and snow), shoulder seasons and winter are their own peak periods for alpinists, skiers, snowboarders and winter campers who (relatively speaking) have the whole mountain to themselves.

Few lone peaks attract as many varied superlatives as Africa's highest hill.

The dormant volcano is the world's tallest free-standing mountain, its transitional slopes home to more ecological zones and exotic, endangered fauna (elephants, leopards and Abbott's duikers!) than likely any other mountain in its weight class.

Kilimanjaro can now also claim to be the site of the highest ever cricket match, played with great enjoyment by an international group of cricketers on a level crater at just under 19,000 feet a few years ago.

Kilimanjaro has also recently hosted some of the fieriest alpine global warming debates about how long its shrinking snowcap will last in this heat.

In the meantime, somewhere between half and two-thirds of the mountain's 25,000-plus annual climbers make it all the way up to a still very icy summit, welcomed by East Africa's most spectacular panorama.

Once considered unclimbable (some might still want to argue that point), the most instantly recognizable craggy peak in the Alps is now lined with 25 routes to the top and gets the nod from National Geographic as "the birthplace of the sport of mountaineering."

Painfully so, when four members of the seven-man climbing team logging the Matterhorn's first ascent in 1865 fell to their deaths on the way down.

Straddling the Swiss/Italian border like ____ (choose your metaphor here: famed French alpinist and "Men and the Matterhorn" author Gaston Rbuffat called it an "arrow of stone, pointing towards the sky;" others see a giant dorsal fin), the storied peak is the defining landmark for its pair of famous mountain resort neighbors: Switzerland's Zermatt and Italy's Breuil-Cervinia.

Hovering over the Aegean coast near the Macedonian border, Greece's highest peak (aka the "Mountain of the Gods") is also, of course, its most mythical.

A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and home to the nation's first national park, Mount Olympus, with its numerous craggy subpeaks, deep gorges, forested flanks and signature cloud-bathed summit, seems a natural fit for the fabled home of the 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology.

Now routinely climbed (once an unthinkable act), Olympus appears to have long been vacated by Zeus and the crew, who still routinely drop by for a harrowing winter squall or summer thunderstorm.

Cape Town's distinctive Table Mountain is a 2-mile-wide sandstone plateau.

Shortlisted as one of the 7 New Wonders of Nature in a global popularity poll, Cape Town's beloved coastal landmark welcomes about 800,000 visitors to the table every year by foot and cable car.

Over half-a-billion years old, the 2-mile-wide sandstone plateau ranks among one of the world's oldest mountains and is known (especially by botanists) for its nearly 1,500 floral species, several of them endemic to the hill.

Hikers, local and from afar, know this perch as the most stunning coastal vista at the bottom of Africa, when it's not pummeled by easterly winds and veiled by an orographic cloud cover called the "table cloth."

Most palm-fringed Caribbean islands wouldn't find themselves anywhere near an iconic mountains list.

Saint Lucia, with its hauntingly beautiful pair of volcanic spires -- the Pitons -- is the obvious exception.

Surging out of coral-encrusted waters near the sleepy town of Soufrire on St. Lucia's southwest coast, the twin peaks of Gros Piton (higher, stouter, a popular climb) and Petit Piton (smaller, steeper, far dicier) comprise a UNESCO-preserved volcanic zone carpeted in lush rainforest and nearly 30 species of tropical birds.

The two mountains also grace the island's local beer label (Piton Lager) and presumably 90% of its postcards and destination wedding photos.

Washington state's highest peak, a glaciated volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice, is more than just nearby Seattle's answer to Mount Fuji.

Or the lofty centerpiece of one of the country's most popular national parks.

Or the premier North American training ground for Himalayan dreamers.

Mount Rainier is also home to one of the best places to walk around a big mountain instead of scaling it.

Undulating below the spotlight of the mountain's flashy white summit and austere upper slopes, the aptly named Wonderland Trail covers its equally magnificent (but different) 93-mile base -- forging through stunning old growth forest, flowering meadows, glacier fed rivers and every shred of proof that there's more to life than simply reaching the top.

Mountains don't get much holier than Jebel Musa/Moses Mountain/Mount Sinai -- a sacred site to Christianity, Islam and Judaism perched in parched seclusion in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Here, it has been written, is where Moses received the Ten Commandments. (But here is not where Mel Brooks received the 15 Commandments in "History of the World Part 1".)

At the base of the mountain stands the sixth century Monastery of St. Catherine, a World Heritage Site and one of the oldest working Christian monasteries. At the summit, amid a complex of buildings, stands a simple, square 12th-century mosque.

At sunrise, hundreds of daily pilgrims from all corners gaze out at a glowing sepia landscape from the top of a sacred mountain now serviced by crews of local guides, camel trains and many, many stairs.

Argentina's Mount Fitz Roy tops out at 11,073 feet.

Hiding on the edge of Los Glaciares National Park near the end of the world, the signature spires of Patagonia's poster-child peak (and namesake clothing label -- those jagged lines on that fleece pullover are Fitzroy) define "arrival" for far-flung hikers and intrepid mountaineers.

Named after Capt. Robert Fitzroy of Charles Darwin's HMS Beagle expedition, the peak was originally mistaken for a volcano by aboriginal natives who called it Chaltn, "mountain that smokes."

In fact, the "smoke" was just a thick cloak of cloud cover obscuring the summit -- still a frequent sight in one of the more extreme climate zones on the outer climbing and trekking grid.

Being New England's highest mountain may not be a huge bragging right even within the United States, unless you can trademark it with a little extra something.

Like being home to the "world's worst weather."

Famous for erratic conditions that can go from sunny to blinding blizzard in the span of half a day hike, Mountain Washington State Park's namesake peak is best known for receiving more than 100 days of hurricane force winds each year and having measured a former record-setting wind speed of 231 mph on April 12, 1934, a speed that wasn't surpassed for more than 60 years.

Summer is the most popular time to visit Mount Washington, when the mountain's auto route and historic cog railway are open and the peak's average wind velocity -- about 35 mph -- is but a relative breeze.

It takes a certain kind of rock to draw more than 250,000 annual visitors into the stunning void of the central Australian desert -- 280 miles from the nearest real town.

Europeans first laid eyes on Uluru, Australia's iconic inselberg (island mountain) in 1873, naming it after a prominent Aussie diplomat (Ayers) tens of millennia after the area's Aboriginals first laid eyes and names on it.

Millions of years old, the surreal sandstone formation (co-existing as a sacred native site and a national park) is an isolated remnant of an eroded mountain range -- and one of the world's top bucket list sunrise/sunset photo ops, when its iron-rich walls glow like a 2-mile-long spacecraft.

Climbing Uluru is discouraged and frowned upon by the landowners (though still commonly done). A more respectful option: peacefully walking its 5.8-mile circumference.

*All mountain elevations from Britannica.com

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12 iconic mountains (under 29035 feet) - CNN

What US airlines should learn from the world’s best carriers – CNN

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Try as they might, airlines in the United States have been mostly absent from the Skytrax rankings for years, so 2017's prizes were handed to a familiar list of international players.

Qatar Airways was named airline of the year, while Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qantas and Thai Airways picked up other globally focused awards.

Not being on the list doesn't necessarily equate to being at the bottom -- airlines in America, despite recent bad headlines, are hardly the worst in the world. There are simply other carriers whose standards, by virtue of customer service culture, variety of amenities, or continued innovation, easily exceed those of US air companies.

So what can US airlines learn from this year's Skytrax winners?

Etihad Airways: Recognized for the best First Class catering.

Several international carriers, including Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines, go above what's required in training airport staff and cabin crew. The usual safety and task instructions are supplemented with classes on etiquette.

These lessons focus on responding with empathy and respect across cultures, helping airline guests feel welcome and building crew confidence.

Flight attendants learn the meaning of the Indian head shake, for example, and how to graciously guide passengers through formalities, such as the filling out of immigration forms in a language foreign to them, without embarrassment.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines was the only US airline to win Skytrax awards this year, ranking tops for "best airline staff in North America" and "best regional airline in North America." Alaska's heavy focus on the Pacific Northwest and its role as a lifeline to rural communities often ignored by other airlines inspires loyalty, which is often rewarded with neighborly, friendly service from airline staff.

Air Canada rises to claim the abandoned pedestal, taking the Skytrax 2017 title for "best airline in North America."

EVA Air: Ranked best for cabin cleanliness.

You'd be surprised at how much difference a wet wipe makes.

Airlines such as Qatar Airways, ranked best in the world overall by Skytrax for 2017, and EVA Air, tops for cabin cleanliness, provide small sleep kits of eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste in all classes, plus a pre-meal cleansing amenity, whether a hot towel in First or Business, or a packaged, "refreshing cloth" in Economy.

Wipes are available throughout the flight as well, for passengers to clear their tray tables, clean up little spills, or simply to squirrel away for later use.

This seemingly worthless nicety can quickly become an image saver. When they're ripping it open to wipe away sweat before an important meeting, fliers will appreciate the fact that such extras have not been lost to cost-cutting, as they have on US airlines.

Qatar Airways has been awarded Airline of the Year by Skytrax at the Paris Airshow.

Quantity of meals, quality of food, and the options for purchasable on-board refreshments are also hugely important to the Skytrax surveys, and these are categories where US airlines all fall well under the mark.

It's only recently that the big three -- American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines -- have reintroduced complimentary meals in all classes on their lengthiest domestic routes, flights averaging six hours between the East and West coasts. Shorter routes are subjected to a meager beverage service and uninspired buy-on-board snacks.

The highest-ranked, full-service Skytrax airlines nonetheless manage to offer meals on all routes, even if it's only a packaged juice and sandwich on the two-hour hop from Chiang Mai to Phuket, as does Bangkok Airways, ranked 2017's "best regional airline" by Skytrax.

Air France, KLM, Austrian Airlines and British Airways, all recipients of 2017 Skytrax awards, have particularly focused on innovating in this area.

Passengers flying even on the cheapest tickets have the option of paying a small amount to "upgrade" their complimentary economy meals to larger, chef-designed, more nutritionally balanced meal trays.

If an extra $30 could see that tiny, congealed, Economy Class rectangle of pasta replaced with a fresh and satisfying, thoughtfully produced dinner, would you pay for it?

Even having the option speaks for an airline's consideration of its customers and their diversity of needs and tastes.

Emirates: A consistent in-flight offering.

Thanks to mergers and ever-evolving fleets at the major US airlines, passengers have come to expect the unexpected, and not in a positive way.

One day fliers may be relaxing in a cushy, wide seat with plenty of legroom, only to connect to another plane of the same airline with thinner seats and elbow fights over armrests.

Some have seat-back entertainment screens with USB plugs for charging devices, and some do not. Some have relaxing cabin lighting and personal air vents, and some do not.

Some have larger overhead bins designed to accommodate many carry-on bags, some do not (and then you're checking your bag at the gate, a frustrating experience topped with sudden anxiety for its handling and hopeful arrival at your destination).

All of the top five airlines in the Skytrax 2017 rankings -- Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Emirates and Cathay Pacific -- have huge international route networks for which they favor newer aircraft (Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787s, Airbus A380s and Airbus A350s, for example).

These feature mostly consistent on-board experiences where passengers can expect on-board power, entertainment systems and newer seats.

What US airlines should learn from the world's best carriers - CNN

10 Ways to Travel the World Without Breaking the Bank – Entrepreneur

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Over the years Ive had the privilege of traveling all around the world. While that may sound posh or even luxurious, I can say that my experiences are far from it. In fact, some of my best times traveling were when I spent the least. I know to some that doesnt sound realistic, but believe it or not, you can see the world on a shoestring budget. Heres how:

This is a classic piece of travel advice, but also one of the most important that you could follow. According to Skyscanner, some of the cheapest months to book vacations are in November and May (during offseasons). Additionally, the earlieryou book, the cheaper the flight will be. While it might seem like a lot of commitment to book this far ahead, the benefits it will serve in the long run will be tenfold (plus, youll have something to look forward to).

Related:Why Travel Should Be a Top Priority for Every Entrepreneur

Package deals can be a great way to save money on a trip. Generally speaking, the reason why these deals exist is that theyre trying to sell a less popular item coupled with a very popular item. For this reason, Ill say that you should do an extensive amount of homework before committing.But the value of finding a good one could be tremendous.

If youre looking to travel to a specific spot, then transitional periods can be one of your best bets. Especially when it comes to places such as the beach or ski resorts, going in a period in-between seasons could save you big time. Not only will the weather still be enjoyable, but you could potentially avoid being around a huge group of other travelers. Additionally, as the overall rates are dropping for bookings, expect businesses and venues around the area to drop their prices too.

Perhaps one of the biggest ways youll save (with or without traveling) is by cooking for yourself. It goes without saying that going out to eat is one of the quickest ways for a travel budget to evaporate, so cooking on the road is imperative. This will not only be a great skill to have for life (especially when it comes to buying groceries and preparing them efficiently), but it will make the times you do go out in your travels much more enjoyable.

Even if youre not willing to shell out your paid time off quite yet, theres still some alternatives for how you can use your work to travel. Consider convincing your boss to let you go to a conference (such as SXSW) or meeting abroad. While it will take a lot of legwork, the effort could give you that perfect break you needed.

Related:How to Work On a Flight With No Laptop

If you dont think your work will let you do it, then consider possibly finding a remote job. Depending on what else you have going on outside of work, this opportunity could be one of the best experiences of your life. Additionally, theres a lot of great programs out there to help you do it, such as Remote Year.

An excellent way to save money is by having other people come along for the ride. While this largely depends on who you feel comfortable traveling with (as well as for how long), consider bringing a group together to cut costs down.

Although it might sound silly, trading with other travelers can be a great way to save money. You never know who might be willing to host you in exchange for you doing the same. Additionally, certain things can go far on the road, so dont discount what you and others find valuable.

Im not saying dont visit popular attractions, but its important to note that when youre traveling, theres entire marketing schemes and ploys out there to get you to shell out that extra money. Plain and simple -- go to see what you wanted to see, and thats it. Dont get suckered into the excess just because youre on vacation.

Related:These 10 Countries Will See the Most Business Travelers in the Next Decade

The world is filled with things you can do that are 100 percent free. If you work from there and establish your upfront costs as to what you find valuable, you can not only travel for a long time but see some of the most incredible sights youd ever imagine. I know its cliche to say the best things in life are free, but in this case, it's true.

Andrew Medalis the founder of creative digital agencyAgent Beta. He has helped organizations like the California Education Department, Proctor & Gamble, Microsoft, Warner Bros.and Inc. Magazine.He has pro...

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10 Ways to Travel the World Without Breaking the Bank - Entrepreneur

China still has the world’s fastest supercomputer, but the US wants to change that – Recode

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

China holds the top two spots for fastest computers in the world, and Switzerland holds the third, with the U.S. in the fourth, fifth and sixth spots.

The Top500 list of the most powerful supercomputers in the world was released yesterday at the 2017 International Supercomputing Conference in Frankfurt, Germany.

But the U.S. might not miss its top spot for long. The Department of Energy awarded six companies a total of $258 million last Thursday to further the research and development of the worlds first exascale supercomputer. There are no computers that powerful today.

The U.S. formerly held the third spot, but this time it was edged out by a system from the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, which moved up from eighth place. This is only the second time in 24 years of compiling the Top500 list that the U.S. did not have a computer place in one of the top three positions.

These computers process at petascale speeds, meaning their capabilities are measured in terms of one quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) calculations per second. To put that in perspective, consumer laptops now operate at gigascale, which is one billion calculations per second.

The U.S. companies that received government funding Hewlett Packard, Intel, Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Cray will all work to solve problems in energy efficiency, reliability and overall performance of a national exascale computer system.

An exascale computer is capable of processing a quintillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000) calculations per second. Thats about a trillion times more powerful than a consumer laptop.

Exascale-level computing would allow scientists to make extremely precise digital simulations of biological systems, which could uncover answers to pressing questions like climate change and growing food that can withstand drought.

As you develop models that are more sophisticated that include more of the physics, chemistry and environmental issues that are important in predicting the climate, the computing resources you need increases, said Thom Dunning, a chemistry professor at the University of Washington and the co-director of the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing.

Chemists are leading a lot of the advances in computing power, since advanced biological modeling requires really powerful processing. With more detailed biological modeling, chemists can, for example, learn how plant cells react to drought, which can help to better engineer crops a project Dunning is working on with his research group.

The more powerful the computer, the more realistic the models are, which in turn provide scientists with more reliable predictions about the future and more concrete recommendations about what companies and governments need to do.

Exascale computing would also have a tremendous impact on the countrys national security. The National Security Agency and other law enforcement organizations collect more data in their dragnet digital surveillance operations than can often be processed in a timely, meaningful way, according to Dunning. With higher processing power, that data can be analyzed quickly to assess and predict potential threats.

The companies awarded the grants will cover at least 40 percent of the cost of the research projects themselves.

Creating an exascale computer is well beyond anything that a private company can do on its own, said Dunning, who added that building an exascale computer is a multibillion-dollar effort.

U.S. investment in building an exascale machine will have benefits beyond just finishing the computer itself. The research and development gleaned along the way will flow down into lower-level systems that will give the U.S. a competitive advantage in terms of making powerful computing much more affordable and accessible, Dunning said.

Heres a list of the Top 10 most powerful supercomputers in the world. The U.S. holds the most spots on the list, with five supercomputers that made the cut.

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China still has the world's fastest supercomputer, but the US wants to change that - Recode

US Falls Behind China and Switzerland in Supercomputer Race – Fortune

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Staff analyze the Tianhe-1 supercomputer at the National Supercomputing Center on Nov. 2, 2010 in Tianjin, China. VCG VCG via Getty Images

The U.S. may need a more powerful supercomputer.

Two Chinese supercomputers and an upgraded supercomputer in Switzerland rank ahead of the U.S. in a biannual list of top supercomputers released Monday by the TOP500 organization, which tracks supercomputer speeds.

It is only the second time that the U.S. absent from the top 3 most powerful supercomputers since the organization started compiling the rankings 24 years ago. In the previous ranking, published in November, the top U.S. supercomputerlocated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn.was No. 3.

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The only other time this occurred was in November 1996, when three Japanese systems captured the top three spots, the organization said in a statement.

But it wasnt all bad news for the U.S.

The U.S. has five of the top 10 supercomputers on the list, the most of any other country. Additionally, the U.S. has 169 supercomputers in the top 500, followed by China with 160.

As for the companies supplying the parts for the supercomputers, Intel ( intc ) is the biggest with 464 of the top supercomputers using its processors. IBM ( ibm ) and its Power processors are installed in 21 supercomputers, followed by AMDs ( amd ) chips, which are used in six supercomputers.

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Nvidias ( nvda ) GPU chips, which are specialized for heavy data crunching like deep learning, are being used in 91 supercomputers to make them more powerful beyond what the typical chips used inside. For example, the Swiss National Supercomputing Center outfitted its supercomputer with Nvidias chips, which caused the machine to double its performance and climb from No. 8 to the No. 3 in the supercomputer rankings.

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US Falls Behind China and Switzerland in Supercomputer Race - Fortune

The US falls farther down supercomputer rankings than it’s been in over 20 years – BGR

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

BGR

The US falls farther down supercomputer rankings than it's been in over 20 years
BGR
The United States is competing with China on so many fronts it's impossible to name them all, but one of the most visible rivalries between the two countries is based on computing power. In the newest TOP500 ranking of the world's most powerful ...
Swiss supercomputer edges US out of top spot - BBC NewsBBC News
US Slips in New Top500 Supercomputer RankingIEEE Spectrum
America's Fastest Computer Just Got Beat. Again.Popular Mechanics
Le News -ITworld -TOP500 News -TOP500 News
all 30 news articles »

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The US falls farther down supercomputer rankings than it's been in over 20 years - BGR

The US Is Investing $258 Million to Build a More Powerful Supercomputer – Futurism

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief For the first time since 1996, the United States is no longer home to one of the three fastest supercomputers in the world. To combat this, the DOE has announced plans to invest $258 million to help develop the next generation device. New Tech Race

The 20th century space race ushered in some of the most significant scientific discoveries of the era. Now, the efforts of private companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin, as well as traditional governmentalagencies like NASA, have sparked a new space racethats bringing about next-level space technologies.

However, the Space Race 2.0 isnt the only technological competition in the world today the smartest minds across the globeare competing to create the most powerful supercomputer on the planet.

Since 1996, the United States has consistently been home to one of the three fastest supercomputers in the world. Unfortunately for the U.S., that streak has ended as the Department of Energys (DOE) Titan supercomputer has been bumped to thenumber four slot. The Swiss National Supercomputing Centres Piz Daintnow holds the bronze following an upgrade involving the addition of Nvidia GPUs.

The U.S. is not taking this bump to fourth place lying down. Last week, the DOE announced that it was making $258 million availableto help fund the next big supercomputer.

According to MIT Technology Review, the U.S. government expects to have a system that can performone quintillion operations per second by 2021. That would be 50 times faster than Titan and 10 times faster thanChinas TaihuLight, the current world leader.

Of course, the rest of the world wont spend the next four years content with what theyve already created. China is looking to further cement its place at the top of the supercomputing heap by heavily investing in the next generation of supercomputers. The nation is even setting a more ambitious goal for itself than the U.S. they believe their more powerful machine will be ready by 2020.

Ultimately, this race for the worlds most powerful supercomputer will benefit us all, as the devices will help humanity with everything from healthcare to predicting the weather. Truly, there are no losers when innovation is the goal.

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The US Is Investing $258 Million to Build a More Powerful Supercomputer - Futurism

Brian L. Weiss, MD

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the space between lives, which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weisss family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career.

A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School, Brian L. Weiss M.D. is Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami.

Dr. Weiss conducts national and international seminars and experiential workshops as well as training programs for professionals.

photo credit: Harpo, Inc. George Burns

The Emmy Award-winning series Super Soul Sunday airedJune 2featuring Oprah & Dr. Brian Weiss: Reincarnation, Past Lives and Miracles on OWN. Groundbreaking psychiatrist and best-selling author of Many Lives, Many Masters Dr. Brian Weiss tells Oprah of how he came to practice past life regression therapy.

Click here to watch clips from the episode.

In their revolutionary book, Miracles Happen, Brian L. Weiss, MD, and his daughter, Amy, examine the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing that is possible when you freely accept and embrace the reality of reincarnation. A leader in the field of past-life therapy, Dr. Weiss has helped thousands connect with their past lives and experience tremendous healing. In Miracles Happen, he and Amy share these remarkable real-life stories to reveal how past-life regression holds the keys to our spiritual purpose. Read More

You are not here by accident or by some coincidence of nature. You are a spiritual being learning lessons of love in this earth school.

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Dr. Weiss interviewed by Bob Olson on AfterLifeTV.

Click here to watch the interview.

New York Times article about Dr. Weiss and Past Life Therapy.

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Brian L. Weiss, MD

Panicking with Grace: A Spirituality for Whatever’s Next – America Magazine

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

I want this period of my life to be over because in this period I dont know what Im doing. Having graduated college a year ago without an inkling of a career path, I am often visited by fun new friends like crippling anxiety and existential dread. The media push articles about the growing trend ofextendedadolescence and the waning likelihood of millennials achieving the AmericanDream. Naturally, I am seeking a resolution to my ordinary, yet nerve-wracking search for purpose.

Millennials are living at home longer, getting married later and generally taking more time than our predecessors to become independent adults. Psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett of Clark University argues for the recognition of a new stage of psychological development, which he calls emerging adulthood.

It would be easy to assume young people in this stage are failing in some way; that millennials procrastinating from making life decisions are lazy, coddled and selfish. But rather than allowing this period of emerging adulthood or extended adolescence to be a source of insecurity, I am beginning to embrace it as an opportunity to practice careful discernment and to develop a mature prayer life.

It is difficult to bring oneself to prayer when one feels lost. Inevitably, I have begun comparing myself to my (seemingly thousands of) friends with their acts together. While studying at Georgetown University, I was fortunate to meet many great Catholics who are now following clear vocations. Their alluring certitude made me wonder: What are they doing that I could try? I reached out to a few of them to ask about their prayer and discernment.

Eileen and Pat got married last October in Boston, and Christian is in his second year at the Jesuit novitiate in the Northeast Province. They are all a year older than I am, and they have worked hard to develop their prayer lives. They are particularly knowledgeable about discernment, the key to Ignatian spirituality.

I met Eileen during the spring of my freshman year. I had joined the pro-life group on campus and signed up to staff a table for the group a couple days each week. Eileen stopped by the table with a messy bun and a big purse full of books and Tupperware. She had a unique ability to appear frazzled and calm at the same time. Even though she had a lot going on, she took the time to stop by and welcome me into the club.

While at the pro-life table, I was often joined by a kid on crutches. Christian had torn his ACL while playing football with his friends. His persistently ridiculous would you rather questions won me over. (E.g., Would you rather have to wear a banana costume for the rest of your life or have Cheetos dust stuck to your fingers for the rest of your life?)

I met Pat the next year when we shared a shift together at a commons desk in one of the dorms. Our early interactions were just half-joking insults about each other, spurred by a joke about introverts bonding better over insults than small talk. I guess it worked.

Struggling in prayer is a personal, even embarrassing, topic, but I have seen Eileen do some awkward interpretive dance to Avril Lavignes Sk8tr Boi and Pat and Christian each shave only half of their beards before going to a party. And they have seen me dye my hair blue because I lost a bet. So, lucky for me, we are past the point of feeling silly in front of each other. I feel comfortable talking to them about anything. Why not prayer?

It is no surprise that young people need to spend time in prayer to discern their true vocation. Christian pointed out that even Jesus did not begin his active ministry until about the age of 30 (and even then it was upon the insistence of his mother.)

Like many young people in the church today, Jesus needed to discern how to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom most effectively, explained Christian, the Jesuit novice. He turns to prayer in order to know the Fathers will and find strength to complete it.

Young people in extended adolescence can likewise discern their vocations in prayer. Eileen suggested that a period of uncertainty may be a great time to begin developing your relationship with God: Its actually been really helpful to me to look at prayer through the lens of discernment, because when I feel like I need to come to a decision or understand something or shake something up, it puts pressure on me to be more intentional about prayer.

The primary way to go about Ignatian discernment is with the examen. Eileen, Pat and Christian each recommended it.

The examen is a conversational prayer that usually takes about 15 minutes. You sit with God, going through the events of your day, considering your feelings and reactions, answering questions like: Where did you feel most alive today? What was difficult for you to handle? What do you hope for tomorrow?

A big part of Ignatian prayer considers how God acts in us through our desires, emotions and spirit, said Christian. One of the biggest ways in which this style of prayer affects my life is in seeking affirmation of my vocation in the novitiate. In this discernment, I bring to the Lord deep questions, like Am I where you need me to be? Is this Jesuit vocation the best way for me to be at the service of the Gospel?

Regularly praying the examen can be a challenge. If you have trouble getting into a routine, Eileen suggests a sort of check-in version of the prayer: After one event, sit with just that thing.Think about the parts of it that were good and bad, how it made you feel and whether or not it brought you closer to God or provided a sense of peace and fulfillment.

Ultimately, the examen can help you live more intentionally. This prayer has been particularly helpful in making decisions, Pat explained, because it forces me to really think about what I experience, what I am doing each day, who I am as a person and what role God is playing in all of this.

If you are like me, a member of the hopelessly analytical faithful, and you want to learn more about the examen, I suggest reading Jim Manneys book, A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyolas Examen.

When asked if they could offer advice to millennials like me, my friends gave simple advice: Give it a try, and be patient.

My biggest piece of advice would be to try it simply because its so life-changing, said Eileen.

Pat added: Whether it is chatting about my day, pleading for help, yelling about something that hurt me or just sitting, I pray when I intentionally make God a part of my day. Even if I can't think of anything else to say, which is often, I can always just sit and say: Wow. This is amazing. Thank you!

Eileen had an interesting insight: Nurturing a prayer life is often put off because young people(myself included) want to focus on more transient thingsspending time with people, focusing on homework or jobs or working out. And those are great things.You have to do them to build a foundation for the life you want.But I will also say that more important is understanding what the life you want is like, so you can do all of those other things!

Take a risk, suggested Christian. Go on a retreat. Go on an immersion trip which has interested you in the past. Learn about yourself, your desires, and then you will know more fully where the joy of your true vocation meets the worlds deepest needs.

Its okay for this to be difficult, so remind yourself of that when things arent easy, Eileen advised. (I would add that if youre struggling with prayer, Karl Rahners book Encounters with Silence may be a worthwhile read.)

Pat recalled something that proved to be a great insight for him. The most frustrating thing that my spiritual director at school ever told me was to be patient, he said. I would get so upset each time that he said it, but it was true. It was only when I calmed down and was patient that I was finally able to hear God calling me to spend more time with this friend, Eileen.

It worked. Almost three years later, she is now my wife, and I could not be happier that I finally let myself trust in God.

Extended adolescence does not have to be an embarrassing in-between timea jumble of things happening to you before your real adulthood begins. It can be an opportunity to live intentionally and to spend time listening for and exploring your vocation through prayer.

This period of my life is far from over, and the task of shaping my adult life is still daunting. But I am optimistic that with the grace of God I will be able to recognize what God intends for me. I will do my best to remember Pierre Teilhard de Chardins instructionin his poem Patient Trust:

Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

Editor's Note: After writing this article, Teresa accepted a position as an editorial assistantat SmartBrief, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

Go here to see the original:

Panicking with Grace: A Spirituality for Whatever's Next - America Magazine

Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D.

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

I'm also blogging these days. I prefer you to email me as I tend to answer emails faster than I respond to my blog page. Just go to my blog page at Blog with Fred

You can buy my New dimensions Interviews from iAmplify.com! If you like my style you will love these. Here are some descriptions to read and then just click away below to listen or to buy.

Step into the world of physics-but bring your spirituality along. Fred Alan Wolf is a theoretical physicist and firewalker who sees the sacred in everything-and can give you a theorem to prove it. From every angle he blasts the boundary between science and spirit, and can make universal consciousness sound like a logical idea. He may be the first physicist ever to break into pop culture celebrity. In his featured appearance in the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know?, he brought cutting edge quantum theory down to earth, and stirred a cult following by heralding proof of ancient spiritual principles for a mainstream audience. "Mind is not limited or contained within the boundaries of the material world," says Dr. Wolf. "Mind is not in you and in me separately. Mind is universal, escaping time and space. So when ideas pop into existence, it's not just in your mind that they're happening." Heavy stuff? Yes. But "Dr. Quantum" has a disarming way of delivering profound statements with gusto and a generous dose of mischief, so that even if you yawn at the mere mention of an electron, this time you'll want to wake up and come along for the ride.

Have a listen. Just click on my mug shot below.

Want more?

One of the most compelling questions of all time is, do we have a soul? And if we do, what exactly is it? Fred Alan Wolf, well-known resident physicist on Discovery Channel's "No-Zone" program, gives us an answer and a unique definition. He also discusses spirit, space, time, consciousness and the possible origins of the universe. From a physicist who knows scientifically what a miracle our universe really is, we hear reasons to celebrate our very existence, and he reminds us that, "We, who are living in this incredible miracle we call the universe, have to begin to recognize that we are not just in it, we are it."

Again, have a listen. Just click on my mug shot below.

But what about leaping into the future, hurtling back into the past, or peering into parallel realities? Fred Alan Wolf teaches you how to access these advanced powers of time travel through mastery of "the Five Fluctuations." Once you become a time-traveling "tachyonaut," you not only learn the skill of slipping the timestream, you also take profound spiritual steps toward achieving liberation from the ego, connecting to the universal consciousness, and overcoming the fear of death.

Using a supercharged solution of cutting-edge science and mystical wisdom, Dr. Quantum provides everything you need to sail the river of time at will instead of being carried along in its current. Team up with the champion of spacetime on Dr. Quantum Presents: Do-It-Yourself Time Travel to unlock the time-warping "superpowers" of your own consciousness.

Check List for Saving the Universe:

(1) Find a way to stop the NGC4414 galaxy from falling apart and swallowing the entire universe into one big black hole.

(2) For the first time in galactic history, construct a gigantic timecylinder based on unproven calculations so you can travel back in time to fix problem (1) listed above.

(3) Find the exact entry point on the timecylinder into the past, avoiding all Time Travel Forbidden and Null Zones, or risk the possibility of getting lost in time. Forever!

(4) Pinpoint the reason why your holoform species is still stuck in a two dimensional form when all your research points to the fact that holoforms should actually be three dimensional creatures like everybody else.

(5) If you survive, try to convince the scientific community of your findings, despite the fact you and your twin brother look exactly twelve years old.

Okay, I admit it, the list looks a little ambitious, especially since the whole mission is based entirely on theory. But the one thing we do have in our favor is the fact that Dr. Quantum, the brilliant physicist from United Earth, is leading this mission and if anyone can make this happen he can. Which brings me to one sort of scary thought: If you're reading this right now that means Dr. Quantum must have gotten us through the mission and the universe continued. Either that, or we're still stuck somewhere in the time continuum and you've unearthed this record of our mission. And if that's the case, we may just need your help.

Want to help?

I really had fun shooting this earlier in 2007 and meeting the great cast of Cirque.

In this little book Dr. Quantum has gathered together some precious gems of insight. I must admit I was surprised that I even wrote them. I hadn't realized when I wrote them that they could well stand alone as they do. Read them and I hope laugh and enjoy them. They aren't there to teach you anything (although you might learn a little about you and the universe) but to help you let go of any tight bonds you have created to what you believe is the only reality there is. I hope you begin to see that the universe including you is far greater than any of us can imagine and that you are a remarkable being simply because in the last one million or so years of evolution nature or God has chosen you to appear on the scene. You may feel that you are not worth very much or you may feel you are far better than any of your associates. I caution you that both of these are illusions. I hope that by reading this little book you may gain a better prospective on who you really are. Care to guess?

It's "out there" so now its time to put it "in here" in your minds. Look for the 12 sessions 6-CD album set at wherever you can get audio CDs. It really captures the best of what I can put "out there" because now you can listen and take off into the wild yonder world of quantum reality and have fun doing it too. It's called: Dr Quantum Presents: A User's Guide to Your Universe. Think of it as How Quantum Physics can Change your Life. For more information go to Sounds True webpage: Sounds True.

My book The Yoga of Time Travel: How the Mind Can Defeat Time is now out there and doing well. I just found out that my publisher has now gone into its fourth printing and the demand is growing! Look for it in your favorite bookstore or order it on line. I have heard from the U.S. publisher that The Yoga of Time Travel will be published in the following countries, Holland (Dutch Edition), India, Brazil (Portuguese edition), and Spain and Latin America, (Spanish edition). Look for these editions in 2007.

I also have learned that it received the 2004 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award in Body, Mind & Spirit. See: ForeWord Magazine Award

Formore information about my new book please see the short synopsisbelow or click on the red title above.

I am also appearing in the newly released What the Bleep movie called What the Bleep: Down the Rabbit Hole So please look for it in your city when it opens. For more information about the film please click on the red title above.

I can also be seen in the recently released DVD The Secret.

I also appear in the recently released (2003) Special Collectors Edition of the Paramount Studio DVD movie Star Trek IV on Disc 2 "Time Travel: The art of the possible." So please look for it in your favorite store selling DVDs or to get it from Amazon click on the red title above.

For more information email me at theaddress below.

Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D.

Fighting addiction through spirituality – The Laconia Daily Sun

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Stand Up Laconia begins weekly prayer days to help fight drug misuse

By ALANA PERSSON, LACONIA DAILY SUN

Stand Up Laconia recognizes that the path to recovery from drug addiction is different for everyone, and for some rehabilitation comes through spirituality. Acting upon this possible avenue for recovery, a group of people from the coalition have come together to create a weekly Laconia Day of Prayer, which begins today. During the Laconia Day of Prayer, all members of the community from any religious background are invited to pray for those who are currently being impacted by the drug epidemic. Those praying are asked to share a positive prayer or intention that focuses on helping the addicted and their families find strength during the challenges they face. This day is not about religion and, in no way, is Stand Up Laconia religiously affiliated with any house of worship, said Clare Persson, Chair of Stand Up Laconia. The day is simply about good intentions and creative positive energy and healing within the community. Stand Up Laconia is comprised of community members from 12 different sectors of the community, which includes but is not limited to police enforcement, local educators, public health officials, and religious leaders, according to Persson. Due to a branch being from the religious community, the steering committee wanted to give these individuals an opportunity to bring the mission of Stand Up Laconia to their own lives and houses of worship in a meaningful way. Shaun Dutile, spiritual leader of Dutile Christian Counseling, is a member of the Stand Up Laconia steering committee. For the past two years, Dutile has been integrating prayer for those struggling with substance misuse into his ministry, and has wanted to extend this mission to others in the community. From this idea, he began collaborating with other members of Stand Up Laconia who have different spiritual backgrounds, such as Pat Kiefer from the Catholic church and Paula Gile from the Congregational Church of Laconia. Since the start of this initiative, Dutile has reached out to nine different houses of worship, including the Unitarian Church and the Jewish Temple, and said everyone he has talked to has been in support of the day. No specific deity is recognized. It is not a religious affiliated day, Dutile reaffirmed. The goal of the day is to simply take some time, whether its your commute time or a 15-minute break during your work day, to pray specifically for those impacted by addiction. The day does not require community members to come together at a specific place or time, however, Persson said that if people wish to come together they are welcome to do so. Further, Kiefer noted that at Saint Andre Bessette Parish in Laconia, Wednesdays are the churchs day of Eucharistic Adoration. For those within the Catholic community who wish to take part in the day, prayers have been printed and left at the doors of the church that specifically cater to those who face addition. The best part of this is seeing the churches set aside their differences and come together with the common goal of addressing the substance misuse issue in the city, said Kiefer. Those with questions about the weekly Laconia Day of Prayer or for information on how to get involved in Stand Up Laconia, can contact Clare Persson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 603-387-4270. For more information within the Catholic church email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or to reach Dutile email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Zombie Apocalypse: Spirituality, Sex, and the Lay Vocation – Patheos (blog)

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

At the upcomingUSCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, my wife and co-author, Lisa Popcak, will be leading a panel titled, The Family and Sexuality: Challenges and Opportunities. One of the first questions the panel will address is, What is often overlooked when attempting to evangelize people about the Catholic vision of sex and love especially in marriage and family life?

Our response? The single most overlooked point in communicating the importance of the Churchs view on sex in marriage is that sex stands at the center of the lay vocation. Attempting to practice a lay spirituality while ignoring sex is like living a zombie spirituality that divorces the body from the soul. If the Church is serious about the universal call to holiness, she has to get serious about proclaiming and helping people live the Catholic vision of sex and love. What am I talking about? Im glad you asked.

Lay People: Spiritual Also-Rans?

Historically speaking, until Vatican II, lay people were all-but officially considered to be spiritual also-rans who, if they wanted to be serious about their faith, were welcome to borrow whatever spiritual equipment (e.g., Liturgy of the Hours, Lectio Divina, contemplative prayer, etc.) they could from the spiritual A-Teamclergy and religious.

But it isnt always easy for lay people to use these tools. Lisa and I regularly hear from listeners to More2Life who complain, Since I had kids, I just dont have time to pray like I used to. The problem isnt that lay people are spiritually lax. Its that many of the tools Catholics consider to be our spiritual stock-in-trade were primarily developed for clergy and religious and dont easily translate to life in the domestic church.

Until Vatican IIs earth-shattering proclamation of the universal call to holiness declaring that priests, religious, and lay people alike are capable of real sanctity, no one really considered what an authentically home-grown, lay approach to spirituality would even consist of.

Lay Spirituality: A New Approach

Enter St John Paul the Great. As (effectively) the first post-Vatican II pope, he dedicated his life to laying the foundations of a lay spirituality that fit the demands of the domestic church. Because lay peoples lives are consumed the minutiae of paying bills and raising families, he made St. Therese of Lisieux a Doctor of the Church. Her Little Way of holiness offers a path to sainthood that consists of doing even these little things with great love. Acknowledging how few examples of sanctity the Church offered to lay people, he canonized more lay and married saints than any pope before him. Considering the challenges lay people face trying to live a holy life in the midst of a troubled world, he promoted devotion to Divine Mercy. Viewing the rosary as the laypersons easiest entre into contemplative prayer, he wrote an apostolic letter on how to pray it properly and added an entire set of mysteries highlighting events every family could relate to; a baptism, a wedding, teaching children life lessons through stories, a father raising up his beloved son, a family meal.

And the crown jewel in this effort? St John Pauls Theology of the Body, through which, week-after-week, over the course of 129 Wednesday audiences, he promoted a marriage-centric, nuptial view of the pursuit of holiness, the sacraments, salvation history, the Church, and the gospel itself.

Sex: The Heart of the Lay Vocation

And what was at the center of the Theology of the Body, this massive reflection on lay spirituality? Sex. Why? Not, as some critics alleged, because St John Paul had a weird obsession with pelvic issues, but because virtually every waking moment of the lay persons life is spent seeking a mate, maintaining their relationship with their mate, conceiving children, dealing with struggles related to conceiving children, and raising those children to find good and godly spouses. It all comes down to tasks related, in one way or another to sex and sexuality.

Christianity is an incarnational faith. It begins with conception; with God emptying himself and becoming embodied. As such, an authentically Christian spiritual life must also be embodied. If celibacy allows priests and religious to dedicate their bodies to work for the good of Gods Kingdom, how could a lay person share in this work? The Theology of the Body answers this question by encouraging lay people to resist the secular worlds reconception of fertility as a disease, and to refuse to engage in sexual practices that treat people as sexual objects, create barriers to the two becoming one flesh, and think of children merely as a burden.

Thats why any lay spirituality that seeks to divorce itself from the sexual character of the lay vocation is little more than a zombie spirituality; a body stumbling around desperately seeking redemption for its basic hungers. Christians, especially lay Christians, can do better. Its time for Church to give lay people their rightful spiritual inheritance by boldly proclaiming and supporting lay people in living an authentic, embodied, home-grown, nuptial, spiritual life. And it is time for lay people to claim their sacred right to live the universal call to holiness in the unique ways only lay people can.

When we talk about the Churchs teaching on sexual love, and NFP in particular, we as a Church need to do a better job to help people see that we arent just talking about a way to regulate fertility. Were really talking about the foundations of a lay spirituality where couples join priests and religious in bringing their sexuality to God for the greater glory of his Kingdom and the building of an authentic Civilization of Love.

To learn more about how you can begin to celebrate the Catholic vision of in a way that can invigorate every part of your lifeespecially your spiritual lifecheck out Holy Sex! The Catholic Guide to Mind-Blowing, Toe-Curling, Infallible Loving

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Zombie Apocalypse: Spirituality, Sex, and the Lay Vocation - Patheos (blog)

The Spiritual Center of Lily Dale – Gothic Beauty Magazine

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Chloe Heydt, at the 2015 Lily Dale Victorian ice cream social

The town of Lily Dale, an hour south of Buffalo in southwest New York state, has a reputation for spiritualism. In fact it was founded for this exact purpose. Not to be confused with a haunted town, this center for enlightenment and healing prides itself on helping people and providing answers to lifes big questions. Every year an extensive programme of events is held over the summer, attracting thousands of open-minded individuals and the spiritually curious.

This, their 138th year, boasts an impressive roster of registered mediums throughout the season as well as daily meditation and healing sessions, yoga and astrology courses, lectures on the science of spirituality and even ghost walks. The beginning of the summer schedule is marked by Tibetan Monks consecrating and creating a painstaking Mandala in grains of colored sand. Visitors to Lily Dale often return year after year and some even buy property there, to make the spiritual center their home. Lisa Williams tells us more about this special place and what it has to offer.

Lily Dale was founded in 1879 so it could be a village of spiritualists and free thinkers where spiritual meetings were held every year. It has now become home for many mediums around the world and we have a summer camp open from the last weekend in June to Labor Day every year, although Lily Dale is open all year round for many church services, workshops and readings.

How many visitors do you get a year and what do most visitors come for? We get on average 25-30 thousand visitors a year, and they come for many reasons. We hold workshops on various spiritual topics and in the summer we have mediumship outdoor services daily which people are welcome to come and be part of the audience.

People can buy property in lily Dale, but not in the usual way. Why restrict real estate in this way? We dont restrict our real estate as such, but are continuing with the history of Lily Dale to be a Religious Spiritualist Community and therefore we do require someone to be within our religion and a member of the Lily Dale Assembly and so its a place where visitors can continue to come and learn.

How many people live there and how long do people generally stay a resident? We have over 100 people who live here, all year round but in the summer that number grows in size as many of our residents live in warmer climates. We have many residents who have lived here all of their lives. We like to say that once you come to Lily Dale, you take a piece of it with you and you never truly leave, it will always be with you.

Articles on the internet refer to Lily Dale as a haunted town, but Lily Dales own website prefers spiritual. Why is it important to make the distinction? Its important to us that we promote our religion and we as the residents do not see it as haunted as we feel that is derogatory and negative terminology. Although many people may have sightings of spirit, these sightings are not negative, and we truly feel that the pioneers of spiritualism are still walking among us.

Why do you think Lily Dale is such a hub for spiritual activity? Everyone who comes here has an energy and part of that energy stays here, from thousands upon thousands of visitors. That energy has become a catalyst for the building blocks for our spirit and spirits that come through.

How did the Pet Cemetery begin and why is it important for Lily Dale to have a cemetery dedicated to animals? It has become a tradition and we see it as the walk home for our animal kingdom.

Can people be buried in Lily Dale? No because of NY state law.

Your summer season of programs not only includes talks by spiritualists, but also scientists and academics. Why include both sides of the coin? We include both sides of the coin because its important that we can give a scientific point of view and cover all aspects of Spirituality. We have many people searching and when we have a scientific side it helps people process the spiritual side. We find it offers balance.

Among the numerous registered mediums, lectures and workshops taking place in the summer season, Lily Dale also offers ghost walks but you make it clear they are not ghost hunts. Have you had people come to ghost hunt? We have people from all walks of life and of course there are some that come to hunt for ghosts but that is why we consider our walks more spiritual than hunting for ghosts.

Is there a particularly special highlight for the 2017 season? We have season highlights throughout the summer. The Tibetan Monks open the season and then we have various speakers from world renown mediums and psychic, authors, lectures. We are hosting the Science of all things Spiritual and a Ukulele Jamboree. These are definitely events not to be missed!

This is Lily Dales 138th season, what keeps people coming back to Lily Dale? People are searching for answers, hope and healing and this is what brings people through our gates. Everyone wants to have something to believe in, and we can help them with that. As these gifts are becoming more and more common people are intrigued and need help developing and our summer program has a variety of workshops for everyone. Plus we are a lot of fun!

http://www.lilydaleassembly.com

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The Spiritual Center of Lily Dale - Gothic Beauty Magazine

NASA Tests Flexible Roll-Out Solar Arrays on Space Station (Video) – Space.com

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

NASA's new compact high-power solar array made their debut on the International Space Station Sunday (June 18), allowing astronauts to test the technology's durability for deep-space missions.

The Roll Out Solar Array(ROSA) is incredibly lightweight and flexible, meaning that it can easily be packed into a rocket for launch. ROSA is a collaboration between NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and two private companies, including Deployable Space Systems (DSS) of Santa Barbara, California, and Space Systems Loral (SSL) of Palo Alto, California.

ROSA is designed to power missions using solar-electric propulsion spacecraft. The solar array wing technology is expected save on storage space and cut costs for long-distance trips beyond Earth, according to a statement from NASA. [Beaming Solar Power From Space (Video)]

The Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) experiment is seen deployed on the International Space Station at the end of the outpost's Canadarm 2 robotic arm on June 18, 2017. The flexible solar wing could be used to power future spacecraft.

This past weekend, engineers on the ground remotely rolled out the solar arrayusing the space station's Canadarm2. The array will remain attached to the robotic arm for seven days. This experiment will test the overall effectiveness of the advanced solar wing. ROSA was delivered to the orbiting lab on June 5 aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship.

"We want to show that we can pull the wing back in in a predictable way," Jeremy Banik, the experiment's principal investigator and a senior research engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico,said in a statement. "A practical reason is that we have to pull it back for stowage after this investigation, but it will be good to know it can be done for future applications, potentially for a highly maneuverable spacecraft."

This time-lapse animation shows the novel Roll Out Solar Array experiment in action on the International Space Station on June 18, 2017. The ROSA experiment is aimed at testing new solar wing technology that rolls out an array like a party favor.

If successful, ROSA could help make NASA's robotic and human journeys to Mars and beyond possible. Incorporating the ROSA technology into Martian rovers, for example, would allow space vehicles to travel the planet's rugged surface more efficiently, since the solar arrays could be rolled up and stowed away when not in use, NASA officials have said.

"We get more power by using larger solar arrays. But efficiently packaging them for launch and then deploying those big arrays by a spacecraft has been the challenge," Al Tadros, SSL vice president of Civil and Department of Defense Business,said in a June 8 statement. "What the work on ROSA has done is develop a technique to deploy very large surface areas of flexible solar arrays, doing that efficiently with low risk. It's more power without increasing the mass dramatically."

Not only does the ROSA technology further NASA's deep-space exploration initiatives, it also benefits the commercial communications satellite industry which provides direct-to-home TV, satellite radio, broadband internet and various other services to those on the ground, according to the statement.

An artist's impression of the Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) technology being used for deep space missions, such as NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission.

Previously, NASA has tested other solar array technology that folds and unfolds like origami to save space. But ROSA is made from lightweight mesh material that can be rolled up around a spindle and stowed in a more compact cylinder form.

ROSA is also scalable, which means it can be configured to work with other ROSAs to produce high-power levels, and can easily be deployed in a simple, yet reliable, two-stage process that takes about 10 minutes, Michael Ragsdale, research and development project manager at SSL, said in the statement from NASA.

"It's very unique and innovative, different than anything that's been done before," said Brian Spence, president of DSS, which is helping SSL incorporate the technology into its SSL 1300series platform of high-power satellites. "However, it's also extremely simple. That aspect of the technology really lends itself well to being accepted by end users, like SSL."

Editor's note: Video produced by Space.com's Steve Spaleta.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom,Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

NASA Tests Flexible Roll-Out Solar Arrays on Space Station (Video) - Space.com

Organs-on-Chips Tech to be Tested at International Space Station – R & D Magazine

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

A $2 million grant will fund new technology to evaluate the effects of space travel on human brain cells at the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory.

The grant, funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, a center of the National Institute of Health, will go to Emulate Inc., for the Boston-based companys Organs-on-Chips technology.

The company will use their Brain-Chip system and develop a fully automated research platform for experiments on ISS to be conducted under healthy and inflamed states to assess how space travel affects neuronal function, as well better understand how the human brain operates on Earth.

According to an Emulate press release, the ISS provides an environment where researchers can study human health in microgravity, allowing them to decouple the force of gravity from other effects that can impact brain cell function.

Different experiments will be conducted onboard to see how other space travel stressorshypergravity experienced during launch, reduced availability of oxygen known as hypoxia and increased levels of stress hormonesinfluence brain function.

As we make our Human Emulation System available to labs throughout the world, we continue to push new boundaries, Geraldine Hamilton, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Emulate, said in a statement. Its an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate with experts working in the space program so that we can leverage research with Organ-Chips in space and apply the learnings to human health challenges that are experienced on Earth.

The Human Emulation System is an integrated system that provides a high-fidelity window into the inner-workings of the human body by integrating micro-engineering with living human cells to offer a new method to model human biology.

The researchers will also look at the relationship between inflammation and brain functiona very active area of investigation for furthering understanding of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases.

The study was particularly focus on the blood-brain-barrier, which protects the brain by preventing unwanted substances from entering the brain and can be altered during inflammation.

The studies will use the Brain-Chip to evaluate the efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapeutic intervention on the blood-brain barrier in space.

Conducting research with Organs-on-Chips technology on the International Space Station is a remarkable opportunity to understand disease and improve human health, NCATS Director Dr. Christopher Austin said in a statement. Physiological functions in the microgravity of the International Space Station will provide insights that will increase translational effectiveness on Earth, including identifying novel targets for drug discovery and development.

Emulate is expected to adapt the instrumentation of their Human Emulation System to achieve the requirements for use of Organs-on-Chips technology on ISS.

They will also develop space-compatible hardware with their two partnersIRPI and SpaceTango.

The adaptation of our Organs-on-Chips technology for research in space advances new frontiers for designing the functionality of our system to be highly-automated, streamlined, and size-efficient, Chris Hinojosa, director of Discovery at Emulate, said in a statement. We are further optimizing our system to meet the requirements for use in space which, in turn, will enable us to improve our system for use by many researchers and companies on Earth.

Continued here:

Organs-on-Chips Tech to be Tested at International Space Station - R & D Magazine

Experiment devoted to neutron star research installed on space … – Astronomy Now Online

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Artists concept of a pulsar (blue-white disk in center) pulling in matter from a nearby star (red disk at upper right). The stellar material forms a disk around the pulsar (multicolored ring) before falling on to the surface at the magnetic poles. The pulsars intense magnetic field is represented by faint blue outlines surrounding the pulsar. Credit: NASA

A NASA instrument built to help astronomers learn about the structure and behaviour of neutron stars, super-dense stellar skeletons left behind by massive explosions, has been mounted to an observation post outside the International Space Station after delivery aboard a SpaceX supply ship earlier this month.

Since its arrival inside the trunk of SpaceXs Dragon cargo capsule, the X-ray astronomy experiment has been transferred from the spacecrafts unpressurized carrier to a platform on the space-facing side of the space stations starboard truss backbone, powered up and checked to ensure it can point at stellar targets as the research outpost orbits around Earth.

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer, or NICER, is now going through alignment checks and test scans, allowing scientists to fine-tune the instrument. The calibrations should be complete next month, and NICERs ground team has penciled in July 13 as the first day of the instruments 18-month science mission.

NICERs developers at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center crammed 56 individual X-ray mirrors inside the instruments shell, with matching silicon detectors that will register individual photons of X-ray light, measuring their energies and times of arrival.

NASA says NICER is the first mission dedicated to neutron star research. Astronomers discovered neutron stars in 1967, decades after scientists first predicted their existence.

Neutron stars are left behind after lower-mass stars exploded in violent supernovas at the ends of their lives. The material from the star ends up crammed into an object the size of a city, and astronomers say one of the densest stable forms of matter in the universe resides in the deep interiors of neutron stars.

Scientists compare the density of a neutron star to packing the mass Mount Everest into a sugar cube. One teaspoon of neutron star matter would weight a billion tons on Earth, according to NASA.

NICER flew to the space station inside the rear trunk of a SpaceX Dragon supply ship, which launched June 3 from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and berthed with the orbiting outpost June 5.

The stations Canadian-built robotic arm extracted the NICER experiment from the Dragon spacecraft June 11, and the instrument rode to its mounting location on an external platform EXPRESS Logistics Carrier-2 on a mobile rail car down the stations truss.

Mission controllers in Houston commanded and monitored the multi-day transfer from the ground, with the help of the stations two-armed Dextre robot.

The space stations robotic arm installed NICER on its mounting plate June 13, and controllers powered up the instruments electronics the next day, verifying all systems were OK. Range of motion tests were completed Friday after engineers needed extra time to release troublesome launch restraint bolts.

NICER rode to the space station with two other experiments in Dragons trunk.

One of the payloads, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, will test a new solar array design could be used on future commercial satellites, making the power generators 20 percent lighter and able to fit into a launch package four times smaller than conventional fold-out solar panels.

A commercial Earth-imaging platform developed by Teledyne Brown was also stowed in Dragons trunk. TheMultiple User System for Earth Sensing, or MUSES, can host high-definition and hyperspectral cameras for Earth-viewing.

The MUSES payload was robotically moved to its new home on the space station before NICER, and the solar array testbed was unfurled for seven days of testing this week.

The installation of NICER clears the way for nearly a month of calibrations before it can start regular science observations.

Neutron stars are fantastical stars that are extraordinary in many ways, said Zaven Arzoumanian, NICERs deputy principal investigator and science lead at Goddard. They are the densest objects in the universe, they are the fastest-spinning objects known, they are the most strongly magnetic objects known.

The NICER science team wants to know the structure and composition of neutron stars, which are so extreme that normal atoms are pulverized, freeing subatomic particles like neutrons, protons and electrons.

As soon as you go below the surface of a neutron star, the pressures and densities rise extremely rapidly, and soon youre in an environment that you cant produce in any lab on Earth, said Slavko Bogdanov, a research scientist at Columbia University who leads the NICER light curve modeling group.

Unlike black holes, which develop from explosions of stars more than 20 times the mass of the sun, neutron stars can be directly observed.

A partnership between NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Naval Research Laboratory, NICER should give scientists their first measurements of the size of a neutron star.

They emit light all across the spectrum, from radio waves to visible light up to X-rays and gamma rays, primarily in narrow beams from their magnetic poles, Arzoumanian said. Just like the Earth, the magnetic poles on a neutron star are not necessarily aligned with the spin of the star, so you can get narrow beams that sweep as the star spins, just like a lighthouse.

And if we happen to be in the path of the sweep we see a flash everytime one of these beams go by and the stars from a distance appear to be pulsing, so theyre called pulsars, Arzoumanian said.

Scientists will also demonstrate the potential of using the timing of pulses from neutron stars for deep space navigation.

Were going to look at a subset of pulsars in the sky called millisecond pulsars, said Keith Gendreau, NICERs principal investigator at Goddard. In some of these millisecond pulsars, the pulses that we see are so regular that they remind us of atomic clocks.

Atomic clocks are the basis of the Global Positioning System satellites, according to Gendreau.

NASA calls the navigation demonstration the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or SEXTANT.

Jason Mitchell, SEXTANTs project manager at Goddard, said his team aims to use predictable pulsar signals to locate the space station with a precision of 6 miles, or 10 kilometres, without the aid of GPS satellites or on-board navigation solutions.

Thats a small step compared to GPS, but its a giant step for using only pulsar measurements, and that will help us get into deep space, Mitchell said.

Our goal is to turn the G in GPS into galactic, and make it a Galactic Positioning System, he said.

Email the author.

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

Originally posted here:

Experiment devoted to neutron star research installed on space ... - Astronomy Now Online

Zytronic sensor modifies new space station exhibit – Installation International

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Zytronic has supplied an 84in diagonal touch sensor to the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution (NASM) for a recently unveiled exhibit. The museum, which displays the worlds largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft, welcomes 6.7 million visitors annually, making it the fifth most visited museum in the world.

New Mexico-based Ideum was tasked with updating one of the museums most heavily used exhibits a touch-interactive table that enables visitors to design, customise and launch space station modules of their own creation. The exhibits legacy iteration was projection based; and while it was very popular, the table was out-dated and was becoming harder to maintain.

The Smithsonian was looking for an update of this proven exhibit. We made some minor improvements to the interface and improved the software itself, but the biggest upgrade was to move the exhibit from a projection-based, optical touch table to a highly reliable, hardened and responsive touch table, said Ideums founder, Jim Spadaccini. We effectively rebuilt the entire exhibit from the ground-up to withstand the rigours of nearly constant use at what is one of the busiest museums in United States.

Ideum engineered an 84in touch table and chose to use Zytronics touch sensor because it could be built to Ideums specifications, and was able to deliver the multi-touch capabilities required to support simultaneous use by up to six visitors. Zytronic was heavily involved in the design process, and was able to produce the single, bespoke design 84in touch sensor without any of the upcharges that often accompany custom work from other touchscreen manufacturers. The ZyBrid touch sensor was designed using 6mm-thick thermally toughened Anti-Glare etched glass, providing a combination of smooth finger glide interactivity and impact resistance, and the Ideum table was manufactured in powder coated aluminium for additional durability.

To support the new hardware configuration, Ideum also redesigned the software to include key interactive elements. Specifically, once users complete their space station modules, they are able to virtually launch their module, displaying the final product at the centre of the table. Users can then email a rendering of the final product to friends or family.

http://www.zytronic.co.uk

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Zytronic sensor modifies new space station exhibit - Installation International

Space flight bill could create ‘thriving hub’ in Scotland – The Scotsman – The Scotsman

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

An artist's impression image of the proposed spaceport at Machrihanish. Picture: Contributed

09:46 Tuesday 20 June 2017

A space flight bill to be included in the Queens Speech could see Scotland become a thriving hub for the industry, according to the secretary of state for Scotland.

New powers would see the launch of satellites from the UK for the first time, horizontal flights to the edge of space for scientific experiments and the creation of spaceports across the UK.

A number of Scottish sites have expressed an interest in the project, including Prestwick, Machrihanish and Stornoway.

READ MORE: Campbeltown spaceport moves a step closer to reality

Scottish secretary David Mundell said: This new legislation on space ports will be a giant leap forward for Scotlands ambitious space and satellite sector. It will give each of our potential spaceports a fantastic opportunity to establish Scotland as a thriving hub for commercial spaceflight.

By capitalising on our existing scientific expertise, a Scottish spaceport would create new, skilled jobs and drive economic growth.

200 Voices: find out more about the people who have shaped Scotland

More than 38,000 jobs rely on the UKs space industry, which is worth 13.7 billion to the economy. The global market for launching satellites is estimated to be 25bn over the next 20 years.

READ MORE: First Prestwick space flights predicted for 2019

New powers would be given for a wide range of new spaceflight, including vertically-launched rockets, spaceplanes, satellite operation, spaceports and other technologies.

It would take the UK into the commercial space age by enabling small satellite launch and spaceflight from UK spaceports. And it will create new opportunities for the UKs scientific community to carry out research in a microgravity environment by giving British scientists easier access.

The legislation comes as part of a series of bills aimed at infrastructure.

Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing for the Queens Speech tomorrow but has not yet struck a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to prop up her minority government. The event sets out the Prime Ministers legislative plans for the coming year.

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Space flight bill could create 'thriving hub' in Scotland - The Scotsman - The Scotsman

Comedian Bill Dana, creator of ‘Jos Jimnez’, dead at 92 – SpaceFlight Insider

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Danzig

Bart Leahy

June 20th, 2017

Bill Dana as astronaut Jos Jimnez on the Bill Dana Show, 1963. (Click for full view) Photo Credit: NBC Television

Comedian and comedy writer Bill Dana, who became famous through his Jos Jimnez character in the 1950s and 1960s, died June 15 at the age of 92. The Jimnez character, a stereotyped cowardly astronaut, was a favorite performer with television audiences and with the Original Seven Mercury astronauts.

A man of many talents, Danas official website described him as a successful writer, author, cartoonist, producer, director, recording artist, inventor, and stand-up comedian. Born William Szathmary, after serving as a combat infantryman in World War II, Dana turned to stand-up comedy and then TV comedy.

In1956, Dana appliedhis comedic talents to writing as well as performing, becoming a writer and then head writer for The Steve Allen Show, where his Jos Jimnez character came to life. Eventually, he got his own situation comedy show on NBC, which ran from 1963 to 1965.

Jos Jimnez oftenappeared in an interview format, taking questions from a straight-man interviewer who would ask him questions about his life as an astronaut. The Spanish-accented Jimnez would answer in fearful fashion about his fate. Danas approach to the space program provided comic relief during a tense and uncertain space race with the Soviet Union. He was a particular favorite of the United States first Mercury astronaut, Alan Shepard.

Adopted by all of the Mercury astronauts, Dana became part of space history when the first words spoken to Alan Shepard on his Freedom 7 flight were, O.K. Jos, youre on your way! Danaand his characterhave been included in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Dana also served on the board of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

In 1970, with ethnic humor drawing criticism, Dana stopped performing the character. Despite this cultural shift, the National Hispanic Media Coalition endorsed the Jos Jimnez character, invited Dana to sit on their advisory board, and gave him an image award in 1997.

Tagged: Bill Dana Comedian Lead Stories Project Mercury

Bart Leahy is a freelance technical writer living in Orlando, Florida. Leahy's diverse career has included work for The Walt Disney Company, NASA, the Department of Defense, Nissan, a number of commercial space companies, small businesses, nonprofits, as well as the Science Cheerleaders.

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Comedian Bill Dana, creator of 'Jos Jimnez', dead at 92 - SpaceFlight Insider

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