São cada vez mais as visitas que recebemos neste blog. A todas os nossos agradecimentos. Esperamos que não fiquem desiludidas e seria útil receber alguns comentários.
Lisbon, Portugal Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:51:58 -0500
Curitiba, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:28:57 -0500
, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:27:55 -0500
Araçatuba, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:36:50 -0500
Cuiabá, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:36:19 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:33:02 -0500
Cachoeirinha, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:45:23 -0500
Curitiba, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:16:23 -0500
Maia, Portugal Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:53:58 -0500
Curitiba, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:25:00 -0500
Jaboticabal, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:24:47 -0500
Salvador, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:35:50 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:28:00 -0500
Joinville, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:22:36 -0500
Salvador, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:08:46 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:37:27 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:24:36 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:23:47 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:15:09 -0500
Belém, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:02:05 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:12:52 -0500
Jandira, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:47:28 -0500
São Vicente, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:42:30 -0500
Rio Branco, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:30:18 -0500
São José Dos Campos, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:27:17 -0500
Mundo Novo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:52:24 -0500
Guarulhos, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:41:35 -0500
Belo Horizonte, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:17:17 -0500
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:41:49 -0500
São Paulo, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:22:31 -0500
Uberlândia, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:03:16 -0500
Porto, Portugal Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:16:51 -0500
, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:55:42 -0500
Vejen, Denmark Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:39:12 -0500
Curitiba, Brazil Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:37:29 -0500
Matosinhos, Portugal Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:01:37 -0500
Oakland, CA, United States Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:23:25 -0500
segunda-feira, agosto 24, 2009
quarta-feira, agosto 19, 2009
Ditos célebres
É espantosamente óbvio que a nossa tecnologia excede a nosa humanidade." - Albert Einstein (físico alemão 1879-1955)
"Para fazer uma obra de arte não basta ter talento, não basta ter força, é preciso também viver um grande amor." - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Compositor austríaco 1756-1791)
segunda-feira, agosto 17, 2009
sábado, agosto 15, 2009
Citation
"We live constantly the past, because we fear of not having time to live the future" - Anonymous
quinta-feira, julho 30, 2009
Newfound Bird
Scientists have discovered a rare new bird species with a bald head.
The creature, dubbed the bare-faced bulbul, was found in Laos, and is the only known bald songbird in mainland Asia.
It's also the first time in over 100 years that a new Asian species of bulbul bird has been uncovered.
"To find a new bird species is very rare these days," said Peter Clyne, assistant director for Asia Programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. "It's not like we're finding new species of birds every year. This is certainly a highly newsworthy event."
The chrome-domed songbird was discovered by Wildlife Conservation Society scientists Will Duckworth and Rob Timmins and Iain Woxvold of the University of Melbourne as part of a project funded by a mining company, Minerals and Metals Group, that operates in the region.
The bare-faced bulbul lives in the sparse trees and sun-bleached karst limestone of the Laos lowlands.
"Its apparent restriction to rather inhospitable habitat helps to explain why such an extraordinary bird with conspicuous habits and a distinctive call has remained unnoticed for so long," Woxvold said.
About the size of a thrush, the new bird has olive green feathers on its back and a light-colored breast. Its large dark eyes dominate its bald pink face.
"Whenever you come across a bird that's bald, it's a prominent characteristic," Clyne told LiveScience. "Usually, but not always, it's thought to play some kind of a role in communication between the sexes."
The researchers describe the bird's call as a "series of whistled, dry bubbling notes."
The researchers describe the new species, whose official name is Passeriformes Pycnonotidae, in the latest issue of the Oriental Bird Club's scientific journal Forktail.
SOURCE:New found bird
terça-feira, julho 28, 2009
Oldest Animals in Lakes
Oldest Animal Fossils Found in Lakes, Not Oceans
Mon Jul 27
Conventional wisdom has it that the first animals evolved in the ocean.
Now researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China have found that the first animal fossils are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not in marine sediments as commonly assumed.
These new findings not only raise questions as to where the earliest animals were living, but what factors drove animals to evolve in the first place.
For some 3 billion years, single-celled life forms such as bacteria dominated the planet. Then, roughly 600 million years ago, the first multi-cellular animals appeared on the scene, diversifying rapidly.
The oldest known animal fossils in the world are preserved in South China's Doushantuo Formation. These fossil beds have no adult specimens - instead, many of the fossils appear to be microscopic embryos.
"Our first unusual finding in this region was the abundance of a clay mineral called smectite," said researcher Tom Bristow, now at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "In rocks of this age, smectite is normally transformed into other types of clay. The smectite in these South China rocks, however, underwent no such transformation and have a special chemistry that, for the smectite to form, requires specific conditions in the water - conditions commonly found in salty, alkaline lakes."
The researchers collected hundreds of rock samples from several locations in South China. All their analyses suggest these rocks were not marine sediments.
"Moreover, we found smectite in only some locations in South China, and not uniformly as one would expect for marine deposits," Bristow said. "Taken together, several lines of evidence indicated to us that these early animals lived in a lake environment."
This discovery raises questions as to how and why animals appeared when they did.
"It is most unexpected that these first fossils do not come from marine sediments," said researcher Martin Kennedy, a geologist at the University of California at Riverside.
"Lakes are typically short-lived features on the Earth's surface, and they are not nearly as consistent environments as oceans are," he explained. "So it's surprising that the first evidence of animals we find is associated with lakes, which are far more variable environments than the ocean. You'd expect the first appearance of animals to be in the most conservative, stable environments we could imagine."
It remains possible, Kennedy noted, that animal fossils of similar or older age exist that remain to be found that are marine in origin. However, at the very least, this work suggests "that animals had already taken on the ability to deal with the environmental fluctuations one sees in lake environments," he said. "That suggests that their evolutionary response is much more rapid that I would have supposed, and that the earliest animals were far more diverse than imagined."
If animals did first develop in lakes, one aspect of lake environments that could have spurred on their evolution is how much easier it is for air to percolate through them, given how much shallower they typically are than the ocean.
"The most popular explanation for the evolution of animals has to do with the increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere at that time," Kennedy told LiveScience. "It's possible that lakes were the first to benefit from that increase in oxygen."
The scientists detailed their findings online July 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Mon Jul 27
Conventional wisdom has it that the first animals evolved in the ocean.
Now researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China have found that the first animal fossils are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not in marine sediments as commonly assumed.
These new findings not only raise questions as to where the earliest animals were living, but what factors drove animals to evolve in the first place.
For some 3 billion years, single-celled life forms such as bacteria dominated the planet. Then, roughly 600 million years ago, the first multi-cellular animals appeared on the scene, diversifying rapidly.
The oldest known animal fossils in the world are preserved in South China's Doushantuo Formation. These fossil beds have no adult specimens - instead, many of the fossils appear to be microscopic embryos.
"Our first unusual finding in this region was the abundance of a clay mineral called smectite," said researcher Tom Bristow, now at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "In rocks of this age, smectite is normally transformed into other types of clay. The smectite in these South China rocks, however, underwent no such transformation and have a special chemistry that, for the smectite to form, requires specific conditions in the water - conditions commonly found in salty, alkaline lakes."
The researchers collected hundreds of rock samples from several locations in South China. All their analyses suggest these rocks were not marine sediments.
"Moreover, we found smectite in only some locations in South China, and not uniformly as one would expect for marine deposits," Bristow said. "Taken together, several lines of evidence indicated to us that these early animals lived in a lake environment."
This discovery raises questions as to how and why animals appeared when they did.
"It is most unexpected that these first fossils do not come from marine sediments," said researcher Martin Kennedy, a geologist at the University of California at Riverside.
"Lakes are typically short-lived features on the Earth's surface, and they are not nearly as consistent environments as oceans are," he explained. "So it's surprising that the first evidence of animals we find is associated with lakes, which are far more variable environments than the ocean. You'd expect the first appearance of animals to be in the most conservative, stable environments we could imagine."
It remains possible, Kennedy noted, that animal fossils of similar or older age exist that remain to be found that are marine in origin. However, at the very least, this work suggests "that animals had already taken on the ability to deal with the environmental fluctuations one sees in lake environments," he said. "That suggests that their evolutionary response is much more rapid that I would have supposed, and that the earliest animals were far more diverse than imagined."
If animals did first develop in lakes, one aspect of lake environments that could have spurred on their evolution is how much easier it is for air to percolate through them, given how much shallower they typically are than the ocean.
"The most popular explanation for the evolution of animals has to do with the increase in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere at that time," Kennedy told LiveScience. "It's possible that lakes were the first to benefit from that increase in oxygen."
The scientists detailed their findings online July 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
domingo, julho 26, 2009
Sorry Ma'am
British economists send apology to queen
LONDON – Sorry Ma'am — we just didn't see it coming.
A British newspaper reported Sunday that a group of eminent economists have apologized to Queen Elizabeth II for failing to predict the financial crisis.
The Observer newspaper reported that a letter has been sent to the Queen after she demanded, during a visit to the London School of Economics last November, to know why nobody had anticipated the credit crunch.
According to the newspaper, the letter says that says "financial wizards" who believed that their plans to manage risky debts and protect the financial system were infallible were guilty of "wishful thinking combined with hubris."
Signatories to the three-page letter include Tim Besley, a member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee and historian Peter Hennessy.
The newspaper said the content was discussed during a seminar with a group of leading economists in June, including Nick MacPherson, a permanent secretary at Britain's Treasury, and Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill.
"In summary, your majesty, the failure to foresee the timing, extent and severity of the crisis and to head it off, while it had many causes, was principally a failure of the collective imagination of many bright people, both in this country and internationally, to understand the risks to the system as a whole," the newspaper quoted the letter as saying.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the correspondence, but said the Queen often discusses current issues with experts. In March, Mervyn King became the first Bank of England governor to be invited for private talks at the palace.
"The Queen always displays an interest in current issues and is kept abreast of current issues. Obviously the recession is very topical," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Luis Garicano, a professor at the London School of Economics, said he had discussed the origins of the crisis with the Queen during her visit. He said she had asked: "Why did nobody notice it?"
The London School of Economics was not immediately available for comment, or to provide a copy of the letter
SOURCE: Yahoo.News
LONDON – Sorry Ma'am — we just didn't see it coming.
A British newspaper reported Sunday that a group of eminent economists have apologized to Queen Elizabeth II for failing to predict the financial crisis.
The Observer newspaper reported that a letter has been sent to the Queen after she demanded, during a visit to the London School of Economics last November, to know why nobody had anticipated the credit crunch.
According to the newspaper, the letter says that says "financial wizards" who believed that their plans to manage risky debts and protect the financial system were infallible were guilty of "wishful thinking combined with hubris."
Signatories to the three-page letter include Tim Besley, a member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee and historian Peter Hennessy.
The newspaper said the content was discussed during a seminar with a group of leading economists in June, including Nick MacPherson, a permanent secretary at Britain's Treasury, and Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill.
"In summary, your majesty, the failure to foresee the timing, extent and severity of the crisis and to head it off, while it had many causes, was principally a failure of the collective imagination of many bright people, both in this country and internationally, to understand the risks to the system as a whole," the newspaper quoted the letter as saying.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the correspondence, but said the Queen often discusses current issues with experts. In March, Mervyn King became the first Bank of England governor to be invited for private talks at the palace.
"The Queen always displays an interest in current issues and is kept abreast of current issues. Obviously the recession is very topical," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Luis Garicano, a professor at the London School of Economics, said he had discussed the origins of the crisis with the Queen during her visit. He said she had asked: "Why did nobody notice it?"
The London School of Economics was not immediately available for comment, or to provide a copy of the letter
SOURCE: Yahoo.News
sábado, julho 25, 2009
Flu A
Chinese traditional medicine to cure flu A
Doctors of the Ditan hospital in Beijing, showed that traditional Chinese medicine used to cure 88 of 117 patients affected by influenza A who accepted to undergo such treatment.
According to Wang Yuguang, responsible for the hospital, said the agency Efe, of 297 confirmed cases of influenza seen at the local, 88 were treated with herbs, a treatment that "does not cause side effects and is safe." The officer also stated that the period of recovery of the patient with the use of traditional Chinese medicine is lower and the cost of 12 yuan (1.30 euro), compared with the price of Tamiflu, 56 yuan (5.80 euros).
"Moreover, the advantage is that doctors may prescribe different combinations of herbs according to the state of health of each individual," explained Wang.
Since the 15th of May, the leaders of the Ditan hospital, one designated to treat patients of influenza in China, began to use a combination of traditional medicine Tamiflu and a patient.
To prove the effectiveness of treatment, began to use only those herbs with patients who arrived later.
However, Sha daha, the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Beijing's Chaoyang district, said that the use of such technique is more effective in the early stages of the disease because of its preventive nature.
Until now, China has recorded 4,018 cases of influenza, and that most patients infected by the virus has already been high. The first death due to disease, a man of 42 years, was recorded this month in Hong Kong.
SOURCE: M.S.N. News
Doctors of the Ditan hospital in Beijing, showed that traditional Chinese medicine used to cure 88 of 117 patients affected by influenza A who accepted to undergo such treatment.
According to Wang Yuguang, responsible for the hospital, said the agency Efe, of 297 confirmed cases of influenza seen at the local, 88 were treated with herbs, a treatment that "does not cause side effects and is safe." The officer also stated that the period of recovery of the patient with the use of traditional Chinese medicine is lower and the cost of 12 yuan (1.30 euro), compared with the price of Tamiflu, 56 yuan (5.80 euros).
"Moreover, the advantage is that doctors may prescribe different combinations of herbs according to the state of health of each individual," explained Wang.
Since the 15th of May, the leaders of the Ditan hospital, one designated to treat patients of influenza in China, began to use a combination of traditional medicine Tamiflu and a patient.
To prove the effectiveness of treatment, began to use only those herbs with patients who arrived later.
However, Sha daha, the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Beijing's Chaoyang district, said that the use of such technique is more effective in the early stages of the disease because of its preventive nature.
Until now, China has recorded 4,018 cases of influenza, and that most patients infected by the virus has already been high. The first death due to disease, a man of 42 years, was recorded this month in Hong Kong.
SOURCE: M.S.N. News
sexta-feira, julho 24, 2009
Largest optical telescope
Came into operation last Friday the largest optical telescope in the world
El Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) was inaugurated today by the Kings is with a mirror diameter of 10.4 meters, the second most powerful of its range in the world, behind South African Large Telescope, which has a 11 meter segmented mirror, and ahead of two Americans Keck in Hawaii, whose mirrors are 10 meters in diameter.
Installed in the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), on the Canary island of La Palma, at an altitude of 2396 meters and an area of 5000 square meters, captured the first light of the Universe "in the early hours of 13-14 July 2007, at a ceremony presided by the Prince of Asturias, Honor Astrophysical Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and in 2000 laid the foundation stone for the construction of this large telescope.
With an approximate cost of 160 million euros, the promoter of the GTC is the Astrophysics Institute of Canarias (IAC) and its construction is provided by a public company Grantecan SA, established in 1994 with the participation, as partners, the Autonomous Community Canary Islands and the State General Administration.
Also involved in the construction of the telescope and the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM-IA), the Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Elctrónica of Puebla (Mexico) and the University of Florida (USA).
El Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) was inaugurated today by the Kings is with a mirror diameter of 10.4 meters, the second most powerful of its range in the world, behind South African Large Telescope, which has a 11 meter segmented mirror, and ahead of two Americans Keck in Hawaii, whose mirrors are 10 meters in diameter.
Installed in the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), on the Canary island of La Palma, at an altitude of 2396 meters and an area of 5000 square meters, captured the first light of the Universe "in the early hours of 13-14 July 2007, at a ceremony presided by the Prince of Asturias, Honor Astrophysical Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and in 2000 laid the foundation stone for the construction of this large telescope.
With an approximate cost of 160 million euros, the promoter of the GTC is the Astrophysics Institute of Canarias (IAC) and its construction is provided by a public company Grantecan SA, established in 1994 with the participation, as partners, the Autonomous Community Canary Islands and the State General Administration.
Also involved in the construction of the telescope and the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM-IA), the Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Elctrónica of Puebla (Mexico) and the University of Florida (USA).
quarta-feira, julho 22, 2009
Ditos
"Para o bem e para o mal, não pareço ter mudado muito de ideias em quarenta anos. Sinceramente, não sei se me deverei felicitar ou corrigir." - José Saramago, in Diário de Notícias
"O amor começa antes de começar e acaba depois de já ter acabado." - José Cardoso Pires, escritor português (1925-1998)
"Para falar inglês é preciso pôr a lingua entre os dentes e eu já perdi os meus." - Voltaire
"O amor começa antes de começar e acaba depois de já ter acabado." - José Cardoso Pires, escritor português (1925-1998)
"Para falar inglês é preciso pôr a lingua entre os dentes e eu já perdi os meus." - Voltaire
Jupiter
Jupiter was hit by a comet
Given NASA's images, astronomers believe that Jupiter was hit by an object, possibly a comet.
NASA images show a tear from the giant planet's south pole.
The images, obtained on Monday by the infrared telescope of the U.S. space agency in Hawaii, appear at the 15th anniversary of another collision with a comet.
In 1994, Jupiter was bombarded by fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Source: Sentido das Letras
quarta-feira, julho 15, 2009
A Nova GM
Surgiu a nova GM e oxalá que consiga realizar os seus objectivo que é "desenhar, produzir e comercializar os melhores carros do mundo".
Parece-nos ser demasiado ambicioso conseguir tudo isso sob uma mesma bandeira, particularmente tratando-se do ramo automóvel quando, ao longo da história do seu design e engenharia foram conhecidos tantos sucesssos e tantos fracassos pelas mais variadas marcas.
Mesmo nos tempos que vão correndo, quando se formulam desejos, será sempre bom ter os pés ou os pneus bem assentes na terra.
Por nós, só desejamos os maiores sucessos para benefício daqueles que gostam do automóvel e daquilo que tem representado para milhões de pessoas em todas as partes do mundo.
Como registado acima, a General Motores estuda introduzir alterações ao seu logo de sempre, pelo menos no mercado americano, passando eventualmente para a cor verde, mais em sintonia com as actuais preocupações quanto ao rigor ecológico.
domingo, julho 12, 2009
Ditos e citações
"Está bem pago quem está satisfeito" - William Shakespeare, dramaturgo inglês (1564-1616)
"A televisão pública estará sempre sob suspeita de governamentalização. Aqui ou na China." - Nuno Azinheira, in Diário de Notícias
"O jornalismo abandonou definitivamente a sua vocação de informação para de dedicar directamente à formação da opinião pública." - Leonel Moura, in Jornal de Negócios
"Os meios de comunicação social (...) apenas vêem e exploram o que é negativo e, assim, agravam o pessimismo. Precisamos de optimismo." - Proença de Carvalho, in Diário de Notícias
"A televisão pública estará sempre sob suspeita de governamentalização. Aqui ou na China." - Nuno Azinheira, in Diário de Notícias
"O jornalismo abandonou definitivamente a sua vocação de informação para de dedicar directamente à formação da opinião pública." - Leonel Moura, in Jornal de Negócios
"Os meios de comunicação social (...) apenas vêem e exploram o que é negativo e, assim, agravam o pessimismo. Precisamos de optimismo." - Proença de Carvalho, in Diário de Notícias
quarta-feira, maio 27, 2009
Recession end
Survey: Most economists see recession end in '09
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa, Ap Economics Writer – Wed May 27, 12:12 am ET
WASHINGTON – More than 90 percent of economists predict the recession will end this year, although the recovery is likely to be bumpy.
That assessment came from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics to be released Wednesday. It is generally in line with the outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues.
About 74 percent of the forecasters expect the recession — which started in December 2007 and is the longest since World War II — to end in the third quarter. Another 19 percent predict the turning point will come in the final three months of this year, and the remaining 7 percent believe the recession will end in the first quarter of 2010.
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa, Ap Economics Writer – Wed May 27, 12:12 am ET
WASHINGTON – More than 90 percent of economists predict the recession will end this year, although the recovery is likely to be bumpy.
That assessment came from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics to be released Wednesday. It is generally in line with the outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues.
About 74 percent of the forecasters expect the recession — which started in December 2007 and is the longest since World War II — to end in the third quarter. Another 19 percent predict the turning point will come in the final three months of this year, and the remaining 7 percent believe the recession will end in the first quarter of 2010.
sexta-feira, maio 22, 2009
Ida
IDA, our aunt-grandmother of 47 million years ago
As published in Public Library of Science, was discovered a fossil in state of almost perfect in Germany that could reveal a hidden part of the evolution of primates that preceded the man.
quinta-feira, abril 23, 2009
Blobs
Misterioso Ponto Gigante Descoberto Próximo do Iníco do Tempo
Um recém ponto primordial pode representar o mais maciço objecto já descoberto no início do universo, anunciaram os investigadores.
A nuvem de gás assinalada de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz de distância, poderá anunciar as primeiras etapas da formação da galáxia quando o universo tinha apenas 800 milhões de anos.
"Eu nunca ouvi falar de quaisquer [similares] objectos que poderiam ser assinalados a esta distância", disse Masami Ouchi, um investigador no Carnegie Institution, em Pasadena, Califórnia "É uma espécie de quebra-recorde."
Um ano-luz é a distância que a luz percorre num ano, cerca de 6 trilhões de milhas (10 trilhões de quilómetros). Um objecto à distância de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz, é visto tal como existia 12,9 bilhões de anos atrás, e agora a luz está a acabar de chegar.
A nuvem antecede pontos semelhantes, conhecido como Pontos Lyman-Alpha, que existia quando o universo tinha 2 a 3 bilhões de anos. Investigadores nomearam o seu novo achado Himiko, depois de uma antiga rainha japonesa com um passado igualmente escuro.
Himiko detém mais de 10 vezes a massa do segundo maior objecto encontrado no início do universo, ou aproximadamente a massa equivalente de 40 mil milhões de sóis. No universo de 55.000 anos luz de diâmetro, abrange cerca de metade do diâmetro da nossa galáxia Via Láctea.
Os Pontos Lyman-Alpha permanecem um mistério, porque os telescópios existentes têm um duro tempo para perscrutar para trás até quase ao amanhecer do universo.
Himiko está ao lado direito da entrada de uma era chamada época de reionização, que durou entre 200 milhões e 1 bilhão de anos após o Big Bang. Foi quando o Universo tinha acabado de surgir a partir do tempo da escuridão cósmica e tinha começado a brilhar através da formação de estrelas e galáxias. Quente, energizado gás hidrogénio, a partir desse período de tempo permitiu aos astrónomos começar a ver algumas objectos tão bem quanto ele faz para vesguear nesses Pontos indistintos.
"Mesmo para astrónomos, não entendemos", disse Ouchi a SPACE.com. "Estamos ansiosos para tentar entender o que aqueles sistemas são na época da reionization."
Himiko pode representar o halo de um gás ionizado em torno de um buraco negro super massivo, ou uma nuvem de gás frio que indica uma galáxia primordial, Ouchi observou. Mas pode também ser o resultado de uma colisão entre duas galáxias jovens, ou a saída de um vento muito ativo de um viveiro de estrelas gigantes.
Desvendar esta charada vai exigir mais tempo de telescópio. O W.M. Observatório Keck, no Hawaí pode ajudar a estimar com precisão a formação do ponto, enquanto que o Observatório Chandra de raios-X da Nasa pode testar ocenário dos buraco negro super-maciços, observou Ouchi. E mesmo o Hubble poderá entrar em acção.
"Nós estamos planeando o imageamento infravermelho profundo com o Telescópio Espacial Hubble para dizer se [Himiko] tem qualidades ou não de concentração", disse Ouchi.
No entanto, esta investigação especial sobre o sucesso futuro depende de uma arriscada missão de reparação do envelhecido Hubble. Os astronautas estão já listados para sair com o veículo espacial Atlantis para essa tentativa,próximo mês.
Por agora, os investigadores podem celebrar o facto de terem encontrado de facto o Himiko. Pontos quase despercebidas entre 207 candidatos, enquanto varrendo uma porção do céu designado por Subaru / XMM-Newton Deep Field Survey.
Depois de fazer a primeira observação com o telescópio Subaru no Hawaí em 2007, Ouchi e seus colegas continuaram a utilizar instrumentos das matrizes Keck / Deimos e Magellan / iMacs. Essas observações espectrográficas permitiram-lhesidentificar a assinatura do gás hidrogénio ionizado e determinar a distância e idade do misterioso Himiko.
"Nunca acreditei que esse brilhante e grande fonte era umc distante objecto real", disse Ouchi. "Pensámos que era um plano clandestino contaminando a amostra da nossa galáxia. Mas nós tentamos, de qualquer forma."
Um recém ponto primordial pode representar o mais maciço objecto já descoberto no início do universo, anunciaram os investigadores.
A nuvem de gás assinalada de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz de distância, poderá anunciar as primeiras etapas da formação da galáxia quando o universo tinha apenas 800 milhões de anos.
"Eu nunca ouvi falar de quaisquer [similares] objectos que poderiam ser assinalados a esta distância", disse Masami Ouchi, um investigador no Carnegie Institution, em Pasadena, Califórnia "É uma espécie de quebra-recorde."
Um ano-luz é a distância que a luz percorre num ano, cerca de 6 trilhões de milhas (10 trilhões de quilómetros). Um objecto à distância de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz, é visto tal como existia 12,9 bilhões de anos atrás, e agora a luz está a acabar de chegar.
A nuvem antecede pontos semelhantes, conhecido como Pontos Lyman-Alpha, que existia quando o universo tinha 2 a 3 bilhões de anos. Investigadores nomearam o seu novo achado Himiko, depois de uma antiga rainha japonesa com um passado igualmente escuro.
Himiko detém mais de 10 vezes a massa do segundo maior objecto encontrado no início do universo, ou aproximadamente a massa equivalente de 40 mil milhões de sóis. No universo de 55.000 anos luz de diâmetro, abrange cerca de metade do diâmetro da nossa galáxia Via Láctea.
Os Pontos Lyman-Alpha permanecem um mistério, porque os telescópios existentes têm um duro tempo para perscrutar para trás até quase ao amanhecer do universo.
Himiko está ao lado direito da entrada de uma era chamada época de reionização, que durou entre 200 milhões e 1 bilhão de anos após o Big Bang. Foi quando o Universo tinha acabado de surgir a partir do tempo da escuridão cósmica e tinha começado a brilhar através da formação de estrelas e galáxias. Quente, energizado gás hidrogénio, a partir desse período de tempo permitiu aos astrónomos começar a ver algumas objectos tão bem quanto ele faz para vesguear nesses Pontos indistintos.
"Mesmo para astrónomos, não entendemos", disse Ouchi a SPACE.com. "Estamos ansiosos para tentar entender o que aqueles sistemas são na época da reionization."
Himiko pode representar o halo de um gás ionizado em torno de um buraco negro super massivo, ou uma nuvem de gás frio que indica uma galáxia primordial, Ouchi observou. Mas pode também ser o resultado de uma colisão entre duas galáxias jovens, ou a saída de um vento muito ativo de um viveiro de estrelas gigantes.
Desvendar esta charada vai exigir mais tempo de telescópio. O W.M. Observatório Keck, no Hawaí pode ajudar a estimar com precisão a formação do ponto, enquanto que o Observatório Chandra de raios-X da Nasa pode testar ocenário dos buraco negro super-maciços, observou Ouchi. E mesmo o Hubble poderá entrar em acção.
"Nós estamos planeando o imageamento infravermelho profundo com o Telescópio Espacial Hubble para dizer se [Himiko] tem qualidades ou não de concentração", disse Ouchi.
No entanto, esta investigação especial sobre o sucesso futuro depende de uma arriscada missão de reparação do envelhecido Hubble. Os astronautas estão já listados para sair com o veículo espacial Atlantis para essa tentativa,próximo mês.
Por agora, os investigadores podem celebrar o facto de terem encontrado de facto o Himiko. Pontos quase despercebidas entre 207 candidatos, enquanto varrendo uma porção do céu designado por Subaru / XMM-Newton Deep Field Survey.
Depois de fazer a primeira observação com o telescópio Subaru no Hawaí em 2007, Ouchi e seus colegas continuaram a utilizar instrumentos das matrizes Keck / Deimos e Magellan / iMacs. Essas observações espectrográficas permitiram-lhesidentificar a assinatura do gás hidrogénio ionizado e determinar a distância e idade do misterioso Himiko.
"Nunca acreditei que esse brilhante e grande fonte era umc distante objecto real", disse Ouchi. "Pensámos que era um plano clandestino contaminando a amostra da nossa galáxia. Mas nós tentamos, de qualquer forma."
quarta-feira, abril 22, 2009
domingo, abril 19, 2009
Love in the time of recession
As this year's wedding season approaches, you may be finding fewer invitations filling up your mailbox. But don't worry; it's probably not because you've been a bad friend.
The $60 billion a year wedding industry is hurting as much as the rest of the economy, according to a recent Bloomberg article. And with couples spending an average of 24% less on tying the knot than in '07, they are scaling back on everything from the number of guests to meal selections to flowers.
A recent survey done by David's Bridal entitled "What’s on Brides' Minds" reports that 75% of weddings are being downsized in order to save money.
Sandra Chavez, who is getting married in September in Pleasanton, Calif. told Fox News:
"I would be embarrassed to spend thousands and thousands of dollars when people are losing their jobs, homes, cars etc. We understand that this is just one night."
But what happens after that night? The recession is making its mark on marriages, too ... but in somewhat surprising ways.
It's not surprising that a slumping economy puts a strain on most marriages; it's common knowledge that financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce. But according to a recent article in Yahoo! Finance, 37% of matrimonial lawyers report seeing a decrease in divorcing couples during economic downturns. The reason, the article posits, is because getting a divorce is the "worst thing you can do financially."
"Attorney fees and court costs compete with setting up a second household as the largest expense in a divorce. A simple divorce can cost $5,000 to $25,000 in attorney fees and court costs while the average complex divorce runs $20,000 to $100,000, says Bruce Hughes, an attorney and certified public accountant in Tustin, Calif."
So maybe the frugal thing to do these days is just stay single? Not so fast.
The Economist and CNN are both reporting that matchmakers and online dating websites like eHarmony.com and OKCupid.com are prospering during the recession.
Patti Novak, owner of Buffalo Niagara Introductions, a matchmaking company in Buffalo, New York, and star of A&E's former reality series "Confessions of a Matchmaker" said her business has seen a 30% increase in clients in the last eight months.
Novak tells CNN:
"I think that as people go through more difficult times, being alone becomes more difficult…[Even] if they can only afford popcorn and a six-pack on a Saturday night, they'd rather do it with somebody than alone."
Similarly, Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony, reports a 20% increase in monthly registrations from September 2008 to January 2009, compared with the same time period the prior year. He also points out that the number of visits to its site was higher than average on days when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 100 points. Waldorf told The Economist, simply:
"Going through difficult times with someone special is better than doing it alone."
But searching for love during a recession isn't just limited to finding that perfect soul mate. A recent New York Times article reports that sales of romance novels are up as well.
Harlequin Enterprises, the world's leading publisher of romance fiction, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32% over the same period the year before. And while sales of adult fiction were basically flat last year, according to Nielsen Bookscan, the romance category was up 7% after holding fairly steady for the previous four years. The New York Times reports:
"Like the Depression-era readers who fueled blockbuster sales of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” today’s readers are looking for an escape from the grim realities of layoffs, foreclosures and shrinking 401(k) balances."
So whether you're slashing your wedding budget, struggling through a financial crisis with your spouse, or searching for someone or something to help you through these dark times, it's clear the recession is affecting love all around.
Isn't it romantic?
Full article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_bs304
As this year's wedding season approaches, you may be finding fewer invitations filling up your mailbox. But don't worry; it's probably not because you've been a bad friend.
The $60 billion a year wedding industry is hurting as much as the rest of the economy, according to a recent Bloomberg article. And with couples spending an average of 24% less on tying the knot than in '07, they are scaling back on everything from the number of guests to meal selections to flowers.
A recent survey done by David's Bridal entitled "What’s on Brides' Minds" reports that 75% of weddings are being downsized in order to save money.
Sandra Chavez, who is getting married in September in Pleasanton, Calif. told Fox News:
"I would be embarrassed to spend thousands and thousands of dollars when people are losing their jobs, homes, cars etc. We understand that this is just one night."
But what happens after that night? The recession is making its mark on marriages, too ... but in somewhat surprising ways.
It's not surprising that a slumping economy puts a strain on most marriages; it's common knowledge that financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce. But according to a recent article in Yahoo! Finance, 37% of matrimonial lawyers report seeing a decrease in divorcing couples during economic downturns. The reason, the article posits, is because getting a divorce is the "worst thing you can do financially."
"Attorney fees and court costs compete with setting up a second household as the largest expense in a divorce. A simple divorce can cost $5,000 to $25,000 in attorney fees and court costs while the average complex divorce runs $20,000 to $100,000, says Bruce Hughes, an attorney and certified public accountant in Tustin, Calif."
So maybe the frugal thing to do these days is just stay single? Not so fast.
The Economist and CNN are both reporting that matchmakers and online dating websites like eHarmony.com and OKCupid.com are prospering during the recession.
Patti Novak, owner of Buffalo Niagara Introductions, a matchmaking company in Buffalo, New York, and star of A&E's former reality series "Confessions of a Matchmaker" said her business has seen a 30% increase in clients in the last eight months.
Novak tells CNN:
"I think that as people go through more difficult times, being alone becomes more difficult…[Even] if they can only afford popcorn and a six-pack on a Saturday night, they'd rather do it with somebody than alone."
Similarly, Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony, reports a 20% increase in monthly registrations from September 2008 to January 2009, compared with the same time period the prior year. He also points out that the number of visits to its site was higher than average on days when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 100 points. Waldorf told The Economist, simply:
"Going through difficult times with someone special is better than doing it alone."
But searching for love during a recession isn't just limited to finding that perfect soul mate. A recent New York Times article reports that sales of romance novels are up as well.
Harlequin Enterprises, the world's leading publisher of romance fiction, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32% over the same period the year before. And while sales of adult fiction were basically flat last year, according to Nielsen Bookscan, the romance category was up 7% after holding fairly steady for the previous four years. The New York Times reports:
"Like the Depression-era readers who fueled blockbuster sales of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” today’s readers are looking for an escape from the grim realities of layoffs, foreclosures and shrinking 401(k) balances."
So whether you're slashing your wedding budget, struggling through a financial crisis with your spouse, or searching for someone or something to help you through these dark times, it's clear the recession is affecting love all around.
Isn't it romantic?
Full article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_bs304
quinta-feira, abril 02, 2009
Lula da Silva's statement
Brazil's Lula Starts to Throw His Weight Around
Written by John Fitzpatrick Monday, 30 March 2009 06:44
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's statement that the financial crisis had been caused by "white people with blue eyes" must be one of the crassest comments ever made by any leader.
The fact that he said it in front of the visiting British prime minister, Gordon Brown, who incidentally only has one eye, does not make it any worse as Lula, who incidentally only has nine fingers, probably did not even know this.
http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/200-january-2009/10165-brazils-lula-starts-to-throw-his-weight-around.html
Written by John Fitzpatrick Monday, 30 March 2009 06:44
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's statement that the financial crisis had been caused by "white people with blue eyes" must be one of the crassest comments ever made by any leader.
The fact that he said it in front of the visiting British prime minister, Gordon Brown, who incidentally only has one eye, does not make it any worse as Lula, who incidentally only has nine fingers, probably did not even know this.
http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/200-january-2009/10165-brazils-lula-starts-to-throw-his-weight-around.html
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