How To Best Feed The World

How To Ensure The World’s Food Supply -- Greg Page, Washington Post

In America’s heartland, farmers are making the agonizing decision to plow down cornfields that have succumbed to the worst drought in decades. The parched land, resulting lower yields and already tight grain stocks remind us that we can’t take food production for granted. They also raise the question: Can we feed a world on its way to 9 billion people, given weather events, pressure on natural resources and changing diets? At Cargill, we believe the answer is yes. But leaders in government, business and civil societies need to take into account three key imperatives to create a more food-secure world.

Read more ....

My Comment: Reading Greg Page's point on Africa representing about 60 percent of the potentially available cropland in the world surprised me .... I always grew up believing that the bread baskets were in North America, the steppes of Russia, Australia, and Argentina. But he is right .... and that is why Africa's long history of feeding it's own citizens is so tragic .... it does not have to be.

This is an excellent analysis on food production and distribution from a man whose business is food production and distribution, and is a must read.

A Robot Rescue Copter For Wounded Troops?

U.S. Navy Corpsmen transport wounded from an Army Medical Evacuation H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Wikipedia

Army Eyes Robot Rescue Copters For Wounded Troops -- Danger Room

It’s one of the most dangerous missions on the modern battlefield — and one of the most important. Crews flying big, vulnerable and sometimes unarmed helicopters brave gunfire, bad weather and rugged terrain to snatch wounded troops from a firefight or the scene of a bomb blast.

Medical evacuation crews are some of the gutsiest people around. But to avoid another Black Hawk Down scenario — in which the rescuers also get trapped alongside the wounded — in the hottest battle zones the Pentagon sometimes grounds the medevac copters under certain conditions. Now the Army has latched onto a possible solution: replace the human copter crews with Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) drones.

Read more ....

My Comment: Patient-panic problems will probably be the #1 problem in using such a system.

Are We On The Brink Of Another Global Food Crisis?

Historic U.S. Drought Raises Fears Of Global Food Crisis -- Radio Free Europe

By this point in the summer, corn stalks are supposed to be as high as a farmer’s head, not his knees. But this is no normal summer in the agricultural heartland of the United States. The stunted plants, bending over cracked and dusty fields, are a product of the worst drought to hit the United States in more than 50 years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has already forecast a 3 to 4 percent rise in domestic food prices next year and more than 1,000 counties across the country have been declared disaster areas. Data released on July 26 by the U.S. Drought Monitor found that the situation is only worsening, with almost two-thirds of the United States affected.

Read more ....

More News On The Global Food Crisis

Another food crisis looms -- The Economist
We are teetering on the brink of another global food crisis -- The Guardian
Spike in Crop Prices May Signal 'Chronic Food Crisis' -- CNBC
US drought: Stuck on dry land -- Financial Times
Could the Midwestern Drought Cause a Global Crisis? -- Suzanne McGee, The Fiscal Times

Could A Brain Scan Tell You How Smart You Are?

Well connected: Ten per cent of intelligence could be explained by the strength of neural pathways connecting the left lateral prefrontal cortex

Could A Brain Scan Tell You How Smart You Are? Research Shows Intelligence Linked To Strength Of Neural Connections -- Daily Mail

Brain scans which establish how well different regions of your brain are detected may be able to predict how intelligent you are, a new study claims.

Research suggests that 10 per cent of individual differences in intelligence can be explained by the strength of neural pathways connecting the left lateral prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain.

The findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, establish 'global brain connectivity' as a new approach for understanding how human intelligence relates to physiology.

Read more ....

My Comment: Is it that simple?

'Earliest' Evidence Of Modern Human Behavior Found

a) Wooden poison applicator from Border Cave made from Flueggea virosa dated to 24,564 - 23,941 years, with close-up showing notches, and b) adhering residue containing poisonous ricinoleic acid found in castor beans.
c) Kalahari San poison applicators housed at Museum Africa, Johannesburg, showing lumps of organic compounds used for hafting (yellow) and poisoning (black) arrow points, and the notching to prevent slippage of the material.
d) Lump of beeswax from Border Cave containing Euphorbia tirucalli resin and possibly egg, bound with twine, and dated 41,167 - 39,194 years.
e) Bone arrow point from Border Cave and f) Kalahari San fixed bone arrow heads.
Credit: Francesco d’Errico and Lucinda Backwell

'Earliest' Evidence Of Modern Human Culture Found -- BBC

The earliest unambiguous evidence for modern human behaviour has been discovered by an international team of researchers in a South African cave.

The finds provide early evidence for the origin of modern human behaviour 44,000 years ago, over 20,000 years before other findings.

The artefacts are near identical to modern-day tools of the indigenous African San bush people.

The research was published yesterday in PNAS.

Read more ....

My Comment: Time to rewrite the anthropology books.

No Porn For Missile Defense Agency Employees

Inside the heart of defence: The revelation constitutes a massive security risk because pornographic sites provide perfect cover for criminals and foreign spies to smuggle spying software past even the most sophisticated of firewalls (stock image)

Pentagon Orders Missile Defense Staff To Stop Watching Porn On Office Computers -- Daily Mail

* Workers at the Missile Defence Agency were caught downloading x-rated material on office computers and sharing them with each other via the internal network
* Fears raised that criminals or spies may have hacked agency's mainframe
* Porn sites provide perfect cover for hackers to smuggle spying software past sophisticated firewalls
* MDA is responsible for developing, fielding and upgrading the nation’s ground-and sea-based missile defense programs

The Pentagon has ordered staff at its top-secret missile defence unit to stop watching porn and concentrate on the job in hand.

Military chiefs are furious that workers at the Missile Defence Agency have been wasting valuable hours surfing the web for smut rather than developing state-of-the-art weaponry.

The violation came to light after fears were raised that viruses may have already been smuggled into the department's mainframe through x-rated sites.

Read more ....

More News On The Pentagon Warning Missile Defense Employees And Contractors To Stay Away From Porn Sites

Missile Defense Staff Warned to Stop Surfing Porn Sites -- Bloomberg
Pentagon’s War on Porn Spreads to Missile Defense Machines -- Danger Room
Director wants missile defense workers to stop watching porn at work -- FOX News
Missile Defense Agency warns workers to lay off the porn -- New York Daily News
US missile defense staff asked to stop watching porn at work -- Global Post
Missile Defense Workers Aren't Practicing Safe Porn -- Atlantic Wire

Cybersecurity Bill Fails In The US Senate

Cybersecurity Bill Fails In Senate -- Washington Post

A bill establishing security standards to prevent large-scale cyberattacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure — including water supplies and the electrical grid — failed in the U.S. Senate on Thursday despite strong endorsements from top military and national security officials.

Senators voted 52 to 46 in favor of the bill, coming up short of the two-thirds majority necessary to advance it to final passage. The failure to pass the measure further stalls years of bipartisan efforts to establish stricter security standards and, experts say, could leave the nation vulnerable to widespread hacking or a serious cyberattack.

Read more ....

More News On The Failure Of The US Cybersecurity Bill

Cyber-security measure fails to pass in Senate -- L.A. Times
Senate fails to approve cybersecurity legislation -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Cybersecurity Bill Is Blocked in Senate by G.O.P. Filibuster -- New York Times
Hopes fade for new U.S. cybersecurity law in 2012 -- Reuters
US Senate blocks Obama-backed cybersecurity bill -- AFP
Political infighting blocks Senate passage of cybersecurity bill despite dire warnings -- Christian Science Monitor
Despite Threat of ‘Cyber 9/11′, Lawmakers Punt Cyber Security Bill -- ABC News
Senators hold out hope that cybersecurity bill can be revived -- The Hill

No Dark Knight's Flying "Bat" For The U.S. Military

'Dark Knight Rises' crew members lifted up what is allegedly a flying bat mobile in the Financial District to shoot a scene for the Batman movie on Sunday. John Taggart for New York Daily News

US Military Shoots Down Dark Knight's Flying "Bat" Idea -- Live Science

When the Dark Knight rises to defend Gotham once more, he literally takes to the skies in a flying vehicle known simply as the Bat. The new nonlethal weapon in Batman's arsenal can hover like a helicopter and pull off aerial maneuvers worthy of "Top Gun" fighter jets — a combination that may seem almost too good to be true.

Read more ....

My Comment: I understand .... it's just too far fetch.

The Legal Battle That Could Decide How Much Your Next Phone Costs

Photo: The Samsung Galaxy S II

The Legal Battle That Could Decide How Much Your Next Phone Costs: Apple Takes On Samsung As Billion Dollar Court Case Finally Gets Underway -- Daily Mail

* Apple vs Samsung begins in earnest today following legal scuffles across the world

* Jury of ten ready to listen to arguments in trial which is expected to run for four weeks

* Experts say verdict could affect evolution of smartphone market

Today should see the opening shots fired as the billion-dollar Apple v Samsung patent case gets underway in a San Jose courtroom.

The two bitter rivals are arguing over a cluster of phone patents, each alleging that the other is infringing on intellectual property as they vie for top place in the smartphone wars.

Read more ....

My Comment: Steve Jobs always wanted this battle .... it is a shame that he is not around to see it.

Can Certain Types Of Chilli Be Used As A Biological Weapon?

Dr Anuj Baruah, who cultivates the bhut jolokia chilli, holds a vial containing oily red capcaisin at his lab in Kherti, Assam.

Chilli Used By Indian Army In Weaponry Is Hot Property For Poor Farmers -- The Guardian

Military's demand for bhut jolokia, once the world's hottest chilli, is offering thousands of Assam farmers a way out of poverty.

"Look at this," said Dr Anuj Baruah, holding up a vial containing a few drops of rusty red liquid. "With this I could make you senseless." His nose started twitching; his eyes watered. "Oh dear. I think I may have got some on my fingers," he said, looking remarkably unconcerned that his skin had touched something the Indian government has developed into a biological weapon.

"I know what happens. Your brain starts to not work properly, you become restless … " He scurried off, returning a few minutes later after washing a particularly pungent strain of bhut jolokia chilli concentrate off his hands on his farm-cum-chilli research lab in the north-east Indian state of Assam.

Read more ....

My Comment: Hmmmm .... I am intrigued .... I love hot and spicy food .... and I love chilli.

On A Sinking Ship It Is Everyman (Not Woman) For Himself

A scene from the 1997 film 'Titanic' directed by James Cameron Photo: Reuters

Every Man For Himself On Sinking Ships -- The Telegraph

As torrents of freezing water gushed onto the Titanic, its male passengers selflessly shepherded women and children to the few available lifeboats in what was described as a typically British act of chivalry.

But although their gallantry was hailed as an example of a moral code shared by all mariners, a new study suggests the situation on board the Titanic, where female survivors outnumbered men three to one, was something of an exception.

Although convention dictates that men should step aside and put "women and children first", history shows that the male attitude is better summed up as "every man for himself".

Read more ....

My Comment: And then we have stories like this one.

Welcome To The 'Megadrought'

Pinon Pines Near Los Alamos, New Mexico in 2002 (Left) and 2004 (Right) Courtesy Oregon State University via Flickr

The 2000-2004 North American Drought Was The Worst In 800 Years -- Popular Science

Welcome to the 'megadrought'.

An analysis of past climate data published yesterday in the journal Nature Geoscience paints a less-than-rosy picture for the U.S., Mexico, and Canada in the 21st century. The 2000-2004 dry spell was the worst drought in the region in 800 years, the researchers claim, and before the century is over we’ll look back on those days as the wetter end of a much larger hydroclimate shift. Dry conditions will become the “new normal.” They invoked the word “megadrought.”

Read more ....

My Comment: Dry conditions becoming the “new normal” .... not a comforting thought if you live on the plains.

Brain Structures Are Different For Those With Excellent Autobiographical Memory

UC Irvine scientists have discovered intriguing differences in the brains and mental processes of an extraordinary group of people who can effortlessly recall every moment of their lives since about age 10. (Credit: © James Steidl / Fotolia)

Brains Are Different In People With Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (July 30, 2012) — UC Irvine scientists have discovered intriguing differences in the brains and mental processes of an extraordinary group of people who can effortlessly recall every moment of their lives since about age 10.

The phenomenon of highly superior autobiographical memory -- first documented in 2006 by UCI neurobiologist James McGaugh and colleagues in a woman identified as "AJ" -- has been profiled on CBS's "60 Minutes" and in hundreds of other media outlets. But a new paper in the peer-reviewed journal Neurobiology of Learning & Memory's July issue offers the first scientific findings about nearly a dozen people with this uncanny ability.

Read more ....

Rare Mercedes Supercar With 7.3litre Engine Going To Auction

This rare 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR could fetch up to £1 million in an auction later this month

Rare Mercedes Supercar With 7.3litre Engine And Just 1,335 Miles On The Clock Set To Fetch £1m At Auction -- Daily Mail

A supercar described as being one of the brashest Mercedes ever built is expected to sell for £1million when it is auctioned later this month.

The 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR will appear at RM Auctions’ Monterey sale in California on August 17 with the hammer expected to go down at around the £1 million mark.

It is a limited edition race car for the road, boasts one of the German company’s boldest designs.

This particular model, which has done just 1,335 miles, was the first of 25 road cars built by Mercedes.

Read more ....

My Comment: A 1998 car with only 1,335 miles on it .... it's owner obviously did not want to drive it.

The Beginning Of Bioelectronics

Healthcare: Into The Cortex -- Financial Times

Scientific advances on the brain promise to transform the pharmaceutical industry.

Imagine a pharmaceutical company 20 or 30 years from now. Moving beyond conventional drugs that interact biochemically with the body, it will have built a big “bioelectronics” business that treats disease through electrical signalling in the brain and elsewhere.

Neurological problems, from stroke and epilepsy to depression, will be treated through electronic implants into the brain rather than pills or injections. Even diabetes and obesity will be attacked in ways that seem like science fiction today, by sending electrical signals to malfunctioning cells.

Read more ....

My Comment: An implant inside my brain .... not a comforting thought.

The X-47B Stealth Drone Up Close And Personal

Exclusive Pics: The Navy’s Unmanned, Autonomous ‘UFO’ -- Danger Room

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — If you saw it in person, you’d probably think it was a UFO, too.

That’s what happened when the Navy trucked its batwing-shaped drone of the future from California to its new testing bed here in Maryland. Across the country, 911 switchboards lit up with reports that mysterious trucks were hauling a spaceship. In truth, it was a demonstration model for something the Navy desperately wants: to launch an armed, spying, stealthy drone from an aircraft carrier, one of the hardest maneuvers in aviation, conducted with the click of a mouse. But up close, you can see why people freaked out.

Read more ....

More News On The X-47B

U.S. Navy reveals deadly stealth plane mistaken for UFO on Washington D.C. highway -- Daily Mail
The X-47B Stealth Drone Will Now Be Flying Over The East Coast -- Business Insider
X-47B unmanned aircraft gets its Pax River wings -- Gizmag
Navy's X-47B UCAV in Debut Flight at Pax -- Ares/Aviation Week

China Aims For The Moon

China To Attempt First Moon Landing -- The Telegraph

China will next year attempt to land an exploratory craft on the moon for the first time, state media reported, in the latest project in its ambitious space programme.

China's third lunar probe will blast off in the second half of 2013, the state Xinhua news agency reported late on Monday. Other reports said it would land and transmit back a survey of the moon's surface.

If successful, the landing would be China's first on the lunar surface and mark a new milestone in its space development. It is part of a project to orbit, land on and return from the moon, Xinhua said.

China said in its last white paper on space it was working towards landing a man on the moon, although it has not given a time frame.

Read more ....

My Comment: They are being aggressive in their space program .... reminds me of what NASA was like 40 years ago.

Where Do Olympians Go When The Olympics End

Growing ranks of Olympians are choosing to run off with the circus when their bodies no longer allow them to compete. For former gymnasts, divers and synchronized swimmers, Cirque du Soleil is offering many a chance to show off their skills.

The Guy In The Clown Nose? He's An Olympian -- Wall Street Journal

Terry Bartlett is a world-class gymnast who leapt, tumbled and swung for the glory of Great Britain in three Olympic Games.

Today, he is also a world-class clown. Ten times a week, he dons a red nose and floppy shoes to elicit chuckles at "O," a Las Vegas water-themed circus run by Cirque du Soleil.

"It's better than having a real job," says the 48-year-old Bartlett.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is one of the many reasons why I love living in Montreal .... Cirque Soleil has a top in the old Port where many of these performances are held.

The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell

Free: Mr Allen offered the Octopus for the expedition at no cost to the government

The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell: Billionaire Offers To Fund Recovery So That It Can Be A Memorial To 1,415 Crew Who Drowned When Warship Was Sunk By The Bismarck In 1941 -- Daily Mail

A US billionaire has offered to lead an operation to recover the bell of the sunken battle cruiser HMS Hood, which was sunk in 1941 and killed 1,415 men, for free.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said US philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G Allen has offered his private yacht be used in the search to recover the bell at no cost to it.

HMS Hood, which was a state-of-the-art vessel for its time, is the largest Royal Navy vessel to have been sunk, causing the biggest loss of life suffered by any single British warship.

Read more ....

My Comment: Kudos to Paul Allen for doing this.

US Intelligence: Poverty Will Be Eliminated By 2030

US Intelligence Predicts Poverty Plummet By 2030 -- CBS News

ASPEN, Colo. — Poverty across the planet will be virtually eliminated by 2030, with a rising middle class of some two billion people pushing for more rights and demanding more resources, the chief of the top U.S. intelligence analysis shop said Saturday.

If current trends continue, the 1 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day now will drop to half that number in roughly two decades, Christoper Kojm said.

"We see the rise of the global middle class going from one to two billion," Kojm said, in a preview of the National Intelligence Council's global forecast offered at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am skeptical .... but it is also true that wealth creation is spreading in many parts of the world. The National Intelligence Council's website is here.

The Summer Olympics: 1896 vs. 2012

Summer Olympics: 1896 vs. 2012 -- Discovery News

With 116 years separating the first moden Olympics from this year's games, there are bound to be some noticeable changes between the two. Aside from archived photos of the Olympics, one of clearest windows into the first modern Olympics held in 1896 is from G. S. Robertson in an essay titled, "An Englishman at the first modern Olympics" (via Longform.org).

Robertson's account of the 1896 paints a picture of an Olympics in its infancy that, while grappling with the challenges of hosting an international competition without the benefits of modern telecommunications or transporation, still manages to capture what would be described in later generations as the Olympic spirit.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Olympics have certainly changed over the years.

Meet Kuratas, The Million Dollar Robot Which Weighs Four Tons

Rush hour: If you have grown weary of a traditional commute Kuratas is fully functioning on the road - but will not get you to work any faster as its top speed barely hits 7 mph

Dial Carefully! Meet Kuratas, The Million Dollar Robot Which Weighs Four Tons, Shoots When You Smile And Is Controlled By iPhone -- Daily Mail

* Robot unveiled in Japan today will go on sale for £900,000
* Kuratas can be controlled by motion sensor technology in the one-man cockpit or through any phone with a 3G connection
* As well as auto targeting your enemy it is easy for those looking for sweet vengeance - the robot's heavy artillery fires 6,000 bullet per minute when the pilot smiles

A Japanese electronics company has unveiled a 13ft super-robot which can be controlled by an iPhone.

But be careful with the jokes if you are on the phone to the pilot as the robot, made by Suidobashi Heavy Industry in Tokyo, brings a whole new meaning to ‘trigger-happy’.

'Kuratas' is fitted with a futuristic weapons system, including a gatling gun capable of shooting 6,000 BB bullets a minute, which fires when the pilot smiles.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Japanese and their robots always make me smile.

Rare 1955 Aston Martin To Be Auctioned

Pricey: This very rare Aston Martin is expected to set a staggering £2.5 million when it goes under the hammer next month

Rare 1955 Aston Martin May Sell For £2.5MILLION To Become One Of The Most Expensive British Cars Ever Sold -- Daily Mail

* The stunning Aston Martin DB3S is one of just 21 built by the iconic British sports car maker
* Classic car enthusiasts regard the orange Aston Martin as 'one of the most attractive and elegantly designed sports racing cars of the post war period'

It is a car which is synonymous with British culture and was even adored by James Bond.

But despite its unique and glowing reputation, the price-tag of this rare Aston Martin still comes as something of a shock.

This bright orange version of the luxury car has been described by experts as a 'masterpiece' and is expected to fetch a staggering £2.5 million when it goes under the hammer next month.

Read more ....

My Comment: The car and it's color scheme makes this a perfect match.

Facebook Smartphone To Be Released In 2013

Facebook concept design (Source: cdn.pocket-lint.com)

Facebook Smartphone To Be Released In Mid 2013 -- Daily Tech

Facebook will build it with HTC and use its own operating system.

Facebook is set to team up with HTC and join the smartphone arena with its own device as soon as mid 2013.

The new smartphone will be made in joint with HTC and will offer Facebook's own version of a mobile operating system. Some have speculated that Facebook may use a version of the Android mobile operating system, since it can be modified, but that part is unclear for now.

Read more ....

My Comment: Many Facebook users use a phone to update or check their page .... so the logic is .... why not a Facebook phone. What is my take .... it looks like Facebook is reaching.

Ocean's Carbon Capture Secrets Becoming Known

Making waves: The Southern Ocean(Source: British Antarctic Survey)

Ocean's Deep Carbon Secrets Revealed -- ABC News (Australia)

New light has been shed on the Southern Ocean's ability to store carbon through an international study that pinpoints where carbon capture is most efficient.

The finding by Australian and British researchers also shows absorption of carbon is not uniform and is slower than previously thought.

The Southern Ocean is a particularly important oceanic carbon sink as it absorbs more than 40 per cent of the CO2 that is sequestered by the oceans.

Read more ....

No Police Surveillance Policy Change At Skype

Skype Denies Police Surveillance Policy Change -- BBC

Microsoft's online message, phone and video chat service Skype has denied making changes to its system "in order to provide law officers greater access" to its members' conversations.

It follows reports suggesting infrastructure upgrades had made it easier to hand on users' chat data.

Skype has now posted a blog saying the changes were made solely to improve user experience and reliability.

But it added it would pass on messages to law enforcement when "appropriate".

Read more ....

My Comment: But everyone now knows that the technology exists to make it possible .... a fact that Skype will never be able to discount. And while the focus is on police agencies .... no one is discussing what the intelligence agencies are doing.

Rome's Colosseum Is Now Leaning

Rome's ancient Colosseum is seen from a helicopter, in this August 12, 2004 file photo. The ancient Colosseum of Rome, where gladiators fought for their lives, is slanting about 40 cm (16 inches) lower on the south side than on the north, and authorities are investigating whether it needs urgent repairs. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/File

First Pisa, Now Rome's Colosseum - It's Leaning -- Yahoo News/Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - The ancient Colosseum of Rome, where gladiators fought for their lives, is slanting about 40 cm (16 inches) lower on the south side than on the north, and authorities are investigating whether it needs urgent repairs.

Experts first noticed the incline about a year ago and have been monitoring it for the past few months, Rossella Rea, director at the 2,000-year-old monument, said in an article published in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Sunday.

Read more ....

My Comment: the roman Colosseum has been standing for a long time .... so it should not surprise us if it is due for some repairs.

American Flags Are Still Standing On The Moon

Still there: The flag planted by Apollo 17 astronauts in December 1972 -- the last manned mission to the moon -- is seen here in this image taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

New NASA Photos Reveal American Flags Planted During Moon Landings Proudly Yet Wave FOUR DECADES After Last Apollo Mission -- Daily Mail

Four decades after the last astronauts landed on the moon and planted an American flag in lunar soil, scientists wondered: 'Does that star spangled banner yet wave?'

Finally new images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) have given proof in the night, that the flags are, indeed, still there.

All but one of the six flags left by American astronauts remain standing, according to an analysis of the shadows they cast on the surface of the moon.

Read more ....

Ten Of The Best Classic Cars

The Morgan 4/4

Ten Of The Best Classic Cars - Invest In A Stylish Motor From Under £1,000 -- Daily Mail

Classic cars have a huge fan base in the UK as they offer an alternative to the common modern-day motors that populate our roads, and for many they hold a prestigious and nostalgic value.

When it comes to purchasing a classic car, many believe that it will be out of their price range. However, owning a vintage motor doesn’t have to break the bank.

Classic cars are worth a second look, especially if you keep your annual mileage low.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am the skeptical of the prices that are quoted .... but those are great classic cars.

How Science Can Be Used To Predict Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch

How Science Predicts Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch -- Popular Science

You can't watch everything, so let an analysis of physics data guide you to this summer's most competitive events.

The Olympics represent something very special in the culture of sport, but from a viewing perspective they are a logistical nightmare. Multiple events play out at the same time, forcing you to pick and choose between your favorite events. Where will the next dazzling, record-breaking performance take place? Will someone rob Usain Bolt of his 100-meter record? Will there be a Kerri Strug moment in the gym? There's no way to to tune into the Games with absolute certainty that you'll see something historic, but Steve Haake thinks you can increase your chances. Science can tell us where we’re most likely to see the closest competitions or record-breaking performances, and where we’re least likely to see anything exciting at all.

Read more ....

My Comment: Women's beach volleyball is where all the action is. :)

The Physics of Fire Walking

The Physics of Firewalking -- io9

Last Thursday, close to two dozen participants at a motivational seminar hosted by Tony Robbins suffered burns on their feet, while attempting to tromp across lanes of red-hot coals. So what did these burn victims do wrong?

The Associated Press reports that most of those injured sustained second- and even third-degree burns, but event organizers have since released a statement claiming that 6,000 attendees walked across the coals that day and emerged from the embers unscathed. Educate yourself on the physics of firewalking — here's what you need to know to keep from getting burned.

Read more ....

My Comment: Making sure that your feet are wet is an additional precaution to prevent serious burns.