So Long and Thanks For All the Fish!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Bulletproof Dog That Stormed Bin Laden's Lair
BY Elbert Chu If you see this dog coming for you, run. Thanks to his extensive training--and customized body armor that can cost upwards of $30,000--he's bulletproof, can hear through concrete, and can record high-def video of missions, even in the dead of night.
Since the moment it was revealed that the "nation's most courageous dog" [Update: named "Cairo"] served alongside the 80 Navy SEALs who took out Osama bin Laden, America's fascination with war dogs has hit a fevered pitch. And while the heart-tugging photos of these four-legged heroes are worth a look, so is the high-tech gear that helps them do their job.
For the rest of the story, click here
Monday, May 16, 2011
Ignite Your Brainpower with the 20 Smartest Foods on Earth
Just in Time For Final Exams....
On a deadline? Need to rally? Avoid the soda, vending machine snacks and tempting Starbucks pastries and go for these powerful brain boosters instead. The path to a bigger, better brain is loaded with Omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and fiber. Give your brain a kick start: eat the following foods on a daily or weekly basis for results you will notice.
20 foods that will supercharge your brain:
1. Avocado
Start each day with a mix of high-quality protein and beneficial fats to build the foundation for an energized day. Avocado with scrambled eggs provides both, and the monounsaturated fat helps blood circulate better, which is essential for optimal brain function. Worst alternative: a trans-fat-filled, sugar-laden cream cheese Danish.
Green it: you don’t need to buy an organic avocado – conventional is fine. But make sure your supplementary protein is free range, cage free, or organic.
2. Blueberries
These delicious berries are one of the best foods for you, period, but they’re very good for your brain as well. Since they’re high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, they are safe for diabetics and they do not spike blood sugar. Blueberries are possibly the best brain food on earth: they have been linked to reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, shown to improve learning ability and motor skills in rats, and they are one of the most powerful anti-stress foods you can eat. Avoid: dried, sweetened blueberries.
Green it: buy local and organic, and be mindful of seasonality. When blueberries are out of season, opt for cranberries, grapes, goji berries, blackberries or cherries to get your brain boost.
3. Wild Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your brain. These beneficial fats are linked to improved cognition and alertness, reduced risk of degenerative mental disease (such as dementia), improved memory, improved mood, and reduced depression, anxiety and hyperactivity. Wild salmon is a premium source, but we’ll highlight a few other sources on this list for vegetarians and people who just don’t like salmon. Avoid farmed (read: sea lice infested) salmon.
Green it: the California salmon stock is threatened, so choose wild Alaskan salmon only, and eat small portions no more than twice a week.
4. Nuts
Nuts contain protein, high amounts of fiber, and they are rich in beneficial fats. For getting an immediate energy boost that won’t turn into a spike later, you can’t do better than nuts. The complex carbs will perk you up while the fat and protein will sustain you. Nuts also contain plenty of vitamin E, which is essential to cognitive function. You don’t have to eat raw, plain, unsalted nuts, but do avoid the ones with a lot of sweetening or seasoning blends. Filberts, hazelnuts, cashews, and walnuts are great choices, with almonds being the king of nuts.
For those avoiding carbs, macadamia nuts are much higher in fat than most nuts. By the way, peanuts just aren’t ideal. Aside from the fact that many people are allergic, peanuts have less healthy fat than many other types of nuts…maybe that’s because peanuts are not actually a nut! They’re still much better than a candy bar, however.
Green it: try to choose organic, raw nuts, and if you can’t get those, at least avoid the tins of heavily-seasoned, preservative-laden nuts that may have taken many food miles to get to your mouth.
5. Seeds
Try sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, and tahini (a tangy, nutty sesame butter that tastes great in replacement of mayo and salad dressing). Seeds contain a lot of protein, beneficial fat, and vitamin E, as well as stress-fighting antioxidants and important brain-boosting minerals like magnesium.
Green it: Again, just look for organic and try to avoid the highly-seasoned, processed options. In general, things like fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts are pretty low-impact, environmentally speaking, in comparison to meats and cheeses.
6. Coffee
Thine eyes do not deceive (even if you are in the midst of a sugar crash). Coffee is good for your brain. Did you know coffee actually contains fiber? That’s going to help your cardiovascular system. Coffee also exerts some noted benefit to your brain in addition to providing you with a detectable energy boost.
The trick is not to have more than a few cups. But you can safely enjoy 2-4 cups daily – we are talking about supercharging here. Just please don’t go ruining a good thing by loading it up with sugar! Espresso beans are actually a phenomenally healthy snack, by the way.
Green it: brew yourself some fair-trade organic coffee to benefit both the planet and the workers who grow your beans. Use a thermos instead of a throwaway cup.
7. Oatmeal
Nature’s scrub brush is one of the best foods for cardiovascular health, which translates to brain health. Additionally, oatmeal is packed with fiber, a reasonable amount of protein, and even a small amount of Omega-3′s. It’s a good grain that will sustain you throughout the morning so you aren’t prone to irritability or an energy crash.
Green it: the healthiest oatmeal is the real, steel-cut deal. Steer clear of those little microwavable packets that are loaded with sugar. All that packaging isn’t very green.
8. Beans
One more for carb-lovers. (The brain uses about 20% of your carbohydrate intake and it likes a consistent supply.) Beans are truly an amazing food that is sadly overlooked. They’re humble, but very smart. Not only are they loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein, they’re ridiculously cheap. An entire bag of beans usually costs only a few dollars and will provide many meals. Beans provide a steady, slow release of glucose to your brain – which means energy all day without the sugar crash. Don’t go eating a whole platter of frijoles, though – just 1/4 of a cup is fine.
Green it: look for heirloom beans that are raised sustainably, like those from Rancho Gordo.
9. Pomegranate
Opt for the fruit over the juice so you get more fiber. Pomegranates contain blueberry-like levels of antioxidants, which are essential for a healthy brain. Your brain is the first organ to feel the effects of stress, so anything you can do to offset stress is a smart choice.
Green it: pomegranates are seasonal and not generally local for most of us, so enjoy sparingly and rely on other berries like acai, grapes and cherries when you can’t get this fruit.
10. Brown Rice
Brown rice is a low-glycemic complex carbohydrate that is excellent for people sensitive to gluten who still want to maintain cardiovascular health. The better your circulation, the sharper your brain.
Green it: don’t buy the excessively-packaged “boil in a bag” rice packets. Just make up a big batch of brown rice in a rice cooker on Sunday so you have it on hand for easy lunches all week.
11. Tea
You have to brew tea fresh or you won’t get the benefits of all those catechines (antioxidants) that boost your brain. Because tea has caffeine, don’t have more than 2-3 cups daily.
Green it: buy organic, fair trade loose leaf or packets to support sustainable business practices.
12. Chocolate
Things are looking increasingly better for chocolate. It’s got brain-boosting compounds, it’s loaded with antioxidants, and it has just the right amount of caffeine. Chocolate sends your serotonin through the roof, so you’ll feel happy in short order. Dark chocolate is also rich in fiber. (Remember, fiber = healthy cardiovascular system = healthy brain.)
Green it: go for super dark, fair-trade, pure organic chocolate, not the sugary, processed milk chocolate candy bars.
13. Oysters
Oysters are rich in selenium, magnesium, protein and several other nutrients vital to brain health. In one study researchers found that men who ate oysters reported significantly improved cognition and mood! Not all shellfish are good for you but oysters are a sure bet.
Green it: oysters are actually one of the most eco-friendly seafood options, so eat up!
14. Olive Oil
Though we know the brain does need a small, steady supply of glucose, don’t overlook fat. Studies have consistently shown that a low-fat diet is not the health boon we hoped it would be (remember the 90s low-fat craze?). In fact, avoiding fat can increase foggy thinking, mood swings, and insomnia. A diet rich in healthy fats is essential to clear thinking, good memory, and a balanced mood. Your brain is made of fat, after all.
One study of men found that those who relied on the processed vegetable fats found in salad dressings, snacks and prepared foods had 75% higher rates of mental degradation (dementia, memory loss) than men who ate healthy fats. Most processed foods and fast foods use corn oil, palm oil, soybean oil and other Omega-6 fats. You don’t want Omega 6 fats. Even saturated fat is safer than Omega 6′s.
Choose healthy fats such as those present in olive oil, nut butters, nuts and seeds, flax, oily fish, and avocados. Avoid processed fats found in pastries, chips, candy bars, snacks, junk food, fried foods and prepared foods. Eating the wrong fat can literally alter your brain’s communication pathways.
Green it: look for organic, local, or farmers’ market options when it comes to your food. You should also explore herbal remedies for mood swings and brain health.
15. Tuna
In addition to being another rich source of Omega-3′s, tuna, particularly yellowfin, has the highest level of vitamin B6 of any food. Studies have shown that B6 is directly linked to memory, cognition and long term brain health. Generally, the B vitamins are among the most important for balancing your mood. B6 in particular influences dopamine receptors (dopamine is one of your “feel good” hormones along with serotonin).
My personal cocktail: SAMe (nature’s happiness molecule) and a mega-dose of B-complex keeps me humming even when I’ve got a mountain of work to do. Which, like you, is all the time.
Green it: only eat tuna from sustainable fisheries, and if you’re looking for a B6 source that is vegetarian, opt for a banana, which contains a third of your day’s requirement (tuna offers nearly 60%).
16. Garlic
Garlic – the fresher the better – is one of the most potent nutritional weapons in your arsenal. Eat it as much as your significant other can stand. Not only is it fabulous for reducing bad cholesterol and strengthening your cardiovascular system, it exerts a protective antioxidant effect on the brain.
Avoid: I know it makes life easier, but don’t even think about buying the chopped or peeled garlic. Nutritional benefits = zero.
Green it: just choose organic, and go for local if you can get it.
17. Eggs
Eggs contain protein and fat to provide energy to your brain for hours, and the selenium in organic eggs is proven to help your mood. You really needn’t worry about the overblown cholesterol fears. (I have quite a bit to say on this topic but I’ll restrain myself for once.)
Green it: choose organic, free range, vegetarian fed eggs.
18. Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, kale, chard, romaine, arugula, lolla rossa – whatever green you like, eat it daily. Green, leafy vegetables are high in iron (slightly less “green” iron sources include beef, pork and lamb). Americans tend to be deficient in iron, which is too bad, because the deficiency is linked to restless leg syndrome, fatigue, poor mood, foggy thinking, and other cognition issues.
Green it: choose organic, and shop at your farmers’ market or order from a local CSA. Leave out the red meat a few days a week and rely on a big, well-seasoned green stir fry or salad.
19. Tomatoes
Go figure, but tomatoes don’t usually make the brain-boosting food lists. (Thank goodness I found the one that did so I’m not the only one.) Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that is particularly good for your brain – it even helps prevent dementia. You have to cook tomatoes to get the lycopene – take that, raw foodies! Just kidding. But this does mean that ketchup is good for your brain. Although because of the sugar in it, you should look to other sources for most of your lycopene intake, such as fresh tomato sauce.
Green it: try to eat tomatoes that are local and get your lycopene in vitamin form when tomatoes aren’t in season. You’ll know when that is – the tomatoes will be pale, tasteless, and pithy.
20. Cacao nibs
That’s right, I’m putting chocolate on this list twice. My boyfriend knows I need it. I eat chocolate or cacao nibs daily and I think you might want to consider it, too. Cacao nibs are among the top five most powerful brain foods, right next to wild salmon and blueberries. My girlfriends and I like to mix cacao nibs with frozen blueberries and a generous splash of organic heavy cream while we watch really bad television on Sunday nights.
Green it: as long as it’s fair trade and organic, it’s green.
Things that drain your brain:
Alcohol kills your brain cells outright! Alcohol also interferes with dopamine production. Moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly resveratrol-rich red wine, can help improve your health, but anything beyond a glass or two of wine daily is a recipe for reduced brain function and energy loss.
Corn Syrup and Sugar lead to health problems like diabetes and obesity, and they’re terrible for your brain. Don’t eat sugar except on special occasions or as an infrequent treat. If you can’t cut back that much, try to limit yourself to just two bites of whatever tempts you daily.
Nicotine constricts blood flow to the brain, so while it may “soothe” jittery nerves, smoking will actally reduce your brain function severely – and the effects are cumulative.
A high carbohydrate lunch will make you sleepy and sluggish. Opt for a light meal with some quality protein, such as a salad with grilled chicken breast or vegetables and hummus or wild American shrimp and avocado.
SOURCES:
Vita Search
Public Library of Science
PubMed
Farewell, my space shuttle
May 15, 2011 1:54 p.m. EDT
Editor's note: Leroy Chiao served as a NASA astronaut from 1990 to 2005 and flew four missions into space, including flights aboard the space shuttles Columbia, Endeavour and Discovery.
(CNN) -- When space shuttle Endeavour blasts off Monday on its final journey, I'll be thinking about the shuttle's three remarkable decades of service.
I grew up during the Cold War and the Space Race. I was raised on "Star Trek." To me, the guys in "The Right Stuff" were Mickey Mantle and the Beatles on a rocket ship.
The Apollo 11 moon landing was the biggest moment of my childhood. It made me want to reach for the stars like those real-life heroes had done. And while I was building my dreams, NASA was constructing the vehicle that would bring me to the stars.
As NASA toiled, I was working on my own version of the shuttle -- in my parents' garage, out of toilet paper tubes and balsa wood. America was intoxicated by the space program and I was an addict for the excitement, drama and promise for the future that it would deliver with every launch.
In the '60s the anticipation for the decades ahead was as boundless as the universe itself. We were young, cocky and convinced that we could conquer the limits of space. And while space travel eventually became almost commonplace for many Americans, the fire inside me for space exploration never dimmed.
On one warm July morning in 1994, my boyhood fantasy of rocketing into the heavens in a state-of-the-art NASA spacecraft was fulfilled.
I had achieved what all my boyhood friends only dreamed of. I was an astronaut, a space cowboy -- and the space shuttle Columbia was my steed. That ship will always hold a special place in history, as the first of the shuttles to fly into space. It will have a similar place in my heart, along with those of many of my fellow astronauts.
Despite its perceived lack of sexiness, the shuttle is the most amazing, accomplished and capable flying machine ever conceived and built. She launches into low Earth orbit carrying a crew of up to seven astronauts, and a payload capacity of more than 50,000 pounds.
After completing an orbital mission of about two weeks, she brings it all home with a soft landing on a conventional runway. The only thing missing is a baggage check and "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns.
After a three-month processing flow (a little lube job, a waxing, and maybe getting the tires rotated), this baby is ready to do it all over again. Unparalleled in performance, the shuttle is what every astronaut has ever dreamed of having -- and the most accomplished spacecraft NASA has ever produced.
Sadly, NASA also made promises that the shuttle was unable to keep. Two-week turnarounds and inexpensive launches never materialized.
NASA didn't know what it didn't know. Nobody had created and operated a reusable, winged spacecraft like this one before.
The losses of Challenger, Columbia and their crews showed us unforeseen and sadly cataclysmic vulnerabilities. We mourned our losses and learned from these tragedies. The knowledge we gained from these painful experiences, along with all the shuttle's glorious abilities, will contribute to the design and operation of future spacecraft.
I have many vivid and poignant memories of flying aboard the shuttle. Floating in my sleep bunk just hours after my first launch, I couldn't sleep until I rotated 90 degrees to "lay on my side."
I watched shooting stars from the cabin window. I watched over my family from space when I identified Houston below me. There were our "aerobatic Olympics" in the Spacelab module. Simply watching the enormity of the Earth below me was incredible.
The shuttle also brought lifelong friendships among the many people whose lives she touched, all over the world. Astronauts and specialists from international space programs formed unlikely alliances in space that were never possible on Earth.
I myself formed deep friendships with several of my American comrades, as well as those from Japan, Europe, Canada and Russia. The shuttle was the vehicle for all of that, literally and figuratively.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But hard as they tried, nobody else ever got it right.
The development of the Soviet Buran shuttle, which flew only once and without a crew, nearly brought the Soviet program to its knees. The French Hermes and Japanese Hope spaceplane designs never lifted off of their respective drawing boards. Our soon-to-be-scuttled shuttle stands as a symbol of American ingenuity, know-how, persistence and greatness. No other vehicle past, present or currently contemplated for the future even comes close to her capability and elegant beauty.
On April 12 of this year, the space shuttle celebrated her 30th birthday. The last shuttle mission, flown by Atlantis, is scheduled for July.
Space shuttle, you left us far too soon. You'll never be grounded in the hearts of all of us who loved you.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leroy Chiao.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Four planets will cluster together next week
Jupiter (seen here) will hang low in the sky, along with Venus, Mars and Mercury, on Tuesday.
Four planets will huddle close together, visible to the naked eye, in the predawn sky next week, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.
"Peak streak" time arrives for meteor showers
Venus and Jupiter will be easy to spot hanging low in the east as dawn brightens on May 10. They are the brightest objects in the night sky after the Moon. Venus, the brighter of the two, will be to the right of Jupiter.
Mercury will be visible to the lower right of Venus, about the same distance from Venus to Jupiter. It won't be as bright but its proximity to Venus will help you find it. To the lower left of Jupiter you'll find Mars, which may be too low and faint to see without the aid of binoculars.
StarDate magazine is a bi-monthly publication of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, which houses many telescopes responsible for a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Blow Your Mind II
Terrifying Brown Spiders Moving North with Global Warming
My colleague Liz has been begging—seriously begging!—me to warn the American public about the growing threat of the terrifying and deadly brown recluse spider. Researchers have founds that the range of this extraordinarily venomous spider—a bite from which can, in some cases, kill—is expanding due to climate change, and that they'll be moving farther north to more populous parts of the country.
"The actual amount of suitable habitat of the brown recluse doesn't change dramatically in the future time slices, but what is changing is where that area is located," said Erin Saupe, a researcher from the University of Kansas.
Here's the map. The green dotted line marks current habitat. The blue masses are the areas they're expected to move to as temperatures increase.
So, really, the story here is not that the brown recluse spiders are expanding their range because of warmer temperatures, but rather that they're going to have to relocate. Which is probably welcome news to folks in Texas and Oklahoma and across the current habitats. But it's a big bummer for those of us who are up further north and wouldn't know one from a daddy long legs if it were climbing up the wall of our wood shed.
Photo (cc) by OakleyOriginals on Flickr
Blow Your Mind I
For the First Time, Humans See Quantum Entanglement With the Naked Eye
Posted 04.29.2011
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/researchers-see-quantum-entanglement-naked-eye-first-time
Quantum Entanglement, Visible to the Naked Eye Jule_Berlin via Flickr
Physicists at the University of Geneva in Switzerland have devised a new kind of quantum experiment using humans as photon detectors, and in doing so have made the quantum phenomenon of entanglement visible to the naked eye for the first time.
For those that need a primer, entanglement is that strange quantum phenomenon that links two particles across distances such that any any measurements carried out on one particle immediately changes the properties of the other--even if they are separated by the entire universe. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” And indeed it is weird.
Nicolas Gisin at U. of Geneva noted that Italian physicists had previously done an interesting thing with entangled photons. Rather than entangling just a few as experimenters usually do, the Italian team had entangled a pair of photons and then amplified one of them to create a photon shower containing thousands of particles, all linked to the single other photon from the original pair. That is, there was one “microscopic” photon, and a shower of “macroscopic” photons, all tied together at the quantum level.
Gisin realized that while the naked eye can’t see a single photon, it can certainly see thousands. So he used a setup similar to the Italians’, but rather than putting a photon detector in front of the macroscopic photons he put himself and his colleagues there. The beam of photons produced by the amplifier would appear in one of two positions in their darkened room, depending on the polarization state given to their microscopic single photon. Time after time, when the human results were tested against photon detectors, they got a positive result.
It may sounds like a bunch of scientists sitting in a dark room looking at blinking lights, but it represents the first time quantum entanglement has been directly observed with the naked eye.
Sort of. The Swiss team also found that what they were looking at wasn’t necessarily macro-micro entanglement. Even when they deliberately broke the quantum link between micro and macro and then ran their “human detector” experiment, they still got a positive result. This is due to the imperfection of detectors (even human ones) and a loophole in what’s known as the Bell Test (which, in a nutshell, is used to measure entanglement) that’s negligible in small quantities of photons but grows along with their quantity. This introduces a degree of uncertainty (for a better explanation of this, click through the Nature link below).
What the Swiss team does know is this: when they started, they had two entangled photons. Even though flaws may have been introduced in the amplification process, they could still “see” the effects of entanglement. A new method is being devised by the original Italian researchers (who also detected this flaw in their research) to verify micro-macro entanglement with lasers. Unfortunately, humans can’t be used as detectors for these experiments, as the highly focused beams of light would be the last thing those humans would see.
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