At the end of September, China joined the United States and Russia and became the third country to successfully launch a space station into orbit. The launch marks the country's most impressive entry into the space race thus far, and proves that the Chinese program is a force to be reckoned with. On November 1, China added another feather to their space travel cap with the launch of the Shenzhou-8 capsule, which blasted off on an unmanned mission to dock with the Tiangong-1 space station.
Assuming it's successful, the Shenzhou-8 mission will mark China's first space docking of one vehicle with another already in orbit. That essential step will in turn make it possible for the future construction of a multi-module space station by 2020, which is the country's goal.
The launch went off without a hitch, and it will take two days for the Shenzhou-8 to catch up with the Tiangong-1. After conducting five orbital maneuvers to match orbits and link up with the space station, the first practice docking will occur. The capsule will remain docked with the space station for 12 days, then practice un-docking and docking again. It will then un-dock and return to earth just as it would if it had a human crew aboard.
The Shenzhou-8 mission is an important accomplishment for China's space program. While the United States continues to experience budget cuts and other struggles, China is rapidly and enthusiastically expanding their reach beyond the bounds of Earth's atmosphere. If all goes as planned, manned missions to the Tiangong-1 space station could begin as soon as 2012. Watch the video below to see the Shenzhou-8 launch!
University Today via Geekosystem
This article was written by Katherine Gray and originally appeared on Tecca
New York ? The typically punctual tech titan had promised that its cloud-based music storage service would launch by October 31. It's November 2. What gives?
In early October, Apple announced the imminent launch of iTunes Match, which will allow users to store their music libraries and other files in the cloud. Apple promised its many rabid fans that Match would be available later in the month. Well, it's now November, and Apple, which isn't commenting on the delay,?"has uncharacteristically missed its own deadline." What happened? Here, four theories:
1. Apple is learning from past mistakes "It's possible that the company is [just] being cautious, given the problems it's had rolling out online services" like MobileMe in the past,?says Dan Moren at Macworld.?In the case of MobileMe, which managed addresses, calendars, and storage ? and which was unstable and had syncing issues when launched ??Steve Jobs was livid. He lambasted?employees, telling them?that they had "tarnish[ed] Apple's reputation" and they "should hate each other for having let each other down." With Match, "Apple really wants (and needs) to get this right the first time," says Matthew Panzarino at The Next Web.
2. Match is still buggy "People [who] have tested the beta of iTunes Match have indicated that the service still has its share of problems," says AppleInsider. Since the end of August, developers have been able to test a beta version of the service, and Apple has been fixing issues as they arise. According to some testers, the service still periodically fails to match local files with songs available at the iTunes Store, and stalls when trying to scan a user's music library.
3. There may be licensing issues "It is possible that Apple is having difficulty procuring licensing deals it needs to launch Match in the U.S.," says Panzarino. These deals are probably "incredibly complex." Streaming services like Spotify and Rdio have publicly stated just how difficult it's been to negotiate streaming rights, and while Match isn't a streaming service in the same way, its deals are likely just as complex, if not more so.
4. Blame Siri "The launch of Siri and its network congestion issues may have delayed iTunes Match," says Panzarino. The iPhone 4S's new voice-recognition assistant is heavily taxing Apple's servers, triggering issues with traffic and delays. Match would place a great deal more stress on Apple's data centers. If Apple's "continuing to evaluate the network stability of its cloud services," that could explain the wait.
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For nine months, beginning in November 2008, I travelled through all 50 U.S. states. I found America's diversity fascinating. There were retirement states, flyover states, blue-collar states and many more besides. As a gay man, and since California's Proposition 8 passed at the beginning of my trip thanks to a campaign significantly underwritten by the Mormon Church, one of the most interesting states for me was Utah, the Beehive State.
According to Robert Jeffress, the evangelical Christian who recently endorsed Rick Perry, Mormonism is a cult. Disregarding that label, its members certainly represent a sizeable minority in America, given that they number roughly 6.1 million. Interestingly, that number is significantly lower than the April 2011 Williams Institute's estimate for the number of gay Americans: 9 million.
Given the respective gay and Mormon populations, when do you think the first Mormon Senator was elected to Congress? The answer is 1902, six years after Utah became a state. His name was Reed Smoot, and he served as Utah's Senator for 30 years. Next question: when was the first openly gay Senator elected? Give up? Well, we haven't had one yet. If Tammy Baldwin wins Wisconsin next year, it could happen in 2012, 110 years after Mr Smoot.
The difference in political power between gay men and women and Mormons stems from the U.S. state system and the concentration of Mormons in Utah. Approximately 1.9 million Mormons live in Utah, where they collectively make up some 60 to 70 percent of the population. That block vote enables Mormons, collectively, to control state affairs.
Utah sends two senators to the United States Senate; they are currently Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee. Both are Mormons. In addition, Utah currently sends three Representatives to Congress: Rep. Rob Bishop, Rep. Jim Matheson and Rep. Jason Chaffetz. Again, all three are Mormons. Utah's current Governor is Gary Herbert. He's a Mormon, too. In fact, in 2002, when Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics, the Chicago Tribune reported that Utah's entire Supreme Court, 90 percent of its state legislature and 80 percent of its state and federal judges were Mormons. Put simply, Utah is the Mormon state.
Why is the above important? Well, while many in the gay community see the Mormon Church as an enemy, it's also possible that it, and more specifically Utah, could be a blueprint for how the gay community can secure equality. If there really are 9 million gay Americans, and historic estimates would put the number higher still, then collectively, we are bigger than the populations of all but eight of America's states. If we decided en masse to holiday in Wyoming, we would outnumber the local population 17 to 1.
Put simply, if we all, or a substantial number of us, moved to a sparsely populated state, we would guarantee ourselves congressional representation, and we'd be able to pass favourable state legislation at will. Same-sex marriage? Done. A state-wide Employment Non-Discrimination Act? Easy. A Hate-Crimes Act? Why not. State Attorney General-led legal challenges to Federal laws like DOMA? No problem at all.
As a community we're already used to packing our bags and flying the nest. Ask anyone born in the Midwest. Upon reaching adulthood, most of us head for the bright lights of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami or some other big city. Is that part of the problem right now? Politically, are we spreading ourselves too thin? California was meant to be a gay-friendly state, but in 2008 a majority of the electorate chose to amend the state constitution to define marriage as being between only a man and a woman. Do we need to be "more Mormon" in our thinking? Do we need to identify our very own Rainbow State?
I'm sure some of you will be able to picture a utopia where every day is like Pride and every mall escalator is a conveyor belt of potential hook-ups, where the state capital is renamed The Emerald City and the state motto is "never wear the same shirt twice." Others will be aghast at what I'm suggesting. For them, what I'm describing is their idea of a nightmare. While it's easy to label the latter group as self-haters, the fundamental point underlining their position could well be: how can gay men and women win acceptance by hiding away together in our own state?
It's a good point, but a counterargument could be that real life just doesn't work like that. Demographic concentrations exist because people generally like to be surrounded by what they see as like-minded people. That's why there's a large Jewish community in New York and a large Cuban-American community in Florida, and why Christians live in the Bible belt. The effect of these concentrations also explains why Israeli security and the Cuban embargo are such important issues for politicians. Politicians can't hope to carry New York or Florida without having the "right" opinions on these topics. Likewise, a politician hoping to carry a hypothetical Rainbow State would have to come out in favour of equality.
I confess I've written this piece half in jest. At the end of the day, the gay community lacks the organisation and will of a global church, not to mention its tax-exempt status. Contrary to what the right would have people believe, there is no gay agenda. If there were, we would all be living in Delaware (population 900,000). Perhaps because of this, ours will be a harder fight than that of the Mormons, a group of people who have a history of persecution to match our own. Maybe, however, we will gain widespread acceptance more quickly than they will because of a refusal to hide away.
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Follow Laurence Watts on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Laurence_Watts
Researchers roll out a new form of lightingPublic release date: 1-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bishop michael.bishop@iop.org 44-117-930-1032 Institute of Physics
In this month's edition of Physics World, Paul Blom and Ton van Mol from the Holst Centre in Eindhoven describe a way of creating thin, flexible sheets of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a cheap, newspaper-style "roll-to-roll" printing process.
These bendable materials could oust the conventional light bulb and revolutionize the way we illuminate our surroundings, being used for everything from lighting tiles and strips in homes and offices to windows that can simulate sunrise and sunset.
Rather than the traditional solid, "inorganic" LEDs that we are used to seeing in display signs, traffic lights and car indicators, OLEDs can be easily dissolved in a solvent and so sprayed onto a roll of thin, flexible, plastic foil in the same way that newspapers are printed.
"Many companies recognize the potential of OLEDs and are investing heavily in research and development in the hope that when this technology finally takes off, they will be in pole position to take advantage," Blom and Van Mol write.
The bottom layer of an OLED, which acts as a support, is a flexible material such as a polymer foil that has the electrodes and the light-emitting layer sandwiched on top to make up the complete device. Each layer is between 5 and 200 nanometres thick.
Traditional LEDs have so far failed to become a viable alternative to light bulbs because, despite being highly efficient, they have to be fabricated in clean rooms and so are expensive to make. But with about 20 per cent of the electricity the world consumes going on lighting, Blom and Van Mol state that any new, more-efficient lighting technology could greatly reduce global energy consumption.
OLEDs are poised to take over from the light bulb as their spray-on production makes them a faster and cheaper alternative to traditional LEDs and can be produced en mass through the "roll-to-roll" newspaper technique.
There are, however, several hurdles that need to be overcome before OLEDs become a commercial commodity, such as depositing the materials onto a thin film sheet with high precision, managing the properties of the different materials and, most importantly, keeping water out of the device OLEDs have a barrier requirement up to a thousand times more demanding that food packaging.
Blom and Van Mol describe how their institution, along with several other research institutes and commercial companies, is at the forefront of combating these problems and delivering OLEDs into the hands of the consumer.
Also in this issue:
Current controversy superluminal neutrinos split OPERA collaboration
Mikhail who? celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding father of Russian science
###
Please mention Physics World as the source of these items and, if publishing online, please include a hyperlink to: http://physicsworld.com
Notes for editors:
1. Physics World is the international monthly magazine published by the Institute of Physics. For further information or details of its editorial programme, please contact the editor, Dr Matin Durrani, on tel +44 (0)117 930 1002. The magazine's website physicsworld.com is updated regularly and contains physics news, views and resources. Visit http://physicsworld.com.
2. For copies of Physics World and copies of the articles reviewed here contact Michael Bishop, IOP Press Officer, tel +44 (0)117 930 1032, e-mail michael.bishop@iop.org.
3. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all.
It has a worldwide membership of around 40 000 comprising physicists from all sectors, as well as those with an interest in physics. It works to advance physics research, application and education; and engages with policymakers and the public to develop awareness and understanding of physics. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in professional scientific communications. Go to http://www.iop.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers roll out a new form of lightingPublic release date: 1-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bishop michael.bishop@iop.org 44-117-930-1032 Institute of Physics
In this month's edition of Physics World, Paul Blom and Ton van Mol from the Holst Centre in Eindhoven describe a way of creating thin, flexible sheets of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a cheap, newspaper-style "roll-to-roll" printing process.
These bendable materials could oust the conventional light bulb and revolutionize the way we illuminate our surroundings, being used for everything from lighting tiles and strips in homes and offices to windows that can simulate sunrise and sunset.
Rather than the traditional solid, "inorganic" LEDs that we are used to seeing in display signs, traffic lights and car indicators, OLEDs can be easily dissolved in a solvent and so sprayed onto a roll of thin, flexible, plastic foil in the same way that newspapers are printed.
"Many companies recognize the potential of OLEDs and are investing heavily in research and development in the hope that when this technology finally takes off, they will be in pole position to take advantage," Blom and Van Mol write.
The bottom layer of an OLED, which acts as a support, is a flexible material such as a polymer foil that has the electrodes and the light-emitting layer sandwiched on top to make up the complete device. Each layer is between 5 and 200 nanometres thick.
Traditional LEDs have so far failed to become a viable alternative to light bulbs because, despite being highly efficient, they have to be fabricated in clean rooms and so are expensive to make. But with about 20 per cent of the electricity the world consumes going on lighting, Blom and Van Mol state that any new, more-efficient lighting technology could greatly reduce global energy consumption.
OLEDs are poised to take over from the light bulb as their spray-on production makes them a faster and cheaper alternative to traditional LEDs and can be produced en mass through the "roll-to-roll" newspaper technique.
There are, however, several hurdles that need to be overcome before OLEDs become a commercial commodity, such as depositing the materials onto a thin film sheet with high precision, managing the properties of the different materials and, most importantly, keeping water out of the device OLEDs have a barrier requirement up to a thousand times more demanding that food packaging.
Blom and Van Mol describe how their institution, along with several other research institutes and commercial companies, is at the forefront of combating these problems and delivering OLEDs into the hands of the consumer.
Also in this issue:
Current controversy superluminal neutrinos split OPERA collaboration
Mikhail who? celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding father of Russian science
###
Please mention Physics World as the source of these items and, if publishing online, please include a hyperlink to: http://physicsworld.com
Notes for editors:
1. Physics World is the international monthly magazine published by the Institute of Physics. For further information or details of its editorial programme, please contact the editor, Dr Matin Durrani, on tel +44 (0)117 930 1002. The magazine's website physicsworld.com is updated regularly and contains physics news, views and resources. Visit http://physicsworld.com.
2. For copies of Physics World and copies of the articles reviewed here contact Michael Bishop, IOP Press Officer, tel +44 (0)117 930 1032, e-mail michael.bishop@iop.org.
3. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all.
It has a worldwide membership of around 40 000 comprising physicists from all sectors, as well as those with an interest in physics. It works to advance physics research, application and education; and engages with policymakers and the public to develop awareness and understanding of physics. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in professional scientific communications. Go to http://www.iop.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Kim Kardashian's life as Mrs. Kris Humphries lasted all of 72 days, but that's an eternity compared to some celebrity marriages. Here's an appropriately quick take on some of our favorites:
Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd: 8 months
No harm, no foul here. According to attorney's representing Lopez and Judd, who was one of Lopez's dancers, the two worked everything out financially and "will remain friends."
Lisa Marie Presley and Nicolas Cage: 3 months Amid claims that Presley tossed her engagement ring overboard while fighting with Cage on his yacht, the couple secretly wed in August 2002. Later, Presley said, "I'm sad about this, but we shouldn't have been married in the first place. It was a big mistake."
Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra: 9 days I do, I don't, I do, I don't. That's pretty much how the marriages (yes, two)?of this pair went. The couple married in November 1998, in Vegas, and nine days later filed for divorce. The reconciled, and divorced again, another six months later.
Britney Spears and Jason Alexander: 55 hours The childhood friends took to the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas to tie the knot; Spears untied it via annulment days later.
Robin Givens and Syetozar Mrinkovic: 7 minutes Givens, maybe best know as Mike Tyson's ex-wife, married Mrinkovic, her tennis instructor, for a whole seven minutes. On the books, it's listed as a day, but later Mrinkovic told reporters the union lasted only minutes.?
Oh those wacky celebs! Talk more about these short unions on Facebook.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Singer, actress and fashion mogul Jessica Simpson has finally put baby rumors to rest by confirming Monday that she is pregnant with her first child, in a statement posted on her official website.
"It's True! I am going to be a mummy!" the singer wrote, alongside a photo of her dressed in a mummy costume for Halloween.
Simpson, 31, is currently engaged to former professional football player Eric Johnson, 32, whom she has been dating since May 2010. This will be the first child for the couple.
Simpson first rose to fame at age 19 with her debut album "Sweet Kisses" in 1999. She married singer Nick Lachey, of boy band 98 Degrees, in 2002 and the couple were the stars of MTV reality series, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica." Simpson and Lachey divorced in 2006.
The "Dukes of Hazzard" actress has had a number of high-profile relationships including U.S. football player Tony Romo and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.
Simpson launched her "Jessica Simpson Collection" of clothing, handbags and shoes in 2007. The clothing line made $750 million in 2010, according to New York Magazine, and is projected to break the $1 billion sales mark this year, making it one of the most successful celebrity fashion brands.
(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Public release date: 1-Nov-2011
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