Science & Technology

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*update*
Sat May 25, 2013 - At least 4 people, and possibly up to 55, were exposed to radiation when radioactive material leaked during a laboratory experiment in Japan

24 May 2013 - Japan must continue efforts to deactivate Fukushima nuclear plant – UN agency  read more »

Once a year, penguins experience a catastrophic molt. (Yes, that’s the official term.) Most birds molt (lose feathers and regrow them) a few at a time throughout the year, but penguins lose them all at once.

Gentoo penguins “porpoise” by jumping out of the water. They can move faster through air than water, so will often porpoise to escape from a predator.

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Most penguins swim underwater at around four to seven miles per hour (mph), but the fastest penguin—the gentoo (Pygoscelis papua)—can reach top speeds of 22 mph!  read more »

Newt Gingrich: Rand Paul is a Pioneer of The Future 3/7/13

A typical American tradition is shaking the world on March 6, 2013. Old school Filibuster, unheard of anywhere else in the world, well-portrayed in the famous movie “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” (starring the handsome James Stewart, added by Library of Congress to the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant").

Few do not know Jimmy Stewart as “Mr. Smith”, but no one would imagine such an old-fashioned filibuster was happening on Wednesday, March 6 – Senator Rand Paul held the floor for 12 hours 52 minutes, talking into midnight (official start time was 11:47am), simply to demand a direct answer to a direct question... Senator Paul: "at about 6:30 p.m., something extraordinary happened. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who has been recovering from a stroke, came to the floor to give me something. I was not allowed to drink anything but water or eat anything but the candy left in our Senate desks. But he brought me an apple and a thermos full of tea — the same sustenance Jimmy Stewart brought to the Senate floor in the movie 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' That was a moment I will never forget."  read more »

"Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer... because it teaches you how to think." - Steve Jobs

Photos courtesy of thatswhatkobisaid.wordpress.com, macrumors.com, myhero.com/scrapetv.com, and Wikipedia

*update* 13 March 2013
For urban gardeners in New York City, the mildness of this winter has produced some startling results. We do not fear the snow -our gardens are now snug below their customary winter blankets.A late crop of beets was pulled from the soil in early January...And kale, one tough Brassica, keeps giving and giving to the roof-top gardener.
Boston’s 1st rooftop farm - 40,000 square feet of soil atop the Boston Design Center “There are acres of rooftops, blacktop, in cities that are sucking up heat... so we’re using more energy to cool down cities". this amazing green roof that produces food and has these great environmental benefits, helping to mitigate climate change.

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Over 6,000 pounds of food per year, on 1/10 acre located just 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The Dervaes family grows over 400 species of plants, 4,300 pounds of vegetable food, 900 chicken and 1,000 duck eggs, 25 lbs of honey, plus seasonal fruits throughout the year.

From 1/10th of an acre, four people manage to get over 90% of their daily food and the family reports earnings of $20,000 per year. (AFTER they eat from what is produced). This is done without the use of the expensive & destructive synthetic chemicals associated with industrial mono-cropping, while simultaneously improving the fertility and overall condition of the land being used to grow this food on. Scaled up to an acre, that would equal $200,000 per year!  read more »

peregrine falcon - the fastest animal in the world