Africa's Energy Demands Are Starting To Skyrocket

Africa's Energy Consumption Growing Fastest In World -- Christian Science Monitor

Africa's energy demands are skyrocketing, but with 64 recent major discoveries of fuel deposits, it is in a good position to meet its needs. As the sun sets over Africa each day, instead of flicking a light switch or heating up the oven, most people put a match to a kerosene lantern or a burning ember to a charcoal stove. Africa, home to 15 percent of the world’s population, consumes just 3 percent of the world's energy output, and 587 million people, including close to three-quarters of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa, still have no access to electricity via national grids. But the situation is changing, and swiftly. At 4.1 percent growth, Africa’s per capita energy consumption is growing faster than anywhere else, driven by improved infrastructure, inward investment, and efforts to tackle corruption.  

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My Comment: These energy trends are going to guarantee a few things .... (1) global oil and energy prices will remain high, (2) global warming advocates will be alarmed, and (3) tensions and conflicts will start to develop between different African countries over energy supplies (i.e. South Sudan - Sudan oil deposits, Ethiopia wanting to dam the Nile river, Nigeria delta oil reserves, etc.).

Did Neil Armstrong Lie About The Origins Of His ‘One Small Step’ Speech?

Did Neil Armstrong Lie About The Origins Of His ‘One Small Step’ Speech? And Did He Still Fluff His Lines? -- Daily Mail 

A new documentary has cast doubt on Neil Armstrong's claims that he came up with his iconic 'one small step' line hours after touching down on the surface of the moon. The first man on the moon had stubbornly maintained up until his death in September that his historic words were unplanned, but a recent interview with his brother claims that he thought up the famous speech months before the July 1969, Apollo mission - and that the phrase he planned to utter did include an 'a'. Hundreds of millions around the world heard the NASA astronaut say, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind', but Armstrong insisted that he said 'a man' but that the 'a' was not heard because of static.  

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Update: How Neil Armstrong practiced that 'One Small Step' line for the moon -- NBC  

My Comment: He will always be remembered for saying 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' .... and that's good enough for me.

Is There A Link Between Alzheimer's Disease And Space travel?

Little is know about the ultra high-energy cosmic rays that regularly penetrate the atmosphere. J. Yang / NSF 

 Space May Accelerate Alzheimer's In Astronauts -- NBC  

Exposure to radiation levels could speed up changes in brain, study finds. Radiation in space might harm the brains of astronauts in deep space by accelerating the development of Alzheimer's disease, a new study on mice suggests. The research reveals another risk that manned deep-space missions to places such as Mars or the asteroids could pose, scientists added. "This study shows for the first time that exposure to radiation levels equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease," study author Kerry O'Banion, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a statement.

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My Comment: Maybe so .... but if I had the chance, I would still want to go up into space.

Facebook, Google And Twitter Release 2012 Trends

Felix Baumgartner's daring freefall from near space was a top trend on Google. 

Facebook, Google Release 2012 Trends -- CNN 

 (CNN) -- If you can't recall everything you loved and hated about 2012, Facebook, Twitter and Google all just released their year-in-review reports. And all three reflect what many of us experienced firsthand: Thousands of strangers gathering to watch a rover land on Mars and a man fall from space. A hurricane slamming the East Coast while the world watched tragedy strike and heroes emerge. Social media, combined with the ability to search and surface information almost instantly, repeatedly brought Internet users together to huddle around the virtual campfire, sharing their stories through image, text and sound.

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CSN Editor: For more on the trends:

Twitter: 2012 Year on Twitter

Google: Google Zeitgeist 2012

Facebook: 2012 Year in Review

Meet Roboy, One Of The Most Advanced Humanoid Robots In The World

Advanced Humanoid Roboy To Be ‘Born’ In Nine Months -- Kurzweilai 

Meet Roboy, “one of the most advanced humanoid robots,” say researchers at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich. Their 15 project partners and over 40 engineers and scientists are constructing Roboy as a tendon-driven robot modeled on human beings (robots usually have their motors in their joints, giving them that “robot” break-dance look), so it will move almost as elegantly as a human. Roboy will be a “service robot,” meaning it will execute services independently for the convenience of human beings, as in the movie Robot & Frank.

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My Comment: Impressive.

2,750-Year-Old Temple Found Near Jerusalem

An employee of the Israeli Antiquities Authority displays figurines at Tel Motza archaeological site on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Baz Ratner / Reuters 

Israelis Find 2,750-Year-Old Temple -- NBC 

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,750-year-old temple near Jerusalem, along with pottery and clay figurines that suggest the site was the home base for a ritual cult, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said Wednesday. The discovery was made during excavations at the Tel Motza archaeological site, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Jerusalem, during preparations for work on a new section of Israeli's Highway 1, the agency said in a statement.

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My Comment: More evidence that Jerusalem is built on a history that spans many millennium. 

The Secret Of Scotland's Islay Malt Whiskeys

The Secret Of Scotland's Islay Malt Whiskeys -- CBS  

(CBS News) We all know Scotch whisky comes from Scotland. But to true Scotch drinkers, just WHERE in Scotland makes all the difference. Willem Marx takes us on a tasting tour: At the outermost edge of Scotland's wild Atlantic coastline lies a small island with a big reputation. The Isle of Islay is called the "Queen of the Hebrides" for its natural beauty, and can seem rather a peaceful little spot. But the sleepy harbors, flowery meadows and ancient villages today play host to an increasingly global industry. While Jamaica is liked for its rums, and Madeira known for its sherries, this island is loved and famous for its unique-tasting Scotch whiskys, known as Islay malts. Islay has just over 3,000 year-round residents, but in their midst nine whisky distilleries are thriving.

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My Comment: Makes me want to move to Scotland

Is Beer Food?

Beer Now Considered Alcohol, Not Food, In Russia As New Restrictions Take Hold -- NBC 

It will be tougher for Russians to cry in their beer in 2013. Restrictions on when and where beer can be sold go into effect Jan. 1 with a law that declared beer is alcohol, not food. Under the new rules, beer can only be sold in licensed outlets — not street kiosks, gas stations and bus depots like it has been. Russians won't be able to buy it from shops between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., and beer commercials are a thing of the past. The limits are part of a government effort to reduce alcohol abuse in Russian, where one in five male deaths are linked to booze, according to world health experts. Not everyone is toasting the change, however.

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My Comment: My dad (who is Russian and when he was alive loved beer) always treated beer as food.

Russia's GPS Network Is Put On Hold

RIA Novosti / Oleg Urusov

Russian Military's Support Of GLONASS On Ice After Corruption Scandal, Technical Failures - Report -- RT

The Russian Defense Ministry has reportedly refused to adopt GLONASS, the country’s rival to GPS, due to its technical shortcomings. One of the system’s 24 satellites has malfunctioned, and besides, GLONASS is still in its testing phase. ­

The malfunctioning satellite will not be operational any time soon as it has already exhausted its power after 96 months in service, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports. And due to a difference in orbit inclination, no existing reserve satellite can substitute it.  

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My Comment: After a decade of war the U.S. has clearly shown the value of GPS systems for precision bomb strikes. Not having this essential network is a significant loss for the Russian military.  
Update: A link to how China and other countries are trying to develop their own GPS system.

Christianity Is 'Close To Extinction' In The Middle East

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Christianity 'Close To Extinction' In Middle East -- The Telegraph

Christianity faces being wiped out of the “biblical heartlands” in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers, according to a new report.

The study warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group. And it claims politicians have been “blind” to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The most common threat to Christians abroad is militant Islam, it says, claiming that oppression in Muslim countries is often ignored because of a fear that criticism will be seen as “racism”.

 It warns that converts from Islam face being killed in Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Iran and risk severe legal penalties in other countries across the Middle East. The report, by the think tank Civitas, says: “It is generally accepted that many faith-based groups face discrimination or persecution to some degree.  

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My Comment: I have remarked on more than one occasion that this is one of the most under-reported stories of the past few years.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Is Now On Facebook

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Photo On Facebook

Iranians Can't Use Facebook, But Ayatollah Does -- NBC News

Facebook — banned in Iran due to its use by activists to rally government opponents in 2009 — has an unlikely new member: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Launched a few days ago, the Facebook page "Khamenei.ir" displays photographs of the 73-year-old cleric alongside speeches and pronouncements by the man who wields ultimate power in the Islamic Republic. While there are several other Facebook pages already devoted to Khamenei, the new one — whose number of "likes" quadrupled on Monday to over 1,000 — appeared to be officially authorized, rather than merely the work of admirers.  

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More News On Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Being On Facebook

Iran's supreme leader 'likes' Facebook despite ban -- ITV
Internet ayatollah: Iran's supreme leader "likes" Facebook -- Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader adds Facebook to growing online presence, despite official ban -- The Verge Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Gets Nostalgic On Facebook -- Tech Crunch  

My Comment: I doubt that he is posting himself .... someone on his staff is probably doing this. but it is interesting that he feels that he needs an online presence for the international community to read and follow. More proof (once agaion) on the power of social media.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Facebook page is here.

Fears That U.S. Banks Are Now Being Targeted For Cyber Attacks

Tourists walk past a Bank of America banking center in Times Square in New York in this June 2012 photo. Brendan McDermid/Reuters/Files

Cyberattacks On US Banks Resume, Aiming To Block Their Websites -- Christian Science Monitor

The latest cyberattack mirrors one in early fall that targeted websites of major US banks. Security experts say the attacks appear to be the handiwork of a group tied to Hamas, which the US lists as a terrorist organization. A massive new wave of cyberattacks aimed at blocking access to US banking websites has resumed after a three-month break, but with only mild impacts reported so far despite its size, cybersecurity experts report. Cybersecurity experts analyzing the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks – which shoot data from myriad computers to clog the Internet pipes at the target site – say the attacks that began early Tuesday are similar to those that struck banks' website server computers in mid-September and continued for several weeks.  

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More News On U.S. Banks Being Targeted For Cyber Attacks

Muslim hacker group launches further attacks against US banks -- Global Post
'Project Blitzkrieg': Are Russian cybercriminals about to invade US banks? -- Christian Science Monitor DDoS Attacks on Major US Banks Resurface -- Threat Post
U.S. Banks on Alert After DDoS Threats by Islamic 'Hacktivists' -- Sci Tech Today
New Threats Of Cyberattacks Against U.S. Banks -- CRN
DDoS attacks against U.S. banks peaked at 60 Gbps -- Computer World
Latest DDoS attacks on banks: A teachable moment -- CSO

Leaked Images Show 'The Next Blackberry'

Leaked Images Show 'The Next Blackberry' - And It Looks Suspiciously Like An iPhone -- Daily Mail 

* Images suggest that like Apple's device the Blackberry will have chunky bezels at top and bottom
* Device set to be Research In Motion's make or break product, with launch expected at the end of January
* Pictures leaked by a Vietnamese tech site

These pictures purport to show the phone which BlackBerry maker Research In Motion hopes will halt its seemingly inexorable slide out of the mobile business. Sourced from a Vietnamese tech news site they show a gadget that's sleek, shiny and futuristic - and that looks suspiciously like an iPhone. The images suggest Research In Motion has finally dropped the full keyboard that was their brand's virtual trademark in favour of a full touchscreen device.

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My Comment: It looks like a winner.

Global Demographic Trends

The Demographic Trends that Will Shape the World -- Joseph Chamie, Real Clear World

While governments and institutions try to grapple with economic uncertainty and volatility an important factor of relative certainty is often overlooked: demography. One may not know how the markets will behave, but demographic trends can provide instructive and relative certainty for the near term to deal with debt, taxes, unemployment and entitlements, to name a few. Dismissal of major demographic trends, seven of which described below, will in all likelihood result in ill-conceived policies, unsustainable programs and squandered resources. First, at an estimated 7 billion, the world's population is growing at 1.1 percent annually, or 78 million people, half the peak level of 2.1 percent in the late 1960s. Although the world's demographic growth rate is continuing to slow due to declining birthrates, the 8 billion world population mark will likely be reached by 2025. This growth will increase the world's working age population, 15 to 64 years, by 610 million and those aged 65 years and older by 290 million, increases of 13 and 52 percent, respectively.  

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My Comment: There are a lot of stats in this report .... bottom line .... the world in 2050 will not look like the world today.

Facebook, Twitter And Google Release 2012 Trends

Facebook, Google Release 2012 Trends -- CNN 

 (CNN) -- If you can't recall everything you loved and hated about 2012, Facebook, Twitter and Google all just released their year-in-review reports. And all three reflect what many of us experienced firsthand: Thousands of strangers gathering to watch a rover land on Mars and a man fall from space. A hurricane slamming the East Coast while the world watched tragedy strike and heroes emerge. Social media, combined with the ability to search and surface information almost instantly, repeatedly brought Internet users together to huddle around the virtual campfire, sharing their stories through image, text and sound.

Read more ....

CSN Editor: For more on the trends:

Twitter: 2012 Year on Twitter

Google: Google Zeitgeist 2012

Facebook: 2012 Year in Review

The Next-Generation Supercomputers

Illustration: George Retseck 

Next-Generation Supercomputers -- IEEE 

Supercomputers are now running our search engines and social networks. But the heady days of stunning performance increases are over. Supercomputers are the crowning achievement of the digital age. Yes, it's true that yesterday's supercomputer is today's game console, as far as performance goes. But there is no doubt that during the past half-century these machines have driven some fascinating if esoteric pursuits: breaking codes, predicting the weather, modeling automobile crashes, simulating nuclear explosions, and designing new drugs—to name just a few. And in recent years, supercomputers have shaped our daily lives more directly. We now rely on them every time we do a Google search or try to find an old high school chum on Facebook, for example. And you can scarcely watch a big-budget movie without seeing supercomputer-generated special effects. So with these machines more ingrained than ever into our institutions and even our social fabric, it's an excellent time to wonder about the future. Will the next decade see the same kind of spectacular progress as the last two did? Alas, no.

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My Comment: An excellent report on the next generation of supercomputers. Read it all.

How Maggots Heal Wounds

How Maggots Heal Wounds -- Wired/Science Now 

Yes, maggots are creepy, crawly, and slimy. But that slime is a remarkable healing balm, used by battlefield surgeons for centuries to close wounds.

Now, researchers say they’ve figured out how the fly larvae work their magic: They suppress our immune system. Maggots are efficient consumers of dead tissue. They munch on rotting flesh, leaving healthy tissue practically unscathed. Physicians in Napoleon’s army used the larvae to clean wounds. In World War I, American surgeon William Baer noticed that soldiers with maggot-infested gashes didn’t have the expected infection or swelling seen in other patients. The rise of penicillin in the 1940s made clinical maggots less useful, but they bounced back in the 1990s when antibiotic-resistant bacteria created a new demand for alternative treatments. In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved maggot therapy as a prescription treatment.

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My Comment: I guess our ancestors knew what they were doing.

New Views Of Earth At Night

NASA Unveils The Clearest View Of Earth At Night Ever Captured -- Business Insider 

Scientists unveiled the most detailed view of what the Earth looks like at night at a news conference at the American Geophysical Union meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 5. The unprecedented nighttime view of Earth's city lights is compiled from hundreds of images that come from a new NASA and NOAA satellite, called Suomi NPP. Suomi NPP is special because it's equipped with a new sensor, called VIIRS, that can capture images at night even without moonlight, distinguishing night lights with six times better spatial resolution and 250 times better resolution of lighting levels than before.

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My Comment: An incredible video .... check it out.

Making All Smartphones To Be Pocket Seismometers

A range of phones are hooked up to the Berkeley Seismological Lab's shake table 

Smartphones To Be Pocket Seismometers -- BBC 

The smartphones in our pockets are about to get even smarter. Scientists want these ubiquitous gadgets to be put to work helping them detect and investigate earthquakes. The devices contain accelerometers and a team at the Berkeley Seismic Laboratory says the mechanisms are capable of monitoring tremors. An app is being developed that will record the shaking during major events and then report the data back to a central server over the cell network. The high numbers of smartphones now in circulation mean researchers could get very detailed information on who felt what, and where.
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My Comment: This is smart .... and one that millions can easily contribute to.

Volvo Develops The 'No Death' Car

Volvo Develops The 'No Death' Car: Vehicles Which Drive Themselves And Are Totally Crashproof Could Be On British Roads In Eight Years -- Daily Mail 

* Vehicle will be fitted with sensors that can detect potential collisions and take action
* Firm claims 'nobody will be killed or injured in a new Volvo by 2020'

Car giant Volvo is developing 'no death' cars that drive themselves and are impossible to crash – ready for launch in showrooms within eight years. The computerised vehicles will be fitted with high-tech sensors and will 'refuse to be steered' into other objects. Volvo says they will be on sale to customers by 2020, but that some of the life-saving technology will be incorporated into its vehicles even earlier – from 2014 – it says.

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My Comment: I am not convinced .... I will need to keep my hands on the steering wheel.